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>Interpol - Interpol CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Long-awaited fourth album finds Interpol exploring dark musical landscapes of layered depth and intensity. Mixer Alan Moulder has brought the rhythm section back to the fore, anchoring a thicket of orchestral sound that brings to mind touchstones from black metal to ‘70s art rock.
>The Acorn - No Ghost CD (Bella Union)
After headline runs and bouts touring with Bowerbirds, Phosphorescent and Akron/Family, Canadian quintet The Acorn retreated from two years on the road to an isolated cottage in northern Quebec to begin work on their third full-length album, No Ghost. Songs took shape at all hours, crafted from hazy late-night improvisations, early morning melodies pulled from the thinning threads of sleep.
>Fabienne Delsol - On My Mind CD/LP (Damaged Goods)
With songs and production so authentically ‘60s they could have been taken from tapes gathering dust in Serge Gainsbourg's garage for the last 40 years. The album marks something of a departure from the jaunty beat-pop and ye-ye of her previous albums however, there's a definite autumnal feel to several of the tracks, putting you in mind of what the much mooted Francoise Hardy/Nick Drake collaboration might have yielded.
>Helmet - Seeing Eye Dog CD/LP (+1)
Helmet’s seventh album and first since 2006’s Monochrome.
>Oval - O 2xCD/2xLP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Oval’s first new album in nearly a decade -- a 70-track double album. Disc One features 20 relatively longer pieces that range from delicate, sophisticated pop to brutally torn, electro-acoustic riffing full of angular, colliding guitar sounds. Disc Two features 50 concise, highly detailed pieces that are a conscious nod to the culture of instant gratification. Vinyl edition features six bonus tracks.
>Robyn - Body Talk PT2 CDEP (Interscope)
Robyn -- recently heralded as the "critically anointed electro queen" by Spin -- expands her pool of collaborators on Body Talk PT2, bringing aboard Snoop Dogg and Savage Skulls.
>Sam Prekop - Old Punch Card CD/LP (Thrill Jockey)
A very different outing for Prekop (The Sea And Cake), featuring songs made on modular synthesizer. No vocals, no guitars, no beats. Taking inspiration from early musique concrète and electronic music, The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Nuno Canavarro, Raymond Scott, David Behrman, and free improvisation, this is a beautifully noisy, jagged yet stately album of synthesizer music.
>Carl Broemel - All Birds Say CD/LP (ATO)
An intimate collection from My Morning Jacket guitarist Carl Broemel. Think Ron Sexsmith, Neko Case, Neal Casal, Andrew Bird, Mose Allison, and early Boz Scaggs singing an orchestrated chorus of breezy ballads and waltzes.
>Sonny & The Sunsets - Tomorrow Is Alright CD (Fat Possum)
Vintage-style West Coast pop songs that tell sordid tales of distant travels, heavenly visions and otherworldly despair.
>Bobby Bare Jr. - A Storm, A Tree, My Mother’s Head CD (Thirty Tigers)
For this record, Bobby Bare, Jr. again enlisted the help of Tom Blankenship, Patrick Hallahan and Carl Broemel (all of My Morning Jacket). After much rehearsal, the entire album was recorded in two days. “I figured after doing my last record in one day, that if I spent two days on this record, it's gonna sound twice as good, right?” says Bare.
>Clientele - Minotaur CD (Merge)
30-minute mini album featuring eight new tracks.
>Miles Davis - Bitches Brew [40th Anniversary Legacy Edition] 2xCD+DVD (Sony)
Originally released in 1970, Bitches Brew became Davis' first gold album. This 40th Anniversary three-disc package offers the original album on two CDs plus rare bonus audio material and a DVD of the entire previously unreleased Copenhagen performance from November 4, 1969.
>Jenny & Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now CD/LP+CD (WB)
Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice have been collaborating on and off for years, each contributing to the other's solo records and live shows, but with this record they had a different intention: using their two voices in close harmony and playing practically every instrument themselves. The result is an eleven-song thirty-five minute blast of whip-smart rock & roll.
>Madlib - Medicine Show No. 8: Advanced Jazz CD (Madlib Medicine Show)
A step deeper than the Steve Kuhn and Weldon Irvine albums that he first enjoyed as he was first delving into his Yesterday’s New Quintet project Angles Without Edges in 2001.
>Philip Selway - Familial CD/LP+CD (Nonesuch)
Debut solo album from Radiohead drummer Philip Selway is a collection of sublimely fragile, haunting, and heartfelt songs that will surprise many -- and not only because drummers traditionally don't do this kind of thing. Familial is so persuasively good, it sounds like Selway has always been a singer/songwriter.
>Richard Thompson - Dream Attic CD/LP (Shout! Factory)
A collection of 13 brand-new songs recorded in front of live audiences during a February 2010 West Coast tour. By recording Dream Attic on stage, Thompson was able to capture the interaction between himself and his band members, who between them add acoustic guitar, mandolin, violin, sax, bass and drums into the mix.
>Tiesto - Kaleidoscope Remixed CD (Ultra)
A reworking of Kaleidoscope, his fourth artist album that includes a stunning collection of songs written and recorded in collaboration with a variety of music talents from the worlds of dance, pop and rock. Featured artists include Jónsi (Sigur Rós), Kele Okereke (Bloc Party), Nelly Furtado, Calvin Harris and Emily Haines (Metric), to name a few.
>!!! - Strange Weather, Isn't It? CD/2xLP (Warp)
Following in the footsteps of artists like David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Depeche Mode, who have flocked to Berlin in order to mainline the city's legendary dark energy, !!! traveled to the German capital to produce a record that is simultaneously brooding and somehow their poppiest, most immediate record yet.
>Antony & The Johnsons - Thank You For Your Love CDEP (Secretly Canadian)
Advance EP supporting the upcoming full-length Swanlights (due 10/12). Two original tracks as well as covers of Bob Dylan's "Pressing On" and John Lennon's "Imagine" in collaboration with avant-garde composer William Basinski.
>Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg - Je T'Aime… Moi Non Plus [Reissue] CD/LP+7” (Light In The Attic)
Remastered edition of this 1969 classic from French singer, songwriter and entertainer Serge Gainsbourg and his muse, British vocalist and actress Jane Birkin. Vinyl includes a bonus 7” (with picture sleeve) featuring non-album single “La Chanson de Slogan” b/w “Orang Outan.”
>James Blackshaw - All Is Falling CD/LP+MP3 (Young God)
Comprised of one slowly evolving, shifting piece of music in eight parts, replete with swirling string cycles and wind instruments augmenting his extended pointillist flurries with clouds of sound, sometimes adding delicate counter-melodies but just as often feeding the implicit waves of overtones until they cascade in an all-enveloping onslaught.
>Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Hawk CD/LP (Vanguard)
Since departing the celebrated Scottish indie-pop outfit Belle & Sebastian in 2002, Isobel Campbell has built a singularly impressive body of work, one that contains several solo albums as well as critically acclaimed collaborations with former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan. Here they return with a gorgeous collection of atmospheric roots tunes.
>Eels - Tomorrow Morning CD/LP (E-Works)
Last in Mark Oliver Everett’s trilogy of concept albums. Deluxe CD version due next week (8/31).
>Efterklang - Tripper + Springer [Reissue] 2xCD (Leaf)
>Efterklang - Parade + Under Giant Trees [Reissue] 2xCD (Leaf)
Special double CD editions of the first two full-length Efterklang albums, together with their accompanying EPs. 2004’s Tripper is paired with the five-track Springer mini-album that preceded it in 2003, while watershed second album Parades is joined by the long out-of-print Under Giant Trees mini-album.
>Fennesz/Daniell/Buck - Knoxville CD/LP (Thrill Jockey)
Documents the collaboration between Christian Fennesz, David Daniell and Tony Buck for the 2009 Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN. Minimalist drum passages scatter over the top of textured layers of guitar and subsumed melodic sequences, eventually giving way to warm beds of evolving, tactile drones.
>JJ Grey & Mofro - Georgia Warehouse CD (Alligator)
JJ returns with eleven new original songs including one co-written with songwriting icons Chuck Prophet and Angelo Petraglia (Kings Of Leon). Also joining JJ for a track on this album is Grey's long-time musical hero and reggae icon Toots Hibbert, who sings with Grey on the "The Sweetest Thing."
>Jon Langford & Skull Orchard - Old Devils CD/LP+MP3 (Bloodshot)
Starting with the premise that for many, punk is roots music, Langford and his band evoke the British hippie folk re-inventions of Richard Thompson, a muscular barrelhouse Rockpile and Lennonesque orchestrations. Vinyl version contains download card with two bonus songs.
>Mogwai - Burning/Special Moves CD+DVD/2xLP+MP3+DVD (Mogi LTD)
The first concert film from Glasgow, Scotland's post-rock stalwarts. Culled from footage shot during their April 2009 three-night stint at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Burning was directed by Vincent Moon and Nataniel La Souanec and captures Mogwai's visceral live show in high-contrast black and white. Companion live record Special Moves adds extra songs that were not included in the film.
>Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard CD/CD+DVD/LP+MP3 (Barsuk/Redeye)
“In The Orchard, an album of transition, Ra Ra Riot continues to create beauty of its chamber pop soundscapes but the band appears to be in lyrical limbo when compared to its previous LP, The Rhumb Line -- and understandably so.” -- Indieshuffle.com. Limited deluxe edition includes a DVD with a beautiful 38-minute impressionist behind-the-scenes documentary on the writing and making of The Orchard.
>Slowdive - Just For A Day [Reissue] 2xCD (Cherry Red)
Digitally remastered and expanded double CD edition of the British shoegaze outfit's 1991 debut featuring a disc of B-sides and a Peel session.
>Slowdive - Souvlaki [Reissue] 2xCD (Cherry Red)
Digitally remastered and expanded double CD edition of their 1993 album featuring a disc of B-Sides and a special mixes.
>Slowdive - Pygmallion [Reissue] 2xCD (Cherry Red)
Digitally remastered and expanded double CD edition of their 1995 album featuring a whole disc of previously unreleased demos.
>The Tallest Man On Earth - The Tallest Man On Earth [Reissue] CDEP (Dead Oceans)
>The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave [Reissue] CD (Dead Oceans)
The Tallest Man On Earth released one of 2008's most powerful records, Shallow Grave, an album that Pitchfork praised, calling Kristian Matsson "a natural-born folksinger, earnest, clever, and comforting."
>Ray Lamontagne And The Pariah Dogs - God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise CD/2xLP (RCA)
“On God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise, LaMontagne kicks his sound up a notch. It's nothing new -- after all, he has a near flawless track record to begin with. This time, through tweaks and experiments, he perfects his sound. It goes a little like this: breakup + bluegrass + blues. The B³ formula seems to fit him best.” -- Collegetimes
>Chief - Modern Rituals CD/LP (Domino)
“By mixing solid folk-rock numbers with the signature sound of California rock, plus beautiful vocal harmonies that will be appreciated during shows and concerts (chances of sing-alongs are high), Modern Rituals is a hopeful album with breakthrough potential.” -- Filter Magazine
>Matthew Dear - Black City CD/2xLP+CD (Ghostly International)
Black City can't be found on any map. It's a composite, an imaginary metropolis peopled by desperate cases, lovelorn souls, and amoral motives. Like most literary Gothams, Black City is a place to love and hate, as seedy as a nightclub's back room and as seductive as the promise of power.
>David Gray - Foundling 2xCD (Downtown)
Foundling looks like the most gorgeous and minimalist musical tapestry that David Gray has ever created -- one that alternately suggests the early work of The Band, Randy Newman and Tom Waits, but without sounding remotely like a piece of nostalgia.
>Lissie - Catching A Tiger CD (Fat Possum) “12-track collection of country-tinged radio rock (think late-‘60s, early-‘70s Laurel Canyon vibes, with more than a pinch of Fleetwood Mac, given a contemporary kick.” -- BBC
>Superchunk - No Pocky For Kitty [Reissue] CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Superchunk's Steve Albini-produced sophomore effort put the Chapel Hill kids on the map with huge guitars and perennial faves like "Skip Steps 1 & 3."
>Superchunk - On The Mouth [Reissue] CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Third proper full-length, recorded in L.A. with greaser/handyman/all-around good guy John Reis of Rocket From The Crypt... the plot thickens, the songs lengthen, with hits like "The Question Is How Fast" and "Precision Auto.”
>Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Let It Sway CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
From the infectious "In Pairs" to the slow-burning "Stuart Gets Lost Dans Le Metro," Let It Sway takes cues from the band's quiet Broom-era bedroom recordings and couples them with the polished sound of Pershing to create a whole new aesthetic.
>Various Artists (Kaskade) - Electric Daisy Carnival Volume 1 CD (Ultra)
Mix featuring tracks from the worlds' best DJ's including Tiësto, Armin Van Buuren, Benny Benassi, Deadmau5 and more.
>Brian Wilson - Reimagines Gershwin CD (Disney Pearl Series)
Brian Wilson has re-recorded and re-imagined twelve classic songs from the Gershwin Brothers and collaborated on two new Wilson/Gershwin compositions. Free lithograph with purchase (while supplies last)!!!
>Oddsac - A Visual Album by Animal Collective & Danny Perez - DVD+Book (Plexifilm)
DVD + 40-page hardcover art book in slipcover case. Co-conceived by and starring Animal Collective. Features an original score with new songs from the band and complex digital manipulation by Danny Perez, a debut filmmaker and visual artist known for his concert projections with Black Dice and Panda Bear. "A mind-frazzling piece full of vampire monks, demonic fakirs, & lengthy episodes of trance-inducing pattern loops. A confrontational and immersive experience." -- The Guardian
>Kathryn Calder - Are You My Mother? CD (File Under Music)
New record by the most recent member of The New Pornographers. Are You My Mother? is a beguiling album that -- because of the wisdom and experience communicated by Kathryn Calder’s voice -- gives the illusion of being written by someone in the twilight of their years, while at the same time expressing the excitement and wonder of a young woman who is just finding her own voice.
>Elsinore - Yes Yes Yes CD (Parasol)
Channeling the work of modern-day masters Ben Gibbard and Sufjan Stevens, songwriter Ryan Groff has crafted a batch of vivacious yet personal songs that joyfully soundtrack the simplistic bliss of life in the Midwest.
>Lost In The Trees - All Alone In An Empty House CD/LP (Anti)
Lost In The Trees merges dramatic symphonic elements with the soaring melodies of American folk and modern pop, creating a sound that is simultaneously intimate and sonically ambitious.
>Modest Mouse - The Moon And Antarctica [10th Anniversary Edition] CD (Epic)
Remastered reissue of Modest Mouse’s 2000 album. Record Store Day vinyl edition also still available.
>On [Reworked By Fennesz] - Something That Has Form And Something That Does Not CD/LP (Type)
This is the third album from French composer/producer Sylvain Chauveau and Chicago-based percussionist Steven Hess (Haptic, Pan American) under their On moniker, continuing their excavation of abstracted experimental sounds. IDM/electonic pioneer Fennesz has treated the source sounds with a distinct lightness, allowing them to creak and breathe.
>Eli “Paperboy” Reed - Come & Get It CD/LP (Capitol)
An authentic throwback to R&B/soul of the '60s yet also fresh, accessible and modern. A progressive soul-revivalist with a broad appeal.
>Soundtrack - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World CD/LP (ABKCO)
Features four new songs by Beck and tracks by Broken Social Scene, Beachwood Sparks, The Bluetones, The Rolling Stones and T.Rex.
>Stornoway - Beachcomber's Windowsill CD/LP (4AD)
Beachcomber’s Windowsill has taken more than five years to make; a labor of love that includes over a hundred different instruments: the chimes of a Dutch church bell, one Morse Code message and the sound of several carrots being chopped. "Stornoway's unpretentious and largely successful attempt to write songs with a literary sensibility and a melodic sophistication is to be applauded." -- Mojo
>Various Artists - Thai Funk ZudRangMa Vol. 1 CD (ZudRangMa)
Compilation of 18 rare ‘70s Thai pop, garage, and funk tracks.
>Various Artists - Thai Funk ZudRangMa Vol. 2 CD (ZudRangMa)
The second volume in the Thai Funk series features more East-meets-West funk pollinations. Beautifully packaged in unique hand-stitched soft cloth sleeves.
>Arcade Fire - The Suburbs CD/2xLP+MP3 (Merge)
“Musically, The Suburbs 16 songs range from whimsically divergent to searingly intense, and race listeners through a complete amalgamation of everything that was excellent in Funeral and the Neon Bible. Other reviews have alluded to the album's length, but the sheer volume of the album points to the emotional sincerity of the band's effort. There's not one unnecessary moment on the record. A weighty lyrical concept requires room to breath, and Arcade Fire controls the oxygen, predictably taking it away at times.” -- Citizen Dick
>Wavves - King Of The Beach CD/LP (Fat Possum)
“In its quest for an endless summer, King Of The Beach wears its California lineage with pride. It's major-key and resplendently colored, owing as much to Orange County skate-punk as it does to the Beach Boys.” Best New Music [8.4] -- Pitchfork
>El-P - Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3 CD/2xLP (Gold Dust)
A fully realized suite of instrumentals that continues to exemplify the producer's versatile, otherworldly, futuristic and wholly original sonic worldview. A dark, dystopian sonic universe filled with ominous basslines and thumping, punishing drums.
>Horace Andy - Serious Times CD (Groove Attack)
The Studio One veteran’s first new album in years.
>Dash Rip Rock - Call Of The Wild CD (Alternative Tentacles)
Call Of The Wild is a Southern party record -- a tribute to all of the insane theme bands that played the Deep South bar circuit back in the '70s. It mixes Stax-era dirty soul and rootsy garage punk with funky country rock and low country shag.
>David Dondero - # Zero With A Bullet CD/LP (Team Love)
“Dondero's detailed descriptions are still the best thing about him. He's able to evoke a complete experiential landscape: suicide bridges, dark, cool churches, muddy rivers.” -- Pitchfork
>Freddie Gibbs - Str8 Killa CDEP (Decon)
Freddie let loose last year with two independent mixtapes, The Miseducation Of Freddie Gibbs and the notable midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik -- the epic tome of street truths that put him on the cover of XXL’s Freshman Top 10 issue. "Guys like Freddie Gibbs are saving rap." -- Pitchfork
>jj - jj nº 2 CD (Secretly Canadian)
Available stateside for the first time. In the summer of 2009, Gothenburg, Sweden's jj quietly released one of the year's most critically-acclaimed albums. R&B and Balearic dub from the ghosts of lost lovers; pop as delicate as a fawn's nose across blades of frosted grass.
>Lloyd Miller/The Heliocentrics - Lloyd Miller/The Heliocentrics CD (Strut)
Following their award-winning collaboration with Ethio jazz godfather Mulatu Astake, pioneering UK collective The Heliocentrics resurfaces alongside another fascinating jazz enigma, ethno-musicologist, jazz maestro and multi-instrumental, Lloyd Miller.
>Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band - Where The Messengers Meet CD (Dead Oceans)
They are imperceptibly inching away from an angular style influenced by Modest Mouse and Wolf Parade, instead incorporating an epic sound recalling both the modern masters such as Arcade Fire and classic pioneers such as Pink Floyd.
>Queens Of The Stone Age - Rated R [Deluxe Edition] 2xCD (Interscope)
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of QOTSA’s seminal album, this deluxe package includes the complete original Rated R plus five B-sides and nine tracks from their live set at the 2000 Reading Festival.
>Shapes And Sizes - Candle To Your Eyes CD (Asthmatic Kitty)
“Shapes And Sizes kick into a different gear, moving from spastic Broken Social Scene territory to a darker, more subdued, elastic sound.” -- Consequence Of Sound
>Various Artists - Book A Trip: Psych Pop Sounds Of Capitol Records CD (Now Sounds)
Collection of rare late '60s psych gems from the Capitol Records. Productions by the likes of David Axelrod collide with arrangements by Leon Russell and compositions by David Gates, Neil Young, and many others, proving why Capitol Records was the undisputed leader of pop during this pivotal era.
>Various Artists - I Love Funky 2xLP (Rinse)
Follow-up to Rinse's acclaimed I Love Dubstep compilation covers the full spectrum of Funky (a genre of electronic dance music from the UK that is heavily influenced by UK garage, electro house, broken beat, soca music, and Afrobeat). Artists include: Geeneus, Trackheadz, Wookie, Perempay & Dee, Todd Terry and more.
>Versus - On The Ones And Threes CD/2xLP+MP3 (Merge)
Versus’ first album in 10 years -- gritty yet melodic, serene yet explosive, and balanced on the brink in a way that has become somewhat of a lost art. Vinyl edition features an alternate sequence and two additional tracks.
>T.L. Barrett And The Youth For Christ Choir - Like A Ship (Without A Sail) [Reissue] CD/LP+7” (Light In The Attic)
Digitally remastered edition of this 1971 cult release from the pastor, musician and motivational speaker. Like A Ship (Without A Sail) saw Jesse Jackson Jr. ally Barrett channel his passionate love of music, determination to help keep children off the streets, and wholly engaging preaching (which attracted the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire and Donny Hathaway to his Mount Zion Baptist Church sermons) into a musical offering bolstered by Chess Records' sax hero/arranger Gene Barge and backed by a cast of music players including Richard Evans, Phil Upchurch and the rapturous vocals of the Youth For Christ Choir. Vinyl edition Includes rare bonus 7” "Jingle Bells Part 1 & 2."
>Menomena - Mines CD/2xLP+MP3 (Barsuk)
In the wake of brutal disagreements, unrelenting grudges and failed marriages (not to mention a world full of modern terrorism, natural disasters and economic collapse) Menomena is still standing, and has made an album that many are already saying defines the state of intelligent pop music one decade into the millennium.
>Mark Olson - Many Colored Kite CD/LP+MP3 (Rykodisc)
New album from The Jayhawks co-founder. Many Colored Kite greets the listener with its earthy, neo-folk feel that encompasses classic and '60's British folk as well as the "desert country" that he has been associated with in the past.
>Slum Village - Villa Manifesto CD (E1 Music)
Slum Village's sixth studio (and reportedly final) album. “To be completely fair, it's surprising the group has stayed around this long considering the tragedy that has struck Slum Village. Aside from label changes and the typical industry bullshit, two of their founding members, J Dilla and Baatin, have died since the group formed in the '90s. Both will appear posthumously on Villa Manifesto along with De La Soul, Colin Munroe, DJ Khalil, Little Brother, and several others.” -- Prefixmag
>Seu Jorge - Seu Jorge And Almaz CD/2xLP (Now Again)
New album from Brazilian singer/actor Seu Jorge (City Of God, The Life Aquatic) with members of Nacao Zumbi.
>Madlib/Yesterday’s New Quintet - Medicine Show 7: High Jazz CD (Madlib Medicine Show)
Madlib follows Brain Wreck Show with the seventh installment in his Madlib Medicine Show series, a jazz album with his Yesterdays New Quintet ensemble.
>Cut Chemist - Sound Of The Police CD/LP (A Stable Sound/Soul Kitchen)
“Sound Of The Police contains African and South American inspired music from around the world. I had the privilege of performing this set opening for Mulatu Astatke which was his very first Los Angeles appearance." -- Cut Chemist
>Dean & Britta - 13 Most Beautiful Songs For Andy Warhol's Screen Tests CD (Double Feature)
Ex-Luna, Galaxie 500 members were commissioned by the Andy Warhol Museum to compose and perform songs for 13 Screen Tests -- short, silent portrait films made by Warhol in the mid-'60s.
>Lee Fields - Problems [Reissue] CD (Truth & Soul)
Originally released in 2002, Problems is Fields' second album of unadulterated James Brown worship aimed at the then burgeoning deep-funk revival scene.
>Earl Greyhound - Suspicious Package CD (Hawk Race)
“It’s sort of a shame that this sort of music doesn’t have the cachet or hipness it ought to right now. ‘70s hard rock revivalism doesn’t seem to be the taste these days, no matter how groovetastic or idiosyncratic this version of it might be. Earl Greyhound might not be fully in step with the times, but they end up sounding timeless, which can only serve them well.” [9/10] -- Pop Matters
>Incognito - Transatlantic RPM CD (Shanachie)
“Opening with a great version of Boz Scaggs' slinky ‘Lowdown,’ this is 70 minutes of seriously smooth, slap-bass soul and funk with cameos from Chaka Khan, Ursula Rucker, Leon Ware and more.” -- The Independent
>Major Lazer - Lazers Never Die CDEP (Interscope)
New EP from producers Switch and Diplo. “On this concise and surprisingly fresh sounding EP, Major Lazer retain the sweat-soaked club feel that's curried them so much favor but also appeals to their perennial accessibility.” [7.8] -- Pitchfork
>The Books - The Way Out CD/2xLP (Temporary Residence)
Over the course of three albums in nearly a decade's time, The Books have grown to become one of modern music's most genuine innovators. Creatively complex and truly unclassifiable, The Way Out continues their tradition of meticulous, existential songcraft, infusing the playfully surreal elements of previous albums with a humorous, childlike excitement.
>Conan - Horseback Battle Hammer CD (Aurora Borealis)
Conan is a caveman battle doom trio from the grim North of England. They summon the heavy riff from the ungodly land and crush the skull of the unbeliever with their low-end doom assault. Waves of sludge and galloping crust passages overwhelm the unwary. RIYL: SunnO))).
>Department Of Eagles - Archive 2003-2006 CD (American Dust)
Collection of archival material from Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear).
>Endless Boogie - Full House Head CD/2xLP (No Quarter)
Anchored by deep, heady grooves and epic guitar playing, Endless Boogie delivers seven fully realized studio tracks and one monumental rehearsal jam -- sounding comfortable and focused, not weighed down by any pretension.
>Frazey Ford - Obadiah CD (Nettwerk)
Debut album from The Be Good Tanyas’ Frazey Ford. Obadiah is a collection of songs hand-carved by the hardships and exaltations of life, and stained with the rich colors of soul and folk music that fueled artists like Joni Mitchell, Ann Peebles, Neil Young, and Donny Hathaway. Vinyl version due August 24.
>Instruments Of Science & Technology - Music For Paradise Amor: Library Catalog Music Series CD/LP (Asthmatic Kitty)
Volume 7 of Asthmatic Kitty's Library Catalog Music Series presents the quirks and quarks of Richard Swift's Instruments Of Science & Technology alias. Swift eschews his usual vocals in favor of gorgeously frayed and exquisite analog electronics driven by clickety beats and bleepy rhythms. To achieve his charming sound he uses old tape machines and an old Mac in some attempt to reflect our modern tech-centric lifestyle.
>Shawn Lee - Sing A Song CD/LP+MP3 (Ubiquity)
In addition to showcasing a love for ‘60s and '70s soul, Shawn Lee steers his latest musical mystery tour into psychedelic and cinematic territory over the course of twelve brand new cuts. Sing A Song is a summertime listen, packed with catchy motor city licks and space age songs.
>Charlie Louvin - Hickory Wind: Live At The Gram Parsons Guitar Pull Waycross, GA CD (Tompkins Square)
Recorded in September of 2009, Louvin returned to Waycross to pay tribute to Parsons as well as performing other Louvin Brothers songs Parsons either recorded or must have heard in his early years.
>Various Artists - World Ends: Afro Rock & Psychedelia In 1970s Nigeria 2xCD/3xLP (Soundway)
Compilation of guitar-driven psychedelic music from Nigeria circa the early 1970s. 32 tracks of funk-laden grooves inspired by Jimi Hendrix, James Brown and more. Vinyl edition features bonus tracks not available on the CD.
>Woom - Muu’s Way CD/LP (Ba Da Bing!)
A wholly unique reinvention of pop likened to the quiet radicalism of Young Marble Giants, the devastating simplicity of early Velvet Underground, and the turbulent joy of contemporaries like Animal Collective, Tune-Yards and Micachu And The Shapes.
>Zero 7 - Record CD (Atlantic/WEA)
Retrospective featuring tracks and remixes from Zero 7’s previous four albums and a track from their very first EP that was originally released on limited vinyl.
>Sun Kil Moon - Admiral Fell Promises CD (Caldo Verde)
Initially debuted at our 15th Anniversary party, this past December, Admiral Fell Promises is an all-acoustic album--played entirely by Mark on a nylon string guitar. Check out more musings, from LUNA scribe Jason Bunch, on this fine release HERE.
>Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty CD/CD+DVD (Def Jam)
New solo project from Outkast member. Limited Deluxe Edition adds a DVD of videos. Vinyl version due July 20.
>Todd Terje - Remaster Of The Universe 2xCD (Permanent Vacation)
Contains Terje’s best remixes, his worst re-edits, half a dozen exclusive re-remixes plus much more.
>Danger Mouse And Sparklehorse - Present: Dark Night Of The Soul CD/2xLP+MP3/2xLP+2xCD (Capitol/EMI)
This will stand as a tribute to Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous, who recently passed away. Featuring contributions by Flaming Lips, Julian Casablancas, Black Francis, Iggy Pop, David Lynch, James Mercer, and more. Also available: Regular and Deluxe Edition vinyl versions. Deluxe Edition includes an additional instrumental CD, 48-page book, lobby cards and a poster. Free lithograph with purchase -- while supplies last!
>The Love Language - Libraries CD (Merge)
Among the moments captured on Libraries are Spector-esque walls of reckless sound, cavernous drums, middle-school percussion, and moody swells of stringed instruments, all decorated hastily with stray leads that bleed beautifully over it all.
>Morcheeba - Blood Like Lemonade CD (PIAS America)
“Reunited again with original vocalist Skye Edwards, Morcheeba's Paul and Ross Godfrey have managed to re-locate the band's classic trip-hop chill-out vibe without sacrificing the growing eclecticism of albums like Charango and Dive Deep.” -- The Independent
>Boo Radleys - Giant Steps [Reissue] 3xCD (Cherry Red)
Digitally remastered and expanded triple-disc edition of the Britpop band's 1993 release including all of the album’s singles and B-sides.
>Carissa’s Wierd - They’ll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996-2003 CD (Hardly Art)
Retrospective compilation from much-beloved and sorely missed Seattle band, which featured members of Band of Horses, Grand Archives, S, and Sera Cahoone.
>Crowded House - Intriguer CD/CD+DVD/LP (Fantasy/Concord)
Produced by Jim Scott (Wilco), Intriguer brings together singer/guitarist and chief songwriter Neil Finn with original Crowded House bassist Nick Seymour and keyboardist/guitarist Mark Hart. Says Finn: "Intriguer is exotic in parts, traditional in origin. It may just be the best thing we've done." Deluxe Edition adds a bonus DVD of videos and live performances.
>Mystery Jets - Serotonin CD/LP+MP3 (Rough Trade)
Serotonin sees the Mystery Jets mapping out entirely new musical territories with the synthesizer-fueled perfect pop of “Dreaming Of Another World” and “It’s Too Late,” which begins as an aching soft-rock ballad before unexpectedly heading somewhere infinitely weirder. In the dark, hallucinatory grind of vocalist Lorna Doone, you can hear echoes of ELO, 10CC, Fleetwood Mac and Supertramp rubbing up against the band’s own idiosyncratic, very British, psychedelic sensibility.
>The Innocence Mission - My Room In The Trees CD (Badman)
With lyrics that often evoke feelings of solitude and images of the natural world, My Room In The Trees sonically progresses along the path begun with 2003's Birds Of My Neighborhood. Spacious and warmly grounded with baritone and nylon string guitars and upright bass, and lit from above by electric guitar and piano.
>R.E.M. - Fables Of The Reconstruction [25th Anniversary Edition] 2xCD/LP (Capitol)
Lavishly expanded reissue of the band’s 1985 classic includes a bonus disc of previously unreleased demos (including three non-album tracks), packaged in a lift top box with postcards.
>School Of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire CD/2xLP (Vagrant)
The dream-pop trio returns with their highly anticipated sophomore album.
>Various Artists - Local Customs: Lone Star Lowlands CD/LP (Numero)
The second in Numero's series of peeks into the world of regional studios hones in on Mickey Rouse's Lowland operation out of Beaumont, TX. The songs themselves run the gamut; Southern boogie rock, CSNY clones, British blues thunder, garage psych hangovers, Morricone-esque supper club instrumentals, yacht rock, and what can only be described as Bobby McPherin fronting the Velvet Underground.
>Peanut Butter Wolf - Straight To Tape 1990-1992 CD (PBW Classics)
“At this point in my rap music career, my goal was to make a Marley Marl In Control type compilation with all the rappers in San Jose I was meeting at the time. My situation was a lot different than Marley's though, mainly because he established a crew of rappers that all worked together (before Wu-Tang) and most of the rappers I worked with never even met each other."
>Wolf Parade - Expo 86 CD/2xLP (Sub Pop)
Expo 86 was made quickly. The band started writing songs in November 2009, and recorded and mixed them at Montreal's Hotel2Tango with Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire's Funeral) in late February and early March of 2010.
>Julian Lynch - Mare CD/LP (OESB)
Lots of folks asked who this was on that Underwater Peoples comp. we stocked and sold last year (thanks to Diz). Just been told that this got BNM on the 'Fork. 'Nuff said...
>Peter Case - Wig! CD/LP (Yep Roc)
Raucous and dirty electric blues rock from The Nerves/Plimsouls member.
>Delphic – Acolyte CD (Dangerbird)
Delphic are post-dance futurist nostalgics from Manchester who have managed to take repetitive beats and crisp electronics out of the underground to emerge as one of the UK’s most exciting new bands.
>Alejandro Escovedo - Street Songs Of Love CD (Fantasy Records)
Escovedo’s Fantasy Records debut, Street Songs Of Love, is a 13-track celebration of survival, liberation and ultimate salvation.
>Maps & Atlases - Perch Patchwork CD/LP+MP3 (Barsuk)
Melds the technicality of progressive music and the idiosyncrasies of art rock into a fascinating and oddly accessible sound all their own.
>To Rococo Rot – Speculation CD/LP (Domino)
To Rococo Rot, the trio of Stefan Schneider and brothers Robert and Ronald Lippok, debuted just over a decade ago at the point where digital precision and instrumental abstraction were harnessed into new directions. Their sound is seemingly contradictory: instruments and technology, analog and digital, contemporary and primitive, detached and accessible.
>The Roots - How I Got Over CD (Def Jam)
To call it "long-awaited" or "eagerly anticipated" would be the understatement of the year -- as hip-hop's most daring pioneers The Roots release their 9th studio album. How I Got Over takes its name from Clara Ward's gospel classic (made popular by Mahalia Jackson), is The Roots' first new release since joining Late Night With Jimmy Fallon for a full time gig as the show's house band. Vinyl due July 6.
>Stars - Five Ghosts CD/2xLP (Vagrant)
Stars fifth full-length record, different from their previous Stars albums. Simpler, sparer and more confident (in its own quiet way), it also trades some of the band's previous dramatic flourish for the sort of direct, heart-bearing communication that comes from hard-won experience.
>Chemical Brothers - Further CD/CD+DVD/2xLP (Astralwerks)
On Further, West Coast power pop harmonies sit beside German Motorik rhythms while My Bloody Valentine-esque sonic manipulations plane across the top of early house basslines.
CD+DVD version also available containing a 51 minute audio/visual experience with cutting edge visuals tailored to the eight tracks.
>Juan Atkins - 20 Years 1985-2005 CD (Tresor)
Represents the most extensive retrospective yet of techno music's most famous innovator.
>Kele - Boxer CD (Glassnote)
Bloc party singer/guitarist Kele Okereke’s first solo album sees the talented front-man pushing the boundaries of his own melodic sensibilities, embracing pop, rock, and electronic music to boldly step out as a solo artist in his own right.
>DiskJokke - En Fin Tid CD (Smalltown Supersound)
At once hypnotic, stomping and futuristic, this record maintains their trippy, epic prog-disco aesthetic without sacrificing melody or subtlety. The album flows like a journey in sound, with each song seamlessly drifting into the next. The album, recorded and entirely self-produced in Diskjokke's new studio, draws its inspiration from Holger Czukay's mid-‘80s period, Brian Eno, Arthur Russell, European disco, Allan Parsons, Tangerine Dream, Arthur Lyman and Craig Leon.
>Oneohtrix Point Never - Returnal CD/LP (Editions Mego)
“Oneohtrix Point Never is the alter ego of Daniel Lopatin. The provenance of OPN’s expansive, psychedelic synthesizer music is in some ways obvious – Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, US new age obscurities – but Lopatin massages these influences into a hybrid that’s unique and, in the best possible sense, of its time.” -- Factmag.com
>Herbie Hancock - Imagine Project CD (Hancock Records)
Herbie Hancock’s Imagine Project is an unprecedented international recording and film project featuring collaborations between music legend Herbie Hancock and a dozen superstars from every region of the planet. It utilizes the universal language of music to express its central themes of peace and global responsibility.
>Madlib - Medicine Show No. 6: Brain Wreck Show CD (Madlib Medicine Show)
Psych-prog-avante-freak-out-funk rock mix.
>Steve Mason - Boys Outside CD/LP (Domino)
Steve Mason is the mind behind The Beta Band. He's one of the Britpop generation's few genuinely brilliant and original songsmiths. His post Beta Band work under the monikers King Biscuit Time and Black Affair were both largely electronic based projects. Boys Outside is a return to "traditional" rock instrumentation and arranging that easily draws comparisons to his early work with The Beta Band on The 3 EPs album.
>Robert Randolph And The Family - We Walk This Road CD (WB)
Produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett, We Walk This Road continues the Sacred Steel tradition for which Robert Randolph has earned wide praise, including the New York Times, which applauds “his rip-roaring virtuosity and his gift for making his instrument sing without a word.” Vinyl due July 27.
>Various Artists (Kode 9) -DJ Kicks CD/LP (!K7)
“Very simply, (the mix is) just a snapshot of my DJ sets at the first half of 2010,” Kode 9 says calmly. “It’s definitely not an exploration of my musical heritage, but it’s not all new stuff. It probably signifies something about my relationship to dubstep that the mix only has a few dubstep tunes in it, and is instead a mix of UK funky, broken beat, dubstep grime and some R&B.”
>Various Artists - Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine CD/LP (Oh Boy)
Featuring 12 newly-recorded versions of classic Prine songs, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine boasts an enviable roll call of inventive musicians, including My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, and more.
>Laurie Anderson - Homeland CD+DVD (Nonesuch)
In Artforum, Anderson summarized the songs as “one-third politics, one-third pure music, and one-third strange dreams.” Packaged in a four color, 36-page hardbound book, with CD and DVD. DVD contains “Laurie's Violin’ (7:22): Laurie plays and talks about the violin, and Homeland: The Story Of The Lark (41:27), an art documentary broken up into 16 chapters.
>The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang CD/LP (Side One Dummy)
New album marks a leap forward for the alterna-rock band, honed by two years of nearly non-stop touring. Free postcard set with purchase -- while supplies last!
>Devo - Something For Everybody CD (WB)
More than three decades after the release of their visionary debut, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo, and a full 20 years since their last studio full length, Devo return with a new album. Vinyl version due July 20.
>Pernice Brothers - Goodbye, Killer CD (Ashmont Records)
Joe Pernice’s first band album since 2006’s Live A Little. In several weeks-long bursts of work over the course of a couple of years, in between writing a novel, recording a soundtrack for said novel, touring on both, and doing real-life things, Joe, Goodbye, Killer features his brother Bob, and long-time collaborators James Walbourne (Pretenders, Son Volt, Peter Bruntnell) and Ric Menck (Matthew Sweet, Velvet Crush).
>Foals - Total Life Forever CD/2xLP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Foals strip their sound back and turn themselves inside out searching for that invisible human thing. The result is an album as persuasive emotionally as Antidotes was physically. Whereas that album constantly reinforced its own presence by filling the air with yelping and polyrhythm, tracks on Total Life Forever such as the disarming opener "Blue Blood" are happier to leave gaps for the listener to explore in the mind's ear and eye.
>Ed Harcourt - Lustre CD (Nice Music Group)
New release from the British singer/songwriter, his first album in four years. Lustre is a dazzling statement of intent and rejuvenation from a musician who hasn't always received the acclaim his gifts deserve.
>The Like - Release Me CD/LP (Geffen)
With a little help from Mark Ronson, and the studio sophistication of Dap-Kings’ Tommy Brenneck and Homer Steinweiss, The Like have happened upon a sure lost ‘60s girl group record of their dreams.
>Drake - Thank Me Later CD (Cash Money)
Highly anticipated debut album from the rapper/singer/actor.
>Stanley Clarke - The Stanley Clarke Band CD (Heads Up)
Renowned bassist Stanley Clarke's new recording is unlike his previous acoustic bass releases. He compares his latest to the first three albums of his solo career: Journey To Love, Stanley Clarke, and School Days.
>John Mellencamp - On The Rural Route 7609 4xCD (Island/Mercury)
With 54 songs, 17 of which are previously unreleased on any Mellencamp CD, this four-disc set is thoroughly annotated by award-winning music journalist/historian Anthony DeCurtis. Also includes a 72-page book featuring numerous evocative photos reflecting Mellencamp's transformation from pop idol to his current status as transcendent singer/songwriter.
>Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Mojo CD (Reprise)
Mojo showcases a wide variety of American music, from rock & roll to country and both electric and acoustic blues. It also has some sweet balladry for the slow dancers and even a whacked-out reggae number that is unlike anything that The Heartbreakers have done before. Vinyl and extra-special 5.1 audio Blu-Ray editions due June 29.
>Gabor Szabo - Jazz Raga [Reissue] CD (Light In The Attic)
Digitally remastered edition of 1967 album from Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo. Jazz Raga brings together jazz, pop/rock, and his native European influence, along with hypnotic sitar, stoned bass vibrations, occasional psychedelic vocals, and the laidback, yet totally in the pocket, Latin/R&B infused backbeat of #1 session drummer, Bernard Purdie.
>Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void CD/LP (Sub Pop)Blitzen Trapper's continuing exploration of American music has earned them notice ranging from Rolling Stone magazine to late-night network television to Yo Gabba Gabba. Destroyer of the Void takes Blitzen Trapper further than ever before, building on the band's seamless marriage of the familiar and the fantastic.
>Teenage Fanclub - Shadows CD (Merge)Five long years since their last album ''Man-Made'' was released to universal acclaim, Teenage Fanclub release ''Shadows'' to keen anticipation. Pitchfork calls Scotland's Teenage Fanclub ''the standard-bearers of modern power pop.'' Continued, ''no one comes close to their mastery of the genre.'' While most bands are lucky to have one great songwriter, Teenage Fanclub are blessed with three, hence Shadows is overflowing with the kind of gorgeous, harmony-driven classics you'd expect to find on a greatest hits album.
>Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today CD/LP (4AD)For the best part of a decade, Los Angeles native Ariel Rosenberg has been carving some of the most intoxicating music going, a reclusive pop surrealist whose corroded productions have led to a cult following that has often been difficult to keep up with. Now signed to 4AD, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti present Before Today.
>Ratatat - LP 4 CD/LP (XL Recordings)Ratatat recorded the tracks for LP4 during the same sessions that they recorded LP3. They recorded the album at the same Old Soul Studios in Catskill, N.Y., where they found the wealth of old synths, harpsichords, grand pianos, and other keyboard instruments evident throughout the last effort. Still, Mike Stroud insists that the two records are to be taken as distinct entities. The most obvious demarcation between the two is the prevalence of strings on LP4.
>Cure - Disintegration 3xCD (Fiction/Rhino)Their classic 1989 album has been re-mastered to sound better than ever, and now includes a twenty page booklet with liner notes by Johnny Black plus rare and previously unseen photographs from Robert Smith's archive, plus disc 2 features twenty songs recorded in 1988 and 1989, including album cuts and b-sides, plus previously unreleased tracks "Noheart," "Esten" and "Delirious Night" and 3rd disc, labeled Entreat Plus, features an expanded, twelve track edition of that 1990 live album, fleshed out to include live versions of each song off Disintegration, assembled in order, from a concert at London's Wembley Arena in 1989.
>Deer Tick - The Black Dirt Sessions CD/LP (Partisan records)Recorded late last year at Black Dirt Studios in upstat New York, the Black Dirt Sessions is a deeply personal record from Deer Tick and most especially from lead vocalist and songwriter John McCauley. Even as the Deer Tick live show has become legendary for its raucous, spontaneous moments, this record serves as proof of the band's incredible musicianship, cohesive nature and most importantly gives us a chance to witness McCauley becoming a fully formed, mature songwriter right in front of our eyes (or ears).
>Delta Spirit - History from Below CD/LP (Rounder)After touring non-stop to support their debut, the band came off the road and wrote and recorded their new album in just a few short months with the help of Eli Thomson and Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket) at Prairie Sun studios, the same place Tom Waits has recorded almost exclusively since 1991. History from Below showcases a road-tested band that picks right up where Ode To Sunshine left off, with 11 new rocking, soulful songs
>Various - Twistable Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to Shel Silverstein CD (Sugar Hill)Shel Silverstein, as a writer, poet, and illustrator, has influenced generations upon generations of kids (and kids at heart) with his brilliant, witty, and touching turns of phrase. It is Silverstein's oft-overlooked catalog of classic songs that is the focus of this new all-star tribute. As a songwriter, Silverstein penned indelible songs made famous by artists such as Johnny Cash, Dr. Hook, Loretta Lynn, Bobby Bare, and countless others. On this collection, lovingly co-produced by Bare, Sr. and Bare, Jr., two distinct generations of artists inspired by Silverstein have lined up to pay tribute. From Kris Kristofferson, Ray Price, and John Prine to Andrew Bird, My Morning Jacket, and Dr. Dog, Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein is an eclectic, endearing valentine to this giant of American Song.
>Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - S/T CD (Hollywood Records)Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are like a modern-day version of Tina Turner stroking the microphone in a spangled mini-dress while fronting the Rolling Stones circa Sticky Fingers. The proof is there for all to hear on the band's third album for Hollywood Records and marks an artistic breakthrough for a vital young band caught in the act of fulfilling its immense promise.
>Konono No.1 - Assume Crash Position CD (Crammed Discs)Recorded in their home of Kinshasa, Congo by Congotronics series producer Vincent Kenis, the long-anticipated follow-up to Konono's 2005 debut album sees their trademark thrilling junkyard sonics & relentlessly hypnotic percussive grooves (as created using thumb pianos & drums made from scrap metal & disused car parts) further elevated with electric guitars & bass (played by neighborhood musicians from a young Konono covers band!) as well as a wider range of vocalists, + guest appearances from guitarist Manuaku Pepe Felly (Zaiko Langa Langa) & fellow Congotronics band Kasai Allstars.
>Against Me - White Crosses CD/LP (Sire Records)A powerful and bold rock record. Their last one eschewed some of the roughness of the band's earlier efforts, but White Crosses goes even further in filling out the band's wallop. With its twinkling piano and a glorious whoa-oa chorus, "Because of the Shame" could be an outtake from Bruce Springsteen's classic Born to Run.
>Various - Let's A Go-Go! Singapore and Southeast Asian Pop Scene 1964-69 CD (Silver Tortoise Records)Asian garage/psych pop from the '60s from a variety of South Asian scenes and covering a wide variety of styles and languages. Some covers, some originals, some instrumentals, all killer, no filler.
>Handmade Nation DVD
The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design. A Documentary By Faythe Levine.
>Sleigh Bells - Treats CD (LP OUT 15 JUNE) (Mom & Pop)
Debut album from virally-hyped Surfer Blood brother band creates rhythmic pop songs that combine overdriven guitar riffs and sugary female vocal melodies.
>Jack Johnson - To The Sea CD/LP (Brushfire)
New studio album defines the ethos of a man born and raised in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Features guest appearances by G.Love and Paula Fuga.
>The Melvins - The Bride Screamed Murder CD (Ipecac)
The Melvins' third release featuring Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover, with Coady Willis and Jared Warren (Big Business). They continue to prove they are still relevant after 25 years with their beautiful noise and humor.
>Born Ruffians - Say It CD/LP (Warp)
“Ultimately, Say It is the sound of three young musicians who have taken a step back from the ripples their debut album send across the blogosphere, before making two deliberate, measured and sure-footed steps forward again. If this sounds like the same old 'young band grows up' spiel, it's a little more complicated than that; this is as much a step sidestep, too. Say It takes the promising blueprints of Born Ruffians' debut -- the capable handling of melody, the quick-witted lyrical tomfoolery and, of course, the fun -- and makes of them something that little bit more satisfying.” [8/10] -- InTheNews.co.uk
>Tift Merritt - See You On The Moon CD (Fantasy)
A deeply centered departure, these focused and creative musical short stories find Tift at the height of her powers. "I wanted to make a really direct record. I wanted to take everything to a place that was less labored, of more depth. Open space, real strength. There was a certain feeling of inevitability about it. Like I found these songs whole."
>Elk City - House Of Tongues CD (Friendly Fire)
Elk City reinvent the seductive sophistication of 1970's FM radio pop, but never shy away from their formidable modern rock power. Not since the brilliant American Music Club has a band so fully metabolized this range of influences to such masterful effect.
>The Futureheads - The Chaos CD (Dovecote)
New album of bold, three-minute pop delicacies.
>Land Of Kush: Egyptian Light Orchestra - Monogamy CD/2xLP (Constellation)
Sam Shalabi’s Land Of Kush project returns. The band is truly a hydra-headed beast: string, brass, and woodwinds careen around the drone/backbeat of the major movements, shifting between short, melodic punctuations, free excursions, and consolidated unison lines. Dissonant piano, synths, and electronics bubble below, above, and at the outer limits of the mix.
>Sergio Mendes - Bom Tempo / Bom Tempos remixed CD (Concord)
The legendary Sergio Mendes presents new interpretations of Brazilian classics, proving that the beloved producer, composer, arranger, pianist and band leader is as vibrant and vital today as he was when he was leading Brasil '66 to international superstardom.
>Outrageous Cherry - Seemingly Solid Reality CD/LP (Alive)
Tenth full-length from the Detroit rock & roll experimentalists. Sweet melodies and harmonies soar over the gnashing of vicious, urban Motor City guitar workouts.
>Various Artists (Dimitri From Paris) - Get Down With Philly Sound 2xCD (BBE)
New compilation of reworked R&B classics from the French DJ and ambassador of disco.
>Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation CD (Yep Roc)
A stylistic departure from the more pastoral sounds of his last album -- yet lean, mean and as uncompromisingly focused. Features contributions from My Bloody Valentine guitar alchemist Kevin Shields, ELO's Bev Bevan and legendary session drummer Clem Cattini.
DVDs:
>Aqua Teen Hunger Force - 7 2xDVD (Cartoon Network)
With Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s 7th season, fans of the surreal animated comedy series will find Frylock, Meatwad, and Master Shake are still grappling with the bizarre and absurd down by the Jersey Shore. Includes plenty of juicy extras.
THE 25TH WAS A BIG WEEK FOR LOCAL TALENT, ON THE NEW RELEASE WALL! CHECK IT...
>Truth & Salvage Co. - Truth & Savage Co. CD/LP (Megaforce)
This is the new outfit from Tim of Old Pike fame! Their palette stretches from rock to country to alternative, and their self-titled debut showcase four-part harmonies and their own playful wit. “The sincerity of their songwriting and their passionate performance were the things that attracted me to their project.” -- Chris Robinson/The Black Crowes
>Various Artists - Be Yourself: A Tribute To Graham Nash’s Songs For Beginners CD/LP+7” (Grassroots)
An all-star line-up celebrates Nash’s first solo LP, including: Papercuts, Brendan Benson, Nile Nash, Vetiver, Robin Peckhold (Fleet Foxes), Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, The Moore Brothers, Alela Diane, Mariee Sioux, Sleepy Sun and Jonathan Rice. Be certain to check out all of the beautiful design and sleeve conception, done by our pal, Nat Russell.
>The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band - The Wages CD/LP (Side One Dummy)
Local folks drop 'The Wages!' Driven by the trio's big vocals and melodies, gutbucket guitar playing, and foot-stomping rhythms, all in service of songs that are honest and moving, devoid of irony or artifice.
>DM Stith - Heavy Ghost Appendices 2xCD (Asthmatic Kitty)
Bton-based Stith expands on last year’s Heavy Ghost by collecting the digital trilogy of EPs released over the course of the summer and fall of 2009 into a beautifully packaged limited edition set. Includes remixes by Bibio, Son Lux, Ensemble and Clark.
>Ellen Allien - Dust CD/2xLP (BPitch Control)
New from BPitch Control label owner and fairy queen of Berlin’s more delicately woven rave music scene.
>Brooks & The Artistic Truth - Ethnic Expressions [Reissue] CD (Jazzman)
Ethnic Expressions was recorded live in NYC in 1973, and exhibits a powerful message of black consciousness and spiritual freedom. With a cry to his African roots, Brooks' music combines modal, rhythmic and Afro-centric jazz with politics, spirituality, and positive vibes.
>David Cross - Bigger And Blackerer CD/DVD (Sub Pop)
Taped during two shows, back-to-back on the same evening at Boston's Wilbur Theatre. One must listen to the CD in order to hear about gastro-intestinal misadventures with his dog Ollie Red Sox, or sing along with "The Sultan's Revenge," the swinging, Vegas-style opener composed by Cross and Mark Rivers (Mr. Show). Available on CD or stand-alone DVD. There is some overlap between both versions, but not a lot.
>Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles CD (Universal Motown)
Sophomore album from the Toronto experimental group.
>Dara Puspita - 1966-1968 CD (Sublime Frequencies)
First reissue of the legendary Indonesian group -- arguably the world's greatest all-female garage rock band. A monster collection of beat a-go-go tracks from 1966-1968.
>Karen Elson - Ghost Who Walks CD/LP (XL/Third Man)
On her debut, Karen Elson spins intriguingly unsettling tales of lost love, dashed hope, romantic betrayal and various crimes of passion witnessed only by the full moon. Features husband Jack White on drums.
>Bettye LaVette - Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook CD (Anti)
LaVette covers songs by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd among others.
>John Prine - In Person & On Stage CD (Oh Boy)
Featuring special collaborations with Emmylou Harris, Josh Ritter, Sara Watkins, Iris Dement and Kane Welch Kaplin, In Person & On Stage a snapshot of the best moments from Prine's recent tours.
>Ty Segall - Melted CD/LP (Goner)
Third solo album from San Francisco garage/psych wunderkind.
>Solvent - Subject To Shift CD/2xLP (Ghostly International)
Solvent embodies the original ethos of synth-pop: hook-laden music built lovingly out of the buzz and hum of analogue synthesizers. On Subject To Shift, the cute, happy robots of 2004's Apples & Synthesizers are few and far between. In their place is a mix of dystopian, acid-tinged futurism and bittersweet romantic ache.
>Tobacco - Maniac Meat CD/2xLP (Anticon)
Sophomore full-length from the Black Moth Super Rainbow frontman. Though Maniac Meat is steeped in his swampy analog aesthetic, it does not look back -- neither to the black psychedelic pop of BMSR nor to the warped rap thump of Tobacco's 2008 debut F##ked Up Friends -- rather, it emerges as antithesis.
>Various Artists - Eccentric Breaks & Beats CD/2xLP (Numero)
Over the course of seven years and 70 releases from archival label The Numero Group, a fan began to create a mega-mix of his favorite loops, breaks, and vocal snippets, chopping them all up and piecing together an incredible 40-minute white-label 12" boot. Features over 50 tracks from some of Numero's best artists.
>The Black Keys - Brothers CD/2xLP+CD (Nonesuch)
Recorded in part at the legendary Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama, Brothers is an intensely focused, deeply soulful set that includes a cover of Jerry Butler's “Never Gonna Give You Up.” The performances are inventive and impassioned: Auerbach extends his vocal range to falsetto on the leadoff track “Everlasting Light” and “The Only One.” The tunes offer a surprising amount of lyrical candor and more than a little dark humor; the grooves alternate between ballsy swagger and bluesy rumination.
>LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening CD (DFA)
Third album proper from James Murphy's LCD Soundsystem, follows 2007's Sounds Of Silver. Musically inspired by late ‘70s David Bowie, This Is Happening retains Murphy's idiosyncratic sense of humor and includes the singles “Drunk Girls” and the strikingly melodic, Bowie/”Heroes”-esque “All I Want.” CD now -- vinyl version due May 25. Free lithograph with purchase -- while supplies last!
>Jamie Lidell - Compass CD/LP (Warp)
Undoubtedly his most eclectic album to-date, Compass features guest vocals by Feist and Nikka Costa, with production by Beck and Chris Taylor (Grizzly Bear).
>Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms CD/LP+MP3 (Columbia)
“These are songs that reach for the sky yet speak to you personally. Ben Bridwell's vocals find new peaks of plaintive yearning as the hooks virtually tumble over each other to capture perfect, dewy pop. It's shot through with classic Americana, from the Beach Boys to My Morning Jacket, but is often as reminiscent of British tunesmiths from Teenage Fanclub to The Hollies.” -- The Guardian
>David Bazan - Live At Electrical Audio CD/LP (David Bazan)
During his fall 2009 North American tour, David Bazan stopped for a day with his touring band at Steve Albini's Chicago studio Electrical Audio, and recorded new versions of a number of recent songs, plus some old Pedro The Lion and Headphones favorites. Available on CD and on hand-numbered, limited edition vinyl.
>Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene [Reissue] 2xCD (Arts & Crafts)
Limited edition, double-disc reissue of BSS’s 2005 album includes the seven-song EP To Be You And Me.
>Club 8 - People’s Record CD/LP (Labrador)
A melancholic, dreamy, and irresistibly catchy style of pop that has been championed by bands like Camera Obscura, jj, and Kings Of Convenience.
>Harvey Milk - A Small Turn Of Human Kindness CD (Hydra Head)
A Small Turn Of Human Kindness is as dense and as heavy temperamentally as it is musically. The seven songs so subtly bleed together that the listener has no choice but to view the entire album as a linear orchestration with singular ebb and flow.
>The Jayhawks - The Jayhawks [Reissue] CD/LP (Lost Highway)
Reissue of The Jayhawks 1986 self-titled debut (often referred to by fans as “The Bunkhouse album”). Available for the first time on CD! Free ultra-limited edition lithograph with purchase -- while supplies last!
>Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal) - Revolutions Per Minute CD (WB)
Sophomore album from the duo features five singles: "Back Again," "Just Begun" with Mos Def, Jay Electronica and J. Cole, "In This World," "Strangers (Paranoid)" with Bun B, and "Midnight Hour" with Estelle.
>Madlib - Medicine Show #5: The History Of The Loop Digga CD (Madlib Medicine Show)
MMS5 is punctuated with a series of early solo-raps by Madlib and his Quasimoto alter ego, and features the cadre known collectively as CDP -- those rappers who worked alongside him during the days of his Oxnard-based Crate Diggas Palace studios.
>Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid CD (Bad Boy)
Star-studded cast includes Big Boi of OutKast, Saul Williams, Of Montreal (?!), Deep Cotton, and the Wondaland Arch Orchestra.
>The Rolling Stones - Exile On Mainstreet [Reissue] CD/2xCD/2xLP (UMe)
Remastered reissue of The Stones’ legendary 1972 masterpiece. Deluxe double-CD and double-vinyl editions include ten bonus tracks originally recorded during the Exile era, including: “Plundered My Soul,” “Dancing In The Light,” “Following The River” and “Pass The Wine,” plus alternate versions of “Soul Survivor” and “Loving Cup.”
>The Sadies - Darker Circles CD/LP (Yep Roc)
The Sadies bring their signature blend of country, psychedelic, rock and surf into sharp focus, further underscoring their reputations as musicians' musicians. Produced by Gary Louris (The Jayhawks).
>Tracey Thorn - Love And Its Opposite CD (Merge)
Partnering again with Berlin-based producer Ewan Pearson, Tracey Thorn (Everything But The Girl) has created an album that is striking in its simplicity. Recorded in Berlin and London, Love And Its Opposite features contributions from Hot Chip's Al Doyle, The Invisible's Leo Taylor, Jens Lekman, Nashville songwriter/drummer Cortney Tidwell, and Lost Valentinos' guitarist Jono Ma.
>The National - High Violet CD/LP (4AD)
A nervy, melodic, explosive, and beautiful new album, High Violet is wide-ranging in its moods, by turns intimate and rough, expansive and spare, full of stark angles and atmosphere.
>Phosphorescent - Here’s To Taking It Easy CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
The new cosmic American music. "We'll Be Here Soon" and "Hej, Me I'm Light" hint at the narcotic haze of Pride, while anthems like "The Mermaid Parade" and "It's Hard to Be Humble (When You're From Alabama)" sound perfect pumped out of the car stereo with the windows rolled down. "Heaven, Sittin’ Down" recalls the country rock of To Willie, while the stark album closer, "Los Angeles" sounds as if it was lifted from the grooves of Neil Young's On the Beach.
>The Dead Weather - Sea Of Cowards CD/LP (WB)
Sea Of Cowards is a robust and vigorous second act, filled with primal, bone quaking rock rhythms and the same stellar urban blues and throbbing sleaze as its predecessor; but this time The Dead Weather push their sound even further, brilliantly building upon their raw chemistry to create the most vital sounding album you'll hear all year. Free button pack with purchase -- while supplies last!
>Sage Francis - Li(f)e CD/LP+MP3 (Anti)
Li(f)e features Sage’s confrontational lyrics set to compositions by Chris Walla, Mark Linkous, Jason Lytle, members of Calexico, DeVotchKa, Califone, and other indie icons. The celebrated agent-provocateur of hip-hop brings his signature wordplay, a dazzling mix of sardonic humor and biting social commentary, to a setting complimented by a talented band consisting of producer Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron And Wine) and cohorts Jim Becker and Tim Rutili (Califone).
>Gayngs - Reylated CD/LP (Jajaguwar)
A collection of drugged-up keyboards and slick bedroom production almost exclusively inspired by 10cc's "I'm Not In Love." Contributors include Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), P.O.S., and members of Megafaun and The Rosebuds.
>Holy F##k - Latin CD/LP (XL)
There is an added dimension of songcraft on Latin; it brings noise and melody together with an uncanny sense of optimism -- but at the same time Holy F##k have not lost the chaotic and euphoric energy that they are known for.
>Indian Jewelry - Totaled CD (We Are Free)
Weird, dirty, and to the point, Indian Jewelry hasn't turned away from cracked cymbals, feedback, and burning amps -- they're just running them all through more effects.
>Japandroids - No Singles CD/2xLP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Companion piece to Post-Nothing, No Singles compiles two five-song EPs that were previously released on CD-R.
>Kaskade - Dynasty CD (Ultra)
Kaskade's sixth album is a shimmering collection of lush house tracks infused with vocal-laden melodies and addictive interludes.
>Keane - Night Train CD (Interscope)
Eight new tracks, written and recorded during Keane’s Perfect Symmetry world tour. Night Train takes its title from the band's favorite mode of transportation during the tour, and includes Keane's collaborations with Somali/Canadian rapper K'Naan.
>Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Rising from a flourishing DIY scene in Dalston, London, Male Bonding was born raging at an insane house party and it's been non-stop ever since. Nothing Hurts is the band’s debut album.
>Thee Oh Sees - Warm Slime CD/LP (In The Red)
Highlights their more electrified and rocking side. Guaranteed to please fans of their whacked-out garage/psych/punk jams.
>UNKLE - Where Did The Night Fall CD (Surrender All)
A big, deep, kaleidoscopic record drawing upon influences as diverse as krautrock, psychedelia, and techno, Afrobeat and their grassroots sample sound. Features appearances by Sleepy Sun, Black Angels, Autolux, Katrina Ford (TV On The Radio) and Mark Lanegan (Queens Of The Stone Age).
>The New Pornographers - Together CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
“Together strings together another string of unimpeachable pop gems, whether they're lush Neko Case and Kathryn Calder-sung ballads (‘My Shepherd’), weird Dan Bejar-sung seethers (‘Silver Jenny Dollar’) or grandiose A.C. Newman-sung blowouts (‘The Moves’). Newman, Case and Bejar all get their due here, with the help of Okkervil River's Will Sheff, St. Vincent's Annie Clark, Beirut's Zach Condon, and the The Dap-Kings.” -- NPR
>Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record CD/2xLP (Arts & Crafts)
New album featuring guest turns by BSS alumni Leslie Feist, Amy Millan and Evan Cranley (Stars), Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw (Metric), Jason Collett, Ohad Benchetrit (Do Make Say Think/Years), John Crossingham, Marty Kinack, Leon Kingstone and Julie Penner. Produced by John McEntire (Tortoise).
>Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma CD/2xLP (Warp)
In the past couple of years since his debut album, Los Angeles, Flying Lotus has grown into the position of being far more than a producer; he has helped materialize a far-reaching strain of musical ideology that has encompassed not only a global family of like-minded artists, but also a nearly infinite palate of planetary (and interplanetary) sonics.
>The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever CD/LP (Vagrant)
Heaven Is Whenever is The Hold Steady's fifth album and first without mustachioed keyboardist Franz Nicolay. Frontman Craig Finn describes it as “less anthemic and more complex” than their previous four efforts.
>Woods - At Echo Lake CD/LP (Woodsist)
Over the past few years, Woods has established themselves as an anomaly in a world of freaks. They were an odd proposition even in the outré company of vocalist/guitarist Jeremy Earl's Woodsist roster, perpetually out of time, committed to songsmanship in an age of noise, drone and improvisation, to extended soloing, oblique instrumentals and the usurping use of tapes and effects in an age of dead-end singer/songwriters.
>Court Yard Hounds - Court Yard Hounds CD (Columbia)
New project from Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of The Dixie Chicks.
>Deftones - Diamond Eyes CD (Reprise)
There's a newfound sense of purpose that makes Deftones' sixth album stand out: The band recorded Diamond Eyes after bassist Chi Cheng sustained a debilitating brain injury from a car accident in November 2008.
>Devastations - Devastations [Reissue] CD (Brassland)
Long overdue US release of Devastations’ 2004 debut. Named Album Of The Year in 2004 by Rolling Stone Germany, and "the best thing she heard all year" by Karen O in Mojo.
>The Fall - Your Future Our Clutter CD (Domino)
Your Future Our Clutter is The Fall at their most rampant, most forward moving, bone-shaking best. With nine tracks that rock like raw fury, we see The Fall heading into their next decade with the same intensity with which they started.
>The Flaming Lips/Stardeath And White Dwarfs With Henry Rollins And Peaches - Dark Side Of The Moon CD (WB)
The Flaming Lips team up with their Oklahoma City brethren Stardeath And White Dwarfs for a unique take of Pink Floyd's classic 1973 album.
>Free Energy - Stuck On Nothing CD/LP (Astralwerks)
Evokes earlier musical eras, blending big sounds with snippets of glam, power-pop, bubblegum and arena rock. Produced by James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem/DFA).
>Cate Le Bon - Me Oh My CD (The Control Group)
Le Bon’s music is a heady and highly personal Gallic stew of equal parts Nico, Malkmus and the chronicler's own emotional observations on the impossibility of existence. “Startlingly original, Me Oh My has that can't-put-your-finger-on-it oddness that makes for great pop music. A singular talent.” [4/5 stars] -- Mojo
>Minus The Bear - Omni CD/2xLP+MP3 (Dangerbird)
Minus The Bear’s fourth full-length is a slinky and sensual melding of city-stomping rock and deep funk grooves.
>Rudy Ray Moore - Dolomite [Reissue/Expanded Edition] CD (Traffic)
Dolemite's long sought-after soundtrack is reissued with 28 bonus tracks. One of the undisputed blaxploitation classics, the original motion-picture score is a wicked blend of uptempo funk instrumentals, soul ballads, loud 'n' proud themes and Dolemite's crucial statement of intent.
>Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! - I Love You. I Love You. I Love You And I'm In Love With You. Have An Awesome Day! Have The Best Day Of Your Life! CD/LP (Luaka Bop)
“Perched somewhere between art collective and exclamation-point-prone indie band, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! play a dance-minded cacophony informed by the belief that there is room for everyone in the band. Eighteen people pitched on this album with the improbably long title, which is the band’s debut full-length.” -- Prefixmag.com
>Various Artists (DJ T.) - Fabric 51 CD (Fabric)
"While I usually mix from a more 'functional' DJ perspective, this mix is the product of my current super-positive emotional state and definitely not your average dance floor fodder -- at least half of these tracks would never find their way into my DJ bag. Aesthetically speaking, it is more of a shimmering, sparkling disco funk concoction, a nod to the old school, but also 100% in the here and now!
>Caribou - Swim CD/2xLP+MP3 (Merge)
After the startling infectiousness of Andorra, Swim is a more complex, multi-layered affair -- ripe with fascinating rhythms, instrumentation, and vocals.
>Cornershop - Judy Sucks A Lemon For Breakfast CD (Ample Play)
An album of boundary crossing indie pop, taking in everything from psychedelic rock through to Punjabi folk while managing to maintain their ability to write the perfect feel-good pop song.
>Dead Meadow - Three Kings CD+DVD/2xLP+DVD (Xemu)
Feature-length live movie with short vignettes combined with the soundtrack in dual pack CD+DVD. Also includes an EP of new material.
>Horse Feathers - Thistled Spring CD/LP (Kill Rock Stars)
Thistled Spring as a whole displays a rich progression – more textured and lush than the band’s previous two albums.
>Gogol Bordello - Trans-Continental Hustle CD (American Recordings)
Fifth album combines Gogol Bordello’s radical invocations of positive primal energy and planetary consciousness in a style infused with ska, metal, punk, rap, dub and intimations of indigenous Brazilian sounds to produce a party maelstrom of electrifying proportions. CD now, vinyl due May 11th.
>Lali Puna - Our Inventions CD/LP (Morr Music)
Along with sister-group The Notwist, this Weilheim quartet have helped map out the musical landscape for modern, experimental pop music.
>Brian Posehn - Fart And Wiener Jokes CD (Relapse)
“The Slayer of comedy” has previously found fame on The Sarah Silverman Program, co-wrote The Last Christmas comic Book, appeared in several movies and supplies his voice in Rob Zombie's animated The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto.
>Twilight - Monument To Time End CD (Southern Lord)
Sophomore album from black metal supergroup featuring Aaron Turner (Isis), Sanford Parker (Minsk), Stavros Giannopolous (The Atlas Moth) and Rob Lowe (Lichens). “Monument To Time End” is easily one of the best, most beautifully composed and enchanting black metal albums I’ve heard in years.” -- Emotionally Voided
>Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo CD/LP (Sub Pop)
Avi Buffalo is the adopted name of 18 year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg. He’s toured with Beach House, Final Fantasy, and Vampire Weekend.
>Balkan Beat Box - Blue Eyed Black Boy CD (Ingooves)
New album weaves elements of raga and hip-hop with Balkan-style horns, Arab and Bulgarian guest singers, Greek guitars and more.
>Walls - Walls CD (Kompakt)
Album cut “Cylopean Remains" immediately conjures the potentials of a jam between Animal Collective and Boards Of Canada -- rolling beauty combined with epic strangeness to the most cerebral degree.
>White Fence - White Fence CD (Woodsist)
Debut album from psych/pop auteur and member of Darker My Love and Strange Boys. White Fence oscillates between a sun-dappled English meadow, a crumbling SoCal suburban bedroom, and a riotous Sunset Strip leather gang knife fight.
>The Infamous String Dusters - Things That Fly CD (Sugar Hill)
On Things That Fly, TISD venture into virtually uncharted territory for a bluegrass group: a sonically and thematically expansive album that lends itself to absorbed listening from start to finish, much like the great rock albums do.
>Kings Go Forth - Outsiders Are Back CD/LP (Luaka Bop)
Raw, retro-sounding R&B with funky backbeats, big horns, three-part vocals, and natural, lo-fi production.
>Little Brother - Leftback CD (Traffic)
With influences that range from the expressive boombap of A Tribe Called Quest to the rugged back and forth chemistry of EPMD, Little Brother's members, Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh, have become essential names in hip-hop circles worldwide.
>Willie Nelson - Country Music CD (Rounder)
Willie Nelson goes back to his roots with a songbook of classic Americana. Country Music was recorded in Nashville, TN and produced by T Bone Burnett.
>Plants & Animals - La La Land CD (Secret City)
“La La Land is more polished and put-together than Parc Avenue, but the band hasn't lost their signature sound. The album is entertaining from start to finish, mixing horn-filled dance-rock like ‘American Idol’ with slower tracks like ‘Game Shows’ that show their roots as an experimental instrumental band. However, this influence doesn't weigh down the record with too much abstraction and experimentation, but rather adds an interesting dimension to a more typical-sounding rock song.” -- Mcgilltribune.com
>Radio Dept. - Clinging To A Scheme CD (Labrador)
Combines the best components from their previous albums Lesser Matters and Pet Grief with soul guitars, P-funk, cut-and-paste beats and ‘70s futuristic orchestral sounds.
>Sweet Apple - Love And Desperation CD/LP (Tee Pee)
“Sweet Apple recalls Dinsoaur Jr.'s more pop-oriented, mid-'90s material. Quite sweet.” -- Prefix
>Various Artists - California Funk: Rare Funk 45s From The Golden State CD (Jazzman/Now Again)
Anthology examines what happened to the independent ensembles that gigged during Sly & The Family Stone's Bay-area renaissance.
>MGMT - Congratulations CD/LP (Columbia)
Congratulations unlocks a new musical world whirling in its own space/time grid infused with hints of music from the past five decades. Produced by MGMT and Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3, E.A.R., Spectrum). Also available in a Limited Edition version with scratch off cover and custom metal coin.
>Tony Allen - Secret Agent CD (Nonesuch)
New album. Tony Allen has long been acknowledged as Africa's finest kit drummer and one of the continent's most influential musicians. His playing draws on four different styles: highlife, soul/funk, jazz and traditional Nigerian drumming.
>Jeff Beck - Emotion & Commotion CD (Atlantic)
Jeff Beck’s first studio album in seven years. The Grammy-winning guitarist returns with an eclectic mix of tracks that find the guitar virtuoso accompanied by a handpicked cast of talented musicians (including Joss Stone), as well as several songs accompanied by a 64-piece orchestra.
>Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg - (Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus) [Reissue] CD/LP+7” (Light In The Attic)
Remastered from the original tapes including deluxe packaging. Features the bonus track "La Chanson de Slogan." HQ-180 vinyl version adds a bonus 7" with the non-album cut "La Chanson de Slogan" b/w "Orang Outan."
>Clutchy Hopkins - Storyteller CD/LP+MP3 (Ubiquity)
“Using live instrumentation, Clutchy delivers new 11 tracks. Scratchy snares roll throughout ‘Laughing Jockey’ as the sparse production trudges along. There is a liberal use of keyboards and grooving basslines from the start of the album to the closing track. Wispy vocals appear as a few singers creep in from time to time to lend haunting melodies -- but only in tiny bursts.” [4/5] -- Urb
>Iggy & The Stooges - Raw Power [Reissue] 2xCD (Sony Legacy)
Legacy Edition featuring the original David Bowie mix plus an additional disc of previously unreleased tracks.
>Christian Prommer - Drumlesson Zwei CD/LP (!K7)
Classic Detroit techno is a key inspiration for Drumlession Zwei. Christian and his band have also applied their open-minded jazz attitude to the cream of European house, techno and electro.
>Tallest Man On Earth - Wild Hunt CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
The seemingly effortlessness, the melodic sensibility and the deft lyricism all recall Dylan's early years. This isn't just another folk album; this is acoustic rock & roll from a man with a story to tell.
>Prins Thomas - Prins Thomas CD/LP (Full Pupp)
Debut solo album by the Norwegian disco superstar, who gained notoriety for his previous work with Linsdstrom.
>Various Artists - California Funk: Funk 45s From The Sunshine State CD/2xLP (Jazzman)
21 of the rarest, hardest and most coveted funk sounds from California, recorded circa 1968-1977. Artists include Arthur Monday, King Solomon, John Heartsman and Circles.
>Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - I Learned The Hard Way CD/LP (Daptone)
A bold step forward for a band that almost single handedly stewarded today's return of soul music to its more traditional roots. Sharon’s raw power, rhythmic swagger, moaning soulfulness, and melodic command set her firmly alongside Tina Turner, James Brown, Mavis Staples, and Aretha Franklin as a fixture in the canon of soul music.
>Jónsi - Go CD/LP (XL)
Jónsi has spent more than a decade writing epic compositions with Sigur Rós, creating some of the finest, most acclaimed albums of the last ten years. The choice to compose a solo album came together as a solution to a backlog of songs he had written that didn't seem to fit within the Sigur Rós context.
>Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame CD/LP (Anti)
“Highlights of the new album include ‘Unbearable Why,’ which combines a swinging Motown backbeat with girl group-era arrangements and harmonies; ‘Where'd All The Time Go,’ a swirling baroque pop song that rivals the work of The Left Banke; and ‘Later,’ which rolls along sweetly on ‘ob-la-di ob-la-da’ piano riffs.” -- NPR
>Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 - Propellor Time CD/LP (Satorial)
New album features a star-studded array of guests, including: John Paul Jones, Johnny Marr, Nick Lowe and former Soft Boys/Egyptians bandmate Morris Windsor.
>John Butler Trio - April Risings CD (ATO)
First new album in three years from the multi-platinum Australian artist.
>David Byrne & Fatboy Slim - Here Lies Love 2xCD/2xCD+DVD+Book (Nonesuch)
Subtitled: A Song Cycle About Imelda Marcos & Estrella Cumpas. Conceived by David Byrne; composed by Byrne and British deejay/recording artist Fatboy Slim; and performed by a dream cast drawn from the worlds of indie rock, alt country, R&B and pop: Cyndi Lauper, Steve Earle, Sharon Jones Natalie Merchant, Tori Amos, and more. Also available as a deluxe Special Edition that adds a DVD with 6 videos featuring songs from the album cut to archival and historical footage from the Philippines, and a 120-page hardcover book.
>Ray Charles - Genius + Soul = Jazz 2xCD (Concord Music)
Special double-CD retrospective of Ray Charles’ jazz recordings of the `60s and `70s containing four complete albums. In addition to Genius + Soul = Jazz, this collection also features -- for the first time on CD -- My Kind Of Jazz, My Kind Of Jazz II, and My Kind of Jazz III.
>Codeine Velvet Club - Codeine Velvet Club CD/LP (Dangerbird)
Codeine Velvet Club is Jon Fratelli of The Fratellis and singer/songwriter Lou Hickey. Their new musical project celebrates a shared love of '60s girl/boy duets, dramatic orchestral pop, and dark, post-war Hollywood and Las Vegas romanticism.
>Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can CD (Astralwerks)
Sophomore album from the UK songstress and 2008 Mercury Prize nominee. “These are folk-rock songs, but Marling doesn't lazily trade on it like so many other would-be old souls. Instead, like Fairport Convention or Nick Cave or Cat Power, she uses folk as an archetypal form to get at the essential realities of love, sex, heartbreak, and death.” [8.1] -- Pitchfork
>Murder By Death - Good Morning, Magpie CD (Vagrant)
New from the cabaret punk/rockers.
>Annuals - Sweet Sister CD (Banter Media)
Encompasses the pure energy that the group is known for: quirky experimentalism, intrinsic pop sensibility, impeccable production, and boundless independent spirit.
>Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Steps Ahead CD/LP (Strut)
First new solo album by Astatke since the 1980s. Mulatu Steps Ahead is perfect for fans of world music, jazz and the outstanding Ethiopiques series.
>Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh CD (Motown)
New release, the fifth studio album from the R&B/neo-soul superstar.
>Black Francis - Nonstoperotik CD (Cooking Vinyl)
Recorded in L.A., London, and Brooklyn, Nonstoperotik was produced by Eric Drew Feldman and Black Francis, and features 10 original songs plus a cover of The Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Wheels.”
>Deru - Say Goodbye To Useless CD (Mush)
Moody, atmospheric sounds, haunting melodies and organic textures are augmented by Deru’s most mature songwriting and cutting-edge beats to date. The album pays homage to classic genres and structures while cultivating a 22nd century smart-party ethic that will snatch the ear of the snobbiest beat head.
>Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be CD/LP (Sub Pop)
Debut full-length, recorded at home by Dee Dee and mixed with the help of Richard Gotteher (Strangeloves, Voidoids, Blondie, Go-Go's, Raveonettes), is a decidedly medium-fi affair. Just under 30 minutes with 11 songs, I Will Be is a short tribute to love, fun, and the classic pop form of '60s girl groups and early punk rockers.
>Evelyn Evelyn - Evelyn Evelyn CD/2x10”+CD (Eleven Records)
Fans of A Nightmare Before Christmas, Rocky Horror, and Hedwig And The Angry Inch will love Evelyn Evelyn, the world's only conjoined-twin singer-songwriter duo. With a background in circus performance and a wide range of musical influences, the twins compose original timeless songs full of humor, sadness, and double entendre.
>Living Sisters - Love To Live CD/LP (Vanguard)
Debut release from indie pop/folk supergroup consisting of Inara George (The Bird & The Bee), Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond), and Eleni Mandell. Living Sisters embrace their mutual love of country, soul, gospel, jazz and other traditional styles of music. Gorgeous harmonies highlight poetically charged lyrics and sing-along choruses backed by retro pop instrumentation.
>Meth Ghost Rae - Wu-Massacre CD (Def Jam)
Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon have banded together on this new album of street bangers. Includes contributions by Inspectah Deck and Cappadona.
>Black Tambourine - Black Tambourine CD/LP (Slumberland)
Expanded discography from short-lived but influential indie-pop band.
>She & Him - Volume Two CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
What began as a fascinating, no-strings-attached collaboration on 2008's Volume One has evolved into a bona fide, touring band, and She & Him are here to stay. Zooey Deschanel and Matt Ward are a comfortable and complementary musical pair; hearing them again on Volume Two feels like getting together with two old friends.
>The T.A.M.I. Show - DVD (Shout! Factory)
Filmed just eight months after The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, The T.A.M.I. Show introduced rock n soul youth culture to America in the first concert movie of the rock era. One of the rarest and most sought-after performance films from its time, the 1964 concert event featured The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Chuck Berry, The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Supremes and many other American and British Invasion hitmakers in their prime.
>Mose Allison - The Way Of The World CD (Anti)
The Way Of The World marks Mose Allison’s return to the recording studio after a 12-year absence. Working with maverick producer Joe Henry, Allison has found his most sympathetic setting in years, surrounded by young, vibrant players, who add surprising slide guitar and some sinewy saxophone to the classic Mose sound.
>Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & The Cairo Gang - The Wonder Show Of The World CD/LP (Drag City)
For this new album of songs, Bonny Billy & The Cairo Gang together have built a bridge forward, assembled with riffs and bits from Emmett Kelly's guitar and the lyricism of Bonny's heart. But mostly, The Wonder Show Of The World was, in its making, about trust. It's a record made eye-to-eye in a room, close and careful, by and for a few men who wanted to be together, who wanted to make music that sounds as good to listen to as it did to make, and who in doing so forged something new in space, the wonder of you and of them.
>Let’s Wrestle - In The Court Of The Wrestling Let’s CD (Merge)
Originally intended as a punk record, In the Court Of The Wrestling Let's developed into more than that, with songs influenced by rock & roll ballads by Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly ("In Dreams," "My Schedule") and the psychedelic rock of Barrett-era Pink Floyd ("In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's"), but overall it still remains a punk rock record.
>Autechre - Oversteps CD/2xLP (Warp)
Their latest work, still very much an Autechre record, shows an oft-overlooked playfulness and a rarely mentioned musicality that comes to the forefront, in what could be described as their most accessible work to date. Between the layers of cold digital pings and fuzzed out tones, there are true chord changes and warm soundscapes being built from the ground up.
>Archie Bronson Outfit - Coconut CD/LP (Domino)
Generating molten heat right from the opening bars of first track “Magnetic Warrior,” the new Archie Bronson Outfit album is full of deep riffs, spaced loops and the sound of a band reveling in both their individuality and intensity. Produced by DFA's Tim Goldsworthy (LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Hercules & Love Affair).
>Serena-Maneesh - No. 2: Abyss In B Minor CD/LP (4AD)
In this age, given the ease of bedroom recording, records like this one aren't made very often. But this is no distended double-album; it may open with the eight-minute groove of “Ayisha Abyss,” which sounds like a caffeinated Can or something from Funkadelic's Maggot Brain.
>Drive By Truckers - The Big To-Do CD (ATO)
The Big To-Do features thirteen new tracks from the Drive-By Truckers and was produced by their long time producer, David Barbe (Sugar, Bettye LaVette). “It’s very much a rock album,” says Patterson Hood. “Very melodic and more rocking than anything we’ve done since Disc 2 of Southern Rock Opera.”
>Lou Bond - Lou Bond [Reissue] CD/LP+7” (Light In The Attic)
Digitally remastered edition of this lost 1974 album from the soul/pop troubadour. Vinyl version includes a bonus 7”.
>The White Stripes - Under The Great White Northern Lights CD/2xLP (ATO)
First ever live White Stripes on CD! Contains 16 live songs from various shows in Canada. Also available on DVD.
>Happy Birthday - Happy Birthday CD/LP (Sub Pop)
Happy Birthday is Kyle Thomas (aka King Tuff), Chris Weisman, and Ruth Garbus. They formed in November 2008 to play one show at the punk-space "Tinderbox" (RIP), in their hometown Brattleboro, Vermont. They enjoyed playing with each other so much that they decided to keep doing it.
>Apostle Of Solitude - Last Sunrise CD (Profound Lore)
New from release from the Indianapolis doom metal band.
>Dropkick Murphys - Live On Lansdowne Boston MA CD+DVD/LP+DVD (Dropkick Murphys)
Recorded over six nights and seven shows in March 2009.
>Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush To Relax CD/LP (Goner)
Highly anticipated third album from Australian band adds a pop element reminiscent of the mid-'80s Dunedin sound.
>Gilberto Gil - Bandadois CD (Warner Music Latina)
Bandadios presents Gilberto and his son Bern Gil performing his favorite his songs live acoustically.
>Emma Pollack - The Law Of Large Numbers CD (Chemikal Underground)
The follow-up to 2007’s 4AD-released Watch The Fireworks, Emma’s second solo effort eschews the traditional, accessibly melodic approach of her debut for a more angular musical terrain: The Law Of Large Numbers is crammed with unconventional arrangements and by Emma’s own admission, was an almost entirely self-serving project.
>Ulrich Schnauss - Missing Deadlines: Selected Remixes CD (Rocket Girl)
A testament to his unique aural vision, showcasing his undeniable grasp of heart-warming, heart-wrenching melody through ever-oscillating synth patterns, rich, reverb-laden voices, and euphoric beats. Remixes of tracks from Howling Bells, A Sunny Day In Glasgow, Katharina Franck, Madrid, Asobi Seksu, Dragons, Aus, Mahogany, Lunz, Rachel Goswell, High Violets, Mark Gardener, I'm Not A Gun, and Mojave 3.
>Various Artists - Lagos Disco Inferno CD/2xLP (Academy LPs)
12 smokin' rarities straight from Nigeria, dating back to 1976-‘82. This album stands alone as the first compilation to focus on African disco. But make no mistake; you won't hear any cheesy strings or nasty Roland synths. This is straight up tough Nigerian disco funk.
>The Whigs - In The Dark CD/LP (ATO)
The Whigs have gone widescreen. Bursting with energy, emotion, and unpredictable experimentation, the Athens, GA-based trio tear open the artistic envelope. In The Dark is both atmospheric and ambitious, without losing the pedal-to-the-metal power that earned them universal praise as one of America's finest young rock & roll bands.
>Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat The Devil’s Tattoo CD/2xLP (Vagrant)
The band wrote and recorded most of their new album at The Basement Studio in Philadelphia -- the same room where they wrote and recorded Howl as well as some work in their hometown of L.A. Beat The Devil's Tattoo also marks the first album with drummer Leah Shapiro.
>Broken Bells - Broken Bells CD/LP+MP3 (Columbia)
Broken Bells is The Shins' James Mercer and Danger Mouse. Featuring "The High Road" and "The Ghost Inside," Broken Bells features Mercer on vocals, guitars and bass while Danger Mouse plays organ, drums, piano, synths and bass. Available in regular and deluxe editions. Deluxe version features special packaging and includes a 44-page pocket notebook, glow in the dark stickers, a poster and oversized postcards.
>Gorillaz - Plastic Beach CD/CD+DVD (Virgin)
Five years on from the release of Demon Days, Murdoc Niccals and company return with Plastic Beach. The band have taken up residence, recording on a secret floating island deep in the South Pacific, a “Plastic Beach HQ,” made up of the detritus, debris and washed up remnants of humanity. This “Plastic Beach” is the furthest point from any landmass on Earth; the most deserted spot on the planet. Also available in a deluxe edition, which adds a 45-minute "making of" documentary DVD that provides online access to extra music, games and video.
>The Chieftains (Featuring Ry Cooder) - San Patricio CD/2xCD (Hear Music)
The leading practitioners of Irish traditional music team up with multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer Ry Cooder.
>Jason Collett - Rat A Tat Tat CD/LP (Arts & Crafts)
Follow up to his widely praised 2008 release, Here's To Being Here.
>Deru - Say Goodbye To Useless CD (Mush)
While you will find similar aesthetics to his previous releases -- moody, atmospheric sounds, haunting melodies and organic textures -- they are augmented by his most mature song-writing and cutting-edge beats to date. The album pays homage to classic genres and structures while cultivating a 22nd century smart-party ethic that will snatch the ear of the snobbiest beat head.
>Gonjasufi - A Sufi And A Killer CD/2xLP (Warp)
Gonjasufi stands just outside the spotlight cast on his friends and collaborators Flying Lotus and The Gaslamp Killer, but the sonic brotherhood that exists is implicit rather than as similarities in sound. Drawing from unearthed strains of global psychedelia and merging it with a rejuvenated sense of hip-hop clarity currently distinct to the West Coast, Gonjasufi is more than just a songwriter, MC, or performer.
>JJ - No. 3 CD/LP (Secretly Canadian)
JJ creates R&B and Balearic dub from the ghosts of lost lovers; pop as delicate as a fawn's nose across blades of frosted grass. Vinyl edition includes a bonus track. “It's a gorgeous ode to chemically-assisted euphoria, or an effective, shimmering simulation for those who keep their intoxications on the legal side.” -- Pitchfork
>Ben Harper And Relentless 7 - Live From The Montreal Jazz Festival CD+DVD (Virgin)
Urgent. Infectious. Energized. That's how Ben Harper And Relentless 7 have been characterized and this special CD/DVD combo filmed during the Montreal International Jazz Festival captures their blistering artistry in the summer of 2009.
>Jimi Hendrix Experience - Valley’s Of Neptune CD (Sony/Legacy)
12 previously unreleased studio recordings -- over 60 minutes of unheard Hendrix. Ten of these recordings were made between February and May 1969, as the Jimi Hendrix Experience set out to create the sequel to Electric Ladyland. Free lithograph with purchase -- while supplies last!
>Jimi Hendrix - First Rays Of The New Rising Sun [Reissue] CD+DVD/LP (Sony/Legacy)
>Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced [Reissue] CD/LP (Sony/Legacy)
>Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold As Love [Reissue] CD+DVD/LP (Sony/Legacy)
>Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland [Reissue] CD+DVD/LP (Sony/Legacy)
>Jimi Hendrix Experience - Smash Hits [Reissue] CD+DVD/LP (Sony/Legacy)
Deluxe CD+DVD editions of Jimi’s classic studio albums. Newly remastered, all titles are packaged in lavish 6-panel digipaks featuring detailed booklets that include session info, liner notes, photos and memorabilia. The added DVDs contain exclusive “making of” mini documentaries. Gatefold HQ-180 vinyl versions also available.
>Miles Kurosky - The Desert Of Shallow Effects CD (Shout! Factory)
Kurosky's first solo effort since dissolving Beulah five years ago, and, happily, his singular gift for melody-rich pop hasn't deserted him.
>Patty Larkin - 25 2xCD (Signature Sounds)
2010 marks Patty Larkin's 25th year of recording music. Follow her musical journey as she reworks 25 love songs from 1985-2010 with the help of 25 very special guests including Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Bruce Cockburn, Rosanne Cash, Martin Sexton, Dar Williams and many more.
>Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
This extraordinarily assured, wide ranging album explores new ground for Ted, showcasing his singer/songwriter side while remaining emotionally and energetically true to his punk roots.
>Liars - Sisterworld CD/2xCD (Mute)
A back-to-basics art-pop thrill from start to finish. Limited edition deluxe version adds a bonus CD of remixes and reinterpretations of all 11 tracks from artists including: Thom Yorke, Tunde Adebimpe, Bradford Cox, Melvins, Devendra Banhart, Alan Vega, Chris & Cosey and Blonde Redhead.
>Pavement - Quarantine The Past: The Best Of Pavement CD/2xLP+MP3 (Matador)
This remastered mid-priced, 23-track greatest hits collection, chosen by the band, ranges from their hit "Cut Your Hair" to nearly all their singles, some underrated album tracks, three choice pre-Matador cuts and one obscure compilation track.
>Josh Rouse - El Turista CD (Yep Roc)
Simple, Spanish-influenced street rhythms unfurl into epic versions of Guaraldi-like jazz numbers, resulting in yet another career defining touchstone and a genre-blending album that is as sophisticated as it is infectious.
>Titus Andronicus - The Monitor CD/LP (XL)
The Monitor is a concept album about the Civil War, "sort of", says singer Patrick Stickles. Features contributions by members of Ponytail, Wye Oak, Vivian Girls, and the Hold Steady.
>The Heart Is A Drum Machine - DVD (Lightyear Entertainment)
What is music? Today's top artists, actors, and scholars grapple with the question in this cinematic look at a uniquely human obsession. The Heart is A Drum Machine is a new feature documentary film project from the producers of Moog.
>Athlete - Black Swan CD (Original Signal)
Another release of spirited, electro tinged indie-pop from the London quartet.
>Dee Dee Bridgewater - Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billy With Love From Dee Dee Bridgewater CD (Emarcy)
Over the course of a multifaceted career that has spanned four decades, Dee Dee Bridgewater has risen to the top tier of today's jazz vocalists, putting her own unique spin on standards as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. For her latest recording, Bridgewater honors Billie Holiday.
>Clogs - The Creatures In The Garden Of Lady Walton CD (Brassland)
Clogs use sounds and textures from across the musical spectrum -- the immediacy of folk and rock, twisted Americana, the complexity of modern composition. Features guest contributions by Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, Sufjan Stevens, Aaron Dessner and Matt Berninger of The National.
>Flogging Molly - Live At The Greek Theatre 2xCD+DVD (Side One Dummy)
This three-disc set captures Flogging Molly’s epic performance at the Greek Theatre on September 12, 2009, featuring over 90 minutes of music spanning the band’s entire catalog, from Swagger to Float.
>Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back CD/2xCD (RealWorld/EMI)
Gabriel describes this as a very personal covers album with twelve songs performed only with orchestral instruments and voice. He made the choice not to include guitar or drums. The album’s richly diverse sounds include the sparse romance of Lou Reed’s “The Power Of The Heart,” the powerful musical journey of David Bowie’s “Heroes,” and an epic arrangement of Arcade Fire’s “My Body Is A Cage.” Also available as a deluxe edition which adds a disc of alternate versions and remixes.
>Groove Armada - Black Light CD (Om)
New album is a collision of alt and electronic genres featuring vocalist Bryan Ferry.
>John Hiatt - The Open Road CD (New West)
Hiatt and his touring band have recorded a set that gives garage rock a new meaning.
>Jaguar Love - Hologram Jams CD/LP (Fat Possum)
Blood Brothers may have betrayed their blood oath by breaking up, but the spirit of that raucous Seattle act lives on in Jaguar Love.
>Shooter Jennings & Hierophant - Black Ribbons CD (Rocket Science)
Black Ribbons features a unique collaboration between Jennings and best-selling author Stephen King. The 70-minute concept album sees King provide the voice of Will O' The Wisp, a late-night talk show radio host who is in the last hour of his final broadcast before the airwaves is overtaken by “government-approved and regulated transmissions.”
>Little Boots - Hands CD/LP (New Elektra)
An album with well-crafted pop songs and diverse production, Hands primarily features songs about love, relationships, and heartbreak, and takes influence from a variety of music styles such as disco, 1980's pop, and Eurodance.
>Mavis - Mavis CD (!K7)
It began with an instrumental track recorded by Ashley Beedle and musical partner Darren Morris sparked by a night listening to Mavis Staples and the Staple Singers three years ago. It ends with this record, 12 interpretations of that track from some of the finest known and yet to be discovered vocal talent the world has to offer. Revered artists such as Lambchop's Kurt Wagner, Candi Staton, Ed Harcourt, Edwyn Collins, Cerys Matthews, and Saint Etienne's Sarah Cracknell have thrown themselves heart and soul in the Mavis mix.
>Rogue Wave - Permalight CD/LP (Brushfire)
A punchy, deceptively effervescent set of multi-instrumental pop tunes. Rogue Wave has a reputation for crafting classic, inward-looking pop songs highlighted with psychedelic guitars, pastoral sound effects and intricate rhythms. On Permalight, however, Rogue Wave steps away from expectations with synthesizers that simultaneously sound brittle and blissful.
>Ruby Suns - Fight Softly CD/LP (Sub Pop)
Head-spinning combo of big-picture vision and sumptuous detail veers from the path set by 2008's spectacular Sea Lion. Thematically, it's not as wide-eyed or lighthearted, picking apart the relationships faced as we pass through the world -- with our surroundings, each other, and ourselves. Sonically it remains as beat-centric though these beats are deliciously artificial -- stretched and compacted and distorted beyond recognition.
>Yellow Swans - Going Places CD/LP+CD (Type)
The group's conclusion as an entity and their most introspective work to date. The resulting collection is distilled and reflective, retaining the grit and damage of their earlier work but adding layers of harmony and, maybe more surprisingly, pulsing rhythms.
>Various Artists - Stroke: Songs For Chris Knox 2xCD (Merge)
In June 2009 Chris Knox (Tall Dwarfs, Toy Love) suffered a life-altering stroke. This album is a celebration of Chris and his music. Artists include Jeff Magnum, Yo La Tengo, Mountain Goats, Will Oldham, Bill Callahan, Lou Barlow, Jay Reatard, The Bats, The Verlaines, and The Chills.
>Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me 3xCD/3xLP (Drag City)
125 minutes-worth of songs in deluxe packaging. Through the course of the 18 songs, Joanna visits ditties, weepies, court dances, rump-bumpers, epics and moments of Panavision fantasia upon us.
>David Broza - Night Dawn: The Unpublished Poetry Of Townes Van Zandt CD (S-Curve)
12-song set features 10 previously unreleased lyrics and poems written by the late Townes Van Zandt -- one cover of the last song Van Zandt wrote for David and one instrumental Broza wrote for Van Zandt.
>Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain’t No Grave CD (American Recordings)
American VI is deeply elegiac and spiritual, with each song its own piece of the puzzle of life's mysteries and challenges -- the pursuit of salvation, the importance of friendships, the dream of peace, the power of faith, and the joys and adversities that entail simple survival. It is an achingly personal and intimate statement, as, from the end of the line, Johnny Cash looks back on a most extraordinary life.
>Deadstring Brothers - Sao Paulo CD/LP (Bloodshot)
Built on the ample shoulders of masterful forebears, Deadstring Brothers delve into the grit and sweat of dirty blues scooped from the fields of the Delta and polish it in the toxic waters of the Detroit River; the smell of their motor oil, strong coffee and whiskey-stained beards narcotic.
>Madlib - Electro Acoustic Space, Jazz & Percussion Ensemble CD (Stones Throw)
1st album in Madlib's Yesterdays Universe deep-jazz series.
>Madlib - Medicine Show No. 2: Fight To Brazil CD (Madlib Music)
2nd release from Madlib's new once-a-month series. An 80-minute guided tour through 5 decades of Brazilian funk, bossa nova, jazz, psychedelic and progressive rock.
>Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté - Ali & Toumani CD (Nonesuch)
Second and final album pairing the late Malian guitar virtuoso Ali Farka Touré and kora master Toumani Diabaté. Includes contributions from the late Orlando 'Cachaito' Lopez (Buena Vista Social Club) on bass.
>Holly Miranda - The Magician’s Private Library CD/2xLP (XL)
Debut full-length album features contributions from Kyp Malone and Jaleel Bunton (TV On The Radio), Eric Biondo and Stuart Bogie (Antibalas), and Holly's long-time violinist, Marques Toliver.
>Carrie Newcomer - Before & After CD (Rounder)
Focusing on change and transformation, this layered work is on one level an exploration of life with a progressive spiritual sensibility. On a second level, the listener is exposed to Newcomer's adept guitar work, soulful voice, and unique musicianship, which stays true to her folk roots, while at the same time allowing Appalachian and classical music to influence her body of work.
>Quasi - American Gong CD/LP (Kill Rock Stars)
Eighth album from the indie-rock mainstays. They've switched labels, from the Chicago-based Touch and Go to Kill Rock Stars, which is based right in their backyard in Portland, OR. Mixed by the impressive line-up of Steve Fisk, Tucker Martine and Dave Fridmann.
>Shearwater - Golden Archipelago CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Third album in a triptych of beautiful, dense and ambitious excursions about man's impact on the natural world. This time singer/songwriter Jonathan Meiburg turns his attention to life on islands -- a world of lushness and austerity, silence and sudden cataclysms. Initial pressing includes a 50-page booklet of dossier of records, photos, regulations, and images on islands, displaced peoples, immigration records and more.
>Shout Out Louds - Work CD/LP (Merge)
Realizing that there really is no need to multilayer and fill all the spaces in their songs, the group are keeping it simple now, trusting in the power of bare skin over panache.
>Various Artists - Black Man's Cry: Inspiration Of Fela Kuti CD/4x10" (Now Again)
Covers and music inspired by the godfather of Afrobeat. Includes rare and previously unreleased music from Nigeria, Ghana, Colombia and Trinidad.
>Various Artists - Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas: Tropicalista Psychedelic Masterpieces, 1967-1976 CD/2xLP (World Psychedelic Funk Classics)
The heaviest, rarest, best fuzz-funk-psych singles from Brazil, compiled on one CD. Vinyl version includes 3D glasses.
>Various Artists (Martyn) - Fabric 50 CD (Fabric)
26 track mix from the master remixer.
>Various Artists - Westbound Detroit Northern Soul CD (Kent UK)
Import-only compilation of rare, late-‘60s, early-‘70s crossover soul.
>Local Natives - Gorilla Manor CD/LP (French Kiss)
Drawing a line from the vocal stylings of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young and The Zombies through the more esoteric edges of post punk and Afrobeat, this California five piece have communally crafted a brand of indie rock all their own.
>Field Music - Field Music (Measure) CD/LP (Memphis Industries)
Following a self-imposed three-year hiatus, Field Music return with 20-tracks of artful English pop.
>Freeway & Jake One - The Stimulus Package CD (Rhymesayers)
Produced entirely by veteran G-Unit producer Jake One, The Stimulus Package showcases some of Freeway's most dynamic and engaging work to date. Since his breakout Roc-A-Fella debut Philadelphia Freeway in 2003, Freeway has been regarded as "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper."
>Rocky Votolato - True Devotion CD (Barsuk)
Walking the line between autobiographical fact and fiction, True Devotion is deceptively simple, peppering impressionistic narratives with moments of lyrical wisdom that can knock the wind out of you.
>Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself CD/LP (Kill Rock Stars)
The two biggest constants throughout Xiu Xiu's catalog are honesty and evolution. This
remains true with Dear God, I Hate Myself as it delivers a look at responsibility, fear, healing, and societal roles wrapped in rich gothic pop music.
>Backyard Tire Fire - Good To Be CD (Kelsey Street)
A rich, ever-expanding palette of aural rock & roll colors and textures that tap into bouncy, Kinks-meet-Squeeze Brit pop/rock, Tom Petty-styled Southern rock, Beatles-esque majesty, intimate balladry, chiming folk-rock and heartland/populist chest-pounders.
>The Carolina Chocolate Drops - Genuine Negro Jig CD (Nonesuch)
The Carolina Chocolate Drops are as much about revelation as revival. On their Nonesuch debut, the trio brings exuberance, humor, virtuosity and an infectious acoustic groove to its exploration of a near-forgotten brand of banjo-driven string band music originating more than a century ago in the foothills of North Carolina.
>Fela Kuti - Gentleman/Confusion [Reissue] 2xCD (Knitting Factory)
>Fela Kuti - Koola Lobitos/The ’69 L.A. Sessions [Reissue] 2xCD (Knitting Factory)
>Fela Kuti - Live With Ginger Baker [Reissue] CD (Knitting Factory)
>Fela Kuti - Open & Close/Afrodisiac [Reissue] 2xCD (Knitting Factory)
>Fela Kuti - Roforofo Fight + 2 Singles [Reissue] CD (Knitting Factory)
Knitting Factory resurrects several rare albums from the prolific Afrobeat legend.
>Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More CD (Glass Note)
This West London indie rock quartet, have created a gutsy, old-time sound that marries the magic of Crosby, Stills & Nash with the might of Kings of Leon and the harmonies of Fleet Foxes.
>Scanners - Submarine CD (Downtown/Dim Mak)
Venerable UK rock outfit return with their sophomore full length. Produced by Stephen Hague who has worked with New Order, Siouxsie & The Banshees and Peter Gabriel.
>Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore - Dear Companion CD (Sub Pop)
Dear Companion is a collaboration between three Kentucky musicians; the songs were written and performed by Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore, produced by and featuring Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket.
>Various Artists (Ewan Pearson) - We Are Proud Of Our Choices [Mix] CD (Kompakt)
Neville Watson, Lusine, John Talabot, Hot Natured, Taron Trekka and Wah Chu Ku are all featured on this mix, which strays from the more popular club tracks of the year and instead focuses on the secret weapons that Pearson has been utilizing in his sets of late.
>Wu-Tang Clan - Return Of The Wu And Friends CD (Gold Dust)
A collection of various Wu-Tang Clan songs and unreleased Wu-Tang remixes all produced by Mathematics. Features vocals from the entire Clan including Ghostface, Raekwon, RZA, GZA, ODB, Method Man, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck and U-God.
>Hot Chip - One Life Stand CD/CD+DVD (Astralwerks)
The band's most boldly accomplished record yet, at once offbeat and anthemic, cerebral and danceable. Special CD+DVD version includes a “making of” documentary and Live From Brixton 2008.
>Massive Attack - Heligoland CD (Virgin)
Fifth studio album from legendary trip-hop duo and the first new studio album since 2003's 100th Window features an all-star cast of guest vocals from Damon Albarn, Hope Sandoval, Martina Topley-Bird, Guy Garvey and Tunde Adebimpe.
>Sade - Soldier Of Love CD/LP (Sony)
Sixth studio album in Sade’s 25-year career, and the first since 2000’s Lover's Rock.
>Ben + Vesper - LuvInIdleness CDEP (Sounds Familyre)
The outcome of this effort is easy to convey: go out and find a low-budget production of Midsummer Night's Dream, and then go home and Netflix Olivia Newton John's Xanadu. Go to sleep and the music in your fabled dreams will undoubtedly be all five songs in order as they appear here.
>Kath Bloom - Thin Thin Line CD (Caldo Verde)
Recorded several albums in the late '70s but was largely unknown by 1995. Her rediscovery since then with reissues and tribute album contributions by artists such as Devendra Banhart and Mark Kozelek is reminiscent of Vashti Bunyan's.
>Buzzcocks - Another Music In A Different Kitchen [Reissue] 2xCD (Mute)
>Buzzcocks - Different Kind Of Tension [Reissue] 2xCD (Mute)
>Buzzcocks - Love Bites 2xCD [Reissue] (Mute)
Special deluxe double-disc packages containing unreleased tracks, Peel sessions, associated singles, demos, backing tracks, and live versions.
>Durutti Column - 2001-2009 5xCD (Artful)
5-disc box set from guitar genius Vini Reilly catalogs his output in the 21st century, including every album he has released in this period plus unheard exclusive bonus tracks and art prints of each cover.
>Galactic - Ya-Ka-May CD/LP (Anti)
Galactic have made what may be the definitive New Orleans tribute by recognizing the fundamental truth that the city’s seemingly disparate styles (jazz, brass bands and funk -- as well as newer bounce/hip-hop) are intrinsically linked.
>Georgia Anne Muldrow - Kings Ballad CD/LP (Ubiquity)
Slicing pop ‘n' lock-friendly funk with gospel and gracious soul, Georgia’s Anne Muldrow is a true West Coast original who has been called a modern day Nina Simone.
>Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise CD/LP (Rough Trade)
Pantha Du Prince fuses house, techno, shoegazy electronica and psychedelic electro-acoustic soundscapes into music that is at once both beautiful and bewitching. His previous album This Bliss, was a bittersweet take on techno, which appealed to both dancefloors and living rooms alike and was hugely successful. As a result he has become an in-demand remixer and has done tracks for Depeche Mode, Animal Collective, Bloc Party, and many others.
>Phantogram - Eyelid Movies CD (Barsuk)
Phantograms’ music utilizes electronic loops and hip-hop beats with shoegaze, soul and pop stylings.
>Gil Scott-Heron - I’m New Here CD (XL)
His first new album in over 15 years. Without doubt one of the most important voices in 20th century music, Gil Scott-Heron has been called a Vietnam-era Langston Hughes, a proto-rap pioneer, and -- offensively but not inaccurately -- the black Bob Dylan, someone whose unfailingly sharp and ironic eye spared neither black-power phonies or scheming presidents.
>The Watson Twins - Talking To You Talking To Me CD/LP (Vanguard)
New album finds The Watson Twins taking a soulful turn à la Carole King, but with a distinct pop edge reminiscent of Feist.
>Yeasayer - Odd Blood CD/LP (Secretly Canadian)
If All Hour Cymbals was Yeasayer's attempt at global and ambient cultural mash-up, then their new album, Odd Blood, takes place in an off-world colony sometime after the Singularity. Glimmering reverb haze is eschewed and replaced by a cavalcade of disorienting pitch effects and flickering ectoplasmic wisps.
>The Soft Pack - The Soft Pack CD/LP (Kemado)
A duo writing songs in California at the dawn of 2008 goes on to supporting The Breeders, Last Of The Shadow Puppets and Bloc Party as a quartet, and release two attention-grabbing singles that same year. They were the toast of CMJ in 2008 and South By Southwest in 2009, and then toured alongside Franz Ferdinand, Phoenix, White Lies and Black Lips in 2009.
>Toro Y Moi - Causers Of This CD (Carpark)
This multi-cultural juggernaut gathers up the best musical elements from around the globe: R&B, indie rock, electronic dance and psychedelia. Imagine Ulrich Schnauss meets Animal Collective on a mirror balled dancefloor.
>Midlake - The Courage Of Others CD/LP+MP3 (Bella Union)
Existing outside the plane of trends and even time, Midlake has once again conjured a novel world, but one that seems to have existed forever. Looms of intricately textured keyboards, flute, guitars and voice are woven into broad cloaks of sound, all riding the wave of songwriter Tim Smith’s sweeping vocals.
>The Album Leaf - A Chorus Of Storytellers CD (Sub Pop)
For the first time in five albums, The Album Leaf recorded as a whole band. In the past, almost every instrument was performed by principal songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jimmy LaValle.
CD now -- double-vinyl available next week.
>Bassekou Kouyate - Ba - I Speak Fula CD (Next Ambience)
Malian maestro is a virtuoso picker and musical visionary whose work blurs the lines between West African and American roots music. Bassekou's instrument, the ngoni, is a spike lute, an ancestor of the banjo.
>Madlib - Medicine Show # 1: Before The Verdict CD (Madlib Medicine)
First installment in a 12 CD series from the rapper/producer -- a full 17-track hip-hop album featuring "the OJ Simpson remixes" with Guilty Simpson.
>Malachai - Ugly Side Of Love CD (Domino)
Ugly Side Of Love sounds like a Jamaican garage rock band. At other times it sounds like Merseybeat if the beats were supplied by RZA. Or like Dick Dale surfing the River Severn.
>Pierced Arrows - Descending Shadows CD/LP (VIce)
New from Portland-based trio comprised of legendary members Fred and Toody Cole of the seminal punk band Dead Moon.
>Various Artists - Pop Ambient 2010 CD/2xLP+CD (Kompakt)
Landmark installment in Kompakt’s annual tour through the freshest facets of blisstronica. Features tracks by The Orb, Wolfgang Voigt, Thomas Fehlmann, Dettinger and more.
>Whitefield Brothers - Earthology CD/LP (Now Again)
“The Whitefield Brothers are a down-and-dirty funk group that makes raw, organic funk using nothing but instruments and an Afro-Caribbean sense of rhythm.” -- Allmusic.com
>BT - These Hopeful Machines 2xCD (Nettwerk)
With his latest two-hour, double-disc opus, BT weaves both the technical prowess and compositional mastery that reminds us all why he's the composer others study. As with previous albums, These Hopeful Machines is rife with vocal collaborations that expose his influences and bend them toward his unique perceptions of song structure and sonic parity.
>Lil Wayne - Rebirth CD (Cash Money)
Crossover rock album from the self-proclaimed “greatest rapper of all time.” Features a guest appearance by Eminem. Also available as a deluxe edition which adds two bonus tracks.
>Animal Collective - Campfire Songs [Reissue] CD (Pawtracks)
An idea originally thought up by Dave Portner and Noah Lennox while in college, Campfire Songs is not a record of songs sung around a campfire but a record that hints at songs emerging from the fire itself: "We wanted to give the music the feeling and atmosphere of the outdoors and the warmth of a fire, so people could bring it indoors." 2003.
>Beach House - Teen Dream CD+DVD/LP+DVD (Sub Pop)
Third album from the Baltimore-based duo. Companion DVD features a video for each song on the album, each by a different director.
>Bei Bei And Shawn Lee - Into The Wild CD/LP+MP3 (Ubiquity)
This uplifting, genre-bending sound clash recalls the Afro-centric harping of Dorothy Ashby and hypnotic spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane.
>Basia Bulat - Heart Of My Own CD/LP+MP3 (Rough Trade)
Nearly all the songs on Heart Of My Own were written while on the road: traveling between cities, crossing the Canadian prairies, searching for a place to stop in the Nevada desert, trailing through the Smoky Mountains, standing in the bright dusk of a summer night in the Yukon.
>Cave In - Planets Of Old CDEP+DVD (Hydra Head)
The insurmountable Hydra Head all-star traveling team has... yep, you guessed it... officially un-disbanded! 4 brand new tracks with DVD.
>Four Tet - There Is Love In You CD/2xLP (Domino)
Four Tet's first full-length album in over four years and is his fifth album to date.
>F##ked Up - Couple Tracks: Singles 02-09 2xCD/2xLP (Matador)
Compilation of 25 songs from F##ked Up's many, many hard-to-find, uncollected 7"s and 12"s. Couple Tracks spans an extraordinarily varied (and extraordinarily collectible) musical career that has mainly been documented on 7" singles released around the world on many labels in many countries. Includes 5 unreleased tracks.
>Charotte Gainsbourg - IRM CD/2xLP (Elektra)
What started as a brief recording session between Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck ended up to be the body of work that is IRM. Over the course of a year and a half of writing and recording together, Beck's role grew to encompass all aspects of the creative process. He worked seamlessly with Charlotte, co writing the lyrics and produced and mixed the recording.
>Patty Griffin - Downtown Church CD (CMG)
A collection of Gospel-infused songs produced by longtime friend, bandmate and acclaimed producer Buddy Miller at the Downtown Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN.
>Yuka Honda - Heart Chamber Phantoms CD (Tzadik)
Versatile composer/performer who has worked with Cibo Matto, Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Mike Watt, etc. Mixing funky beats, hip samples, and instruments both acoustic and electric, Yuka's dramatic sense of sound and color creates a hypnotic groove for young moderns.
>Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring CD (Arts & Crafts)
Romance Is Boring is an ambitious record that’s bigger, deeper, more complex and direct than anything Los Campesinos! have recorded. Produced by John Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, Wu-Tang Clan), it’s filled with added brass, strings, drum machines and electronics, plus guesting from Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, Zac Pennington of Parenthetical Girls and Jherek Bischoff of the Dead Science. Romance Is Boring feels like a band that’s not so much grown up, but “fully realized.”
>Magnetic Fields - Realism CD (Nonesuch)
Realism was cut in the distortion-free environs of a Los Angeles studio, and its sound is as pristine as a plein-air painting. There are no drum kits to be heard, and the fascinatingly varied instrumentation - guitars, accordions, violins, cellos, tablas, banjos, tuba, even a smattering of mellifluous falling leaves -- did not need to be plugged in. And, as with Distortion, the album credits emphasize: No synths.
>Pat Metheny - Orchestrion CD (Nonesuch)
Metheny works with an extraordinary set-up of acoustic instruments, assembled for him by a visionary team of inventors. What they have created is a veritable made-to-order solenoid orchestra that includes, among other things, bass, pianos, percussion, marimbas, guitar-bots, and a mellifluous cabinet of carefully tuned bottles.
>My Brightest Diamond - Shark Remixes 2xCD (Asthmatic Kitty)
A cohesive and conceptual project as opposed to a mere remix album. Four remixers (Alfred Brown, DM Stith, Son Lux and Roberto Carlos Lange) were commissioned to each create a separate EP of remixed material.
>Red Krayola - Five American Portraits CD/LP (Drag City)
The five subjects in sequence of appearance are: Wile E. Coyote; George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter; John Wayne; and artist Ad Reinhardt. Their portraits in words and music will hang in the halls of your mind, taking shape as their features are described against backdrops of familiar and characteristic music performed by Red Krayola.
>Retribution Gospel Choir - 2 CD/LP (Sub Pop)
New album from the band fronted by Low’s Alan Sparhawk.
>Strong Arm Steady - In Search Of Stoney Jackson CD (Stones Throw)
In Search of Stoney Jackson was produced entirely by Madlib. The album’s conception owes a great deal to World Famous Beat Junkie, J.Rocc, who provided the trio with close to 200 of the prolific beatsmith’s tracks to choose from. It’s a hip-hop jam session, with the group acting as the rhythm section for an all-star cast of guest vocalists such as Talib Kweli, Planet Asia, Guilty Simpson, Evidence, Chase Infinite, and Phonte of Little Brother.
>Spoon - Transference CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Follow up to 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. 11 new gems that honor the Spoon tradition while pushing the envelope of the band's sound ever further.
We’ll even throw it in a cool Spoon plastic record bag. Austin Tx is back! Great record and GREAT price--we are selling the CD for $9.99!
>Eels - End Times CD/LP+7” (Vagrant)
Largely self-recorded on an old four-track tape machine by E in his Los Angeles basement, End Times a “divorce album” with a modern twist: the artist equates his personal loss with the world he lives in losing its integrity. Vinyl LP includes a bonus four track 7”.
>Keb Darge & Paul Weller - Present Lost & Found: Real R’n’B & Soul CD (!K7)
Keb Darge's Lost & Found series sets out to expose lesser known or forgotten lights of soul music from the ‘50s and ‘60s. This collection has Keb teaming up with Paul Weller for a selection of R&B and soul classics, including hits by Big Mama Thornton, The Tempos, The Creations, The Flirtations, The Intruders, Tammi Terrell, The Dells, Albert King, Slim Harpo and more.
>Aziz Ansari - Intimate Moments For A Sensual Evening CD (Comedy Central)
You may know Aziz Ansari from his work on Parks And Recreation, Human Giant, or Flight Of The Conchords. Intimate Moments... is his debut stand-up comedy album.
>The Hotrats - Turn Ons CD/LP (Fat Possum)
Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey of Supergrass have teamed up with producer extraordinaire Nigel Godrich to bring you the must-have party record of 2010.
>Lindstrom & Christabelle - Real Life Is No Cool CD/LP (Smalltown Supersound)
Norwegian electronic pioneer Lindstrom teams up with vocalist Christabelle (AKA Solale) to create an edgy pop album of structured chaos and hypnotic beats.
>Kevin Barker - You & Me CD/LP (Gnomonsong)
Full of sunny, rural country rock, You & Me recalls the rustic grooves of The Band and The Grateful Dead, the heady melancholy of Roy Harper, and the golden harmonies of CSNY. You & Me features Pat Sansone (Wilco), Joanna Newsom, Jonathan Wilson (Elvis Costello, Jenny Lewis), Eric Johnson (Shins, Fruit Bats), and Otto Hauser (Vetiver, Espers).
>RJD2 - Colossus CD/2xLP (RJ Electric)
Fourth studio album from “one of the few DJs who seems like an artist rather than just a record collector” -- Rolling Stone. Features contributions from Phonte Coleman (Little Brother), and Kenna.
>Cold War Kids - Behave Yourself CDEP/12” (Downtown)
New EP from the Southern California-based indie pop rockers contains four brand new tracks: “Audience,” “Coffee Spoon,” “Santa Ana Winds” and “Sermons.”
>Editors - In This Light And On This Evening CD (Fader)
2009 album from the British quartet. US pressing featuring bonus material.
>Bill Fay - Still Some Light 2xCD (Coptic Cat)
Double-disc collection from the British singer/songwriter contains both old and new material. The first CD, Piano, Guitar, Bass & Drums, consists of studio recordings, sourced from archival tapes. The second CD, Still Some Light, is a home-recorded studio album from 2009.
>Major Stars - Return To Form CD/LP (Drag City)
“Major Stars continue to be bent on the steady demolition of the soul via grimy metal riffs, blue collar garage rock hooks, guitar solos seemingly akin with the swirling heroics of area-rockers yet so transmogrified by those ear-piercing distortions and vocals dipped into the soul of blues balladeers.” -- Deepcutzmusic.blogspot.com
>BJ Nilsen - The Invisible City CD (Touch)
Using unrecognizably tweaked field recordings of cats, crows, bees, wasps, boat ramps, and dead trees, the ever-reliable BJ Nilsen has crafted yet another complex and desolately beautiful suite of droning ambiance that subtly crackles and buzzes with life.
>Fela Kuti - Music Is The Weapon DVD (Knitting Factory)
Shot in Lagos at the peak of his career in 1982, this documentary contains interviews with Fela detailing his thoughts on politics, panafricanism, music and religion, alongside unpublished versions of songs like “ITT,” “Army Arrangement” and “Power Show.”
> VAMPIRE WEEKEND INDEPENDENT RETAIL EXCLUSIVE
One of the most anticipated releases for 2010 is 'Contra' from Brooklyn's Vampire Weekend.
We here at LUNA have a super nice exclusive to offer you! ORDER either the vinyl LP (with download coupon) or CD and you will get the independent retail version, that has a bonus three song CD single! Whoot!
>Blockhead - Music Scene CD/LP (Ninja Tune)
Blockhead has worked with some of the key figures in independent hip-hop: Slug (Atmosphere), Murs, Mike Ladd, Cage and Aesop Rock. On his third album he takes his emotive, melancholic hip-hop "stories without words" to another level.
>Nick Cave/Warren Ellis - The Road OST CD (Mute)
Soundtrack for the film based on Cormac McCarthy's novel. An evocative score featuring violin and piano with beautiful fleeting melodies and eerie sound loops filled with terror and suspense.
>Final Fantasy - Heartland CD/2xLP (Domino)
Final Fantasy’s third album is the product of nine months work in four countries. Heartland is a fully orchestral record, designed to exist simultaneously as an album, a 45-minute piece of orchestral music and a set of songs for looped violin and voice.
>Chris Joss - Monomaniacs Volume 1 CD (ESL Music)
Like a long lost vintage LP plucked from a time capsule buried sometime in the 1970s, Monomaniacs brings Joss back to a distinctly traditional and dusty funk groove. Recalling the iconic blaxploitation and grindhouse film soundtracks of that era, the album is filled with ricocheting breakbeats, whirlwinds of wah-wah, rubber-band basslines, cosmic organs, and even a few shredding rock guitars.
>King Crimson - Lizard [Reissue] CD+DVA (Discipline)
Continuing with the 40th Anniversary Series, this remastered version of Lizard contains an audio CD with 5.1 Surround Sound mix from the original studio masters, as well as three extra tracks and a new stereo album mix by Robert Fripp and Steven Wilson.
>O.A.R. - Rain Or Shine 4xCD (Everfine)
4-disc live set recorded over two nights at Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago. 37 tracks.
>Slum Village - Fantastic Vol. 2 [Reissue] CD (Rocket Science)
“Rising from the rugged streets and rich musical tapestry of Detroit, Slum Village was poised to carry on the old-school, funk, and soul-filled hip-hop torch of genre pioneers A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and the Pharcyde. Growing up in the Conant Garden neighborhood of Detroit and forming during high-school days at Detroit's Pershing High School, MCs Baatin, Jay Dee, and T3 quickly garnered praise and recognition in the local underground scene.” -- All Music
>Various Artists (Dengue Fever) - Presents Electric Cambodia CD/LP (Minky Records)
14 newly remastered 1960s surf garage psychedelic rockers never released outside Cambodia, chosen by the members of Dengue Fever from their collection of rare Cambodian cassettes.
>Laura Veirs - July Flame CD/LP (Raven Marching Band)
“For July Flame, Laura Veirs reverts to the simpler mode of her earlier records after the folk-jazz band arrangements of Year Of Meteors and Saltbreakers, the producer Tucker Martine keeping extraneous instrumental detail to a minimum -- just the occasional textural tint of organ, horns or strings -- in order to focus more closely on her fingerstyle guitar technique.” - The Independent
+Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind CDEP/LP (Domino)
Five brand new studio tracks that are every bit as lush and beautiful as those found on this year’s stellar Merriweather Post Pavilion.
>>>2009 essentials...