F.A.B. Distribution

Friedberger, Eleanor [Personal Record]

June 4 street date. Vinyl includes poster insert and full album download. At a time when most female singer-songwriters perform as alter egos, Eleanor Friedberger is simply, refreshingly herself. And that's just the way her fans like it. Having spent the last decade fronting the indie rock institution The Fiery Furnaces (currently on hiatus) with her brother Matthew, in 2011 she emerged as a formidable solo artist with Last Summer, a thoughtfully crafted tale of memory and place couched in the organic pop of her '70s idols. Instantly, Friedberger established herself as a modern day heir to the tradition of Donovan, Todd Rundgren, Ronnie Lane, and their ilk: warm, nuanced timeless songs. No gimmicks necessary. The songs on Personal Record were co-written with musician/novelist Wesley Stance (aka John Wesley Harding).

Future Bible Heroes [Partygoing]

June 4 street date. After 11 years, Future Bible Heroes (FBH) return with Partygoing, which features 13 quick and catchy new songs in their signature mix of dance-floor-filling club anthems and super-sad ballads. Their imaginative and playful antics with sound, synths and unconventional noises will sound familiar to fans of the Magnetic Fields. Future Bible Heroes are comprised of celebrated songwriter Stephin Merritt (the Magnetic Fields, the 6ths, the Gothic Archies), longtime friend and collaborator Christopher Ewen (Figures on a Beach, the Hidden Variable and a popular Boston-area DJ) and Magnetic Fields pianist-singer-manager Claudia Gonson. Future Bible Heroes have been characterized as an ’80s band, and while it’s true that they all formed musical identities in that actual decade, they are not new-wave revivalists. The three have known each other for 25 years and share great chemistry and such disparate influences as ABBA, Joe Meek, exotica and ’60s psychedelia. Merritt’s lyrics are both incredibly funny and incredibly sad. His writing has "a tendency toward science fiction, which sort of matches the ‘futuristic’ synthesizers," explains Merritt.

Future Bible Heroes [Memories Of Love, Eternal Youth, And Partygoing (3LP)]

June 4 street date. Future Bible Heroes are comprised of celebrated songwriter Stephin Merritt, longtime friend and collaborator Christopher Ewen and Magnetic Fields pianist-singer-manager Claudia Gonson. Memories of Love, Eternal Youth and Partygoing. marks the first time the entire original Future Bible Heroes remastered catalog has been available in one place. In addition to the three full-length albums, the CD collection includes a fourth disc that compiles the band’s three Eps - The Lonely Robot, I’m Lonely (And I Love It), and Lonely Days - plus several tracks from outside compilations, including a song from the soundtrack to the film Welcome to the Dollhouse and the band’s hilarious gender-bending rendition of 'Don’t You Want Me?' from a tribute album to the Human League. The LP collection includes each of the three albums (Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing) on vinyl plus a download card containing all of the EP and compilation tracks as well as digital versions of the full-lengths. 4CD is a 10 panel softpak + 12 pg booklet // 3LP is a triple gatefold + full download.

Hayasaka, Fumio [Seven Samurai (180g+CD with 9 bonus tracks)]

June 11 street date (date change). 180 gram LP + bonus CD of the album. Fumio Hayasaka’s original soundtrack to Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece Seven Samurai (1954). The friendship that emerged between Hayasaka and the legendary Japanese director marks one of the great artistic partnerships of the last century, with Kurosawa often commenting how Hayasaka transformed his vision of how music could be used for cinema. Here, the well-known tale of a group of farmers who hire seven samurai to protect their village from raiders is masterfully told through Hayasaka’s musical tour de force. 39-track CD featuring 9 bonus tracks!

Man Or Astroman [Defcon 5..4..3..2..1]

June 18 street date (date change). Man or Astro-Man? have returned to earth for the human masses & after years of hibernation they are now unveiling their finest recorded work to date. it has been nearly 12 years since the band last released their intergalactic sonic wave forms, & the new album, "Defcon 5...4...3...2...1" is here now with a striking validity that the band is unquestionably as both tuneful & energetic as they ever have been. The record combines ever-familiar Astro audio tones & the well-established playing ferocity that MoAM? are known for, but yet now, there is an un- deniably evolution to the band that is both intuitive, logical & well crafted. defcon is here and is here with imminent purpose. Recorded by Steve Albini and Daniel Farris. Now put your space helmet on & strap in.

Martinez, Cliff [Only God Forgives (2LP 180g coloured vinyl)]

July 16 street date. DOUBLE 180-GRAM COLORED VINYL (LIMITED EDITION OF 4000 UNITS). Only God Forgives is the highly anticipated theatrical reunion of director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive) and Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Place Beyond The Pines). The highly stylistic thriller tells the story of Julian (Gosling), a drug-smuggler thriving in Bangkok’s criminal underworld, whose life gets complicated when his mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) compels him to find and kill whoever is responsible for his brother’s recent death. Only God Forgives is a continuation of the cinematic language started in Drive. The film features an amazing, dark and high energy score by Cliff Martinez - who also composed the music for 'Drive' (sold more than 200, 000 units in the USA since its release date.). The film is mostly carried by images and music. In addition to the CD and digital release, the soundtrack to Only God Forgives will be released on a beautiful 180g, colored LP including a download card. This is a limited run of 4000 units.

Middle Class Rut [Pick Up Your Head (2LP)]

June 25 street date (date change). Double gatefold vinyl includes two exclusive tracks and digital download card of the album. Pick Up Your Head is the second full-length from Zack Lopez and Sean Stockham, self recorded and self produced in their hometown of Sacramento and then mixed by the legendary Dave Sardy (LCD Soundsystem, Oasis, Wolfmother). Middle Class Rut is the explosive alternative rock duo behind 2010’s No Name No Color, which featured hit singles 'New Low', 'Busy Bein’ Born' and 'Are You On Your Way'.

Montag [Phases (compilation of 12-months singles project)]

June 25 street date. Phases compiles the A-sides of Montag's 12-month singles project of the same name. 2012 saw Montreal’s Montag, a.k.a. Antoine Bédard, writing a new song (or two) for digital release each month of the year. Bédard chose this unique and innovative release method to experience songwriting and producing in a new, challenging way. The songs showcase a range of styles while sharing elements from the electronic pop of Montag’s previous work. "Sun Fat Explosion" is Bédard's noisy go at krautrock, an improvised jam taken from a "one-night-band" session with fellow Montreal musicians. Erika Spring of Au Revoir Simone lends her lovely voice to "Memori," a synth-pop gem with a bittersweet melody, built on chords written by Spring. "New Found Land," features Bédard's lyrics about a land untouched by human hands, the "one place where we belong." The track begins with a Kate Bush-like sweep of sustaining synth sounds before becoming a louder, M83-style tune. Includes MP3 download!

Phish [Ventura (6CD)]

June 18 street date. All new 6-CD box set featuring two complete live shows, recorded July 30, 1997 and July 20, 1998 at Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, California, a general admission dirt racetrack between the Pacific Coast Highway and Surfers Point Park. Bits of the each show's Soundchecks are included at the end of both shows. The new box set was fully remixed from the band's multitrack masters and mastered for release. July 30, 1997 was Phish's first Ventura stop since Trey learned to surf nearby in 1993. The show featured a number of must-hear performances including a bass-driven, syncopated "Wolfman's Brother" > "Chalk Dust Torture", a deep and spacey "Stash" and "Character Zero" in Set I. A "Free" > "David Bowie" > "Cities" > "David Bowie" combination dominated the show's second half with some of the summer's biggest jams. On July 20, 1998 Phish again encountered Ventura's breezy oceanside. Ventura '98 was characterized by some new songs and some bustouts. The first set included a "Bathtub Gin" opener, a new arrangement of "Water In The Sky", the swinging funk of "The Moma Dance" and a "Split Open And Melt" Set I closer. Set II exploded with a bass-and-drums-fueled "Drowned" > "Makisupa Policeman" pairing that utilized Page's synth stylings to seamlessly blend rock and reggae. "Maze" led to a perfectly placed "Sea And Sand".

Pollard, Robert [Honey Locust Honky Tonk]

July 9 street date. Honey Locust Honky Tonk is a compact wonder and so varied, tuneful, graceful, magnificent and ebullient that one will be forgiven for thinking that Robert Pollard has saved his best for his own album. Slicker in some ways than recent Guided By Voices efforts, though not without its own down-home charm, its 17 songs whiz by in 34 minutes, stridently showcasing Pollard’s songwriting mastery with some of the best tunes he’s ever penned. For any other guy whose reunited band just finished putting out four full albums and an EP in 18 months, the release of yet still again another solo album might seem excessive, to say the least, but Honey Locust Honky Tonk sees Pollard in top songwriting form. For example, the four-song run that begins with 'Suit Minus the Middle' and concludes with 'She Hides in Black' not only includes object lessons in Pollard’s life-long obsession with what he calls the "four Ps: pop, punk, psych and prog," but longtime fans will also be rewarded with a reference to a beloved character from early solo effort Kid Marine. In truth, Pollard never holds anything back, and always seems uncannily able to pull any number of music tricks from his magic sleeve. He’s done it again, folks. Honey Locust Honky Tonk is as sweet and as sharp as anything Pollard and friends has ever produced. Bite it and see.

Retox [YPLL]

Please note new street date: May 28. LP version includes CD. Epitaph is proud to announce YPLL, the label debut of southern California’s RETOX. With members from both the LA and San Diego noise and punk scenes, including frontman Justin Pearson from cult favorites The Locust, RETOX are already turning heads and making friends. Count among these Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who guests on the album, and Mike Patton, who signed the newly formed band to his Ipecac label back in 2011 and took them out this spring with Tomahawk. Musically the band both expands on the noise roots of its members, while looking back to classic punk sounds from Black Flag and PIL to the surf twang of the Dead Kennedys. The songs are short and to-the-point in the best hardcore tradition, with titles that tell the story all by themselves - you know what 'Congratulations, You Are Good Enough' is all about before the first shattering guitar chord. More importantly, YPLL will carry the news of this amazing band beyond the noise scene to the kids who have rediscovered punk through bands like Fucked Up and The Men.

Rodion G.A. [The Lost Tapes (2LP+CD/gatefold)]

May 28 street date. Strut, in conjunction with Ambassador’s Reception and Future Nuggets, presents the first ever retrospective of fabled band Rodion G.A., one of Romania’s best kept musical secrets of the last 30 years. As a band, Rodion G.A. were a unique phenomenon in their homeland at the time, operating in their own universe during a prolific period of recording from 1978 to 1984 at a time of significant political repression under the Ceausescu regime. From the start, Rodion was concerned with his own style of composition and set himself apart from the predominant rock sounds that dominated Romanian music during the late ‘60s. Technically and in his compositions, he was obsessed with every detail. His first sessions were recorded during 1969-1972 - simple, sparse and haunting pieces using reel to reel recorders, based around vocals, guitars and improvised drums. He would use the other machines to add effects and delays on both instruments and vocals. Other tools in his armoury included an East German Vermona drum machine, a toy Casio VL Tone and a small Russian organ to which he added phaser, flanger and delay pedals. Rodion was different - dense electronic sounds, raw programmed rhythms, intricate arrangements, prog and classical touches. Rodion GA ‘The Lost Tapes’ is released on Strut / Ambassador’s Reception / Future Nuggets, remastered from the original tape reels.

soundtrack [The Great Gatsby (2LP)]

Please note date change: June 25 street date. The soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel The Great Gatsby was executive produced by Shawn ''Jay Z'' Carter and features an all-star line-up from Jack White, Jay Z, Florence +The Machine, The xx, Beyoncé & André 3000, The Bryan Ferry Orchestra, will.i.am, Lana Del Rey, Fergie & Q-Tip & Goonrock, among many more standout contributions. Drawing on his unique and unrivaled position in popular culture, Jay Z (with collaborator and the film's executive music consultant Jeymes Samuel) worked with Luhrmann and music supervisor Anton Monsted on the Gatsby project over the past two years, translating the Jazz Age sensibility of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel into the musical equivalents of our own times through the blending of hip hop, traditional jazz and other contemporary musical textures.

Spaghetti, Eddie [The Value Of Nothing]

June 25 street date. The Value of Nothing gallops out of the gate with the Southwestern-inflected title track, all wide-lens spaced-out cowpunk, Eddie’s gravel road vocals both urgent and laid back cool. The first solo album of all originals from the frontman of the Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the World, The Supersuckers! Recorded in Eddie’s surrogate home town of Austin TX, he employed the assistance of a genuine Texas bad-ass, one Mr Jesse Dayton, in the hopes of making a more authentic country style record. Well, ol’ JD thought that working with Eddie was his opportunity to get his RAWK on, so what we have here is much more of a hybrid. Snarling country rock full of pop hooks and punk humor delivered with a brain, a heart and a beer.

Staples, Mavis [One True Vine]

June 25 street date. Coming off the huge success of her first collaboration with Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy - the Grammy winning You Are Not Alone - Mavis Staples wanted to make their second album together both a continuation of the joyous spirit of the first, and an evolution. With new song offerings from Alan Sparhawk of Low, Nick Lowe, and three new Tweedy originals, One True Vine is at once a darker and more uplifting album, anchored by reinventions of two 70s classics - Funkadelic’s 'Can You Get to That?' and the Staples Singer’s 'I Like the Things About Me.' Tweedy and Staples have constructed a dense narrative arc, that starts with the literal soul-searching of Sparhawk’s 'One Holy Ghost' and Tweedy’s 'Jesus Wept', and then breaks wide open with Nick Lowe’s soaring 'Far Celestial Shores', a song he wrote for Mavis after touring together with Wilco. After that, the album builds to full tent revival mode, as the dark night of the soul passes and joy arrives in the form of Mavis’ glorious voice. Closing out with Tweedy’s rapturous title track, One True Vine truly builds on the promise of You Are Not Alone, and will delight the myriad fans discovering Mavis for the first time though her Grammy wins and performances, her White House performance in the tribute to Memphis Soul, and the glorious second act of this American icon.

Transplants [In A Warzone]

June 25 street date. Transplants are back with a ferocious new album, In a Warzone, the first for the legendary punk collective in over seven years. Tim Armstrong (Operation Ivy, Rancid), Travis Barker (Blink 182) and notorious front-man 'Skinhead Rob' Aston kick off the record with a title track that sets the tone for the mayhem to follow: four-to-the-floor punk rock featuring raging vocals from Aston, guitar and singalong choruses from Armstrong, and a supercharged hardcore beat from Barker. "When we started this band 13 years ago, we weren’t worried about who was going to like us," states front-man Aston. "We still aren’t . In a Warzone is more raw and stripped down than our previous releases. It’s our best album. It’s always been difficult to classify Transplants. But at the end of the day, we’re a punk rock band. We make whatever type of music we want." With US touring planned through summer and into fall, Transplants are ready to scratch the itch of longtime fans, while introducing a new generation to the fury of true punk.

Tricky [False Idols (2LP+CD/gatefold)]

May 28 street date. Tricky is back. Back with a new studio album, "False Idols", and his own label (also bearing the False Idols name), but also back in a personal sense. "I was lost for ages", he says. "I was trying to prove something to people, trying to do something to please other people and also myself at the same time, which is never going to work. To be honest with you, I’ve been floating around since Chris Blackwell and Island. My last two albums, I thought they were good, but I realise now they weren’t. This album is about me finding myself again." It opens with a cover of a Van Morrison song, "Somebody’s Sins," which sees Tricky and vocalist Francesca Belmonte whispering "Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine" over a sparse groaning bass. The lead single "Parenthesis," which features a vocals from Peter Silberman of The Antlers, has more rhythmic grunt, which gives a different dimension to the dark gothic atmosphere that pervades the record. No-one does this kind of thing better. The resemblance to "Maxinquaye" is undeniable, though the material on "False Idols" is gentler; more mature. Many of the songs feature artists signed to Tricky’s new label, including 24-year Londoner Francesca Belmonte and Fifi Rong. The album also includes collaborations with Nigeria's new global star Nneka, the afore-mentioned Peter Silberman. In the months before the album’s release, False Idols will also release an EP "Matter of Time" showcasing the label’s roster on new non-album material produced by Tricky.

UBT [Ego Orientation]

June 4 street date.The second album from Mikey Heppner's post-Priestess band, UBT. They self-released their first album but it was later picked up and re-released by Jeff the Brotherhood's label, Infinity Cat. The new album on Psychic Handshake, 'Ego Orientation' is a huge step forward... extremely slick production & amazingly catchy songs that fall somewhere between Thin Lizzy, The Kingsmen, Redd Kross, early Zombies, but also more contemporary stuff like Ty Segall. Very much a summer album that's going to appeal to a lot of people.

Ugly Heroes [s/t]

May 28 street date. Blue Collar Raps Over Nasty Detroit Beats. An Ugly Hero is considered a myth. Growing up, the heroes we saw in cartoons and movies were perfectly chiseled, intelligent, and had senses none of us possess. An UGLY HERO is the everyday blue collar individual that makes the world go ‘round. These are the heroes that work hard all day, everyday to help ensure that the lives around them are taken care of, and do it all without recognition. They wear themselves into the ground and sacrifice vanity for family. Apollo Brown, Verbal Kent, and Red Pill are UGLY HEROES. Produced entire albums for OC, Guilty Simpson, and Ghostface Killah. DJ Premier gave Apollo Brown album of the year in 2012 (MMG026 - "Trophies").

V/A [Tres Chic: More French Girl Singers Of the 1960s]

July 2 street date. This record comes pressed on 180g coloured vinyl and comes in a heavy duty gatefold sleeve featuring an illustrated track commentary by our in-house yé-yé fanatics Mick Patrick and Malcolm Baumgart. 'Très Chic!' is the sequel to 'C’est Chic!', the top-selling celebration of French girl singers of the 1960s released on our Ace International imprint a couple of years back. The collection spans the years 1964 to 1969 and is available in 24-track CD and 12-track deluxe vinyl album formats. Serge Gainsbourg, eminence grise of Gallic girl pop, is represented on the CD version via ‘Attends Ou Va-T’en’ by France Gall, ‘Comment Te Dire Adieu’ by Françoise Hardy, ‘Au Risque De Te Deplaire’ by Marie-Blanche Vergne, ‘Les Papillons Noirs’ by Michèle Arnaud and ‘Sous Le Soleil Exactement’ by iconic singing actress Anna Karina. Other highlights include ‘Tut, Tut, Tut, Tut’, a cool French cover of US girl group the Lollipops’ ‘Busy Signal’ by Roger Vadim discovery Gillian Hills, and Jacqueline Taïeb’s ‘7 AM’, the rare English language version of her celebrated ‘7 Heures Du Matin’. Hand-picked titles by Annie Philippe, Elsa, Violaine, Pussy Cat, Brigitte Bardot, Delphine, Liz Brady, Valérie Lagrange and Violaine complete the set.

White Mandingos [The Ghetto Is Tryna Kill Me (white vinyl + download card)]

June 11 street date. Celebrated West Coast rhyme-slayer MURS, legendary bassist and BAD BRAINS founder Darryl Jenifer and ego trip co-creator Sacha Jenkins SHR are THE WHITE MANDINGOS. The band’s output combines the collective musical experiences of these three men who hail from three distinct towns: Washington DC, Los Angeles and New York City. Their debut full length, "The Ghetto is Trying to Kill Me", is slated for release on Fat Beats Records come June 11th, 2013. The album is broadcast from the perspective of Tyrone White - a fellow from Harlem’s Polo Grounds housing projects who fronts a rock band. White’s struggle for acceptance, success and love is explored throughout this genrebending LP. Bass, guitar, drums, vox, hip hop, 808s, hardcore punk, metal and dusted R&B comes together to push a debut LP that takes the strengths of the band’s members into fresh, uncharted territories.

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Blue Hawaii

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My Autumn Empire

Sadier, Laetitia

V/A

V/A

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Falling In Reverse

Falling In Reverse

Transplants

Staples, Mavis

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