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Allen, Terry & The Panhandle Mystery Band [Pedal Steal + Four Corners (LP+3CD+book)] March 29 street date. "Pedal Steal + Four Corners" collects, for the first time, Terry Allen's radio plays and long-form narrative audio works - two and a half hours of cinematic songs, stories, and country-concrète sound collage - in a deluxe gatefold edition, including one LP, three CDs, a DL code, and an exhaustive 28pp. color booklet boasting the first in-depth essay to explore this body of work; dozens of images of Allen's related visual art; and full scripts and credits for all five pieces. "Pedal Steal" (1985), originally composed as a soundtrack to a dance performance, appears on vinyl for the first time, as well as on CD. "Torso Hell" (1986), "Bleeder" (1990), "Reunion (a return to Juarez)" (1992), and "Dugout" (1993) comprise the "Four Corners" suite, radio plays broadcast on NPR and never before released, now spanning two CDs. Fans of Allen's masterpiece "Juarez" will find much to love in these haunting desert dramas, which feature Jo Harvey Allen, Lloyd Maines, Butch Hancock, Rolling Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys, and many others. Roger Corman tried to option the film rights; Jesse Helms tried to ban them; now you can own them! |
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American Football [American Football (#3)] March 22 street date. Fifteen years after American Football’s highly influential self-titled debut album (American Football), the band reunited (now as a four-piece, with the addition of Nate Kinsella) and recorded their long-anticipated second album, 2016’s American Football (LP2). The release was widely praised, but the band members still felt like their best work was yet to come. American Football (LP3) is contemplative, rich, expressive, yet with a queasy undercurrent. Featuring guest vocals from Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell, and Land of Talk’s Elizabeth Powell, the album is heavy with expectancy, revealing its ideas slowly, eliciting the hidden stories people carry around with them. There was a determination to let the songs breathe, to trust in ideas finding their own pace. “This modern iteration of American Football has one foot in Midwestern emo and another in lush dream pop.” - Rolling Stone |
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Bad Suns [Mystic Truth] March 22 street date. The third full-length from L.A. band Bad Suns, Mystic Truth gets its title from a piece of art that vocalist Christo Bowman stumbled upon while visiting London’s Tate Modern on tour. Created by Bruce Nauman in 1967, the neon-and-glass piece spells out a possibly paradoxical statement in blue spiraled cursive: “The True Artist Helps the World by Revealing Mystic Truths.” “I thought that connected back to the message of the record, which is about finding the extraordinary in very simple things, even though we’re living in a very dark time right now,” says Bowman, whose bandmates include guitarist Ray Libby, bassist Gavin Bennett, and drummer Miles Morris. “Instead of succumbing to that darkness, I think you’ve got to try to hold onto some optimism, and try to uncover those simple miracles so you don’t lose the plot of what’s really important.” Right from the album-opening “Away We Go,” Bad Suns reveal the timeless sensibilities at the heart of Mystic Truth. With its soaring vocals, majestic piano melodies, and fiery guitar tones, the song unfolds as a brightly anthemic battle cry. “‘Away We Go’ was mostly inspired by us growing up and really being adults for the first time, and trying to make sense of all that,” says Bowman, who co-founded Bad Suns at age 17. “It’s about learning how to make decisions for yourself, and sometimes just going for something and blindly trusting that it’s going to work out.” |
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Brainiac [Electro-Shock For President EP (white vinyl)] March 22 street date. Brainiac began in 1992 as the basement experiments of Dayton, OH natives Tim Taylor (vocals, synth), and Juan Monasterio (bass), who first met playing cello in fifth grade. Upon completing the lineup, they released two full-lengths and toured vigorously, establishing themselves as the latest peg in Ohio's diverse musical timeline. After recording a 7" with Steve Albini for Sup Pop, the band recorded a handful of songs with Kim Deal, which became their Touch and Go debut single "Internationale". 1996 saw the release of their Touch and Go full-length debut, "Hissing Prigs in Static Couture", which saw the band use less Moog and more random electronic gadgets and noisemakers. Jim O"Rourke produced 1997's "Electroshock for President" EP, in which Brainiac continued their transition into a more electronic rock band. Only weeks after the EP's release, Tim lost his life in a car accident. A feature length documentary exploring Brainiac's music, legacy, and loss, is expected to be released in early 2019. |
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Cohen, Chris [Chris Cohen] March 29 street date. Chris Cohen's songs initially sound easy. They're each tiny jewels that unfurl at a leisurely pace, but dig a little deeper and you'll reach a melancholy core. His previous two albums - 2012's "Overgrown Path" and 2016's "As If Apart" - were built from lush, blurry tracks that embedded themselves in your subconscious, like they'd always been there. "Chris Cohen", his third solo album, is a thoughtful, accomplished meditation on life and family, backed by dusky instrumentation influenced by the late evening beauty of Pat Metheny's "Falcon and the Snowman" soundtrack, and Thomas Dolby's "Golden Age of Wireless". It's beautiful, but it's also unflinching in its depiction of emotional turmoil. |
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Duster [Capsule Losing Contact (4LP)] March 22 street date. Duster emerged from a cloud of lonely bong rips to take indie rock to the moon, and beyond. Scotch-taped guitars toggle between a chorus of brittle winter trees and a blanket of distorted fuzz. The low rumble of a cardboard box being kicked in a dead mall keeps pace in the background, as muffled, sung-spoken vocals ponder the great mysteries of modern mundanity. Three years of home recording accidents and blown-out 2AM studio experiments are spread across four LPs or three CDs, gathering the short-lived trio's "Stratosphere" (1998) and "Contemporary Movement" (2000) albums, "1975" EP (1999), singles, demos, and other miscellaneous debris into one escape pod, now free to drift in the endless void of space. |
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Ex Hex [It's Real] March 22 street date. On It's Real, the group's second album, Ex Hex's commitment to larger-than-life riffs and unforgettable hooks remains intact, but the garage-y, post-punk approach that defined their debut album Rips has grown in scale and ambition. What started as a reaction to the blown-out aesthetic of Rips would test the sonic limits of the power trio and lead the band on a quest for a more immersive and three-dimensional sound. Vocal harmonies are layered ten tracks deep, solos shimmer and modulate atop heaving power chords, and the codas linger and stretch toward new frontiers of sound. On first listen, you might think you've unearthed a long-lost LP carved from the space where crunch-minded art rock and glitter-covered hard rock converge, an event horizon at the intersection of towering choruses and swaggering guitars. Ex Hex were already one of America's best guitar bands-but on It's Real, their musical savvy has thrillingly combined with anything-goes curiosity, studio experimentation, and a dedication to refinement, resulting in an album that's ready to be played at maximum volume. |
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Fields, Lee & The Expressions [It Rains Love] April 5 street date. "It Rains Love" is the second album by Lee Fields & The Expressions on Big Crown Records (and fifth overall) and gives us yet another masterclass in soul. Teaming up again with frequent collaborator and producer Leon Michels and his devoted band, The Expressions, they have managed again to take a classic approach and update it. Traditional soul sensibilities are mixed with a hip-hop tinged, sample ready sound that is as much an homage to the old as to the new. Some of the songs sound like they could belong to any of the last 4 decades without it feeling like a throwback, while others are 60s soul through and through. Lyrically, Lee runs the gamut from gushing admonishments of love to politically charged calls to action, from proclamations of God's existence to love letters written to his wife. |
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Ibibio Sound Machine [Doko Mien] March 22 street date. Music is a universal language, but spoken language can help you think about what makes you emotional, what makes you feel certain feelings, what you want to see in the world," says Eno Williams, frontwoman of Ibibio Sound Machine. When Williams uses both English and Ibibio-the Nigerian language from which her band's name is derived-on Doko Mien, the group somehow produces a world of both entrancing specificity and comforting universality, a language entirely of their own. In a glowing piece in the New York Times, the songs on their debut album Uyai were praised for following in the tradition of much African music, [making] themselves the conscience of a community." By pulsing the mystic shapes of Williams' lines through further inventive, glittering collages of genre on Doko Mien, Ibibio Sound Machine crack apart the horizon separating cultures, between nature and technology, between joy and pain, between tradition and future. |
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Joni Void [Mise En Abyme (180g)] March 29 street date. "Mise En Abyme" is the second full-length by Joni Void, the avant-electronica project of France/Canada producer Jean Cousin, following his acutely accomplished and acclaimed 2017 debut album "Selfless" (#8 Experimental Album of 2017 at Pitchfork, among other accolades). Consistent with "Selfless", the primary raw material for the sample-based cut-up songcraft on "Mise En Abyme" is Cousin's recordings of the voices of various friends. His self-professed body/voice dysmorphia and search for the disembodied-yet-emotional transcendent subject continues to mandate the use of other (mostly wordless) voices in the construction of his sublimely affecting electronic-minimalist compositions. But where Selfless was a restless, kinetic and visceral work of outer projection, "Mise En Abyme" is markedly more introspective and meditative - explicitly in search of intimacy and recuperative beauty. The 180g vinyl edition includes art print poster and MP3 download. |
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La Dispute [Panorama] March 22 street date. Panorama is the fourth full-length album from Michigan natives La Dispute and their first with Epitaph Records. It can be difficult for punk and hardcore bands in particular to evolve and maintain momentum simultaneously the longer they stay active. In spite of this, La Dispute has maintained the same attitude they started with. They are a band figuring out how to live meaningfully while also trying to make meaningful art without compromise. Panorama, is another chapter in a discography that tells everyday stories in a remarkable way. It takes you deep within the heart of the world we live in, which may not always be a comfortable or comforting place to be, but at the very least it’s a reminder that we’re not there alone. Panorama is in many ways a continuation on a theme. It’s a highly ambitious and deeply affecting body of work that filters narrative storytelling through a personal lens. It’s heavier and weirder than previous efforts, taking the intensity of Wildlife and the patience of Rooms of the House and using them as pillars upon which to build something new. And, in doing so, they have broken through their own ceiling and set a new one. |
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Lambchop [This (is what I wanted to tell you)] March 22 street date. As with 2012's engrossing Mr. M and 2016's staggering FLOTUS, Kurt Wagner's openness to unexpected collaborators to give his thoughts and feelings the shape they need was central to the creation of This (is what I wanted to tell you). In the summer of 2017, Wagner re-met Matthew McCaughan, who has spent the last decade drumming for the likes of Bon Iver and Hiss Golden Messenger. McCaughan told Wagner he had been adventuring inside the world of rack-mounted analogue synthesizers and asked if Wagner might send some vocals to which he could compose. They became instant musical pen pals, with Wagner sending him a cappella takes of new song ideas and McCaughan dispatching long-form synthesizer pieces for inspiration. McCaughan eventually headed to Nashville, where, together, they put a band behind the songs, using pedal steel and piano and the harmonica of Nashville legend Charlie McCoy to color in the spaces of these black-and-white sketches. |
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Lefevre, Alain [My Paris Years: French Music For Piano] April 12 street date. French-born Canadian pianist and composer Alain Lefèvre makes his Warner Classics debut with My Paris Years. The album brings together a collection of classic piano pieces written by some of the most beloved French composers: Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Erik Satie, and César Franck. My Paris Years is, in essence, a hymn to the city where Lefèvre spent some of his most precious years of learning. From the rolling waters of the Seine to its calm banks above, from the subdued mood of the streets to their sometimes intense flurries of movement – every piece plays its part in depicting the scene that is Paris and recreating the multifaceted spirit of this city in music. |
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Oh Sees [The Cool Death Of Island Raiders (reissue)] March 29 street date. Reissue of long out-of-print 2006 album from band during their early psych-skewed pop period. The denizens of Castle Face are not afraid to get their shins dirty mucking around in the stacks and they’re well aware of an out-of-press gap of Oh Sees releases right before 2006 when they started the label with Sucks Blood. They’re rectifying that and first among these is The Cool Death of Island Raiders, a particularly dusty gem that merits another look. Kicking off the record with what should have been the hit of the summer that year but for the hard C in the title, “The Gilded Cunt” seems to clearly preface Oh Sees’ later psych-skewed pop sensibilities. Chirping birds, gently lapping tempos and the nascent harmonization of Bridgid Dawson and John Dwyer detail a definitive highlight of their early quiet period of the band. The tree hangs heavy with Patrick Mullins’ handiwork, manning the musical saw, drums, and an assortment of home made electronics. It seemed a bit radical to be so quiet about it, but the tunes are total ear-worms among the assorted drones, cut-up bits of tape noise, and mellow front porch-vibes, and the whole thing hangs together in a lovely hand-made way, helped in no small part by Dave Sitek’s production (he would later work on Master’s Bedroom as well). “We flew Brigid out a fresh woman and literally sent her home on a plane with a trash bag of her clothes” says Dwyer. Evidently the whole record was accidentally erased at some point right around when the photo on the back of the jacket was taken, which makes it all the more remarkable that the result sounds so casually and confidently careworn. |
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Old Firm Casuals [Holger Danske (Red Galaxy Colour Vinyl)] March 29 street date (date change). The Old Firm Casuals’ sound, message, and passion will not be limited by genre labels. They are simply a true force to be reckoned with. Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) and his band of crusaders continue to push the boundaries of songwriting with this album, showcasing an ever-evolving sound, as one would expect from such seasoned musicians. With “Holger Danske,” The Old Firm Casuals bring an intensity and focus not seen before in the band’s previous releases. “Motherland” is an infectous anthem, inspired by his mother, a Danish immigrant. “Casual Rock -N- Roll” channels classic AC/DC, and the epic “Zombie” feels like a long-lost Motorhead song. By weaving this treasure trove of thematic and musical influences with Frederiksen’s own signature sound and highly outspoken and unfiltered lyrics, TOFC have delivered an album that will certainly turn heads fast, and likely warrant itself as an early contender for record of the year. It’s tough as nails, and shows a very talented band truly at their best; breaking barriers and stereotypes, and exemplifying the hooks and licks that cause so many people to love them. |
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Priests [The Seduction Of Kansas] April 5 street date. With fireworks of noise and arresting melodies, Priests' 2017 debut LP Nothing Feels Natural was heralded as a modern classic of "post-punk", but Priests feel urgently present. If NFN felt like an album-length ode to possibility, then The Seduction of Kansas exists within the adventurous world its predecessor pried open. If NFN was the reach and conviction of a band pushing beyond itself, willing itself into existence on its own terms, then Kansas stands boldly in the self-possessed space it carved, an immediate and cohesive album. Bred in punk, Priests play rock'n'roll that is as intellectually sharp as it is focused on pop's thrilling pleasure centers, that is politically galvanizing without sloganeering. The high-wire physicality of their live shows and their commitment to cultural, political, and aesthetic critique have all made Priests one of the most exciting bands of their generation. |
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Segall, Ty & The Freedom Band [Deforming Lobes - Live] March 29 street date. An all analog production, recorded live on stage at Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles by Steve Albini (via mobile unit onto two-inch tape!) and mixed with Steve in Chicago at Electrical Audio, "Deforming Lobes" witnesses the blunt-force traumpact of The Freedom Band in full effect, updating (and upending) numbers from "Melted", "Emotional Mugger", "Twins", "Manipulator", "$ingle$ 2" and "Self-Titled". The feeling between audience and band at Los Angeles' Teragram Ballroom on those January nights was its own special thing; here, the band is somehow even more front and center, making "Deforming Lobes" the first wholly original statement from The Freedom Band and bookending the Goblin experience with a huge exclamation point. |
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Strand Of Oaks [Eraserland (2LP)] March 29 street date. Leading off with standout track "Weird Ways" and his powerful declaration of "I don’t feel it anymore," "Eraserland" traces Tim Showalter's evolution from apprehension to creative awakening, carving out a new and compelling future for Strand of Oaks. In February 2018, he spent two weeks alone writing and demoing all of the songs that would eventually comprise "Eraserland". And in April, he went into the studio to record with his band. Jason Isbell also contributed his Hendrix-esque guitar work to the album while singer/songwriter Emma Ruth Rundle provided gorgeous vocals. Every song was recorded live, with all musicians playing together in one room and working to bring Showalter's ideas to fruition. |
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Unwound [What Was Wound (10CD+DVD)] March 22 street date. The definitive Unwound. All seven of their studio albums, nine singles, 24 compilation tracks, complete Peel Sessions, original demo tape, original "Fake Train" recorded with Tim Green, "Live Leaves", a disc of live rarities, and pre-Unwound band Giant Henry's complete recordings (plus 2001 reunion show), plus a 90-minute DVD filled with live footage, videos, and other detritus of the VHS era. Foil-wrapped hardcover book contains David Wilcox's complete 40,000 word liner notes, reflections by Justin Trosper, Sara Lund, and Brandt Sandeno, map of Olympia punk houses, dozens of previously unpublished photographs, a flyer gallery, and annotated discography. Strictly limited to 1000 copies. |
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V/A [Hallelujah: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen] April 5 street date. This new release in Ace Records' long-running and highly regarded Songwriters series comprises hand-picked recordings of works by Montreal's much-missed poet laureate Leonard Cohen, including two songs the great man himself never recorded. Here's your chance to experience that excellence via 18 eclectic recordings of Cohen compositions by a diverse array of performers from a five-decade time span. "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye" is heard in a 1967 version by folk queen Judy Collins, the first-ever artist to record a Cohen song, while Marissa Nadler's spellbinding interpretation of "Famous Blue Raincoat" dates from 2007. Also included are tracks by Jeff Buckley, Ron Sexsmith, Nick Cave, Nina Simone, k.d. Lang, and many others. The accompanying 24-page booklet includes a Cohen biography by Ian Johnston and an in-depth track commentary by compiler Mick Patrick featuring illuminating quotes from Cohen on many of the songs. |
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V/A [Escape From Synth City] March 22 street date. The first of ten incredible albums culled from the deepest, weirdest co-op of record enthusiasts ever gathered under one banner. There has been no expense spared packaging these, pairing the idea of the Art of Compilation with living and breathing art, creating little fortune cookies baked in a factory of forgotten dreams. Video games, pyramids, trading cards, matchbooks, a working planisphere, mazes, lottery tickets, film canisters, yearbooks, and various other exercises in design absurdity. "Escape From Synth City" is a hero's quest worth of staccato synths, crack house Casios, off-brand drum machines, minimal Morricone, four-track fantasia, and a variety of other speculations on what the 1980s thought the future would sound like. Packaged in a 12"x12" Nintendo Entertainment System-styled jacket, replete with game sticker, die-cut outer sleeve, debossed cartridge inner sleeve, and art from Numero's first video game, playable from the comfort of your PC. |
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V/A [Muscle Shoals: Small Town, Big Sound (2LP)] March 22 street date. MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA . . . Since the 1960s, the city has been known for music – developing the "Muscle Shoals Sound", as local recording studios (including FAME Studios in the late 1950s and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in 1969) produced hit records that shaped the history of popular music. This tribute to THOSE songs and THAT history reigns supreme with some of the most popular and influential artists participating in music history today. From Chris Stapleton, Willie Nelson, Lee Ann Womack and Jamey Johnson, to Demi Lovato, Steven Tyler, Keb’ Mo, Grace Potter and Aloe Blacc, an absolute cavalcade of stars lend their own personal embellishment to these classic songs. |
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White, Dee [Southern Gentleman] Dan Auerbach produced debut from the "southern gentleman". "more Laurel Canyon early 70s than Alabama bound country.." FAB thumbs up ! |
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RECORD STORE DAY - SATURDAY APRIL 13, 2019 To search: Type ‘2019RSD’ into the TITLE field, hit enter and the list will appear. As always, these special editions will be available for a limited time only and in limited quantities. New titles are being added on a daily basis so be sure to check back regularly and order early for your best chance at good fill. |
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