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Atmosphere [Strictly Leakage (2LP)] May 17 street date. "Strictly Leakage" was a 2007 Christmas gift to fans in the form of a free download. The title was a nod to both leaking their own music as well as to the golden era hip-hop that inspired them. It sounded uniquely different from Atmosphere's recordings around this time. Ant was back digging into the funk and soul crates, producing sample driven tracks that sounded as if they were birthed alongside early hip-hop classics. Slug was rapping with a renewed passion, yet somehow sounded more casual and carefree, delivering endless wordplay with more technical rhyme patterns than their recent releases. Together, they created 13 exclusive songs that sounded as if they were having fun flexing different creative muscles without the pressure of any official album expectations - undoubtedly as rewarding an exercise for themselves as it was for the listeners. Soon after release, "Strictly Leakage" was briefly pressed on a limited run of vinyl and CD, but it wasn't long before they sold out, and fans were left chasing streams and digital files in order to hear it. Finally, the project returns to vinyl and CD so fans everywhere can own and appreciate this unique chapter in Atmosphere's story. |
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Bibi Club [Feu De Garde] May 10 street date. The pair named themselves Bibi Club for the discotheque in their living room, where the couple's bibis - their loved ones - come and dance. The duo formed by Adèle Trottier-Rivard and Nicolas Basque explore emotional and physical territories, overcoming obstacles with intense, raw yet benevolent radicalism. A former member of the very first exclusively female scout group, Les Guides, Adèle reconnects with the values that made her who she is: courage, perseverance, sisterhood, friendship. The years she spent in that community, discovering nature and developing intense relationships, became part of her identity and informed her writing, all the way to the creation of "Feu de garde". The influence of Moondog, Stereolab, and, more than ever, Suicide can be heard in the direct, singular approach of the album, which also features group chants inspired by Girl Guide outings in the woods. Pushing back the boundaries of genres and letting their creativity run free, Bibi Club fill "Feu de garde"with relentless rhythms. On stage Adèle grabs percussion instruments and takes risks. Liberated, seductive, undeniable. |
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Bolshoi [Country Life (2LP colour)] May 3 street date. English pop/goth band The Bolshoi were different. Their songs were dark and subversive, sufficient evidence for many critics to corral them under the "gothic" banner at the time of their debut - but they really only "flirted" with goth. They oozed dark, pensive lyrics supported with inventive pop-goth guitar making them nearly impossible to categorize. They released three albums during their existence, but they also recorded a fourth album that was never officially released during their tenure. Provisionally titled "Country Life", the album was originally released in 2015 as part of a limited 5-CD box set. Beggars Arkive is excited to now release it on vinyl for the first time. "Country Life" consists of demos recorded for the album (many of these only survived on reference cassettes but were digitally restored), along with a brand new acoustic reimagining of the song "Dolores Jones" that singer/guitarist Trevor Tanner recorded specifically for this release. |
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Camera Obscura [Look To the East, Look To the West] May 3 street date. "Look to the East, Look to the West", the new album by Camera Obscura, is a revelation. The Tracyanne Campbell-led outfit, reuniting with producer Jari Haapalainen, have crafted an album that simultaneously recalls why longtime fans have ferociously loved them for decades while also being their most sophisticated effort to date. It is also the most hard-fought album of Camera Obscura's career. Following the 2015 passing of founding keyboardist and friend Carey Lander (to whom the penultimate track "Sugar Almond" is addressed), the band went into an extended hiatus. They remained in contact, but their status was uncertain until they announced their return, having been invited to perform as part of Belle And Sebastian's 2019 Boaty Weekender cruise festival, along with a pair of sold-out warm-up shows in Glasgow. "Look to the East, Look to the West" feels big, a widescreen reframing of Camera Obscura's sound that, paradoxically, saw the band go back to basics - there are no string or brass arrangements, with more emphasis placed on piano, synthesizers, Hammond organ, and drum machines, and, perhaps most strikingly, the group have dropped the veil of reverb that characterized their previous albums. |
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Carpenter, John [Lost Themes IV: Noir (black vinyl)] May 3 street date. It's been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become "Lost Themes", his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood's great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. With "Lost Themes IV: Noir", they've struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration. Since the first "Lost Themes", John has referred to these compositions as "soundtracks for the movies in your mind". On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs "noirish" is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone. The noir quality, then, is something you understand instinctively when you hear it, as in connected in an emotional way. |
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Death Cult [Paradise Now (splatter)] May 17 street date. Southern Death Cult formed in 1981, releasing their sole, self-titled album posthumously in 1983. That same year, Death Cult formed, with Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy joining forces for the first time, releasing two 12-inches which were subsequently combined and released as a CD in 2008. Now, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Cult, the duo have compiled tracks from the Death Cult era for a special release, "Paradise Now". Death Cult is a vital transmission from the generation of Shamanic post-punk gothic futurists. In late 2023, Astbury and Duffy reformed the project for a series of live performances including a sole U.S. date at The Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, and a limited run of U.K. shows. Death Cult became The Cult in 1984, releasing "Dreamtime" that same year. The seminal post-punk band has gone on to sell more than four million albums, with numerous Canadian and U.S. gold and platinum certifications. Ian Astbury (vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar) have released 11 studio albums over The Cult's 40-year career. |
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Death Lens [Cold World] May 3 street date. After successful tours with Militarie Gun and Together Pangea and hometown support, Death Lens is poised to release their latest album, "Cold World". Death Lens relentlessly seeks a place in your consciousness, a persistent presence whispering in your ear. Concealing ferocity beneath a stylish veneer, their live shows unleash energy and chaos, leaving spectators disarmed and forever transformed. In recordings, Death Lens forges unyielding rock, blending West Coast surf punk with Britrock's tight, bouncy rhythms. Despite their deceptive chill and vibe-focused portrayal, live performances brim with hardcore intensity. Rooted in slick guitar sonics and sugary backing vocal harmonies, reminiscent of indie punk and shoegaze, Death Lens channels the energy of bands like Turnstile and Militarie Gun on stage, creating soundtracks for indelible memories of high-energy, sweat-soaked singalongs. |
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Gendron, Myriam [Mayday] May 10 street date. “Mayday is an album that keeps on giving; every listen reveals additional nuances and every visit to the end- groove invites a return to the start.” -Lucy Sante In May 2024, Myriam Gendron comes back with her third full-length record, aptly titled Mayday. On Mayday, the artist showcases her love of traditional folklore music, drawing inspiration from the Appalachian variant of an English Christmas carol (“Lully Lullay”) and French Canadian sea shanties alike (“La belle Françoise (pour Sylvie)”). But the album is just as much an endorsement of Gendron’s talent as a singer-songwriter, as her bold poetic voice and musical arrangements shine on tracks such as country-folk ballad “Long Way Home”, rock and jazz infused closer “Berceuse”, cinematic 6-minutes long “Terres brûlées” or heartwarming instrumental interlude “La Luz”. On Mayday, she sings in both English and French, paying homage to various traditions across North America. Music critic Byron Coley writes: “Myriam has privately described the mood of Mayday as dark, in part due to the fact it was assembled after her mother’s passing, but she is always capable of balancing and blending emotional content in a way that makes it ultimately hopeful.” The album benefits from the precious contributions of renowned artists, collaborators and friends of Myriam, amongst which we can name Marisa Anderson, Jim White (‘Dirty Three’), Cédric Dind-Lavoie, Bill Nace and Zoh Amba. |
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Girl And Girl [Call A Doctor] May 24 street date. In one sense, it's easy for artists - songwriters, specifically - to express their feelings in their work. After all, that's what the lyrics are for! But it's much harder to convey emotional energy in how you play, slash at the guitar, and the structure of the music itself. That's precisely why Girl And Girl's Sub Pop debut, "Call A Doctor", feels like such a vital, electrifying shock to the senses. Not since the early work of Car Seat Headrest or Conor Oberst's widescreen emotional brutality as Bright Eyes has indie rock managed to come across as this intimate and grandiose, as the Australian quartet led by Kai James lay a lifetime's worth of woes - mental health, the human race's planned obsolescence - across a canvas of indie rock that feels both timeless and in-the-moment. The album's eleven songs - spanning sweeping guitar epics and wry acoustic shuffles to spiky punk maneuvers and the type of raw, adoringly unvarnished indie-pop associated with legendary PacNW label K Records - are literally plucked from James' personal history, as he reworked older recordings with newer lyrics reflecting his past struggles as well as new anxieties that emerged prior to the album's recording. |
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Ibibio Sound Machine [Pull the Rope] May 3 street date. "Pull The Rope", the new record by Ibibio Sound Machine, casts the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard-led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remains, but, further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album "Electricity", the connection they aim to foster has shifted venues from the sunny buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked, all-night dance club. Williams and Grunhard attribute this shift to a matter of collaborators, recording "Pull The Rope" with Sheffield-based producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) over the course of two weeks. The way the pair wrote songs changed significantly - rather than Eno penning lyrics to music generated by Max and company's jamming, Orton started with Eno and Max writing together before adding the band. With less time in the studio and a new way of considering how they built songs, the duo found making decisions about the sound of "Pull The Rope" quicker and more instinctual than before. |
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Khanate [Capture & Release (180g-black vinyl)] May 24 street date. Khanate are Stephen O'Malley (Sunn O))), Burning Witch, Thorr's Hammer), James Plotkin and Alan Dubin (OLD), and Tim Wyskida (Blind Idiot God, Manbyrd). Largely recognized as their breakthrough album, Khanate was confident enough by the two-song, forty-minute "Capture & Release" (2005) to peel back its layers of thick mossy drone and reveal the minimalist underpinnings, a change either interpreted as maturity or an implied threat. It's a grim, avant-garde exercise in tension and paranoia. Dense, leaden drones fill up the spaces between O'Malley's sparse, deeply sustained guitar chords. Vocalist Alan Dubin's anguished vocals seem to convey the tortures of the damned as if there were not a shred of hope left for existence in this world. "Capture & Release" is not dissimilar to black metal in how it so violently conveys such a bleak and ultra-nihilistic world outlook. But while the standard tempo on a black metal album typically strays into the triple digits in terms of beats per minute, Khanate's plodding pace keeps the BPM soundly within the single-digit range. |
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La Luz [News Of The Universe] May 24 street date. With a credo adapted from science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, an album title from a collection of metaphysical poetry, and an expansion in consciousness brought on by personal crisis, guitarist and songwriter Shana Cleveland learns to embrace a changing world with unconditional love on "News Of The Universe", the new full-length from California rock band La Luz. "News Of The Universe" is a record born of calamity, a work of dark, beautiful psychedelia reflecting Cleveland's experience of having her world blown apart by a breast cancer diagnosis just two years after the birth of her son. It's also a portrait of a band in flux, marking the first appearance for drummer Audrey Johnson and the final ones from longtime members bassist Lena Simon and keyboardist Alice Sandahl, whose contributions add a bittersweet edge to a record that is both elegy for an old world and cosmic road map to a strange new one. It might be La Luz's most brutal record to date, but it is also their most blissful. |
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Leclerc, Charles & Sofiane Pamart [Dreamers] May 24 street date. In an unprecedented collaboration, Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc and world-renowned pianist Sofiane Pamart present Dreamers, a unique piano composition project. This collaboration brings together the high-octane world of racing and the emotive realm of music, embodied in four distinct and captivating co-composed piano pieces. Charles Leclerc, celebrated for his prowess on the racing circuits, joins forces with Sofiane Pamart, a pianist acclaimed for his innovative and soul-stirring compositions. Dreamers is born from their shared vision of blending the intensity of motor racing with the expressiveness of piano music, creating a narrative that speaks to the dreams and aspirations of both artists. This musical project is an immersive experience that unites the visceral energy of Formula 1 with the profound depth of piano music. A celebration of ambition and passion, reminding dreamers everywhere that with focus, heart, and no limits, the dream always continues. |
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Moctar, Mdou [Funeral For Justice] May 3 street date. Nigerien quartet Mdou Moctar present their blistering new album, "Funeral For Justice". Recorded at the close of two years spent touring the globe following the release of 2019's breakout album "Afrique Victime", it captures the band in ferocious form. The music is louder, faster, and more wild; the guitar solos are feedback-scorched and the lyrics are passionately political; nothing is held back or toned down. "Funeral For Justice" speaks unflinchingly to the plight of Niger and the Tuareg people. "This album is really different for me", explains Moctar, the band's singer, namesake, and indisputably iconic guitarist. "Now the problems of terrorist violence are more serious in Africa. when the U.S. and Europe came here, they said they're going to help us, but what we see is really different. They never help us to find a solution". "Mdou Moctar has been a strong anti-colonial band ever since I've been a part of it", says producer and bassist Mikey Coltun, who has been playing with Moctar since 2017. |
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NOFX [Half Album (EP)] May 24 street date (LP). Resolicitation at higher price. All pre-orders have been cancelled. Over the past few years, NOFX have unleashed their very first double album in the form of 2021's "Single Album", followed by "Double Album" a year later. What fans didn't know is that wasn't all there was to this masterpiece. That's right, NOFX's first and only double album has a 5th side! "Half Album" is the final chapter to NOFX's epic double album. The songs that comprise this EP - as well as its two predecessors - were all recorded at the same time. "Half Album" is not simply the leftover songs from this session, but rather an integral part that ties the entire project together. "Half Album" isn't the last record they will release, but it is the beginning of the end of NOFX as we know them. It's also proof, despite its title, that NOFX doesn't do things by halves. This might be called "Half Album", but it's part of a much bigger legacy and an even greater whole. |
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Of Montreal [Lady On The Cusp (clear sky blue vinyl)] May 17 street date. Over the course of the last two decades, of Montreal's creative force, Kevin Barnes, has been wowing fans with their vast catalog of endlessly fascinating pop and mesmerizing live shows. Barnes' songwriting and production aesthetic has since become iconic in the industry and has garnered massive critical acclaim in publications such as Rolling Stone, The New York Times, NPR, and Pitchfork. Barnes' influence on pop music is undeniable, with multiple late night TV appearances, as well as brilliant collaborations with the likes of Solange, Janelle Monáe, Jon Brion, and others. On of Montreal's latest album, "Lady On The Cusp", Barnes shapeshifts between genres with each song. On some tracks, Barnes revisits sounds of late 1960s guitar pop and psychedelia reminiscent of 2013's "Lousy With Sylvianbriar", while other tracks showcase Barnes' love of experimental funk pop that has been present throughout much of the band's discography. "Lady On The Cusp" is another exciting listen from one of the most prolific and influential artists making music today. |
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Rhapsody Of Fire [Challenge The Wind (2LP-white marbled vinyl)] May 31 street date. It's time to "Challenge The Wind"! The Italian symphonic power metal institution Rhapsody Of Fire return with one of their best works yet, a continuation of their epic Nephilim saga which started with "The Eighth Mountain" in 2019. Ask any power metal fan and they will remark about how in 30 years Rhapsody Of Fire not only shaped a genre but developed as a band and created a legacy as the undisputed kings of symphonic power metal. Having built their standing upon classics like "Legendary Tales" (1997), "Symphony Of Enchanted Lands" (1998), and "Dawn Of Victory" (2000), Rhapsody Of Fire once again show what they do best: epic orchestral arrangements, grandiose choirs, fast and melodic guitars, and a gripping story that ties this opus of symphonic-power-finesse together. |
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Shellac [To All Trains (180g)] May 17 street date. Shellac return with their sixth album, "To All Trains", their first album since 2014's "Dude Incredible". Shellac is still Steve Albini (guitar), Todd Trainer (drums), and Bob Weston (bass). Recording and mixing took place at Electrical Audio in Chicago over a bunch of long weekends between November 2017 and March 2022. The record was mastered by Bob and Steve at Chicago Mastering Service. As usual with Shellac, this record will have no formal promotion. There will be no advertisements, no press or radio promotion, no e-promotion, no promotional or review copies, no promotional gimmick items, and otherwise no free lunch. |
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Slash [Orgy Of The Damned (2LP)] May 17 street date. A collection of 12 dynamic songs that shakes up and revitalizes blues classics with a stripped-down, instinctive approach, Slash's "Orgy Of The Damned" creates a singular expression that pays homage to the blues. A great cover takes something old and makes it new again. This is the philosophy behind "Orgy Of The Damned", on which the acclaimed guitarist re-teamed with storied producer Mike Clink and enlisted the album's diverse guest vocalists, which include Gary Clark Jr., Billy F. Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson, Tash Neal, Chris Robinson, and Beth Hart. To round out his band in the studio and on the road, Slash reunited with two of his bandmates from his Blues Ball outfit in the 90s, bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy Andreadis, and brought on drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal. |
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Squrl [Music For Man Ray] May 17 street date. Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan (founding members of SQÜRL) return with a sonic exploration of the cinematic works of Dadaist pioneer Man Ray, a captivating project that melds music and film. Over the past eight years, SQÜRL have been enchanting audiences with their live scores to Man Ray's short films across sold-out shows in prestigious venues like the Centre Pompidou in Paris, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, and the Art Institute of Chicago. The culmination of their endeavor took place in the spring of 2023, on the 100th anniversary of Man Ray's inaugural foray into filmmaking, when the newly restored "Return To Reason" - an anthology featuring four silent short films by Man Ray - premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Jarmusch and Logan, two multi-disciplinary artists known for their experimental prowess, approached these scores as a way to create an ecstatic state, a space between consciousness and unconsciousness, reality, and the surreal. The resulting album, "Music For Man Ray", born out of a live recording at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in February of 2023, features distorted guitars, hypnotic feedback, loops, and affected synthesizers. |
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Stone, Angus & Julia [Cape Forestier (gatefold/gold/booklet)] May 10 street date. "Cape Forestier, our latest record, holds a really special place in our hearts - a chapter in the ever-unfolding book about the road we're traveling together. It feels reminiscent of our earlier records in terms of style; there's a real acoustic rawness to the sound. However, the songwriting and performances are naturally tied to the humans we are right now, with all the branches of experience hanging in there. We couldn’t be more excited to share this music. It’s been an incredible experience writing and recording these songs together." The Sydney-based sibling duo of Angus & Julia Stone have unfolded with an almost magical magnetism that has galvanized the world. Their albums have amassed multi-platinum sales and numerous ARIA and APRA awards at home and won a fanbase of millions over spiraling tours of the UK, Europe, and North America. Just last year, Angus shared the stage with Post Malone to perform their multi-platinum hit “Big Jet Plane,” a song that Malone fondly refers to as "probably my favorite song for-fucking-ever." Their indelible impact has been nothing short of timeless. |
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Sylvan Esso [Sylvan Esso (2CD-10 year anniversary edition)] May 17 street date. Recorded in a little bedroom studio out in Durham, North Carolina, Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn's debut LP as Sylvan Esso arrived in 2014 at the juncture of pop and experimental. Even now, years later, the LP remains an urgent and fitting introduction to a push-and-pull that would go on to inform the duo's sound - a thoughtful headiness that also wants you to get out on the dance floor. A blend of analogue and digital, Meath and Sanborn were two unexpected puzzle pieces fitting together with singular ease, producing a ten-track LP that was both minimalist and shimmering, with dark undulations rippling beneath the synthy-surface and crystalline quality of Meath's voice. In honour of the record's ten year anniversary, North Carolina-based indie label Psychic Hotline will release a deluxe reissue of "Sylvan Esso", complete with previously unreleased material. The expanded edition also includes remixes from J Rocc, Rick Wade, Helado Negro, Dntel, and more. |
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Trower, Robin [Bridge Of Sighs (50th anniversary edition)] May 17 street date. 1974's "Bridge Of Sighs" was Robin Trower's sophomore album following his departure from Procul Harum. Lauded critically and commercially a breakthrough, and accompanied by James Dewar on soulful vocal and bass duty and Reg Isidore underpinning their psychedelic blues sound with masterful drumming, the album saw Robin push his trio's initial concept into exciting new territory. Producer and former Procul Harum bandmate Matthew Fisher and Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick take on control room duties to help bring this stunning collection of songs together. 50 years later, the recordings have been newly mixed from the original tapes, with an unedited stereo mix cut at half-speed especially for this release. On the second disc, you can hear the trio amid a US tour supporting the album Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, May 1974, available in its entirety for the first time and newly remastered from the original tape transfers. |
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Washington, Kamasi [Fearless Movement (2LP)] May 3 street date. Los Angeles multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader Kamasi Washington presents his new double-LP, "Fearless Movement", via Young. Washington calls "Fearless Movement" his dance album. "It's not literal. Dance is movement and expression, and in a way it's the same thing as music expressing your spirit through your body. That's what this album is pushing". Where previous projects dealt with cosmic ideas and existential concepts, this record focuses in on the everyday, an exploration of life on earth. The album features Washington's daughter - who wrote the melody to "Asha The First" during some of her first experimentations on the piano - as well as a host of collaborators new and old. André 3000 appears on flute, George Clinton lends his voice, as do BJ The Chicago Kid, Inglewood rapper D-Smoke, and Taj and Ras Austin of Coast Contra. Further enlisted are lifelong friends and collaborators Thundercat, Terrace Martin, Patrice Quinn, Brandon Coleman, DJ Battlecat, and more. |
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