New Releases & Staff Picks – 4/30/21
Staff Picks
Lindsay – Flock of Dimes, Leon Vynehall, & Ya Tseen
Dario – Bowerbirds, & Can Reissues
Zach- Crumb, Manchester Orchestra, & Ya Tseen
Kimber – Bowerbirds
Flock Of Dimes – Head Of Roses LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On her second full-length record, Head Of Roses, Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak) follows a winding thread of intuition into the unknown and into healing, led by gut feelings and the near-spiritual experience of visceral songwriting. The result is a combination of Wasner’s ability to embrace new levels of vulnerability, honesty and openness, with the self-assuredness that comes with a decade-plus career as a songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and prolific collaborator.
Crumb – Ice Melt CD/LP (Crumb Records)
Ice Melt, Crumb’s second LP, begins with a chaotic scene and ends with a lullaby. “Lyrically,” says frontwoman Lila Ramani, “my goal was to return back down to earth from a strange, floating place, and write about real substances and beings that live on this planet. The sounds, too, feel more grounded and of this earth, evoking moods of both isolation and deep connection.” We’ve got the limited-edition purple color vinyl pressing!
Ya Tseen – Indian Yard CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Nicholas Galanin is one of the most vital voices in contemporary art. His debut as Ya Tseen (“be alive”, and a reference to his Tlingit name Yeil Ya Tseen), Indian Yard, is rich with emotional range and sharp awareness and explores love, desire, frustration, pain, revolution, and connection through the magnetic expressions of an Indigenous mind. The lusty electro-soul cascade of “Close the Distance”, the lithe funk frolic of “Get Yourself Together”, the insistent weight of “Back in That Time”, sung in Yupik: these 11 tracks put Galanin, Ya Tseen, and Indigenous art at large in a current musical conversation with the likes of Moses Sumney and TV On The Radio, FKA Twigs and James Blake. Indian Yard is a profound record of liberation and an implicit act of protest, making its case by facing the intersection of past, present, and future realities. In a nod to Sun Ra, “Gently To The Sun” mentions “meds for a nightmare” – an apt description for a record that offers a much-needed antidote for what now ails us personally and universally.
Guided By Voices – Earth Man Blues CD/LP (GBV Inc.)
The 33rd Guided by Voices album, Earth Man Blues, is a magical cinematic rock album, full of dramatic and surreal twists and turns. Lyrics and liner notes trace the growth of young Harold Admore Harold through a coming of age and a reckoning with darkness. Vivid scenes appear: snapshots of youth, fantastical nightmares, unknown worlds. The music hasn’t softened a bit. One will hear the impossibly perfect melodies and word play that you expect from Robert Pollard, with the band playing at peak-heavy.
PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her [Reissue/2004] LP (Island)
In an attempt to “get back to the earthy, rootsy, more dirty side of things,” following the more polished production of 2000’s love letter to NYC, Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, PJ Harvey created 2004’s Uh Huh Her which does just that and marks a return to the raw, stripped-down sound she forged on her first two albums Dry (1992) and Rid Of Me (1993). Producing and playing everything on the LP herself (save drums and percussion which were provided by longtime collaborator Rob Ellis), Uh Huh Her is a vital 13-song set of scouring, urgent rock tunes that earned Harvey Grammy Award and Brit Award nominations once again.
PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her – Demos CD/LP (Island)
Accompanying the 2021 reissue of the original album is this collection of the artist’s previously unreleased demos for the record including demos of the singles “The Letter” and “Shame.”
Black Angels – Live at Levitation (Reverberation Appreciation) LP
The Reverberation Appreciation Society is proud to launch a brand new live series, Live at LEVITATION. Recorded over the history of the world renowned event, professionally mixed and mastered, this series represents a valuable moment in time for live music in Austin, TX. The bands showcased here are performing at their strongest and with something to prove.This LP captures a slice of the early days of the festival, and the band as a psychedelic rock powerhouse with tracks from The Black Angels 1st two LPs – with 6 tracks recorded at Austin Psych Fest 2010, 2011 and 2012.
The Dropkick Murphys – Turn Up That Dial CD/LP (Born And Bred)
On Dropkick Murphys’ new album, Turn Up That Dial, the Celtic punk outfit boots in the front door of 2021 with a record that punches you square in the face and says, in the words of co-frontman Ken Casey, “Get up, get out of those sweatpants you’ve been wearing for the last year… better times are ahead – let’s fuckin’ go!” You can expect more gang vocals, pumping pipes, bouncing rhythms and choruses meant for singing in unison in a beer-soaked bar. The Boston band’s tenth studio album comes introduced by the previously released singles “Mick Jones Nicked My Pudding”, “Smash Shit Up”, “I Wish You Were Here”, and “Middle Finger”.
Marianne Faithfull with Warren Ellis – She Walks In Beauty CD/2xLP (BMG)
Marianne Faithfull (with composer/multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis) present, She Walks In Beauty, one of the most distinctive albums of her long, extraordinary life and career. Recorded around the earliest days of the COVID-19 lockdown – during which the singer herself became infected and almost died of the disease – She Walks In Beauty fulfills Faithfull’s long-held ambition to record a full album of poetry with music, and features musical friends Nick Cave, Brian Eno, cellist Vincent Ségal and producer-engineer Head (PJ Harvey, Thom Yorke). She Walks In Beauty finds Faithfull drawing deep on the works of Shelley, Keats, Byron, Wordsworth, Tennyson and Thomas. Her vocal performances, set to Ellis’ subtle collages of sound, draw out the vibrant living matter in these great poems, renewing them with the complex, lived-in timbres of her voice. It’s both a radical departure and a return to her original inspirations as an artist and performer.
girl in red – If I Could Make It Go Quiet CD/LP/Cassette (AWAL)
If I Could Make It Go Quiet, the debut album from girl in red, is the musical distillation of Marie Ulven’s solitary conversations on the road: it’s an album brimming with the things we wish we could say to others but tell ourselves instead. The album is girl in red in its purest, elevated form. She has never been braver, and the music follows suit, whether it’s collaborating with pop mastermind and Billie Eilish collaborator Finneas on “Serotonin”, a huge pop anthem that speaks to Ulven’s struggles with mental health or flexing her instrumental chops with album closer “It Would Feel Like This”. Betrayal, lust, longing, pulling herself out of a depressive spell – nothing is off-limits on If I Could Make It Go Quiet.
Gojira – Fortitude CD/LP (Roadrunner)
Voted by fans as the No.1 release on Revolver’s “5 Most Anticipated Albums of 2021”, Fortitude continues Gojira’s career-long tradition of harnessing their music as a vehicle for environmental activism with songs like “Amazonia” and “The Chant” not only surveying critical cases, but also catalyzing listeners to take action. The band initially laid the foundation for Fortitude with the surprise 2020 single “Another World”, which NPR hailed as “an apocalyptic banger.” As if shedding skin and baring armor in its place, fellow single, “Born For One Thing” represents a natural evolution for the acclaimed French band: hyper-focused but unhinged, confrontational and yet compassionate. Available as a limited-edition indie store exclusive deluxe vinyl pressing.
Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcade CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Endless Arcade is quintessential TFC: melodies are equal parts heartwarming and heart aching, guitars chime and distort, keyboard lines mesh and spiral, harmony-coated choruses burst out like sun on a stormy day. In the 1990s, the band crafted a magnetically heavy yet harmony-rich sound on classic albums such as Bandwagonesque and Grand Prix. Endless Arcade walks a beautifully poised line between melancholic and uplifting, infused with simple truths. The importance of home, community and hope is entwined with more bittersweet, sometimes darker thoughts of insecurity, anxiety, and loss.
Manchester Orchestra – The Million Masks Of God CD/LP (Loma Vista)
The Million Masks Of God showcases the strength and boundary-pushing invention of Manchester Orchestra’s catalog and is a testament to the kinship of its songwriting duo – the bond that enables them to take something so tragically personal and turn it into limitless, compassionate, communal, revelatory art. Serving as the band’s sixth album overall, it was co-produced by main songwriters Andy Hull and Robert McDowell with Catherine Marks (The Killers, PJ Harvey) and Ethan Gruska (Phoebe Bridgers). “If ‘Black Mile’ was this idea of ‘from birth to death,’ this album would really be more about ‘from birth to beyond, focusing on the highs and lows of life and exploring what could possibly come next,” Hull said. We’ve got the limited-edition indie store exclusive deluxe pink and white color vinyl pressing with poster!
Royal Blood – Typhoons CD/LP (WB)
When Royal Blood’s Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher sat down to talk about making a new album, they knew what they wanted to achieve. It involved a conscious return to their roots, back when they had made music that was influenced by Daft Punk, Justice, and Philippe Zdar of Cassius. It also called for a similar back-to-basics approach to what had made their self-titled debut album so thrilling, visceral and original. Typhoons opens in breathless, take-no-prisoners style with the fierce metallic grooves of “Who Needs Friends” hitting an early visceral peak. We’ve got the limited-edition indie store exclusive deluxe vinyl!
Julia Stone – Sixty Summers CD/LP (BMG)
Eight years after Stone’s last solo record, Sixty Summers arrives as a powerful rebirth for one of Australia’s most prolific artists. Emerging from the wildernesses of folk and indie-rock, with Sixty Summers Stone dives headfirst into the cosmopolitan, hedonistic world of late-night, moonlit pop. The stunning album brings us the grit and glitter of the city, with all its attendant joys, dangers, romances and risks. It is Stone at her truest, brightest self, a revered icon finally sharing her long, secret love affair with this vibrant and complex genre. Recorded sporadically over five years from 2015 to 2019, Sixty Summers was shaped profoundly by Stone’s key collaborators on the album: Thomas Bartlett, aka Doveman, and Annie Clark, aka St Vincent. We’ve got the limited-edition gold color vinyl pressing!
Bowerbirds – becalmyounglovers CD/LP (Psychic Hotline)
Phil Moore’s first Bowerbirds album since 2012 is an artifact of transition, a domino effect of doors closing and Moore stumbling headfirst into the uncertainty of what comes after a life fundamentally changes. Written and recorded mainly in an isolated cabin hand built by Moore and his ex-partner, out in Siler City, North Carolina, becalmyounglovers chronicles a long-term relationship’s death rattle, inevitable breakup, and its immediate aftermath – and Moore’s getting to understand himself better in the process.
Innov Gnawa – Lila LP (Daptone)
Hailing from Morocco, but based in NYC, Innov Gnawa has been making waves locally and abroad with their hypnotic live shows – which is why Producer, Bosco Mann invited the group to come record at the Legendary Daptone House of Soul. Gnawa is music and spiritual tradition rooted in Morocco and dates back many centuries. Liberated slaves of Northern and Western Africa integrated their musical rhythms and religious beliefs into the culture of Morocco creating a unique style of music and dance called Gnawa. It’s not religious music, but rather music and rhythms that promote healing through trance and spirituality. [CD edition due May 14.]
Loney dear – A Lantern And A Bell LP (Real World)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from Loney dear, aka singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Emil Svanängen. Real World label founder Peter Gabriel says: “Sad soulful melodies that create space in your head that fill with memories dreams and tenderness. I am very proud that we are working with such a gifted songwriter. When you’re isolating, what better than to be wrapped up in these beautiful imaginative constructions — the work of a master.”
Dawn Richard – Second Line CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Much like the New Orleans-born artist who created it, Second Line is an unapologetic genre bender that pushes boundaries, expands possibilities, and shatters expectations. It’s more than just an album: Second Line is a cohesive sensory experience that questions traditional ideas of sound, production, and visual aesthetics as they relate to music. Its interlocking parts tell an epic story about the quest for artistic expression, with Dawn describing her project as a movement to bring pioneering Black women in electronic music to the forefront.
Various Artists – Soul Jazz Records Presents: Rocksteady Got Soul CD/2xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Soul Jazz Records’ new Studio One release Rocksteady Got Soul is a collection of uplifting and superb rocksteady and soulful reggae from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Studio One is the number one label in the history of reggae and the album features – as ever with Studio One – an impeccable and unbeatable line-up of reggae superstars, all soaring at the height of their creative powers. Alton Ellis, John Holt, The Heptones, Jackie Mittoo, The Ethiopians, Lee Perry and more. The compilation is a mix of classic tunes and rhythms alongside super-rarities that were released in a dazzlingly complex web of Studio One labels and issues, deftly navigated with new sleeve notes from author and Studio One authority Rob Chapman.
Leon Vynehall – Rare, Forever CD/LP+MP3 (Ninja Tune)
Leon Vynehall returns with new album Rare Forever, the follow up to 2018’s critically acclaimed debut Nothing Is Still. Rare, Forever will feel familiar for fans of Vynehall’s DJ-Kicks mix or his eclectic excursions on NTS, while simultaneously sounding unlike anything he’s ever done before. As much as there are dancefloor memories and moments, it’s not strictly a dance record – instead, Rare, Forever is the clearest representation of the broad spectrum of music he’s made to date, deftly weaving newer shades of post-punk, ambient, techno and drone.
Can – Future Days [Reissue/1973] LP (Mute)
Can – Delay 1968 [Reissue/1981] LP (Mute)
Limited-edition color viny reissues. Can was founded in 1968 by Irmin Schmidt, Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli and Jaki Liebezeit who formed a group which would utilize and transcend all boundaries of ethnic, electronic experimental and modern classical music. Can’s powerful influence has never diminished, and their indelible mark is apparent in the bands who freely acknowledge their importance – from Portishead, James Murphy, New Order, Factory Floor, Public Image Ltd, Mogwai, Kanye West and Radiohead – as well as across other disciplines such as visual art and literature.
Limited blue color vinyl pressing. The album of solo and American Music Club songs re-interpretations performed by a band with traditional Greek musicians was released in 2003. Eighteen years later, with a rejigged artwork and an Abbey Road cut, The Ugly American is unveiled for the first time on vinyl. The ten tracks cover a varied period of Mark Eitzel’s solo output, the cult band American Music Club albums, and a sole composition from Manolis Famellos (‘Love’s Humming’). All songs were recorded with the addition of traditional Greek instruments (bouzouki, tzouras, Cretan lyra & zournas) under the guidance of Manolis Famellos and his band.
Eddie Vedder – Matter Of Time b/w Say Hi 7” (Seattle Surf Co. LLC)
Following the global broadcast of Venture Into Cures, on November 18, 2020, Eddie Vedder released a pair of singles – “Matter Of Time” and “Say Hi”. Additionally, Vedder shared an animated music video for the powerful, passionate, and poetic “Matter Of Time” and live video for “Say Hi”, an oft-sought after live favorite now officially available for the first time.
Young Fresh Fellows – Toxic Youth LP (Yep Roc)
The Young Fresh Fellows are back with an electric new toaster, Toxic Youth. Remember their 1989 anthem “Two Guitars Bass & Drums”? Well, nothing has changed, except everything. Hopes have been dashed, but the men still love music. Subtitled Back To The Egg, the Fellows return to where it all began, with one last roundup at the infamous Egg Studios, Seattle WA, produced once again by Conrad Uno (who also struck gold with The Presidents Of The United States Of America). When heard that Uno was closing his studio and retiring from the limelight, the band grabbed a last weekend to record a couple songs (they had three in various shape of decomposition).
Steve Arrington – Down To The Lowest Terms: The Soul Sessions LP (Stones Throw)
Inspired funk legend Steve Arrington returns with his uplifting and soulful new album Down to The Lowest Terms: The Soul Sessions, produced by artists including Mndsgn, Shibo, Jerry Paper, Knxwledge. The album serves the language of his soul and portrays his diversity of influences, building on the evolution of funk, soul, blues, jazz, electronic and R&B, all united by Arrington’s uplifting spirit