Whitney – Spark CD/LP/CASS (Secretly Canadian)
Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek could hear the staggering differences in the songs they were writing for their third album as Whitney, SPARK—the buoyant drum loops, the effortless falsetto hooks, the coruscant keyboard lines. They suddenly sounded like a band reimagined, their once-ramshackle folk-pop now brimming with unprecedented gusto and sheen. SPARK reintroduces Whitney as a contemporary syndicate of classic pop, its dozen imaginative and endearing tracks wrapping fetching melodies around paisley-print Dilla beats and luxuriant electronics. What’s more, Whitney reduces three years of extreme emotional highs and lows into 38 brisk but deep minutes, each of these 12 tracks a singable lesson in what it is they (and, really, we) have all survived. 

Harlem Gospel Travelers – Look Up! CD/LP (Colemine)
Things are looking up for The Harlem Gospel Travelers, who return here with a new album, a new lineup, and a new lease on life. Produced by Eli Paperboy Reed, Look Up! marks the group’s first full-length release as a trio, as well as their first collection of totally original material, and it couldn’t have come at a more vital moment. The music still draws deeply on the gospel quartet tradition of the ’50s and ’60s, of course, but there’s a distinctly modern edge to the record, an unmistakable reflection of the tumultuous past few years of pandemic anxiety, political chaos, and social unrest.

Maserati – The Language of Cities  LP (Temporary Residence)
Originally released in 2002, The Language Of Cities was Maserati’s second album – and their last before Jerry Fuchs joined the band. Out-of-print and unavailable for over a decade, The Language Of Cities finally gets reissued on all formats to commemorate the band’s 20th anniversary. Remastered from the original master tapes by Josh Bonati, The Language Of Cities featured Maserati’s original lineup of Coley Dennis, Matt Cherry, Steve Scarborough, and Phil Horan, and remains the most sprawling and contemplative album of the band’s decades-long career.

Death Cab For Cutie- Asphalt Meadows CD/LP (Barsuk)
Available on indie exclusive pink vinyl! When the writing of Asphalt Meadows began in the early part of the pandemic, Death Cab for Cutie wasn’t sure how to make a record. Singer/songwriter Ben Gibbard, bassist Nick Harmer, drummer Jason McGerr, guitarist/keyboardist Dave Depper, and keyboardist/guitarist Zac Rae lived in four different cities. Being in the studio together wasn’t an option. Though Gibbard started writing songs at the end of their last tour, he felt like he was hitting a wall after being trapped in his home studio for months. So he hatched a plan to shake things up.” A work week is Monday through Friday and there are five members of the band,” Gibbard explains. “So on Monday, someone put together a piece of music and shared it. And then the next person took it, with the order decided randomly. On your day, you had complete editorial control.” At the end of each week, they finished a rough song mix. Sometimes, songs were transformed entirely, with a key change or altogether different tempo. “After we started, we had a lot of success,” Gibbard says. While not all of the songs on Asphalt Meadows came from these sessions, over half of them did. Songs Gibbard presented as demos also went through the process, allowing everyone to figure their parts out before going into the studio with producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Angel Olsen, Explosions in the Sky). Harmer calls the experience of writing this way incredibly inspiring.

Calvin Harris – Funk Wav Bounces Vol2 CD (Columbia)
Calvin Harris, the Grammy and BRIT award winning, multi-platinum artist and super producer, revives his Funk Wav alias with the release of the album Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2. The album includes collaborations with a vast array of guests – 21 Savage, Dua Lipa, Young Thug, Stefflon Don, Chlo¨e, Charlie Puth, Pusha T, Shenseea, Tinashe, Normani, Lil Durk, Halsey, Offset, 6lack, Justin Timberlake, Coi Leray, Busta Rhymes, Donae’o, Latto, Pharrell, Swae Lee, Jorja Smith, and Snoop Dogg.

Marcus Mumford – (self-titled) CD/LP (Capitol)
Capitol Records releases Marcus Mumford’s debut solo album, (self-titled). Produced by Blake Mills (Alabama Shakes, Jim James), the album includes features from Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo and Monica Martin. Mumford is a founding member of Mumford & Sons, which has topped the Billboard 200 with three of its four studio albums. The band has won numerous awards, including GRAMMY®s for Album of the Year and Best Long Form Music Video, two BRITs and an Ivor Novello award.

Starcrawler – She Said CD/LP (Big Machine)
Starcrawler is a rock band for a new generation. With 2 studio albums under their belts, their upward trajectory continues to roll full steam ahead with the release of their new album, She Said. Best known for their explosive live shows, the 5-piece band leans into their own epic vision of a contemporary Hollywood Babylon morphing into a modern-day take on L.A. legends X, with a sprinkle of The Go-Go’s, a smattering of The Distillers, and The Rolling Stones sleaze thrown in for good measure. 

Surf Curse – Magic Hour CD (Atlantic)
Surf Curse release their highly anticipated fourth album, Magic Hour. Surf Curse is the indie rock recording project of Los Angeles based songwriters Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck. Hailing from Reno, Nevada, Surf Curse has been making waves with their viral single “Freaks.” Driven by racing guitar and an infectious chorus, the band’s energetic and visceral sound is on full display in the hit single.

Julian Lage – View With A Room CD/LP (Blue Note)
Guitarist Julian Lage discovers new possibilities with orchestration on the follow-up to his acclaimed 2021 Blue Note debut, Squint, by expanding his trio with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King with the addition of fellow guitarist (and Blue Note labelmate) Bill Frisell. A View With A Room presents 10 compelling new original compositions by Lage that explore a wide range of guitar sounds and textures with these two distinctive masters seamlessly blending their unique 6-string styles.

Rhett Miller – The Misfit CD/LP (ATO)
2022 release from Old 97’s frontman Rhett Miller. With its elegant blurring of psychedelia, dream-pop, and electronic-leaning indie-rock, the Texas-bred singer/songwriter’s ninth solo effort emerged from a charmed collaboration with Hudson Valley neighbor Sam Cohen (Danger Mouse). Miller grounds each track with the vulnerable songwriting and unaffected vocal presence he’s brought to the Old 97’s for the last 3 decades.

The Beths – Expert In a Dying Field CD/LP/CASS (Carpark)
On The Beths’ new album Expert In A Dying Field, Elizabeth Stokes’ songwriting positions her somewhere between being a novelist and a documentarian. The songs collected here are autobiographical, but they’re also character sketches of relationships and more importantly, their aftermaths. The question that hangs in the air: what do you do with how intimately versed you’ve become in a person, once they’re gone from your life? The third LP from the New Zealand quartet houses 12 jewels of tight, guitar-heavy songs that worm their way into your head, an incandescent collision of power-pop and skuzz. The album’s title track “Expert In A Dying Field” introduces the thesis for the record: “How does it feel to be an expert in a dying field? How do you know it’s over when you can’t let go?” Stokes asks. “Love is learned over time ‘til you’re an expert in a dying field.” 

Velvet Underground – Live at End of Cole Avenue in Dallas Texas LP (Radio Loop Loop)
In March 1969, the Velvets (with Doug Yule now on bass) embarked on a nationwide tour. One of these included a stint at the End Of Cole Avenue club in Dallas – one of the Velvets’ few live performances where a professional sound engineer was actually on hand to record the sets. Some of the songs recorded over those few nights showed up in 1974 on their 1969: Velvet Underground Live album, but the sound quality was not great due to the use of third or fourth generation tapes. However, the first-generation tapes have since resurfaced, and the difference in sound quality (heard here) is a welcome one.

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers – Rock N Roll with The Modern Lovers CD/LP [Reissue/1977] (Omnivore)
The second release from Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers featuring the U.K. Singles Chart Top 5 hit, “Egyptian Reggae.” The date is 1977. Revel in where the “real” Jonathan Richman story started, and how it evolves. The original releases are available on CD and LP, with a unique red colored vinyl variant available for independent retail. His true, Beserkley catalog is available once again. The way Jonathan intended.

Jack Harlow – Come Home The Kids Miss You LP (Atlantic)
2022 release. Come Home the Kids Miss You is the second studio album by Jack Harlow. Includes the singles “Nail Tech” and “First Class”.

Black Angels – Wilderness of Mirrors CD/LP (Partisan)
Since forming in Austin in 2004, The Black Angels have become standard-bearers for modern psych-rock that does exactly that, which is one of many reasons why the group’s new album, Wilderness of Mirrors, feels so aptly named. Indeed, in the five years since the release of the band’s prior album, Death Song, and the two-plus years spent working on Wilderness of Mirrors, pandemics, political tumult and the ongoing devastation of the environment have provided ample fodder for the Black Angels’ signature sonic approach. If the group’s members were terrified as they honed new music heading into an election year, they realized they didn’t even know how scary things could still get.

Clutch – Sunrise on Slaughter Beach CD/LP (Weathermaker)
Sunrise On Slaughter Beach, the band’s thirteenth studio album – a slamming summary of everything that makes the band great and another giant leap forward into career longevity. This is Clutch’s first studio album since Book of Bad Decisions (2018), making it one of their longest gaps between albums.

Gogol Bordello – Solidaritine CD (Cooking Vinyl)
Since 1999, Gogol Bordello have consistently riled up audiences with an inimitable patchwork of punk, gypsy, dub, folk, Latin swing, and Eastern European magic. On their eighth full length, the New York-based collective trumpet the spirit of survival louder than ever. Ukrainian-born band leader Eugene Hutz and Co. linked up with New York underground icon Walter Schreifels [Gorilla Biscuits, Rival Schools, Quicksand] to co-produce the album.  Meanwhile, H.R. of Bad Brains guested on “Era of the End of Eras,” blessing the track with a cameo punctuated by a key moment from the Bad Brains anthem “Sailin’ On.” The band also recorded a new version of the single “Forces of Victory” [feat. Serhiy Zhadan & Kazka]. Dizzying acoustic guitar and violin charge forward at lightspeed before crashing into an uplifting verse kickstarted by fits of electric guitar. The accompanying video juxtaposes footage of the band with real-life scenes of citizens and soldiers in the midst of war in Ukraine shot by a Gogol Bordello crew member.

Liars – They Were Wrong, So We Drowned LP [Reissue/2004] (Mute)
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned is the new installment from the Liars’ reissue series, where every two months an album from the back catalog is released on limited edition recycled color vinyl. Originally released in 2004, Liars’ second album scrutinizes pagan worship rituals with its title alluding to the horrors and injustices of witch-hunts conducted throughout history. Each song is a page from a story that frontman Angus Andrews crafted from his in-depth look into fairy tales and folklore, illustrating a conflict between witches and a scared Christian village. They Were Wrong, So We Drowned was a creative transition and saw the band severing their ties with a scene they inaugurated on their debut album, and had decidedly, outgrown by the second.

London Suede – Autofiction CD/LP (BMG)
2022 release, the ninth album from the British alt-rock band – aka Suede – fronted by Brett Anderson. Autofiction is the follow-up to the 2018 album The Blue Hour.

Mars Volta – Mars Volta CD/LP (Clouds Hill)
Breaking a decade of omertà, The Mars Volta reawaken from their lengthy hiatus with an eponymous album that radically reshapes their paradigm. The new album shakes loose some of The Mars Volta’s long-standing shibboleths, fearlessly defying all expectations and categorizations. Instead, The Mars Volta pulses with subtle brilliance, Caribbean rhythms underpinning sophisticated, turbulent songcraft. This is The Mars Volta at their most mature, most concise, most focused. Their sound and fury channeled to greatest effect, The Mars Volta finds Rodríguez-López’s subterranean pop melodies driving Bixler-Zavala’s dark sci-fi tales of the occult and malevolent governments. Distilling all the passion, poetry and power at their fingertips, The Mars Volta is the most exciting and accessible music the group has ever recorded.

Young Jesus – Shepherd Head CD/LP (Saddle Creek)
The music of Young Jesus has always been about change. Bandleader and sole original member John Rossiter is a restless spirit, always moving, always seeking new sounds, new thoughts, new methods of working. Young Jesus’ new album Shepherd Head is a dramatic departure for the band, delving deeper into the themes that have always fascinated Rossiter—love, loss, and God—approached in a completely new direction. It’s a record of growth and exploration, pushing forward into the future with hope while still holding the pain and regrets of the past, seeking a balance for the present.

Lissie – Carving Canyon CD/LP (Lion Boy)
Lissie’s Carving Canyons finds the acclaimed singer-songwriter digging deep to carry on through life’s many uncertainties. The singer-songwriter’s fifth album is her most personal expression yet, with twelve songs that chart the ripples caused by heartbreak and loneliness as well as what happens when the soul perseveres amidst pain. Carving Canyons is as deeply felt as Lissie’s music has ever been, with sumptuous production and indelible melodies that will surely stand the test of time.

Ocean Blue – See the Ocean Blue CD/LP [Reissue/1996] (Korda)
The Ocean Blue was formed in 1986 by four teenagers from Hershey, PA and quickly achieved widespread acclaim and Top 10 Modern Rock/College Radio & MTV airplay, with hits like “Between Something and Nothing”, “Drifting, Falling”, “Ballerina Out of Control” and “Sublime”. They had releases on Sire and Polygram before taking the independent path. 1996s See The Ocean Blue was the last of the major label releases and is finally being reissued by the band itself.

The Bled – Found in the Food LP [Reissue/2014] (Vagrant)
Found In The Flood was the second studio album from Arizona hardcore / punk band The Bled, originally release in August 2005. Found In The Flood was produced by Mike Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182, The Starting Line), and was the band’s first release after signing with Vagrant Records. The band’s guitarist Jeremy Ray Talley recently commented on their time with the label, speaking with Kerrang Magazine: “We signed to Vagrant because it was a label with a great reputation of taking care of their bands and helping them get to the next level, without having to compromise artistic vision,”
This new pressing is the first since 2014, with two new colourways available and packaged in a hand-numbered outer sleeve. The re-issue is released via Hassle Records for the UK/EU in conjunction with Vagrant Records to celebrate their 25th Anniversary.

No Age – People Helping People CD/LP/CASS (Drag City)
No Age’s ethos sings to us from beyond the clouds, with words and without, their concept a boost to everyone helping everyone. Ensconced in Randy’s Garage without a clock to spit on ‘em, Dean and Randy have composted drums and guitar and life on planet earth into a stream of miniatures, vignettes and reembodied images – an infinity of hits. 

Taking Back Sunday – Louder Now LP [Reissue/2006] (Craft Recordings)
Louder Now is the third studio album from the platinum-selling rock band Taking Back Sunday. The 2006 album, their first with a major label, debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and was gold-certified in just two months. It boasts the hit single, “MakeDamnSure,” the band’s most popular track to this day. Fitting to the album title, this release took on a heavier, darker mood and a bolder array of riffs and choruses than their previous records – a sound embraced by fans and critics alike.

COMING NEXT WEEK!
COMET IS COMING – Hyper Dimensional Expansion Beam CD/LP
MAKAYA MCCRAVEN – In These Times CD/LP
CAROLINE SHAW – Evergreen CD
ALEX G – God Save The Animals CD/LP
ICEAGE – Shake The Feeling: Outtakes and Rarities C/LP
BETH ORTON – Weather Alive CD/LP
NIKKI LANE – Denim and Diamonds CD/LP
BAD BRAINS – Quickness LP reissue
DIVINO NINO – Last Spa On Earth CD/LP
DUSTER – Together CD/LP
EDITORS – EBM CD/LP
CASS MCCOMBS – Heartmind CD/LP
VIEUX FARKA TOURE + KHRUANGBIN – Ali CD/LP
UNSANE – Self Titled reissue LP
SOFT MOON – Exister CD/LP
ALICE IN CHAINS – Dirt LP
DELTA SPIRIT – One Is One LP
KILLING JOKE – Lord Of Chaos LP
TIM BURGESS – Typical Music CD/LP
KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD – Omnian Gatherium LP