Magnolia Electric Co. Sojourner 4xLP (Secretly Canadian)
For the first time on vinyl and returning from a long time out-of-print, Secretly Canadian is proud to re-present The Sojourner Box Set from Magnolia Electric Co. The four LPs that comprise The Sojourner Box Set are from four distinct recording sessions that Magnolia Electric Co. undertook following the release of their debut studio album, What Comes After The Blues. From these, sophomore album Fading Trails was born. But the four sessions, in full, chart the celestial map of Magnolia Electric Co.: its constellations and shooting stars, its Americana stompers and lean folk dirges. And, of course, the center of gravity that is Jason Molina’s mournful, incomparable voice. The session known as “Nashville Moon” was recorded by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studios in Chicago, Illinois. The session known as “Sun Session” was recorded at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The session known as “Black Ram” was recorded by David Lowery at his Sound Of Music studios in Richmond, Virginia and features an entirely different cast of characters including Lowery, Rick Alverson, Andrew Bird, Molly Blackbird, Miguel Urbiztondo and Alan Weatherhead. The session known as “Shohola” was recorded by Jason Molina alone, with a guitar and microphone. With LP covers drawn from original box illustrations and with the original box’s poster included, this LP edition of The Sojourner Box Set delivers for the most ambitious and robust Magnolia Electric Co. release to date.

Anderson Paak – Malibu LP reissue (RSD Essential)
Orange Base with White Splatter, Widespine Jacket, Fold-Out Poster. Limited vinyl pressing of the two-time GRAMMY Nominated timeless album, Malibu. After dropping his debut album, Venice, in 2014, and then being featured on six tracks on Dr. Dre’s Compton album in 2015, 2016’s Malibu marked a major landmark moment in Anderson. Paak’s now storied career and paved the way for him to be the household name he is today. Known by many as one of the best live performers around, and with countless brand collaborations, sold out tours, chart topping albums, and even a joint album with the legendary Bruno Mars to his name, it’s safe to say that Anderson. Paak has reached Icon status. This classic catalog piece comes with a fold-out poster and features appearances from Schoolboy Q, The Game, BJ The Chicago Kid, and more.

Fontaines DC / Let’s Eat Grandma – The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs Of Nick Drake 7″ (Chrysalis)
The Endless Coloured Ways is a collection of songs by legendary singer/ songwriter, Nick Drake, performed and recorded by over 30 incredible artists from a range of different backgrounds, genres, age groups and audiences. From Fontaines D.C. to Guy Garvey, Aurora to Feist, and Self-Esteem to David Gray, each artist has offered their own incredible take on a timeless classic. “Nick Drake was not that concerned with promoting himself as an artist but I think he would have been overjoyed to hear his art promoted by so many vibrant and talented artists such as the ones we approached. Each track is an example of a fellow artist adopting Nick’s art as if it was their own, submitting to the song, and the results prove to me that talent can so often win out over mere skill or ‘personality’. We are honoured and so grateful to all our friends, old and new, who took part in the making of this set.” – Cally Calloman, Bryter Music “Having initially exchanged a list of our favourite artists and realised how much our tastes overlapped, Cally and I set out on this venture with one simple brief – to ask the artists to ignore the original recording of Nick’s in terms of arrangement, production and singing style; basically we were asking them to reinvent the song. First of all it was humbling to hear so many similar responses, saying how important Nick’s music was to them, and how much they wanted to be part of this project. But as the results came in one by one, we were staggered by the brilliance and invention that each artist had shown. They had done what we asked – they had made the song their own.” – Jeremy Lascelles, Chrysalis Records

Blondshell – Blondshell CD/LP (Partisan)
In the past few years, Sabrina Teitelbaum aka Blondshell has transformed into a songwriter without fear. The hook-filled songs on her self-titled debut are clear-eyed statements of and about digging your way towards confidence, self-possession, and relief. All of this is powered by brilliant, crystalline melodies, and gigantic choruses that are wrapped with shredding guitars. Teitelbaum grew up in a classic rock-loving household. During an era of sleek teen pop, her most formative childhood obsession was the Rolling Stones. In high school, she discovered new indie-rock bands by scouring NYC venues with her fake ID in hand-these shows instilled in her a love for lyrics with specificity and intensity. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]

Manchester Orchestra – The Valley Of Vision CD/LP (Loma Vista)
The Valley Of Vision finds the Manchester Orchestra reinvigorated once again, delivering a serene salvo of songs that defy the heavy weight of adulthood, faith and self-redemption through sounds unlike anything they have made before. Following their previous 2021 LP, The Million Masks Of God – an acclaimed collection that cried for help as it explored a man’s encounter with the angel of death – The Valley Of Vision puts forth a collective, cathartic expression of gratitude that is brought to life.

Mudhoney – Plastic Eternity CD/LP/Cassette (Sub Pop)
The absurdities of modern life have always been prime subject matter for Seattle-based foursome Mudhoney, and the band take aim at all of them with typical barbed humor and muck-encrusted riffs on their eleventh studio album, Plastic Eternity. From taking on climate change from the perspective of the climate if the climate tried to play guitar like Jimi Hendrix (“Cry Me An Atmospheric River”) to a driving rock and roll song about taking drugs meant for livestock (“Here Comes The Flood”) to a classic punk attack on treating humans like livestock (“Human Stock Capital”), Plastic Eternity is a run through all the proto-genres of guitar rock with a keen eye on the inanities of the world in the 2020s. [A limited-edition gray color vinyl pressing is available.]

Mice Parade – Bem-Vinda Vontade [Reissue/2005] LP+MP3 (Bubble Core)
Clear vinyl pressing. Out-of-print for the last 15 years, 2005’s Bem-Vinda Vontade is Mice Parade’s best-selling album. Stereolab’s ultra rare remix of the album’s first track, “Warm Hand In Farmland,” is included with the download card, as a digital bonus to this Anniversary edition pressing.

Yaeji – With A Hammer CD/LP (XL)
With A Hammer was composed across a two-year period in New York, Seoul, and London, begun shortly after the release of What We Drew and during the lockdowns of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is a diaristic ode to self-exploration; the feeling of confronting one’s own emotions, and the transformation that is possible when we’re brave enough to do so. In this case, Yaeji examines her relationship to anger. It is a departure from her previous work, blending elements of trip-hop and rock with her familiar house-influenced style, and dealing with darker, more self-reflective lyrical themes, both in English and Korean. Yaeji also utilizes live instrumentation for the first time on this album – weaving in a patchwork ensemble of live musicians and incorporating her own guitar playing. [An indie store exclusive pink color vinyl pressing is available.]

Mountain Goats – All Hail West Texas LP  (Merge)
Limited yellow vinyl reissue. All Hail West Texas was originally released as a free-standing compact disc on the late, lamented Emperor Jones. The songs were originally transferred from the cassettes onto which they were recorded to 1/4″ reels at Tiny Telephone by Alex Newport, who also played in Fudge Tunnel. John got really excited when he realized his tapes were being EQ’d by the guy from Fudge Tunnel. Remastered from those reels, along with 7 unearthed songs from the two surviving contemporaneous cassettes, All Hail West Texas stands as the peak of The Mountain Goats’ home recording era, a time people like to refer to as “when John Darnielle had his four-track,” except John did not actually use a four-track. He used the condenser mic of a Panasonic boombox and there was no overdubbing. All songs recorded on the day they were written, usually within minutes of the actual composition. Highlights include “Jenny,” “Fall of the Star High School Running Back,” and “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton,” a song which has compelled audiences around the globe to yell “Hail Satan,” and to mean it.

Angels Of Light – The Angels Of Light Sing “Other People” [Reissue/2005] CD/LP (Young God)
Angels Of Light – We Are Him [Reissue/2007] CD/2xLP (Young God)
Angels of Light was formed by Michael Gira immediately after the 1997 termination of Swans. With an ever evolving and changing cast of musicians, the albums felt like a huge departure sonically to what had gone before, yet listening back now, they sound like an essential part of Gira’s journey to Swans current iteration.

FACS – Still Life In Decay CD/LP (Trouble In Mind)
Chicago trio FACS (guitarist Brian Case, bassist Alianna Kalaba & drummer Noah Leger) has been perfecting their brand of intense, cathartic post-punk over the course of four ever-evolving albums, beginning with 2017’s Negative Houses thru 2021’s landmark Present Tense, which saw the trio dig deep into the gaping maw of a black hole & pulling back whatever debris they could grasp onto. Their newest Still Life In Decay comes as an addendum to the last album – a “post-event review” if you will. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available. Cassette version due April 21.]

Joey Bada$$ – 2000 CD/2xLP (Columbia)
2000 arrives nearly 10 years to the date after Joey Bada$$’s classic mixtape, 1999, marking a new chapter for the 27-year-old multi-hyphenate while closing another one. The album title serves as a reminder for the world that time is a concept and it’s just been one long year since Joey and Pro Era exploded onto the scene in 2012. The new project features previously released singles “Zip Codes”, “Survivors Guilt”, “Where I Belong”, and “Head High”, alongside guest appearances from Diddy, Capella Grey, Chris Brown, JID, Larry June and Westside Gunn.

Daughter – Stereo Mind Game CD/LP (Glassnote)
Returning with their first studio album for seven years, Stereo Mind Game is a new chapter for Daughter. The group’s third record follows Not To Disappear (2016) and soundtrack Music From Before The Storm (2017). After more than a decade spent depicting the darkest emotions, the trio of Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli and Remi Aguilella present their most optimistic record yet. Connection and disconnection permeate Stereo Mind Game‘s twelve songs literally and figuratively. In the intervening years since the Ivor Novello-nominated Music from Before The Storm (2017), the band has moved away from their initial London base. However, despite the physical distance – further exacerbated by the pandemic – Daughter continued to meet and write together.

Ellie Goulding – Higher Than Heaven CD (Polydor)
Higher Than Heaven is the eagerly anticipated fifth studio album from multi-platinum British superstar Ellie Goulding. Enlisting some of pop music’s finest – including Greg Kurstin, Koz, and Andrew Wells – the record sees Ellie put her own spin on modern pop music. Higher Than Heaven is jam packed with infectious hits that see her signature vocals take center stage while the production is pop music at its finest – stomping basslines, soaring synths and euphoric melodies. [An indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]

North Americans – Long Cool World CD/LP (Third Man)
North Americans-the project from Los Angeles guitarist Patrick McDermott and Portland’s Barry Walker on pedal steel-release their album Long Cool World via Third Man Records. Long Cool World strips away most of the musical collaborators, allowing Walker and McDermott to settle on an approach that is at once intricate and simple, creating hypnotic music that loops and layers, with subtle shimmers of noise or quiet psychedelic freakouts hiding beneath McDermott’s unshowy but emotionally affecting guitarwork and Walker’s pedal steel hum. [An indie store exclusive cream color vinyl pressing is available.]

Trees Speak – Mind Maze CD/LP+7”+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Trees Speak’s sound is characterized by a combination of German krautrock motoric-beat rhythms, angular New York post-punk attitude, ‘60s spy soundtracks, psych, rock, jazz, and ‘70s synthesizers and vocoders. There is also a cosmic spatial awareness to their sound; both personal inner space and galactic outer space, as well as a willful pushing of sonic boundaries.

Stanley Turrentine – Mr. Natural [Reissue/1964] LP (Blue Note)
Stanley Turrentine’s 1964 recording Mr. Natural featured the soulful tenor saxophonist and Blue Note stalwart at the helm of a cutting-edge modern jazz group with Lee Morgan on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and Ray Barretto on congas for three songs. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes.

Braid – Frame & Canvas [Reissue/1998] LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Braid’s iconic 1998 album, Frame & Canvas, Polyvinyl and the band are thrilled to announce a new version of the album, completely remixed, remastered, and repackaged for 2023. Originally recorded and mixed in the span of just five days with producer J. Robbins (The Promise Ring, Against Me!) at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, VA, Frame & Canvas would eventually become a genre-defining staple and essential listening for indie/emo fans. [A limited-edition silver colorway is available.

Nai Palm – Needle Paw [Reissue/2017] 2xLP+MP3 (Brainfeeder)
Double pink color vinyl pressing. Naomi “Nai Palm” Saalfield is the composer, guitarist and tour de force frontwoman of 3x-Grammy-nominated group Hiatus Kaiyote. Nai and her group have been cosigned by Erykah Badu, accompanied by Q-Tip, and sampled by Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Anderson. Paak. Upon its original release in 2017, Pitchfork gave the album an 8.0 rating, saying of Nai “her performance as vocalist, producer, arranger, and musical director confirms her talents-and, in her interpretive care, reaffirms listening as an act of love.”

NF – Hope CD/2xLP (NF Music)
Hope is the fifth studio album from chart-topping, multi platinum rapper, NF. Known for rapping quick-witted lyrics over hip hop beats and cinematic production, NF has built a loyal fan base that has earned him over 30 billion global streams and established NF as one of the most consumed artists today. Hope is a 13-track album boasting instant hits, such as “Happy”. “Motto”, and Grammy-nominated features with singer/songwriter Julia Michaels on “Gone”, and rapper Cordae on “Careful”.

Brijean – Angelo LP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
Angelo features nine songs Brijean has crafted and carried with them through a period of profound change, loss, and relocation. The months surrounding the acclaimed release of Feelings, their full-length Ghostly International debut in 2021 which celebrated tender self-reflection and new possibilities, rang bittersweet with the absence of touring and personal loss. They explored new moods and styles, reaching for effervescent dance tempos and kaleidoscopic backdrops, vibrant colors in contrast to their more somber human experiences. Angelo beams with positivity and creative renewal – a resourceful, collective answer to “what happens now?” Limited-edition pink & blue color vinyl pressing. 

De La Soul – De La Soul Is Dead [Reissue/1991] CD/2xLP (Chrysalis)
140gm black vinyl in custom printed sleeves in a customer printed jacket. De La Soul quickly became one of the most revered, game-changing artists in hip-hop and forever cemented their legacy in the hearts and minds of fans around the world. Despite their rapid success and recognition, De La Soul continued to prove themselves as one of the most original, authentic and creative groups in hip-hop, with the release of their sophomore album, De La Soul Is Dead on May 14, 1991. Featuring once again, the production of visionary producer Prince Paul, their second album further fanned the flames; landing on charts around the world, receiving a five-mic rating in The Source and securing Gold status by the RIAA.

Calvin Johnson – Gallows Wine LP/Cassette (K. Records)
Rock ‘n’ roll is dead. Gallows Wine is a wake for its charred remains. Calvin Johnson traveled to Columbus, Mississippi to record Gallows Wine with the combo Hartle Road at their Pompeii studio. Columbus, in Lowndes County, is the childhood home of Tennessee Williams (just down US Route 45 from White Station, birthplace of Howlin’ Wolf). You wanted Calvin Johnson howling beyond the magnolia curtain; you got it.

Various Artists – Mid-Atlantic Story Vol. 3 LP (Numero)
For the lowriders, the souleros, and for any armchair drag racer who still has a record player within reach, Mid-Atlantic Story pays tribute to the aftermarket sounds of soul music, inspired by the record industry’s metric trunk load of cruising compilations, legitimate and otherwise, that soundtracked an entire subculture. This getaway ride mixtape strips aesthetics from the timeless East Side Story series and poaches music from the greater Chesapeake Bay region. Roll with a jacked-up masterpiece. [A limited-edition tri-color vinyl pressing is available.]

Nick Waterhouse – The Fooler LP+MP3 (Innovative Leisure)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. The title of the sixth album from Californian singer-songwriter Nick Waterhouse is more than just the name of one of its tracks. The Fooler is both a clue and a red herring. The Fooler is the observed and the observer, narrator and subject, truth and lie. The Fooler is the shadow and reflection of a city the artist knows sufficiently well to wander with his eyes closed, and a place which very possibly never even existed. The Fooler is not so much an unreliable narrator as a constantly shifting perspective. The Fooler is the new album by Nick Waterhouse, and it’s a lot. Recorded by Mark Neill (Black Keys; Los Straightjackets; Dave Cobb) in Valdosta, Georgia, it’s a song-cycle of sorts, the arc of the album telling a tale of a city and its denizens. The result is a record that offers up new riches and fresh perspectives with every spin.

Wednesday – Rat Saw God CD/LP/Cassette (Dead Oceans)
Rat Saw God is an album about riding a bike down a suburban stretch in Greensboro while listening to My Bloody Valentine for the first time on an iPod Nano, past a creek that runs through the neighborhood riddled with broken glass bottles and condoms, a front yard filled with broken and rusted car parts, a lonely and dilapidated house reclaimed by kudzu. Four Lokos and rodeo clowns and a kid who burns down a corn field. Roadside monuments, church marquees, poppers and vodka in a plastic water bottle, the shit you get away with at Jewish summer camp, strange sentimental family heirlooms at the thrift stores. The way the South hums alive all night in the summers and into fall, the sound of high school football games, the halo effect from the lights polluting the darkness. It’s not really bright enough to see in front of you, but in that stretch of inky void – somehow – you see everything. [A limited-edition purple vinyl colorway is available.

Wednesday – I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone [Reissue/2020] LP (Dead Oceans)
Wednesday – Twin Plagues [Reissue/2021] LP (Dead Oceans)
“I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone radiates warmth. It reminds me of warm-cool nights, coming of age movies, and everything in-between. The record moves between these kinds of warm nostalgia” – Emjay Troxclair, Slumbermag. “On its second album [Twin Plagues] the Asheville five-piece goes big and loud, scaling up its shoegaze-indebted sound while frontwoman Karly Hartzman buries an undercurrent of anxiety beneath the clutter.” – Pitchfork 

Chet Baker – Chet Baker Sings And Plays With Bud Shank Russ Freeman And Strings [Reissue/1955] LP (Blue Note)
Following the success of his vocal debut Chet Baker Sings in 1954, Pacific Jazz brought the rising star trumpeter back into the studio for the sequel Chet Baker Sings And Plays which showcased both sides of Baker’s artistry on a set of standards including his timeless rendition of “Let’s Get Lost.” This mono Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes. 

Alice Coltrane – Journey In Satchidananda LP (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series) reissue
One of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Alice Coltrane’s 4th Impulse! Album finds her on piano and harp in the company of saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. “Almost 50 years after [it] was released, the album remains a vision of universal healing, spiritual self-preservation in times of trouble and the god that appears when you seek her out.” (NPR). Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

COMING NEXT WEEK!
FEIST – Multitudes CD/LP
METALLICA – 72 Seasons CD/LP
NATALIE MERCHANT – Keep Your Courage CD/LP
TEMPLES – Exotico CD/LP
WOOD BROTHERS – Heart Is The Hero CD/LP
FRUIT BATS – River Running To Your Heart CD/LP
FENNE LILY – Big Picture CD/LP
ANGEL OLSEN – Forever Means LP
TALLEST MAN ON EARTH – Henry St CD/LP
EL MICHELS AFFAIR + BLACK THOUGHT – Glorious Game CD/LP
DOM FLEMONS – Traveling Wildfire LP
DAVID BOWIE – Aladdin Sane LP reissue
EARTH CRISIS – To The Death LP
FLAMING LIPS – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots LP boxset