New Releases & Staff Picks – 5/17/24
STAFF PICKS
Lindsay – Beth Gibbons and Shellac
Dario – Faun Fables reissues
Kimber – Erlend Oye / La Comitiva
Jake – Beth Gibbons, Modest Mouse, and Quasi
Zach – Glass Beams, Gatecreeper, Billie Eilish
Ash – Of Montreal
The Avett Brothers – The Avett Brothers CD/LP (Ramseur)
The Avett Brothers return with their first album in five years. Produced by longtime collaborator, friend, and early champion Rick Rubin, 2024’s The Avett Brothers is as much untitled as it is self-titled, for as Thomas Keating said: “Silence is God’s first language – everything else is a poor translation.” From the album’s all-vocal opening to the sharp, scrappy and scorching rock ‘n’ roll blast of lead single “Love Of A Girl”, to the novel strains of folk, roots, synth and strings that have landed The Avett Brothers numerous Billboard Top 5 and chart-topping albums, three Grammy nominations, five Americana Music Awards, a documentary co-directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, and so much more, this record is one that revealed itself naturally over time. [An indie store exclusive light blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Blitzen Trapper – 100’s Of 1000’s, Millions Of Billions CD/LP (Yep Roc)
Check our Socials for a chance to win a limited Steve Keene painting!!! Inspired by the Buddhist sutras, Blitzen Trapper’s radiant new album, 100’s Of 1000’s, Millions Of Billions, offers a captivating take on rebirth and transcendence, navigating its way through the space beyond dreams and reality, beyond gods and mortals, beyond life and death. The songs here are as sincere as they are surreal, rooted in rich character studies and deep reflection, and the production is intoxicating to match, blending lo-fi intimacy and trippy psychedelia into a mesmerizing swirl of analog and electronic sounds. Add it all together and you’ve got a gorgeous collection of stripped-down bedroom folk wrapped in lush layers of synthesizers and washed-out electric guitars, a poignant, expansive exploration of perception and purpose that manages to look both forwards and backwards all at once. [A translucent blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Beth Gibbons releases her debut solo album following her work as a member of Portishead and her collaborative album with Rustin Man, Out Of Season. Featuring 10 beautiful new songs recorded over a period of 10 years, Lives Outgrown was produced by James Ford & Beth Gibbons with additional production by Lee Harris (Talk Talk). Lives Outgrown is, by some measure, Beth’s most personal work to date, the result of a period of sustained reflection and change – “lots of goodbyes,” in Beth’s words. Farewells to family, to friends, even to her former self. These are songs from the mid-course of life, when looking ahead no longer yields what it used to, and looking back has a sudden, sharper focus. [A deluxe CD version is available.]
Modest Mouse – Good News For People Who Love Bad News [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Modest Mouse Good News For People Who Love Bad News offers a unique blend of existential lyricism and innovative soundscapes. The album, viewed as an alternative classic in the early 2000s, continues to resonate with listeners years later. In addition to the hit songs “Float On” and “Ocean Breathes Salty,” the 20th Anniversary deluxe edition opaque baby pink & opaque spring green 2xLP includes an alternative album cover, 8-page booklet and five brand new remixes from the likes of Poolside, Jackknife Lee, Dan the Automator and more.
Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft CD/LP (Darkroom/Interscope)
Billie Eilish’s third studio album, Hit Me Hard And Soft, is her most daring body of work to date, a diverse yet cohesive collection of songs— ideally listened to in its entirety from beginning to end—does exactly as the album title suggests; hits you hard and soft both lyrically and sonically, while bending genres and defying trends along the way. With the help of her brother and sole collaborator, Finneas, the pair wrote, recorded, and produced the album together in their hometown of Los Angeles. This album comes on the heels of her two massively successful albums When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? and Happier Than Ever and works to further develop the world of Billie Eilish. [An indie store exclusive eco-mix sea blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Cage The Elephant – Neon Pill CD/LP (RCA)
Neon Pill is the highly anticipated new album from Cage The Elephant, and the group’s first new music since their album, Social Cues, which won Best Rock album at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Cage The Elephant consists of brothers Matt Shultz (vocals) and Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar) along with Daniel Tichenor (bass), Jared Champion (drums), Nick Bockrath (lead guitar) and Matthan Minster (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals). Cage The Elephant gained widespread recognition with their self-titled debut album, released in 2008. The album included hit singles like “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” and “Shake Me Down”, earning the band critical acclaim and establishing them as a prominent force in alternative rock. Their energetic live performances and dynamic sound, drawing influences from garage rock, punk, and blues, contributed to their growing popularity. [An indie store exclusive milky clear color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Growlers – Hung At Heart [Reissue/2013] LP (Everloving)
Limited mint green and white color vinyl pressing. The Growlers are gone but not forgotten. They toured relentlessly, including Coachella, Lollapalooza, and even Rock In Rio before breaking up. Leader Brooks Nielsen continues to perform those songs alongside his new material to sold-old crowds across the US. Hung At Heart was originally produced by Dan Auerbach but shelved and replaced with a hastily recorded album that included the anthem “One Million Lovers”. This new remastering has brought the album forward in a remarkable way making it a brand-new listening experience.
Joywave – Permanent Pleasure LP (Hollywood)
Your favorite indie rock band, Joywave, is back with their fifth studio album, Permanent Pleasure, featuring their alternative hit single, “Brain Damage”. Weaving blissed-out synths and unstoppable dancefloor grooves with euphoric hooks, exuberant wit, and uncommon emotional depth, Rochester, NY-based band Joywave has spent much of the past decade holding an aural mirror to society, concocting a distinctively modern approach towards pop music that is both organic and synthetic, much like our own day-to-day lives.
Erlend Oye / La Comitiva – La Comitiva LP (Bubbles Records)
The album La Comitiva is a collaboration between Erlend Oye (Kings of Convenience) and La Comitiva, released by Bubbles. This unique musical project brings together the talents of Norwegian singer-songwriter Erlend Oye and the Italian band La Comitiva, resulting in a captivating and eclectic collection of songs.
Of Montreal – Lady On The Cusp CD/LP (Polyvinyl)
On Of Montreal’s latest album, Lady On The Cusp, creative force Kevin Barnes shapeshifts between genres with each song. On tracks like “Rude Girl on Rotation,” Barnes revisits sounds of late ‘60s guitar pop & psychedelia reminiscent of 2013’s Lousy With Sylvianbriar, while “Young Hearts Bleed Free” and “Music Hurts The Head” 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.
Shellac returns with their sixth album and the first in ten years; released approximately one week after Steve Albini’s sudden death.
The Mavericks – Moon & Stars (Moon & Stars)
Miami-formed and long-time Nashville-based, genre-bending Americana icons The Mavericks return with their highly anticipated 13th studio album Moon And Stars. The record marks their first new music release since 2020’s groundbreaking and chart-topping En Español project and their first return to a full English language release since their acclaimed Brand New Day album in 2017. “This record has been a journey of reflection, introspection, patience, learning and evolving. Some of these songs were written years ago, but they weren’t ready. Or maybe we weren’t. We are now,” the band says. [Available on indie store exclusive galaxy LP.]
Mannequin Pussy – Romantic [Reissue/2016] LP (Many Hats)
Grey in blue vinyl, first time in retail. Romantic is Mannequin Pussy’s standout 2016 album. Mannequin Pussy is a beloved rock band from Philadelphia. Their music feels like a resilient and galvanizing shout that demands to be heard; across four albums the band has made cathartic tunes about despairing times. Romantic is the band’s second full length album, and it was widely critically acclaimed in NPR, Pitchfork, Stereogum, and many more.
Pallbearer – Mind Burns Alive CD/2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Six songs deep and 600 miles wide with music that ranges from disarming quiet to something akin to a battering ram made out of Marshall stacks, Mind Burns Alive finds Pallbearer navigating the sonic realm between disquiet and serenity in a way that nods to previous efforts while fully forging ahead with a singular intensity. With Mind Burns Alive, Pallbearer continues to invoke an atmosphere of bare, unadulterated introspection and the resulting catharsis that comes with it. [An orange crush color vinyl pressing is available.]
Stanley Turrentine & 3 Sounds – Blue Hour [Reissue/1960] LP (Blue Note)
Alfred Lion’s inspired idea to pair tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine with The Three Sounds-the trio featuring pianist Gene Harris, bassist Andrew Simpkins, and drummer Bill Dowdy-on 1960’s Blue Hour produced one of most deeply soulful hard bop outings in the Blue Note catalog. Both Turrentine and The Three Sounds were in the early days of their lengthy associations with the label at the time, the saxophonist having just recorded his leader debut Look Out a few months prior and the trio having debuted in 1958 with Introducing The 3 Sounds.
Hank Mobley – Workout [Reissue/1962] LP (Blue Note)
Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was at the peak of his powers throughout the early 1960s as he produced a staggering run of hard bop classics including Soul Station, Roll Call, Workout, No Room For Squares, and The Turnaround. Recorded in 1961, Workout was an energetic quintet outing featuring Mobley with guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones.
Gatecreeper – Dark Superstition CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
Gatecreeper’s third full-length sees the Arizona death metal specialists-vocalist Chase H. Mason, guitarists Eric Wagner and Israel Garza, drummer Metal Matt Arrebollo and bassist Alex Brown-carving out their own path. [A purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
Fantômas – Fantômas [Reissue/1999] LP (Ipecac)
Fantômas – Director’s Cut [Reissue/2001] LP (Ipecac)
Fantômas – Suspended Animation [Reissue/2005] LP (Ipecac)
Vinyl reissues of the first, second and fourth albums by the supergroup comprised of Mike Patton Buzz Osborne, Trevor Dunn and Dave Lombardo. Colored versions coming next week!
Slash – Orgy Of The Damned CD (Gibson)
Slash returns with a new blues covers album featuring iconic guests such as Chris Stapleton, Gary Clark Jr., Iggy Pop, and Beth Hart. The songs covered include classics by blues heavyweights including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Steppen Wolf, Stevie Wonder and more.
Ben Folds – WhateverandEverAmen [Reissue/1997] LP (Sony Legacy)
WhateverandEverAmen is the sophomore album from alternative rock trio Ben Folds Five. Originally released in 1997, the album features fan favorite songs like “Brick”, “Kate”, and “Song for the Dumped.”
Guster – Ooh La La CD/LP (Ocho Mule)
Guster’s ninth studio LP, Ooh La La reveals a band fully in touch with the voracious creative energy that first inspired their formation. A major leap forward for lead vocalist Ryan Miller, guitarist Adam Gardner, drummer Brian Rosenworcel, and multi-instrumentalist Luke Reynolds, Ooh La La ultimately matches that wide-eyed spirit with a newly heightened sense of confidence, conviction, and commitment to the raw sincerity that’s made them so beloved. [A green vinyl pressing is available.]
SQÜRL – Music For Man Ray (Original Soundtrack) LP (Sacred Bones)
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. 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. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available, including clear.]
Atmosphere – Strictly Leakage [Reissue/2007] LP (Rhymesayers)
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 & soul crates, producing sample driven tracks that sounded as if they were born 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.
Quasi – When The Going Gets Dark [Reissue/2006] LP (Touch And Go)
Gold metallic colorway. “When The Going Gets Dark was tracked in Portland studio Audible Alchemy. Our hope was that without the stresses and logistical difficulties of being musicians and engineers simultaneously, we would be liberated enough to propel our playing to a new level. This did in fact happen. Our takes were some of the most daring and expansive of our career. We captured sounds that were powerful, unrepeatable, and unmistakably psychedelic. Images began to emerge, centered on dreams, memories, and defiance, and it seemed our record was coming together. But problems and frustrations with the studio slowed us down, and by mixdown, the sessions came to a halt. We let sleeping dogs lie for a while, and then I had the bright idea to call Dave Fridmann, the genius who produced The Woods for my other band Sleater-Kinney. He agreed to take the tapes to his studio in Fredonia, NY (Tarbox Road Studios). It was like winning the lottery. He understood the intensity and beautiful chaos we had captured. He made the mixes powerful and unpredictable. He enhanced the swirling, layered, psyche feel, and I swear, sprinkled fairy dust on our record.” – Janet Weiss, drummer
Various Artists – Soft Summer Breezes LP (Numero)
Following in the wake of baroque chart toppers by the Zombies, Beatles, and the Left Banke, a dandier approach to garage rock flowered in the back half of the ’60s. Awash in majestic harpsichords, lilting guitars, melancholic organs, and middle school orchestras, Soft Summer Breezes captures the decade’s last gasps of optimism via 16 gentle moments of soft psychedelia. [A yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso [Reissue/2014] 2xLP (Psychic Hotline)
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 analog 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. Black w/ white colorway.
How To Dress Well – I Am Toward You LP (Sargent House)
In his 13 years recording as How To Dress Well, L.A.-based musician Tom Krell has played with the concept of what we hear and how we communicate in order to create music that exists somewhere between celestial transcendence and an outsider approach to what pop music can be. In Krell’s musical world, the weight of a sample comes from his history with it, the meaning of a lyric fragment is stretched and distorted, its core skirting universal interpretation in favor of specificity. On new album “I Am Toward You”, his first new music in nearly six years, Krell was in search of a return to the open-hearted, uncynical approach to music making that he adopted as a kid and carried through the release of his haunting breakthrough debut, 2010’s Love Remains, when he was making music in relative anonymity with little external pressure. [An orange colorway is available.]
Glass Beams – Mahal LP (Ninja Tune)
The genesis for the Melbourne-based trio, which formed around founding member Rajan Silva, was through the rekindling of childhood memories relating to his father, who emigrated to Melbourne from India in the late 1970’s. Silva recalled watching a DVD on repeat with his father; ‘Concert for George’, a star-studded tribute to late Beatles member George Harrison performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2002, featuring legendary Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar with daughter Anoushka, alongside Western icons Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney and ELO’s Jeff Lynne. This intersection of musical styles was reflected in the record collection of Silva’s father, where the sounds of iconic Bollywood vocalists Asha Bhosle and the Mangeshkar lineage sat alongside music from blues legends like B.B. King and Muddy Waters. In particular, Silva was drawn to the fusion of Western musical styles and traditional Indian music; a concept pioneered by Indian artists like R.D. Burman, Ananda Shankar, and fraternal duo Kalyanji-Anandji.
Giant Sand – Blurry Blue Mountain LP (Fire Records)
Recorded 25 years into their career, Giant Sand’s 25th album is a gorgeous and much-celebrated collection of perfectly-crafted, personal songwriting from Howe Gelb. With the exception of one or two wonderfully abrupt and perfectly placed outbursts, it’s a gentle rollercoaster traversing the inner thinking of the why’s and wherefores of whatever, a meditation on time and the aging process. Musing on the record, Howe Gelb explains “On this LP I show off an acquired appreciation for the simple lyric. Kinda haiku at times, like flamenco verse, or the blues. I can focus more as it’s obvious there’s only so much time left – that has a production value all its own.” Highlighting their eclectic and esoteric career, this reissue celebrates the band’s magnificent, long and winding career. This deluxe reissue features restored artwork and newly penned liner notes from MOJO’s Dave Henderson. Giant Sand have been the primary outlet for the stylistic curveballs and sun-damaged songcraft of singer-songwriter Howe Gelb. In four plus decades he’s managed to reinvent rock, country, blues, punk, garage, lo-fi, jazz, gospel, avant-garde noise and flamenco gypsy music with his impressionistic imagery and expansive observations of the world.
Duane Eddy – Biggest Twang Of Them All [Reissue/1966] LP (Sundazed)
Duane Eddy – Does Bob Dylan.. [Reissue/1965] LP (Sundazed)
Limited red colored vinyl LP reissues
Dehd – Water [Reissue/2019] LP Reissue (Fire Talk)
Veterans of Chicago’s increasingly fruitful DIY scene Jason Balla ( Ne-Hi and Earring) Emily Kempf (Vail and formerly with Lala Lala) and drummer Eric McGrady share a strange and inexplicable chemistry. Love rises up into the atmosphere like steam off a summer sidewalk and makes you wild. Love breaks your heart and you consider yourself lucky for it. Like water itself, it surrounds us, it supports us; it’s what we’re made of. It takes the shape of its container. The music is hazy and reverb-drenched, a scuzzy and hyped-up take on surf rock that could only come from the Third Coast.
John Zorn – New Masada Quartet LP (Tzadik)
New Masada Quartet is one of the best groups Zorn has ever had. Bristling hot guitar master Julian Lage, bass wizard Jorge Roeder and 30-year Zorn veteran Kenny Wollesen perform with a crackling live energy that brings the Masada music to life like never before! Led by Zorn’s versatile sax and stop-and-start conducting, the music is filled with burning solos, telepathic group interaction, heartfelt lyricism, and hypnotic grooves. Please purchase this limited-edition LP and help Tzadik continue its mission to support and document new music in the 21st century.
Faun Fables – Family Album [Reissue/2004] LP (Drag City)
Faun Fables – Mother Twilight [Reissue/2001] LP (Drag City)
Limited vinyl reissues from the Oakland, CA band.
COMING NEXT WEEK!
DIIV – Frog In Boiling Water CD/LP
TWENTY ONE PILOTS – Self Titled CD/LP
WALLOWS – Model CD/LP
PAUL WELLER – 66 CD/LP
ANDREW BIRD – Sunday Morning Put On CD/LP
LENNY KRAVITZ – Blue Electric Light CD/LP
FANIA ALLSTARS – Latin Soul Rock LP
DEAD BOYS – 3rd Generation Nation LP
LA LUZ – News Of The Universe CD/LP
XYMOX – Twist Of Shadows LP
DANGER MOUSE + JEMINI – Born Again CD/LP
AQUABATS – Aquabats vs the Floating Eye Of Death LP reissue
AQUABATS – Fury Of The Aquabat LP reissue
AQUABATS – Return Of The Aquabats LP reissue
DAVID BOWIE – Diamond Dogs LP 50th anniv Reissue
DRIVE BY TRUCKERS – English Oceans LP reissue
RED FANG – Self Tilted LP
MACHINEDRUM – 3FOR82 LP
SUN RA – Excelsior Mill LP
RAYLAND BAXTER – Imaginary Man LP
GOAT – Gallows Soundtrack LP
LONNIE SMITH – Funk Reaction LP