STAFF PICKS
Lindsay –Snapped Ankles and Σtella
Dario – Holger Czukay and Snapped Ankles
Kimber – Craig Finn
Jake – Black Country, New Road, David Longstreth, and Panchiko
Zach – Black Country, New Road and Florist
Ash – DJ Koze
Mary – Σtella and Art Pepper

BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD – Forever Howlong CD/LP (Ninja Tune)
Forever Howlong is Black Country, New Road’s first studio release since 2022’s UK #3 album Ants From Up There. The long-awaited new record was produced by James Ford (Fontaines D.C., Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Blur) and sees Black Country, New Road settled into a new shape in which vocal duties – and most of the song writing – is split between Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery, and May Kershaw. “It created a real through line for the album, having three girls singing,” says Ellery. “It’s definitely very different to Ants From Up There, because of the female perspective – and the music we’ve made also compliments that.” Forever Howlong is an ambitious, meticulously detailed record that includes everything from folk to prog via baroque pop and touches of alt-rock – with nods to everything from Joanna Newsom to Randy Newman via Fiona Apple and Janis Ian – yet all the while retaining that unmistakably unique sound that only this combination of musicians can come up with.

ETHEL CAIN – Preacher’s Daughter LP (Daughters Of Cain)
The jaded daughter of a dead preacher-man caught in an exodus, Ethel Cain winds her way through a dizzying attempt at escape from her suffocating upbringing only to find herself crushed within it’s jaws in the end. Hayden Anhedönia, the woman behind the curtain, serves as the architect for the visceral and haunting world of Ethel Cain. After over four years of meticulously constructing her debut album and the graphic visual world that accompanies it, Preacher’s Daughter, was released in May 2022 to critical acclaim, catching fire with her reverent fanbase of daughters and the adoration of The New York Times, Vogue, NPR, Billboard, Vice, TheFADER, NYLON, Paper Magazine, Pitchfork, W Magazine, V Magazine and more.

DAVID LONGSTRETH (Dirty Projectors) – Song Of The Earth CD/LP (Transgressive)
David Longstreth’s Song of the Earth is a song cycle for orchestra and voices – performed by Longstreth with his band Dirty Projectors and the Berlin-based chamber orchestra s t a r g a z e. The album also features Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie), Steve Lacy, Patrick Shiroishi, Anastasia Coope, Tim Bernardes, Ayoni, Portraits of Tracy, and the author David Wallace-Wells. Longstreth wrote the first draft of Song of the Earth in six “manic” weeks for a commission arranged by s t a r g a z e, feeling disoriented, but also galvanized, by the moment he was in: the pandemic chaos, the “radical psychedelia” of new fatherhood, the novelty of writing for large ensemble. He then spent three years revising, rewriting, rearranging, and recording in studios and homes in the Netherlands, Los Angeles, and New York City. Song of the Earth marks Longstreth’s biggest-yet foray into the field of concert music.

SNAPPED ANKLES – Hard Times Furious Dancing CD/LP (Leaf)
Limited amount of autographed LPs available. The sound of Hard Times Furious Dancing evolved at Snapped Ankles’ South London ‘Forest Rayve’ club nights in 2024 in response to that age-old primal urge to bring people together and make them move. It’s the first time the woodwose have road tested new material to this extent before committing it to tape since debut album Come Play The Trees, and in doing so have harnessed that feral energy once again. This surreal human/woodwose connection is the very best release from an algorithm that knows you better than you know yourself. Dance it all loose.

DJ KOZE – Music Can Hear Us CD/LP (Pampa)
“Pure Love,” featuring Damon Albarn, is the first single from DJ Koze’s highly anticipated new album Music Can Hear Us. The new long player, a follow-up to his worldwide hit album Knock Knock.  It’s a 64-minute trip into space and back. 

TRACY CHAPMAN – Tracy Chapman [Reissue/1988] LP (Elektra)
Originally released by Elektra Records in April 1988, Tracy Chapman has long been unavailable on vinyl. This anniversary reissue has been prepared for release by Chapman and the album’s original producer, David Kershenbaum, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and sourced from an analogue master. The album package includes an insert of translated lyrics, which accompanied the original international release. Featuring the classic singles ‘Fast Car’, ‘Talkin’ Bout A Revolution’, and ‘Baby Can I Hold You’, the album earned three Grammy Awards and went on to become one of the most successful debuts of all time, peaking at #1 in multiple countries and selling more than 20 million copies worldwide.

HOLGER CZUKAY – Gvoon – Brennung 1 LP (Groenland Records)
A new album of unreleased Holger Czukay music will see the light of day on March 28. Gvoon – Brennung 1, coming out via Grönland, collects just more than an hour of music the Can co-founder recorded in the 1990s, during a period working in Cologne alongside younger techno producers who helped verse him in new music technology. Czukay did not share his work until some 20 years later, when Arthur Schmidt, an artist known as Gvoon, adopted it to soundtrack an art installation based on an interrogation room; Schmidt’s stories of his time in East German prisons had inspired Czukay to record the tracks in the first place.

MEKONS – Horror CD/LP  (Fire)
Legendary postmodern, post punk, post human, past caring collective Mekons return with a brand-new album for 2025. Their first release on Fire Records, Horror a collection of songs written in late 2022 but providing a horribly prescient reflection of the world in its current miasma and how we got here. Horror looks at history and the legacies of British imperialism with mashed up lyrics set against a typically eclectic sound that amalgamates everything from dub, country, noise, rock & roll, electronica, punk, music hall, polka and you can even take your partner for a nice waltz on ‘Sad And Sad And Sad’. The roots of their global sound reflect their nomadic journey through time and space from Leeds to California in the West and Siberia in the East and is woven into the fabric and intricacies of their song creation.

FLORIST – Jellywish LP (Double Double Whammy)
Jellywish is the fifth record from NY based indie folk quartet Floris. Jellywish sees a departure of Florist’s former foray into meandering soundscapes and improvisational tendencies of their previous self-titled album, instead embracing shorter stripped back song structures and an emphasis on melody. The result is a succinct and focused 10 track album showcasing Florist’s dynamic growth and Emily Sprague’s gift of empathic songwriting. 

YANN TIERSEN – Rathlin From A Distance / The Liquid Hour CD/LP (Mute)
Yann Tiersen unveils his latest two-part album, Rathlin from a Distance The Liquid Hour, released via Mute. Rathlin from a Distance The Liquid Hour is an album divided into two distinct, interconnected parts, each with it’s own unique sonic characteristics: Rathlin from a Distance is eight tracks of introspective instrumental piano, The Liquid Hour is an expansive, genre-defying blend of electronic music and psychedelic rhythms. Rathlin from a Distance – named after an island in Northern Ireland – features eight instrumental piano pieces, each named after a location Tiersen visited during his 2023 sailing tour. From the Atlantic’s Fastnet Lighthouse to the Faroe Islands, Shetland, and the tranquil waters of the Caledonian Canal in Scotland, these tracks reflect a journey of self-discovery and self. Tiersen’s piano work creates an almost hypnotic atmosphere, each stop on the journey marking a deeper level of consciousness. The music evokes a sense of space, introspection, and quiet contemplation.

PANCHIKO – Gingko LP (Nettwerk)
In 2016 an internet user discovered Panchiko’s discarded 2000 demo CD, D E A T H M E T A L, in a Nottingham charity shop and posted it to 4chan to intrigue and fanfare. It took four years for Panchiko’s legions of dedicated fans to find the people behind the music as millions of curious listeners were swaying to the band’s adolescent creations. Upon discovering their own virality, the band reformed with original members Andy Wright (keyboardist and producer), Owain Davies (vocalist and guitarist), and Shaun Ferreday (bassist) alongside new members Robert Harris (guitarist) and John Schofield (drummer), toured the world and wrote, recorded, and released their first album in 20+ years, 2023’s Failed At Maths. But after the thrill of the whirlwind came a new question. What comes next when your dreams come true? The answer is Ginkgo, a 13-track project that finds the band making some of their most introspective, cinematic, and moving music yet. 

ΣTELLA – Adagio CD/LP (SubPop)
Stella has become one of modern Greece’s most popular musical exports, with three sophisticated, playful pop albums rendered with international élan. After her Sub Pop debut, Up and Away, in 2022, she catapulted beyond three million monthly Spotify listeners. That success was a blessing, but Stella sometimes found herself pining for the slower pace of her youth. That longing is the thread that loosely binds together her fifth album, the entrancing Adagio. Borrowing its name from the term for music that’s meant to be played slowly, Adagio is a pop record that feels like a very warm blanket, its nylon-string guitars and featherlight percussion swaddling it’s listeners for three minutes at a time.

CRAIG FINN – Always Been CD/LP (Tamarac)
The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn returns with Always Been, his first solo album since 2022. The album was produced by Finn’s long time friend Adam Granduciel, the principal of The War on Drugs. Recorded throughout 2024 at One Cue Studio in Burbank, CA, Always Been features a host of musicians, including many of Granduciel’s bandmates in The War on Drugs. Kathleen Edwards and Sam Fender provide guest vocals. The musical result is distinctive, purposeful, and commanding. Always Been is Finn’s sixth solo record and stands alongside his nine albums with The Hold Steady. With his last solo release, A Legacy of Rentals, receiving year-end accolades from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Aquarium Drunkard and more, Always Been arrives as an exciting next step for this prolific storyteller and songwriter.

ART PEPPER – Modern Art (Tone Poet) LP (Blue Note)
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in a deluxe tip-on jacket. Recorded in Hollywood, California between two sessions in December 1956 and January 1957, Art Pepper’s Modern Art for the Intro label featured his melodic alto saxophone flights atop cool jazz, bebop, and blues in the company of a quartet with Russ Freeman on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Chuck Flores on drums. This mono Blue Note Tone Poet Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes.

DEPECHE MODE – Violator LP (Sony Legacy)
DEPECHE MODE – Songs Of Faith And Devotion LP (Sony Legacy)
DEPECHE MODE – Music For The Masses LP (Sony Legacy)
LP reissues of these seminal Depeche Mode albums. 

TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS – I Love You LP (Mom + Pop)
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers are a powerhouse, celebrated for their raw emotion and incisive social observations. Their talent has earned them nominations for Best Independent Punk Album or EP at the AIR Awards, Emerging Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year at the APRA Awards, along with nods from the J Awards and Rolling Stone Awards. Recognised as Spotify’s RADAR Artist, their rising global influence is undeniable.

MOMMA – Welcome To My Blue Sky LP (Polyvinyl)
Like so many coming-of-age stories that leave a long-lasting impact, Momma’s new album Welcome to My Blue Sky takes place during a charmed and turbulent summer-a transformative moment in time that co-founders Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten sum up as a period of “parallel chaos.” Over the course of 12 immaculately composed yet immediately potent songs, the Brooklyn-based band’s fourth LP documents all the life-altering upheaval the two singer/songwriter/guitarists experienced during a whirlwind mid-2022 tour, infusing each track with both unsparing self-awareness and immense sensitivity. Equal parts shared memoir, communal outpouring, and infinitely riveting emotional travelogue, the result is a bold leap forward for one of the most creatively uncompromising and truly singular voices in indie-rock.

TEDDY EDWARDS – Sunset Eyes (Tone Poet Edition) LP (Blue Note)
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in a deluxe tip-on jacket. A little-known tenor saxophonist deserving of wider recognition, Teddy Edwards made two Pacific Jazz albums, including 1960’s Sunset Eyes, which was a showcase for his rich, powerful sound and featured a cast of musicians including pianist Joe Castro, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, drummer Billy Higgins, and others. This mono Blue Note Tone Poet Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes.

GUY CLARK – Dublin Blues – 30th Anniversary LP (Compass)
Limited Dublin Blue colored vinyl LP pressing. Includes bonus tracks and digital download. 30th Anniversary edition. Legendary songwriter Guy Clark’s iconic album, Dublin Blues, shines in a new light with this remixed and remastered reissue. The album was remixed by Miles Wilkinson, it’s original co-producer and engineer, at Compass Sound Studio in Nashville (formerly Glaser Sound Studio, aka Hillbilly Central). It includes liner notes written by Wilkinson and Clarks former touring partner, the acclaimed singer-songwriter Darrell Scott. 

JERRY GARCIA & DAVID GRISMAN – Bare Bones Vol III LP (ATO)
Other Tunes and Arrangements is the next release within the Bare Bones collection, capturing the magic of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman’s spontaneous musical reunion. This volume features unreleased recordings, including original versions of songs that became staples of the Garcia/Grisman repertoire

MOLLY TUTTLE – When You’re Ready LP reissue (Compass)
Originally released in 2019 to worldwide critical acclaim, Molly Tuttle’s debut album, When You’re Ready introduced the world to an insightful and gifted singer-songwriter (and now two-time Grammy winner) with a clear, true voice and a keen melodic sense. When You’re Ready, produced by Ryan Hewitt (The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers) showcases Molly’s astonishing range and versatility and shows that she is so much more than simply an Americana artist. Now available on limited edition Pink/Yellow Swirl vinyl. 

ELTON JOHN & BRANDI CARLILE – Who Believes In Angels? CD/LP (interscope)
Written and recorded over 20 days, Who Believes In Angels? is a collaborative studio album between Elton John and Brandi Carlile. It mixes Elton-led songs and Brandi-led songs, with long-term collaborator Bernie Taupin and Brandi both contributing lyrics, and producer and co-writer Andrew Watt acting as the producer, mediator and creative conduit. They are backed by a world-class band of musicians composed of Chad Smith, Pino Palladino and Josh Klinghoffer.

MARGO GURYAN – 28 Demos LP (Numero)
When not gazing out windows into the stormy Manhattan skyline, Margo Guryan spent her thirties banging out earworms for the likes of Bobbie Gentry, Jackie DeShannon, Claudine Longet, Carmen McCrae, and Julie London at CBS’s April Blackwood Music. Guryan’s timeless musings on love, Sundays, earthquakes, crying, and boys named Timothy have soundtracked countless films and viral videos—enduring masterpieces from the before times. 28 of her ’60s and ’70s songwriting demos are collected on this 25th anniversary double album edition. Get under Margo’s umbrella.

MARLON WILLIAMS – Te Whare Tīwekaweka LP (Marlon Williams)
“Ko te reo Māori, he matapihi ki te ao Māori” goes the Māori whakatauki (proverb) that has guided Aotearoa singer/songwriter Marlon Williams’(Kāi Tahu, Ngāi Tai) fourth solo album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka. Translated, it means “The Māori language is a window to the Māori world” and expresses Marlon’s motivation behind his first te reo Māori album. “Through the process of constructing these songs,” Marlon says, “I’ve found a means of expressing my joys, sorrows and humour in a way that feels both distinctly new yet also connects me to my tīpuna [ancestors] and my whenua [land, home].

HYLDON AND ADRIAN YOUNGE – Jazz Is Dead 023 (Jazz is Dead)
Hyldon, Brazil’s highly revered vocalist, musician and producer, has partnered with Adrian Younge to create a new psychedelic soul album, HYLDON JID023. The duo, highly inspired by Hyldon’s seminal work in the ‘60s and ‘70s, revisits’ the spirit of this epoch while creating a modern-day classic. Hyldon’s unique voice and lyrical depth, combined with Younge’s innovative analog production, ensures this album will not be forgotten. JID023 is one of the last recordings featuring Hyldon’s long-time collaborator and friend, the late drummer Ivan “Mamao” Conti of Azymuth.

WILL JOHNSON – Diamond City LP (Keeled Scales)
Diamond City is Will Johnson’s 9th solo album. The Centro-matic frontman and current member of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit is a jack of all trades: painter, novelist, songwriter, drummer. “Floodway Fall” taps into timeless melody with a ghostly refrain of “be my baby, be my little baby. ” Will has toured for the past two years as part of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, including an 8-night stand at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Newport Folk Festival, and Bonnaroo Festival.

COMING NEXT WEEK!
RECORD STORE DAY SAT APRIL 12TH 8AM!
BON IVER – Sable Fable CD/LP
VALERIE JUNE – Owls, Omens and Oracles CD/LP
COLD SPECKS – Light For The Midnight CD/LP
MARS VOLTA – Lucro Sucio Los Ojos De Vacio CD/LP
DAUGHTER OF SWORDS – Alex CD/LP
LESS THAN JAKE – Hello Rockwell LP
CLIPPING – Dead Channel Sky CD
DEAD PIONEERS – Po$t American LP
LORD HURON – Strange Trails LP 10th Anniversary Reissue
GALACTIC / IRMA THOMAS – Audience With The Queen LP
JUNE MCDOOM – Self Titled CD/LP
NIGHT BEATS – Behind The Green Door 7″