New Release & Staff Picks – 2/28/25
STAFF PICKS
Lindsay – Okonski
Dario – Yo La Tengo
Kimber – Drop Nineteens and Stereolab reissues
Jake – Bladee reissues and David Grubbs
Zach – Ichiko Aoba, Darkside, and Panda Bear
Ash – Mdou Moctar
THE CURE – Songs Of A Live World LP (Polydor)
Songs Of A Live World : Troxy London MMXXIV, the stunning live performance of The Cures first studio album in 16 years, Songs Of A Lost World. All Cure royalties from Songs Of A Live World : Troxy London MMXXIV will benefit War Child.180g heavyweight black bio vinyl.
DARKSIDE – Nothing CD/LP (Matador)
Nothing is the third album from DARKSIDE: nine transmissions of negative space, telepathic seance, and spectral improvisation. Featuring Nicolás Jaar, Dave Harrington, and Tlacael Esparza. The outcome is magnetic and hieroglyphic. This album slips through the cracks of convention with serpentine guitars, extraterrestrial static, and cavernous drums. Haunted rhythms, distorted vocals, and uncanny beauty. No band but DARKSIDE could have made Nothing, and in no moment but now.
EVERYTHING IS RECORDED – Temporary CD/LP (XL)
Richard Russell has introduced the world to several generation’s worth of era-defining musicians. But since 2017, the XL Recordings founder has used the Everything Is Recorded project to prove he’s not merely a visionary record producer, or the founder of the most consequential independent record label of the past 35 years. He’s a visionary artist in his own right, with a temperament so generous that his records are filled with the voices of the artists he’s encouraged, shepherded, or spotlit along the way. Everything Is Recorded albums are feasts of collaboration, and his soul-enriching new album, Temporary, is no exception. The guest list overflows with incandescent talent: Florence Welch, Sampha, Bill Callahan, Jah Wobble, Kamasi Washington, Nourished by Time, Alabaster DePlume, Noah Cyrus. The silvery thread linking all these voices together is, of course, Richard Russell himself, by design the least visible member of Everything Is Recorded, but the only one who could have dreamed up this expanse to begin with.
MDOU MOCTAR – Tears Of Injustice CD/LP (Matador)
Tears for Injustice is a new recording of Mdou Moctar’s 2024 album Funeral for Justice performed entirely on acoustic instruments. Sessions took place at Brooklyn’s Bunker Studio in the summer of 2023 — booked as a way to make use of downtime while the band was briefly stranded in the United States in the wake of Niger’s recent military coup. The arrangements give new dimension to the songs, swapping Funeral For Justice’s blistering volume for a more intimate and meditative tone.
PANDA BEAR – Sinister Gift CD/LP (Domino)
On Sinister Gift, Panda Bear’s first solo album in five years, he has returned with another statement that feels equally cumulative and unprecedented in his catalog. While his solo records have ranged from starkly intimate expressions of grief to colorful, electronic opuses, his music has never before sounded so warm and immediate. Working in his Lisbon, Portugal home studio with Animal Collective bandmate Josh “Deakin” Dibb, Lennox transforms Panda Bear into something resembling an old-school rock ensemble, playing nearly all the instruments himself and inviting kindred spirits into the process such as Cindy Lee, Spirit of the Beehive’s Rivka Ravede, and—for the first time on a Panda Bear solo album—each of his Animal Collective bandmates.
Only five days after releasing Outer Peace, Chaz posted a photo of a cassette titled “SOUL TRASH V1” on his Instagram with Dropbox link to what appeared to be a mixtape. Later, the post and link were taken down and Soul Trash was released digitally on October 29th, 2019. 5 years later, on February 28th, the mixtape is being released on vinyl for the first time.
OKONSKI – Entrance Music CD/LP (Colemine)
After nearly two years, Okonski returns with Entrance Music – an album that finds the trio at the height of their improvisational prowess and celebrating the spontaneous and meditative. On the heels of 2023’s debut Magnolia, pianist and leader Steve Okonski has reconvened long-time musical collaborators (Durand Jones and the Indications bandmate Aaron Frazer on drums and bassist Michael Isvara “Ish” Montgomery) for another session in the spirit of artists like the Bad Plus, Gerald Clayton, and The Breathing Effect. Ultimately Entrance Music serves as an invitation to early hours, where songs linger in the doorway, announcing their presence before returning to the air, in a meticulous drift into the next.
BANKS – Off With Her Head LP (Her Name Is Banks)
California-bred singer-songwriter, Jillian Rose Banks, aka BANKS, crafts moody, alternative pop with shades of contemporary R&B. Off With Her Head, for which she states, “In many ways, it’s a big sister album to Goddess. After a decade apart, I’ve reunited with the core musicians and producers who helped shape my debut. At the same time, it’s something entirely different- I’ve grown so much as an artist and a person, and the journey is documented in all these sounds.”
YO LA TENGO – Old Joy LP (Mississippi Records)
For the first time on vinyl, Yo La Tengo’s understated, lonesome score to Kelly Reichardt’s classic Old Joy. The six instrumental tracks, created in collaboration with legendary guitarist Smokey Hormel, carry that unmistakable YLT sound-but delivered in service of another great work of art. The music, like so much of Reichardt’s film work, is low-key yet arresting, stripped down to the essentials, warm and unpretentious. The record includes two variations on the beloved “Leaving Home” theme, released for the first time on vinyl after years traveling in YLT fan circles. Originally released on They Shoot, We Score, a CD compiling several of the band’s soundtracks, Old Joy stands as a cohesive whole here, blooming and rewarding repeat listens.
LOLA YOUNG – This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway LP (Island)
Recorded in LA and produced by friend and collaborator Solomonophic (Remi Wolf, BROCKHAMPTON, Dominic Fike), This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway is a multi-faceted, fearless concept. As irresistible as it is unexpected, Lola’s album is crackling with kinetic energy and lyrically fueled by rage, passion, narrative flair and comedy derision. A contemporary break-up album, This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway encapsulates the sound of what it means to be young and in constant romantic chaos.
DROP NINETEENS – 1991 CD/LP (Wharf Cat)
Following the release of Drop Nineteens’ first album in 30 years, Hard Light and the re-issue of their 1992 shoegaze masterwork Delaware, we are excited to announce the official release of Drop Nineteens’ 1991. This LP comprises the band’s first two demo sessions which were mailed out via cassette to labels in 1991 finding their way to the UK music press and generating instant buzz and an ensuing feeding frenzy to sign the band. After signing with Caroline Records Drop Nineteens decided to write an entirely new record, Delaware, for their first official release, leaving the songs on 1991 behind, frozen in time. Swells of layered guitars and buried vocal harmonies adorn these tracks, displaying Drop Nineteens when the comparison to their UK contemporaries like Slowdive and Ride were apt. 1991’s songs, recorded with a low-fi charm, show an ambitious young band capable of writing songs filled with texture and hooks, on the eve of their breakthrough with Delaware.
ICHIKO AOBA – Luminescent Creatures CD/LP (Psychic Hotline)
To listen to Ichiko Aoba is to be drawn into a world as intimate as a warmly lit home, but cosmic in scale. The Japanese artist has taken a dedicated online fanbase built from viral TikTok sound clips and critically acclaimed albums and translated it into international tours spanning more than 20 countries. Aoba’s latest album, Luminescent Creatures is the culmination of her 15-year long career – during which she’s collaborated with Japanese luminaries such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono, Cornelius, and more – and finds her deftly melding the jazz-infused folk of her early albums with the orchestral world building of her 2020 opus Windswept Adan.
HOT WATER MUSIC / QUICKSAND – Split LP (Equalvision)
Legendary, independent, New York-based rock label Equal Vision Records and acclaimed punk veterans HOT WATER MUSIC and QUICKSAND are excited to announce the release of their brand-new, four-song, split EP. Featuring classics covered by each band from QUICKSAND’s Slip and HOT WATER MUSIC’s No Division, the new EP also features the unreleased tracks ‘Supercollider,’ QUICKSAND’s first new song since 2021’s Distant Populations, and ‘Undertow,’ a new HOT WATER MUSIC song lifted from it’s Brian McTernan-produced Vows sessions. ‘Like many who grew up listening to hardcore and punk rock from early ages on, we were inspired and driven by a lot of work from all the members that make up QUICKSAND and of course by QUICKSAND themselves,’ HOT WATER MUSIC vocalist/guitarist Chuck Ragan said.
DEEP SEA DIVER – Billboard Heart CD/LP (Sub Pop)
Billboard Heart, the new album by Deep Sea Diver, immediately puts the Seattle band in the company of St. Vincent, TV on the Radio, and Flock of Dimes, bands that have found newly ornate and magnetic ways to make indie rock by discarding notions of how it must sound or what it must say. It’s their fourth album and first for Sub Pop, and it is a coup, a triumph over self-doubt, transforming failure into an opportunity to find new freedom, belief, and strength.
ALOE BLACC – Stand Together CD/LP (Grand Scheme)
Stand Together is Aloe Blacc’s powerful exploration of unity, connection, and humanity. Known for his breakout hits like “I Need a Dollar” and the chart-topping “Wake Me Up” with Avicii, Aloe brings his signature soulful sound to this compelling collection. Each song is dedicated to a different organization or cause for social change while weaving themes of love, empowerment, and togetherness. With Stand Together, Aloe Blacc delivers a record that uplifts and inspires both new listeners and lifelong fans while driving meaningful action.
OASIS – Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants LP 25th Anniv (Big Brother)
Pivotal moment in Oasis’ storied history, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants marked the start of a new era for the band. Noel Gallagher took a broader and more experimental approach to recording, resulting in a departure from their earlier sounds towards a modern psychedelic rock influenced record. This experimentation and richer sonic palette was in part due to Noel taking more time to craft this record than he had previously enjoyed. New instruments and techniques were utilized, including drum loops, samples, electric sitar, Mellotron, synthesisers and backward guitars, all contributing to a progression in Oasis’ output.
HOOVERPHONIC – A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular LP (Music On Vinyl)
Perhaps the dreamily experimental Symphonic Pop of Hooverphonic is one of Belgium’s most important exports in the musical field. This year, Hooverphonic celebrate their 30th anniversary This is a limited edition of 1000 numbered copies on yellow colored vinyl.
ARCHITECTS – The Sky, The Earth & All Between LP (Epitaph)
Architects are back and charging forward in the heavy rock world with their latest sonic masterpiece, The Sky, The Earth & All Between. After two relentless years on the road-featuring massive European summer tours with Metallica and top billing at festival stages across North America, from Sonic Temple to Aftershock-the band has returned to the studio to deliver their most powerful collection of songs yet.
FREE THROW – Those Days Are Gone (10th Anniversary reissue) LP (Wax Bodega)
Pink Vinyl, 2xLP. Ten years after Free Throw’s beloved debut album, Those Days Are Gone, was released, the band are celebrating the anniversary with a deluxe version of the record. The deluxe record features five songs that have been re-recorded with features from other favorites in the pop-punk world, ft. Pat Miranda of Movements, Christine Goodwyne of Pool Kids, Yvette Young of Covet, Nathan Hardy of Microwave and Tades Sanville of Hot Mulligan, along with five live tracks.
CHARLI XCX – Brat and It’s Completely Different LP (Atlantic)
Charli XCX Brat and it’s completely different – Brat green double vinyl. Gatefold with inner and outer die cut hole on both sleeves. Lyric book. New gatefold image. sticker inside shrink wrap.
KNOCKED LOOSE – Popculture LP (Pure Noise)
KNOCKED LOOSE – Laugh Tracks LP (Pure Noise)
KNOCKED LOOSE – A Different Shade Of Blue LP (Pure Noise)
KNOCKED LOOSE – A Tear In The Fabric Of Life LP (Pure Noise)
LP reissues in stock from these hardcore punkers.
BLADEE & ECCO2K – Crest LP (Year 0001)
BLADEE – Spiderr LP (Year 0001)
BLADEE – The Fool LP (Year 0001)
BLADEE – RIP Bladee LP (Year 0001)
BLADEE & THAIBOY DIGITAL – AVP LP (Year 0001)
Bladee’s albums now available, many for the first time on vinyl.
STEREOLAB – Margerine Eclipse LP reissue
STEREOLAB – Sound Dust LP reissue
STEREOLAB – Cobra and Phases LP reissue
STEREOLAB – Dots and Loops LP reissue
STEREOLAB – Emperor Tomato Ketchup LP reissue
STEREOLAB – Mars Audiac Quintet LP reissue
STEREOLAB – Transient Random-Noise Bursts LP reissue
On February 28, 2025, Stereolab are making seven of their studio albums available again as 2LP editions. These utilise the same remasters as the 2019 expanded album editions, cut from the original 1/2″ tapes by Bo Kondren at Calyx Mastering and overseen by Tim Gane, but without any of the bonus material from the 3LP versions (which have now been discontinued), the idea being to make more cost-effective versions of these sought-after titles available to fans and shops. Each record comes housed in a single 5mm printed sleeve with printed inner sleeves, and a protective PVC outer bag.
The beauty of The Devil Makes Three is the way they take an old-time musical genre and, by putting their own imprint on it, turn it into something that lives and breathes anew, passing the torch to a new generation, just as stateside rock fans learned about the likes of pioneers Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly from the first wave of British Invasion bands. With their latest album, Spirits, the band continues this tradition by incorporating their signature punk, folk and bluegrass sound along with country and singer-songwriter leanings.
EDITH FROST – In Space LP (Drag City)
Edith Frost breaks a very long silence with her first album since 2005! In Space revitalizes the timeless luminescence of her voice and songcraft with twelve new songs that take measure of isolation beyond the horizon of memory. Freezing time, then cracking it into crystalline shards, Edith discovers space everywhere she travels, within her and without her. A way-out country soul expression charting a heartening renewal of commitment and form.
Reinvigorated by months of shutdown woodshedding, David developed new works for guitar, as well as a piano piece and an exceptionally eerie bit of musique concrète. Inspired by the deep dive into Gastr del Sol’s duo magic that facilitated last year’s compilation box, David opened his deeply personal solo pieces for engaging conversational gambits with modern masters Rhodri Davies, Andrea Belfi, Nikos Veliotis, Nate Wooley, and Cleek Schrey.
Michi, a Latinx artist from California, releases her debut album Dirty Talk on Stones Throw, produced entirely with Blake Rhein of Durand Jones & the Indications and close collaborator Paul Cherry. Dirty Talk blends eras into a singular sound, mixing early-aughts inspired R&B vocals with 70s funk & soul-inspired instrumentation and production.
DUB SYNDICATE – Strike The Balance LP reissue
DUB SYNDICATE – Stoned Immaculate LP reissue
DUB SYNDICATE – Echomania LP reissue
DUB SYNDICATE – Ital Breakfast LP reissue
DUB SYNDICATE – Obscured By Version LP reissue
LP reissues from the London dub outfit Dub Syndicate, many out of print until now
GUNN-TRUSCINSKI DUO – Flam LP (Three-Lobed Recordings)
Flam is the 5th album from the ever-triumphant duo of Steve Gunn (guitar) and John Truscinski (drums, synths). They have spent the better part of the last 15 years assembling a singular and expressive discography representing their unique and sympathetic interplay. “Flam” sees the duo branch out and get a little more atmospheric than the prior LPs – track after track washes over you. There’s slow burners here (“Fin”), fiery explosions (“Conviction”) & journeys to the drift (“Felt”). Essential.
COMING NEXT WEEK!
BOB MOULD – Here We Go Crazy CD/LP
JASON ISBELL – Foxes In The Snow CD/LP
HAMILTON LEITHAUSER – This Side Of The Island CD/LP
SASAMI – Blood On The Silver Screen CD/LP
CELIA CRUZ – Son Con Guagunaco LP reissue
J JULIUS – Vol 3 LP
DE LA SOUL – Clear Lake Audiotorium CDEP/LP
LUST FOR YOUTH + CROATIAN AMOR – All Worlds CD/LP
FUST – Big Ugly LP
VARIOUS – Original Soul Of Mali 2 LP
BDRMM – Microtonic LP
DAVID BOWIE – Young Americans LP reissue
GLIXEN – Quiet Pleasures LP
LEE HAZLEWOOD – Love and Other Crimes LP
NOAH KAHAN – Live From Fenway Park LP
SWERVEDRIVER – World’s Fair LP
NEIL YOUNG – Oceanside Countryside LP
JUICE WRLD – Party Never Ends LP
KRAFTWERK – Autobahn LP reissue
ALABASTER DEPLUME – A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole CD/LP
JOE HENDERSON – Multiple LP reissue
STAN GETZ –Getz Au Go Go LP reissue
CALVIN KEYS – Shawn-neeq LP reissue
HANK MOBLEY – Third Season LP reissue
JEFF BUCKLEY / GARY LUCAS – Songs To No One LP reissue
SPIRITBOX – Tsunami Sea LP