Dave Alvin – King Of California [Reissue/1994] CD (Craft Recordings)
CD reissue of the best-selling critically acclaimed solo album from Dave Alvin of The Blasters.

David Bowie – Welcome To The Blackout (Live London ’78) 2xCD (Rhino/Parlophone)
Released on RSD 2018 on vinyl – now available on CD. Live performances recorded at Earl’s Court in London on June 30th and July 1st, 1978 during Bowie’s Isolar II Tour.

Tyler Childers – Live On Red Barn Radio I & II CD/LP (Hickman Holler)
Tyler Childers is the finest songwriter to emerge from the Bluegrass State since Chris Knight and should be mentioned in the same breath as Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapelton, and others who are currently leading the most notable renaissance of Kentucky music since Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs took Music City by storm 30 years ago. Previously released as two separate EPs, Live On Red Barn Radio I & II is now available on a single LP for the first time.

John Coltrane – Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album CD/2xCD/LP/2xLP (Verve)
Unknown until 2004 and unheard until now, these recordings by the John Coltrane Quartet are, as Sonny Rollins says in the liner notes, like finding a new room in the Great Pyramid. Featuring the Classic Quartet – John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones – and recorded at the end of a two-week run at Birdland, the music on this album represents one of the most influential groups in music history both performing in a musical style it had perfected and reaching in new, exploratory directions that were to affect the trajectory of jazz from that point forward. The standard version (available in CD and LP formats) incorporates 7 tracks, 2 of which are two completely unheard, brand new original compositions as well as Coltrane classics like Impressions and Vilia. The deluxe version (also available in CD and LP formats) incorporates 7 alternate takes of some of the tracks from the standard version.

Ray Davies – Our Country: Americana Act II CD/2xLP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
The continuing story of The Kinks co-founder’s journeys through America, as depicted in his 2013 memoir Americana and 2017’s album of the same name, Our Country: Americana Act II is a concept album borne from Davies’ vision of America – how it shaped him and evolved through the years. Like its predecessor, the album was recorded at the legendary Konk Studios in London with guitarist Bill Shanley and The Jayhawks once again serving as Davies’ backing band.

The Essex Green – Hardly Electronic CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Fans will recognize The Essex Green’s signature sound on their first new album in 12 years: stacks of harmonies, upbeat melodies telling melancholy tales, layers of keys and sparkling Telecasters. Their time-honored custom of fusing obsession with spontaneity has been refined through experience and wisdom. Hardly Electronic explores the evolution of old friendships, the sadness of losing touch, the inadequacies of technology, and finally, the desire for reconnection with songs like “Bye Bye Crow” and “Slanted by Six”. Themes of connectivity for the online generation are on display in the war cry chorus of “Don’t Leave It In Our Hands,” while songs like “Bristol Sky” and “January Says” hint at how the same technology-connected culture can create division and distance, even in the most personal of relationships. The result is classic Essex Green sonic diversity.

The Flaming Lips – Seeing The Unseeable: The Complete Studio Recordings Of The Flaming Lips 1986-1990 6xCD (Rhino/Ryko)
Collects all four studio albums The Flaming Lips released on Restless Records between 1984 and 1990: Hear It Is (1986), Oh My Gawd!!!…The Flaming Lips (1987), Telepathic Surgery (1989) and In A Priest Driven Ambulance (1990). The set is also packed with rare recordings originally released as B-sides, flexi discs, and compilation tracks.

Florence + The Machine – High As Hope CD/LP (Republic)
Florence + The Machine’s fourth studio album is the sound of an artist who appears more certain than ever of herself. “It’s always a work in progress, and I definitely don’t have everything figured out,” bandleader Florence Welch notes. “But this feels like quite a pure expression of who I am now, as an artist, and an honest one. I’m just more comfortable with who I am.” Florence writes about her teens and twenties with a renewed, more mature perspective: of growing up in South London, of family, relationships and art itself. “There’s a lot of love in this record, loneliness too, but a lot of love,” she adds. Collaborators on High As Hope include Kamasi Washington, Sampha, Tobias Jesso Jr, Kelsey Lu and Jamie xx.

Garbage – Version 2.0 [Reissue/1998] 2xCD/2xLP+MP3/3xLP+MP3 (Play It Again Sam)
Digitally remastered 20th Anniversary edition of the second studio album by Garbage. Expanded double-CD edition includes ten bonus tracks. Double-disc orange colored vinyl pressing with digital download and limited deluxe triple 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed inside a rigid box with magnet closure are both also available.

Gorillaz – The Now Now CD/LP+MP3/2xLP+MP3 (WB)
In contrast to the cast of characters that joined the apocalyptic party thrown by Damon Albarn and his cartoon crew on 2017’s multiple-Grammy-nominated Humanz, The Now Now sees the band largely eschewing guest stars (save George Benson, Snoop Dogg and Jamie Principle), taking it back to the core Gorillaz crew: blue-haired, sweet-natured dreamer 2D on vocals; whip-smart Japanese badass Noodle on guitar; Brooklyn-born philosopher and the meat – behind-the-beat Russel Hobbs on drums. Vibrant lead single “Humility” features legendary jazz guitarist George Benson. [Deluxe blue colored vinyl box set also available.]

Anthony Green – Would You Still Be In Love CD/LP (Memory Music)
Since his 2008 release Avalon and before that with bands like Circa Survive and Saosin, Green has captivated audiences worldwide with his distinct high tenor crooning over a number of different genres. His second release for esteemed producer Will Yip’s record label Memory Music and fifth solo effort overall follows-up 2016’s acclaimed Pixie Queen and features nine new heartbreaking songs including a cover of “Love” from the 1973 Disney film Robin Hood.

Jim James – Uniform Distortion CD/LP+MP3 (ATO)
The My Morning Jacket frontman releases his third studio album and follow-up to 2016’s Eternally Even. “My head feels like it is exploding with the amount of information we are forced to consume on a daily basis, and how that information is so distorted there is almost no longer any tangible truth,” says James. “The name of my new record is Uniform Distortion because I feel like there is this blanket distortion on society/media and the way we gather our ‘news’ and important information. More and more of us are feeling lost and looking for new ways out of this distortion and back to the truth…and finding hope in places like the desert where I write this now…finding hope in the land and in the water and in old books offering new ideas and most importantly in each other and love.” [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]

Late Bloomer – Waiting CD/LP (6131)
On Late Bloomer’s third full length, Waiting, the band have truly come into their own with an achingly human record that explores the crushing uncertainty of adulthood through a mix of hook-driven guitar rock and punk urgency. The album centers on ever-changing perspectives, with all three members (drummer Scott Wishart, bassist Josh Robbins, and guitarist Neil Mauney – who fittingly all met in Wishart’s own shop, Lunchbox Records) contributing to the writing process to utilize their personal narratives, as well as points-of-view completely outside their own. While much of Waiting’s core revolves around the anxiety and confusion of everyday life, sonically the album finds the Charlotte, NC-based band more confident and focused than ever. Tracks like “Sleeve” and “January” take aim at toxic male behavior and call for less posturing and more listening, while elsewhere the band dissects the outdated idea of a “rock and roll lifestyle” being a guise for darker problems. Album closer “Life Is Weird” sums up Waiting‘s existential melancholy but also reiterates the album’s underlying sense: there’s something worthwhile in the strangeness.

Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears CD/LP (PIAS America)
Experimental pop act Let’s Eat Grandma follow-up on the cult success of their debut album I, Gemini (2016) with the game-changing I’m All Ears. The British duo, comprised of teenage vocalists, multi-instrumentalists and songwriters Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, pole-vault expectations and preconceptions here delivering something fresh, fun and meaningful. I’m All Ears is alive with furious pop, unapologetic grandeur and intimate ballads. Featuring loops, outrageous ‘80s drum solos, as well as production from David Wrench (The xx, Frank Ocean, Caribou), Sophie (famed for her own material and work with Madonna, Charli XCX and Vince Staples) and Faris Badwan (The Horrors), I’m All Ears is one of the more infectious and innovative records you’ll hear this year.

Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams – Vanished Gardens CD/2xLP (Blue Note)
A transcendent new album that presents the fascinating collaboration between NEA Jazz Master saxophonist/composer Charles Lloyd and acclaimed Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams. Together they weave several threads of American music (jazz, blues, Americana, country, and rock) into a thrilling and uplifting musical hybrid. The Marvels are Bill Frisell on guitar, Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar and dobro, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland on drums.

The Milk Carton Kids – All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn’t Do CD/2xLP+MP3 (Epitaph)
The Milk Carton Kids once again opted to push the envelope of their distinctive sound, this time crafting their first-ever LP to feature backing by other musicians. All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn’t Do sees Ryan and Pattengale joined in the studio by a truly stellar lineup of top session players, including Russ Pahl (Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton) on pedal steel and other guitars, bassists Paul Kowert (Punch Brothers) and Dennis Crouch (Gregg Allman, Johnny Cash), Wilco’s Pat Sansone on piano, mellotron, and Hammond organ, drummer Jay Bellerose (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Elton John, Willie Nelson), cellist Nathaniel Smith (Sarah Jarosz, Abigail Washburn), Levon Henry (Blake Mills, Nico Muhly) on clarinet and saxophone, Live From Here with Chris Thile favorite Brittany Haas on fiddle and mandolin as well as Lindsay Lou and Logan Ledger lending additional vocals.

The Posies – Dear 23 [Reissue/1990] 2xCD/2xLP (Omnivore)
The major-label debut from alternative/power popsters, who celebrate their 30th anniversary as a band this year, remastered from the original tapes. The CD edition features a disc of previously unreleased tracks, while the vinyl edition was cut at 45rpm. “‘My Big Mouth’ opens things up, and the band’s debt to the brilliant Hollies is evident, yet they’ve put their own spin on the strum and jangle sound with big harmonies. ‘Golden Blunders’ is marvelous ear candy with a memorable main melody and strong lyrics. And the muscle behind the sweetness kicks ass! That’s what power pop is all about really, an amalgam of sweetness and light mashed with hard driving drums and bass, and these guys do it so well! ‘Apology’ is a moody tone piece swathed with melancholy, unveiling some marvelous vocal lines and also giving a nod to Big Star, a band that Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow played in, so it’s all fitting. Current fans will revel in rediscovering this record and possibly hearing some alternate takes and other originals for the first time. Fans of Big Star, The Beatles, The Byrds, and likeminded groups will adore this.” – The Big Takeover

The Rock*A*Teens – Sixth House CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Born in Cabbagetown, GA, the Rock*A*Teens carved their signature echo-wrapped, wounded-heart music on the edges of the Atlanta music scene more than 20 years ago. Led by songwriter and lead singer/guitarist Christopher Lopez, the band released a handful of reverb-drenched singles and full-lengths on the independent Daemon and Merge labels in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Following their reunion at the Merge 25 festival and the reissue of their last LP Sweet Bird Of Youth (2000), the group returned to touring and playing live. Restless with the need to move forward, the band began writing and recording new music. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]

Self Defense Family – Have You Considered Punk Music CD/LP (Run For Cover)
With over thirty releases under their name, Self Defense Family continues to become increasingly more like an actual extended family. Their latest full-length, Have You Considered Punk Music, finds the group at their decidedly most self-reflective, taking on popular mythologies and personal narratives from a lifetime in music as the album’s overarching themes. Following their usual process-based mode of writing and recording almost simultaneously, the resulting LP features an array of songs that feel tightly composed while maintaining the loose, spirited air of improvisational music. With ten songs that reflect the diverse musical interests of its members and their mutual affinity for repetitive post-punk, psychedelic rock, and various film scores, Have You Considered Punk Music documents a band further refining their own particular invention.

The Wild Feathers – Greetings From The Neon Frontier CD/LP (Reprise)
The Wild Feathers return with Greetings From The Neon Frontier, which finds the band embracing their more countrified influences, while retaining the heavy harmonies, gritty guitar playing, and smart, tight songwriting that brought them to prominence.

Wild Moccasins – Look Together CD/LP+MP3 (New West)
Wild Moccasins’ third full-length tackles themes of repairing relationships, shedding insecurities, and fresh starts, with vibrant guitar and synth lines layered under soaring pop melodies. The album is highly pop-powered, with Ben H. Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Deerhunter, Animal Collective) at the production helm.

Swervedriver – Raise [Reissue/1991] LP (Music On Vinyl)
The Oxford based alternative rock band Swervedriver continued to develop themselves by implementing different music into their alternative rock and shoegaze sound. Their first album Raise can be categorized as an album with a heavy sound, but also some melodic parts. Limited numbered 180gm transparent red colored vinyl pressing.

Ryan Adams – Baby I Love You b/w Was I Wrong? 7” (Pax-Am/Blue Note)
Brought to you on the wings of Cupid, “Baby I Love You” is exactly what it sounds like: A song to one’s baby, whom they love – a unique twist on Ryan Adams’ classic recipe, with key ingredient “sad” replaced by “happy.” The 2018 Valentine’s day surprise single is presented here on 7″ vinyl with the unreleased Prisoner sessions B-side “Was I Wrong?”

Crooked Fingers – Red Devil Dawn [2003] LP+MP3 (Merge)
First-time on vinyl. Love songs abound on 2003’s Red Devil Dawn, but most of the love is dead or dying or at least dirty. That makes sense: Just a few years after his split with indie stalwarts Archers of Loaf, Eric Bachmann had forcefully forged a new identity and sound with Crooked Fingers, and he quickly amassed a catalog of gorgeous, poetic songs about weary losers and broken lives. [Limited edition red colored pressing also available.]

Dead Cross – Dead Cross 12” (Ipecac)
Consisting of Dave Lombardo, Justin Pearson, Michael Crain, and Mike Patton, the impressive, expansive, and eclectic list of prior bands collectively played in would be enough to ensure the unyielding ferocity of Dead Cross’s music; however, their new EP stands on its own with its multilayered evil-genius vocals, manic guitar riffs, and brutal rhythms.

Dave Matthews – Come Tomorrow 2xLP+MP3 (RCA)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Dave Matthews Band’s long-awaited ninth studio album Come Tomorrow serves as their first since 2012’s Away From The World. Working between tours at studios in Seattle, Los Angeles and Charlottesville, DMB chose to record with several different producers, including John Alagia, Mark Batson, Rob Cavallo and Rob Evans. Brandi Carlile harmonizes with Matthews on the shimmering title track which finds hope in our youth and the impact they will have on the world while fan favorite “Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin)” has been hailed by Rolling Stone as an “understated plea for compassion and tolerance.” The cover art for Come Tomorrow is by Béatrice Coron, who creates narrative allegories in silhouette to render archetypal stories.

Run The Jewels – Stay Gold (Smiff & Cash Remix) 12” (Run The Jewels)
Etched red vinyl 12″ in Marvel variant gatefold cover.