JACK WHITE – Entering Heaven Alive CD/LP (Third Man)
Jack White returns in 2022 with not one but two brand new albums – his first new full-length collections in over four years. Fear Of The Dawn arrived in April, while Entering Heaven Alive is now available. White has been writing and recording music throughout the entirety of the past several years, creating two entirely distinctive albums – each defined by different inspirations, different themes, different moods. Introduced by the countrified “Taking Me Back (Gently)” (which appears on Fear Of The Dawn in a blazing electric version), Entering Heaven Alive is the fifth solo studio album from the founding member of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather. [An indie store exclusive blue vinyl pressing is available.]

NINA NASTASIA – Riderless Horse CD (Temporary Residence)
Riderless Horse documents the grief of the passing of Nina’s musical partner, but it also marks moments of empowerment and a real happiness in discovering her own capability. “Steve Albini produced this record with me, and Greg Norman assisted. The three of us are old friends, and we did a field recording in a guesthouse built like a lighthouse that two very dear friends of mine have in Esopus, NY. It was exactly the right environment to work on this record. We all had meals together, cried, laughed, and told stories. It was perfect. It made me realize how much I love writing, playing and recording music. Terrible things happen. These were some terrible things. So, what to do – learn something valuable, connect with people, move the fuck out of that apartment, remember the humor, find the humor, tell the truth, and make a record. I made a record.”

SHE AND HIM – Melt Away: A Tribute To Brian Wilson CD/LP (Fantasy)
She & Him’s seventh studio album is a loving tribute to one of the greatest living American singer/songwriters, Brian Wilson. Melt Away: A Tribute To Brian Wilson finds Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward diving deep into the legendary artist’s extensive songbook with fascinating and delectable new spins on time-honored classics and overlooked gems. These 14 covers are infused with the familiar magic She & Him fans know and love, offering a new window into Wilson’s iconic catalog. The duo, known for the stylish interpretations and sharply drawn originals, have refined their style across their six-album, 14-year collaboration. [An indie store exclusive ‘lemonade’ yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]

DAWES – Misadventures Of Doomscroller CD/LP (Rounder)
From the first note, Misadventures Of Doomscroller, the eighth studio album by the Los Angeles based rock band Dawes, sets a tone all its own. The 6-track wonderfully epic and at times psychedelic album highlights Dawes’ popular live shows, showcasing their natural musicality. Taylor Goldsmith explains, “We’ve always tried to be minimalists. Now we wanna be maximalists. See how far a song can take us. Find the song within a song. Strive for a kind of excellence we always quietly believed we had inside us but didn’t have the balls to put it down on tape.”

STIMULATOR JONES – Round Spiritual Ring LP (Stones Throw)
Stimulator Jones is back with a new record out this summer on Stones Throw, featuring a variety of sounds such as hip-hop, lo-fi, jazz, psychedelic rock, and R&B. The album will be accompanied by a found-footage music video, a digital advertisement featuring a special message from Stimulator, curated playlists, custom guitar picks, and lots more.

JOHN MORELAND – Birds In The Ceiling CD/LP (Old Omens)
John Moreland’s new album Birds In The Ceiling is a nine-song collection that offers the most comprehensive insight into the thoughts and sounds swimming around in his head to date. A compelling blend of acoustic folk and avant-garde pop playfulness, Birds In The Ceiling lives confidently in a space of its own, enriched by tradition but never encumbered by it. The songwriting that has stunned fans and critics alike since 2015’s High On Tulsa Heat remains potent, while the sonic evolution that unfolds on the record feels like a natural expansion of 2020’s acclaimed LP5. [An indie store exclusive translucent blue color vinyl pressing is available.]

TY SEGALL – Hello Hi CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)
Tossing down straight acoustic shots with electric guitar back, Hello, Hi rides through the valley of yer ol’ Canyon legends, finding an isolated place to unspool Ty Segall’s copious reserves of nervous energy beneath an open sky. Swarms of harmony vocals caper among the clouds, but there’s a rider on the horizon behind, with crossbow trained on his very own heart – the engine driving all the relationships of life, whether down Broadway or over the cliffs at night. Whatever doesn’t get killed is getting stronger all the time. A lean, mean deal, baked in saltwater and sunlight, compassion pouring out its beautiful blue eyes.

NICK ZINNER – 41 Strings LP (Chaikin)
Guitarist, composer and producer Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 13 million year old ghost) and Chaikin Records proudly present 41 Strings, a song cycle for string orchestra, electric guitars and expanded rhythm section. This four-movement composition was originally commissioned for a large-scale Earth Day event and draws inspiration from and pays tribute to the four seasons. Notable performances over the years include those at Sydney Opera House, London’s Royal Festival Hall and NYC’s Rockefeller Center. Each performance of the piece features stellar special guests; previous guests have included Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith), Paul Banks (Interpol), Sarah Lipstate (Noveller, Iggy Pop) among many more. The rhythm section features members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio and Boredoms. 41 Strings’s compositional style is purposefully simple, lyrical and minimal; each of the four season’s is treated as its own distinct ‘character’ to conjure a sentimental link of association, experience and environment.

CARLOS NINO AND FRIENDS – Extra Presence LP (International Anthem)
A 90 minute, 17 track, 2 LP collection showcasing the Los Angeles modern music scene pioneer’s unique, highly developed, self-described “Spiritual, Improvisational, Space Collage” sound, and featuring an incredible cast of collaborators (including Jamael Dean, Nate Mercereau, Shabazz Palaces, Deantoni Parks, Sam Gendel, Laraaji, Jamire Williams, Iasos, and more).

CALIFONE – Roots and Crowns LP reissue (Thrill Jockey)
Limited edition LP reissue on ice age blue vinyl. Roots and Crowns. “Uniting where you come from – your roots – with what you strive to be or what you reinvent yourself to become – crowns,” explains Califone’s Tim Rutili. “At the bottom of these songs are the memories and images you sift through in the process.”

BEN HARPER – Bloodline Maintenance CD (PIAS)
Ben Harper returns with his eagerly anticipated, fiercely personal soulful album, Bloodline Maintenance. The album is preceded by the single “We Need To Talk About It” which, propelled by Harper’s blisteringly funky guitar, defiantly addresses the wounds of slavery through a sharp-edged call-and-response with gospel backing vocals and pounding rhythms augmented by the distinctive sound of the African talking drum. “This whole album is really soul music reinterpreted with a lap steel,” Harper says. “I believe strongly that music has this great capacity for communication like a sonic newsprint. And I’ve always believed that the music I write has a place in the choir.” Bloodline Maintenance is a work largely inspired by the loss of a long-time friend and the lingering influence of his mercurial and charismatic father. Harper performed most of the instruments on his own, spanning guitar, bass, drums, and an eclectic assortment of percussions including a plastic toy snare. [Vinyl edition due September 30.]

BEACH BUNNY – Emotional Creature CD/LP/Cassette (Mom + Pop)
As lockdown approached in 2020, Chicago-based singer Lili Trifilio was wrapping up a tour in support of Beach Bunny’s debut album, Honeymoon. Suddenly, she found herself back at her parents’ house, coping with her new reality. To deal, she retreated into sci-fi stories and her always-active imagination. She envisioned new places to travel in her mind, thus dreaming up big, bombastic pop sounds to construct Beach Bunny’s highly anticipated sophomore album, Emotional Creature. Simultaneously about personal growth, Emotional Creature is a collection of highly relatable songs that capture the highs and lows of new relationships, the joys, and vulnerabilities of letting someone in, the gut-wrenching realities of experiencing anxiety, leaving toxic relationships, and seeing yourself through the eyes of the one you love. These complex feelings are expertly contrasted with ultra-poppy melodies, anthemic choruses, and a slight punk edge. With its openhearted, vulnerable themes and progressive, hook-filled take on pop rock and pop punk, Emotional Creature only further cements Beach Bunny and Trifilio’s well-earned reputation as a leading voice of their generation. [An orange w/ yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE – Old Dead Young: B-Sides & Rarities CD (Arts & Crafts)
Old Dead Young: B-Sides & Rarities is everything in between: A career-spanning collection of B-sides, rarities, and outtakes pulled from 20 years of 7” singes, compilations, soundtracks, unreleased music, and hard-to-find releases. Despite being a compilation, it has the same cohesion of a meticulously considered full-length album with all the familiar euphoric highs and meditative lows.

NAS – Magic CD/LP/Cassette (Mass Appeal)
Produced by Nas’ longtime collaborator Hit-Boy, Nas shares Magic, the transcendent 9 track album including “Wave Gods” ft. A$AP Rocky and DJ Premier. Magic follows the August 2021 release of Grammy nominated album, King’s Disease II.

JOE PUG – Nation Of Heat / Revisited CD/10” (Joe Pug)
A complete, full-band reimagining of the 2008 solo-acoustic debut. This entirely new album features performances by Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Derry Deborja of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit, Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket, Courtney Hartman, and many others. The album’s cover is by legendary Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick and the liner notes were composed by Steve Earle.

HOT CHOCOLATE – Hot Chocolate [Reissue/1971] LP (Numero)
Limited brown color vinyl pressing. Combined with the planet’s leading Afrocentric confectionery and its derivative beverage, more than a few light bulbs were set to go off in newly christened practice spaces globally upon Hot Chocolate’s inevitable suggestion. Little did Ragland know, an interracial band of musical Englishmen were eyeballing the same nom de chanson in their native Brixton. They approached John Lennon for clearance for their reggae cover of “Give Peace A Chance,” but the powerful Beatle liked their interpretation so much, he added them to the band’s Apple Records roster, thrusting the Brits ahead in the race to make Hot Chocolate a household name for something other than dark, sweet beverages. Despite the potential confusion-and perhaps in hope of capitalizing on it, Lou Ragland began filling his mug with a host of recordings that would make up his Hot Chocolate’s eponymous debut.

HOUSE OF PAIN – House Of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics) [Reissue/192] LP (Tommy Boy)
Tommy Boy Records celebrates 30 Years of House of Pain’s debut album House Of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics) with this remastered edition. Everlast, DJ Lethal & Danny Boy formed House Of Pain while attending high school and were signed to Tommy Boy Records after fashioning themselves as rowdy Irish-American hooligans, hitting the local rap and alternative music scene.

LOU RAGLAND – Is The Conveyor “Understand Each Other” [Reissue/1978] LP (Numero)
Limited-edition clear vinyl pressing. The last chapter of Lou Ragland’s Cleveland career was perhaps the most monumental. By its completion, Understand Each Other – more often referred to as The ConVeyor, with that uppercase V intentional but unexplained-featured generations of Cleveland luminaries, and representation from most scenes, both sexes, and several ethnicities.

BARTEES STRANGE – Live @ Studio 4 LP (Run For Cover)
Orange/brown w/ yellow twist color vinyl. Following the release of Bartees Strange’s stunning debut Live Forever, Bartees and his band took a trip to Conshohocken PA to record an electric set of album tracks and other songs from his catalog with producer Will Yip (Title Fight, Tigers Jaw). The performance has been pressed on limited color vinyl and offers a new look at one of the most exciting songwriters in the game today. The performance covers most of Bartees Strange’s 2020 LP, an album of the year for that year from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, Stereogum and more. Tracked only months after that record’s release, this live set perfectly encapsulates what those outlets found so intriguing about Strange – tying a “dizzying blend of genre work” together as Stereogum said into an album that celebrates its myriad influences.

YARD ACT – The Overload LP (Zen F.C.)
Limited silver color vinyl pressing. Yard Act formed in Leeds in September 2019 when Ryan Needham found himself temporarily living in James Smith’s spare bedroom. Settling into a system of programming, looping and layering, the alchemy between the two created a base from which to build their complex and ever-expanding narrative world.