STAFF PICKS
Lindsay – Emil Amos, Willie Nelson reissue 
Dario – Lee Morgan reissue
Kimber – Boo Radleys
Caleb – Willien Nelson reissue and Smithsonian Folkways comp
Zach – Augustus Pablo and Atmosphere

Black Dog Productions – Bytes LP [Reissue/1993] (Warp)
The third album in the Artificial Intelligence series, Bytes was originally released in 1993 and this reissue marks the 30th anniversary. Black Dog Productions were Ed Handley, Andy Turner and Ken Downie. For this record, Handley, Turner and Downie appear under various guises: Atypic, Balil, I.A.O, Close Up Over, Xeper, Discordian Popes and Plaid.

Madlib – Rock Konducta Pt 2 LP (Madlib Invazion)
Rock Konducta is the fifth installment in Madlib’s Beat Konducta series. Previous entries include: Beat Konducta: Movie Scenes, Beat Konducta: in India, Beat Konducta: Dil Cosby and Dil Withers Suites and Beat Konducta in Africa. Rock Konducta grabs its source material from various worldwide rock scenes from the 60s through the 80s, from American psychedelia to Germany’s krautrock to acid-soaked Spanish prog to synthy, early-80s oddities. Tied together by Madlib’s unique sensibility, these scenes coalesce into a new whole. Who knew that rock music sounded like this? Well, there’s one obvious answer to that question.

The Black Dog – Spanners  LP [Reissue/1995] (Warp)
Originally released in 1995, Spanners is the second album from The Black Dog and their first for Warp Records. In 2017 it was selected by Pitchfork as one of ‘The 50 Best IDM Albums of All Time’. The reissue will be the first time the vinyl is available since its original pressing in 1995. After this release the original trio of Ed Handley, Andy Turner and Ken Downie went their separate ways – Handley and Turner formed Plaid, whilst Downie carried on with The Black Dog name, initially by himself, and latterly with the assistance of brothers Martin and Richard Dust.

Godflesh – Purge LP (Avalanche Recordings)
Available on black and colored vinyl. With the highly anticipated 2023 album Purge, Godflesh revisits and updates the concepts of Pure (1992), as well as bringing a whole host of new dirges and laments. Amongst the many layers of dirt, Purge mangles ’90s hip-hop grooves and puts them through the Godflesh filter to create something futuristic in style – and utterly unique, just as Pure was upon its release in 1992. Both minimal and maximal, Godflesh deliver alien grooves that swing whilst also retaining the psychedelic, bad-trip edge with layer upon layer of filth and heaviness that Godflesh have always been known for. This is, and always has been, feel-bad music.

The Front Bottoms – You Are Who You Hang Out With CD/LP (Fueled By Ramen)
For New Jersey’s The Front Bottoms, working on new music has always been therapeutic, but on their new album You Are Who You Hang Out With, having complete and utter fun took top priority for the duo of Brian Sella and Mat Uychich. It’s this carefree and laid-back mindset that colored the sessions for the album. Armed with the duo’s signature anthemic melodies, take-no-prisoners lyrics and tight musical interplay, every spin of You Are Who You Hang Out With is a chance to peek behind the curtain at two friends having one hell of a time doing what they do best. [An indie store exclusive vinyl color is available.]

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Demos & Rarities (Music To Kill Bad People To – Volume 1) [Reissue/2020] LP (Org Music)
Music To Kill Bad People To is a compilation of demos and rare recordings by Australian acid rock band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard recorded between 2011 and 2020. Part of the official Bootlegger series, this LP has exclusive alternate cover art by visual artist Griffin Scanlan and was mastered by Joseph Carra. This version is pressed on seafoam color vinyl.

Luna – The Days Of Our Nights [Reissue/1999] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited orange color vinyl pressing. Galaxie 500 co-founder Dean Wareham took his penchant for crafting sneakily hooky indie pop songs with gorgeously melodic, Television-esque guitar work into the ’90s with his band Luna. The group made four critically acclaimed albums for Elektra, but in 1999, the label dropped them on the eve of releasing The Days Of Our Nights, leaving them without American distribution (the album was eventually released on the short-lived Jericho imprint). As a result, The Days Of Our Nights has been hard to find over the years; in fact, this marks the first time it’s been available as a stand-alone vinyl release in the US.

Lee Morgan – Infinity [Reissue/1981] LP (Blue Note)
Lee Morgan’s Infinity, which was recorded in 1965 but not released until 1981, finds the great trumpeter leading a robust quintet featuring saxophonist Jackie McLean, pianist Larry Willis, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Billy Higgins to the far reaches of the hard bop tradition and beyond. Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet Series.

Willie Nelson – Teatro [Reissue/1998] LP (Island)
Teatro is the 45th studio album, released in 1998, by American country music singer Willie Nelson. It contains tracks such as “The Maker”, “I Never Cared For You”, “Everywhere I Go”, and more.

Panda Bear – Tomboy [Reissue/2011] LP+MP3 (Domino)
Recorded at his studio in Lisbon, Tomboy sees Animal Collective member Panda Bear aka Noah Lennox stepping away from the sample-based parameters of his previous record, Person Pitch, and incorporating more guitar and synthesizer. The record, massive in its span of emotion, genre, and sound, is the welcome return of one of the most prolific and consistent audio pioneers in recent memory.

Emil Amos – Zone Black LP (Drag City)
Emil Amos (Grails, OM and podcaster plus) decommissions pieces originally bound for the KPM library. A personal interpolation of ‘music for films (& television)’ expounds upon diverse sounds: synthy 80s soundtracks, contemporary hip-hop beatmaking, ambient music, and The Hulk’s “Lonely Man Theme”. Emil’s dark visions are full of noirish shadows and eerie neon glow – mood music for drug trips spent dreaming up new soundtracks to take drugs to!

Gil Scott-Heron & His Amnesia Express – Legend In His Own Mind 2xLP (Made In Germany Music)
Green color vinyl pressing. A fantastic concert Gil Scott-Heron gave with his band at the Schauburg Theater in Bremen (Germany) on April 18, 1983.

Mr Scruff – Trouser Jazz 20th Anniversary LP (Ninja Tune)
Limited, colored vinyl reissue. Originally released in 2002, Trouser Jazz was the hotly anticipated follow-up to the Manchester-based DJ, producer, record collector and cartoonist’s barnstorming debut Keep it Unreal (1999). Trouser Jazzneatly encapsulated Scruff’s ethos, his joie de vivre and his inimitable combination of tight knit funk, expansive sonics and dancefloor dynamite. Recorded largely at his home studio, it featured collaborations with UK rapper Braintax (founder of the cult British hip-hop label Low Life); Homelife’s octave defying Seaming To, Niko and bassist Sneaky (both Mancunians and affiliated with the highly respected Grand Central imprint).

Various Artists – Playing For The Man At The Door: Field Recordings From The Collection Of Mack McCormick, 1958-1971 3xCD (Smithsonian Folkways)
In the 1950s and ‘60s, the blues was the dominant form of Black vernacular music throughout Texas and the surrounding areas. In segregated neighborhoods, community members gathered in saloons, dancehalls, and each other’s homes to hear their neighbors sing their stories of sorrow, heartbreak, jubilation, and triumph. Robert “Mack” McCormick, an academically untrained but fanatical devotee of the blues, stepped into this world and became one of its most devout advocates and documentarians. By photographing Black and Latino Texans and their neighborhoods, as well as recording and interviewing musicians-many of whom never stepped foot into a proper recording studio – McCormick endeared and eventually embedded himself into these communities. Playing For The Man At The Door: Field Recordings From The Collection Of Mack McCormick, 1958-1971 is the first compilation of music drawn from his legendary archive, which indelibly documents a pivotal moment in African American history. [Vinyl edition due September 8.]

Atmosphere – Sad Clown Band Dub 2 [Reissue/2000] CD/2xLP (Rhymesayers)
Originally released in 2000, Sad Clown Bad Dub 2 was a rather stripped-down DIY release – a simple CD tucked behind an illustrated cover with handwritten tracklist and liner notes. The recordings were equally as rough, consisting of a dozen raw four-track demos that hadn’t been treated to any sort of mixing or mastering. Although Atmosphere initially produced only 500 copies of these CDs to sell on the road for extra cash, the buzz and the subsequent demand from fans eventually led the group to pressing more of the CDs, this time stamping the cover art with the phrase “Authorized Bootleg” as a sly nod to those who’d been ripping and sharing the files.

The Boo Radleys – Eight CD/LP (Boostr)
2023 studio release from the Britpop band. Given encouragement by the tremendous reception of last year’s live return and first album in more than two decades, the three-piece return with Eight. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]

The Jesus & Mary Chain – Sunset 666 (Live At Hollywood Palladium) CD (Cooking Vinyl)
Recorded at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles in 2018.

Guster – Keep It Together LP [Reissue/2003] (Nettwerk)
Reissue on limited, green vinyl. Gold-certified Boston alternative outfit Guster reached another milestone on their fourth studio album Keep It Together. They recorded 14 tracks during sessions in Bearsville, NY, New York, NY, Burbank, CA, and Shokan, NY, churning out favorites such as “Amsterdam” and the title track “Keep It Together.” The latter appeared in The O.C., while “I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today” soundtracked key moments in the blockbuster comedy Wedding Crashers and an episode of Malcolm in the Middle.

Gov’t Mule – Dark Side Of The Mule [Reissue/2014] 2xLP (Evil Teen)
Double white color vinyl pressing. Dark Side Of The Mule is a live album by Gov’t Mule composed of covers of Pink Floyd songs. The album was recorded in 2008 during a three-hour gig at Boston’s Orpheum Theatre on Halloween night.

Grateful Dead – Dicks Picks Volume One: Tampa, Florida 12/19/73 [Reissue/1993] 4xLP (Real Gone Music)
The road to Dick’s Picks Vol. 1 began in 1985, when Grateful Dead archivist Dick Latvala sat bassist Phil Lesh down and virtually forced him to listen to some tapes from older shows. It still took Dick eight years to get the band to agree to release the first volume of Dick’s Picks, and the second one didn’t come till two years later… but Dick’s persistence paid off with a series of live recordings that revolutionized the way bands approach archival material. Now, on the 30th anniversary of its release and the 50th anniversary of the show itself, Real Gone Music is proud to reissue Dick’s Picks Volume One: Tampa Florida 12/19/73, remastered for vinyl by Jeffrey Norman from the original analog tapes for the first time ever (the previous LP release was taken from digital files).

Son Lux – Everything Everywhere All At Once LP (A24)
The official soundtrack for A24’s latest film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, the album is an explosion of hear-it-to-believe-it collaborations. The most ambitious project to date for experimental trio Son Lux, the 49 track album is fit not only for the screen – scoring the action packed, and deeply moving film – but as an independent album. It’s a feat of musical prowess, combining the signature electronic feel of Son Lux with ornaments of brilliant instrumentation. The features, all anchored by Son Lux’s compositions, include a Mitski & David Byrne Duet, vocals from Moses Sumney and Randy Newman, and flute from the legendary André Benjamin.

Dropkick Murphys – The Meanest Of Times [Reissue/2007] LP (Spirit SMA)
Green colorway. Dropkick Murphys came out swinging with their sixth studio album The Meanest Of Times; a collection of tales about family, loyalty and remembering where you came from. The Meanest Of Times contains all the best elements of the DKM sound: a complex distillation of classic punk rock, Celtic folk and American rock ‘n’ roll, this album puts the band’s diversity, intensity and sincerity on full display.

The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead [Reissue/1986] LP (Rhino)
Digitally remastered edition of this 1986 album from the legendary British quartet. The Queen Is Dead is The Smiths’ great leap forward, taking the band to new musical and lyrical heights.

Augustus Pablo – Roots, Rockers & Dub LP (Nature)
Green vinyl. Visionary artist Augustus Pablo is among the most important figures in reggae history.  Widely credited with popularizing the use of the melodica in reggae, Pablo was a talented musician and an innovative producer who became an early dub pioneer.  Now regarded as classics, his memorable 1970s recordings were part of the remarkable creative surge that vaulted the Jamaican music scene to international prominence.  Much of this material was released by Rockers, an independent record label founded by Pablo and named after his popular Kingston sound system.  Now, Nature Sounds is proud to present Roots, Rockers, & Dub, a new Augustus Pablo vinyl collection celebrating the 50th anniversary of Rockers.  Featuring classic dubs along with rare and out-of-print tracks, the album captures Pablo’s immense contribution to roots reggae by highlighting a wealth of material spanning his entire career, all released on Rockers.  Fully remastered and released in partnership with the Pablo family, Roots, Rockers, & Dub is a fitting tribute to an artist whose music still reverberates heavily more than two decades after his passing.

COMING NEXT WEEK!
CULT – Ceremony LP reissue
LUSH – Lovelife LP reissue
LUSH – Split LP reissue
LUSH – Spooky LP reissue
TY SEGALL / EMMETT KELLY – Live At Worship LP
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY – Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You CD/LP
LIAM GALLAGHER – Knebworthm22 CD/LP
NEIL YOUNG – Chrome Dreams CD/LP
DAVID BOWIE – Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars CD/LP reissue
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY – Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You CD/LP
PUBLIC IMAGE LTD – End Of World CD/LP
JUNGLE – Volcano CD/LP
JULEE CRUISE – Floating Into The Night LP
HIVES – Death Of Nancy Fitzsimmons CD/LP
KHRUANGBIN / MEN I TRUST – Live at RBC Echo Beach LP
DE LA SOUL – AOI: Bionix CD/LP/CASS
DE LA SOUL – AOI: Mosaic Thump CD/LP/CASS
FREDDIE GIBBS – Freddie LP
SON LUX – Alternate Forms LP
JOHN CALE – Words For The Dying LP