News
What's New 2-23-24
El Viejo is a masterful homage to western heritage, blending traditional country with modern storytelling as Lund's gravelly vocals deliver tales of cowboy life with authenticity and depth. From haunting balladry to rollicking romps, Lund's craftsmanship shines in this captivating journey through the heart of Americana, rich with soul and sincerity.
Olustee is a masterpiece of soul-shaking music. JJ’s deep Southern roots and skill as a storyteller shine through, whether he’s rocking with gospel-tent fervor or slowly winding his raspy voice around a lyric of heartbreak and loss. It’s an aggressively groove-driven record fueled by JJ’s gritty vocals and funk-infused guitar playing.
A very "MGMT MGMT album" which the band describes as "a group of songs about love and change, first and foremost." Descriptors from the band include: bold, flavorful, playful, sincere, optimistic, perceptive. Loss Of Life was produced by MGMT and Patrick Wimberly (Solange, Lil Yachty, MGMT), with mixing by Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips).
The non-binary, London-based artist continues their evolution, by inviting listeners into their unparalleled universe of alternative, infectious pop. Traumatic Livelihood explores themes of consent, addiction, and relationships while representing the sound and spirit of Generation Z’s genderless subculture – unapologetic and impossible to define.
10 tracks of heavyweight thrash-infused extremity and sprint-worthy speed, Quad Brutal will instantly have listeners coming back for more - ready for endless reps and skipping nothing (except maybe leg day). Austrian Death Machine is prepared to climb back to the top of their weight class - packing more punch than Mr. Universe himself with Quad Brutal!
The band’s long-awaited Moon Healer is musically multifaceted, unabashedly brutal, and compellingly conceptual. It’s a mathematically mind-blowing hybrid of bludgeoning death metal specializing in unconventional riffing that echoes the resemblance of legendary experimentalists like Cynic, Atheist, and Gorguts.
This is a glimpse into the mind of Dallon Weekes. Produced by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, MGMT), Gloom Division is the most autobiographical work to date from Weekes (formerly of Panic! At The Disco), leaving listeners with the same sense of euphoric fascination that sparked the album’s creation.
Trailblazing powerhouse Laura Jane Grace returns with an even stronger set of ‘50s-biting rock songs on her second full-length solo album, confronting aging, dysphoria, sobriety and her own legacy. While 2020’s Stay Alive felt limited by pandemic and production, Hole in My Head is an open invitation to a wild romp through Grace’s psyche.
With the album title Blu Wav meant to be a literal mash-up of “bluegrass” and “new wave”, the new collection has a distinct feel, a uniform vibe, and a somewhat unexpected sound. Lytle incorporates the lo-fi lushness and sometimes-psychedelic orchestration Grandaddy is known for with his first foray into true country.
Originally released independently in 2016 and commercially re-released in 2020 after Peep's untimely 2017 death, Crybaby's slow, thoughtful, and sweetly dreary songs were indeed music for searching, sensitive types to play when deep in their feelings. It’s a dismal, grasping affair that feels beautiful in all of its sadness.
Elegantly progressive and seemingly allergic to cliché, Illumishade set out with a flamboyant flourish, casually blending everything from gleaming modern metal to arcane atmospherics into their always highly melodic and symphonic sound. So much for the "difficult second album". This is the kind of immaculate creation from which great legacies are built.
Suffer & Become is a potent, unforgiving force of nature which challenges your perceptions of extreme metal, dragging you kicking and screaming through a vortex of horrifying but addictive passages. It might not be an album which you gravitate to on a regular basis but it is an album which will certainly leave a lasting impression.
The legendary musicians’ second album is a skillful combination of power and precision, fun and introspection, featuring soaring harmonies and a burst of R&B with the pure essence of rock and roll. Fourteen tracks showcase the remarkably versatile musical skills including one of the most renowned rhythm sections in rock history, Russ Kunkel and Leland Sklar.
Fans of Ramsey’s former projects, Band of Horses, Father John Misty and Lord Huron, will find New Lost Ages to be a relatable reprieve - one that feels both familiar and starkly new. Traversing genre-bending terrain, the new record is as indie and psych-rock as it is singer-songwriter, showcasing his talent and dedication to the craft.
Fans of big, shiny, 21st century melodic death metal are more than catered to these days, which makes this full-blooded return to first values all the more satisfying, particularly for those of us who prefer to dwell in the dirt. Upon Stone have resurrected something of profound value here. Dead Mother Moon is the real thing, revived and realized anew by true believers.
Featuring all never-before released live audio spanning the band's entire career from 1983 to 2023. Plus, special guest Vicki Peterson of the Bangles on a searing 15-minute version of "John Coltrane Stereo Blues" from the band's recent London appearance. Includes a DVD that includes a documentary and previously unreleased one hour 1983 live concert.
New Release Round-Up 02-23-24
STILL LISTENING TO...
Lil Peep - Cry Baby - Death Note Music / The Orchard
Lil Peep - Crybaby 1st Press 45rpm - in interviews that followed the release of Crybaby, and even afterwards during press runs for HELLBOY as well as Come Over When You're Sober Pt. 1, one of the most consistently asked (and answered) questions that would be thrown at Peep usually teetered around the lines somewhat of "aye Peep, love what you've been doing with your past couple of projects man, but what's the deal with that massive Crybaby tattoo you got on your forehead?" - To which, he would typically answer, "I got the Crybaby tat to keep me grateful, to remind myself that even if I'm going through a lot, there are kids across the world that don't even have clean water or know when their next meal will be, so I got it to remind myself that I need to be grateful for what little I have, and to keep pushing through for those who can't." - With this context now surrounding the whole ethos of this project, it seems fitting that the whole mixtape essentially focuses on Peep's hopes, dreams, and overcoming the emotions that ever so powerfully bled through nearly every song on here one way or another. Whether it's through the haunting coke lines on "Lil Jeep" and the Radiohead-sampled "Falling 4 Me", or through the ambitious glimpse into the future that initially got him signed in the first place with the Smokeasac-produced signature track "Nineteen", he flips blatant samples and turns them into his own songs. For example, there's a borderline "Wonderwall' cover (and hear me out on this one) in the shape of "Yesterday," where he paints a bleak picture of getting out of a toxic environment with the chorus "Change my name, shave my head // Tell my friends that I'm dead, run away from the pain // Yesterday is not today, it's not the same," that winds up adding to the source material more often than it taking away anything. - More notably though perhaps, is that he never conveys a sense of giving up when singing/rapping about any of these topics, and that only aids the sense of triumph found in moments all throughout the record. While it may seem like Peep is promoting all of the wrong things, what people don't seem to realize is that he never condones it; it's almost as if he's telling the listener to not make the same mistakes as he did, which eventually led to his untimely death just over a year later.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
MGMT - Loss Of Life [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Blue Jay Opaque LP]
Real Estate - Daniel [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Silver LP]
Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Dume [2LP]
Glitterer - Rationale [LP]
Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Dume [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition 2LP + Litho]
Dust Bolt - Sound & Fury [White/Black Marbled LP]
I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME - GLOOM DIVISION [Indie Exclusive limited Edition Dreamsicle LP]
Prince - The Vault - Old Friends 4 Sale [LP]
June McDoom - With Strings EP [Crystal Clear Vinyl]
Corb Lund - El Viejo [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Clear with Black & White Splatter LP - Includes Autographed Postcard]
Reneé Rapp / Auli’I Cravalho - Mean Girls (Music From The Motion Picture)
Job For A Cowboy - Moon Healer [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition LP]
Mick Mars - The Other Side of Mars [LP]
JJ Grey & Mofro - Olustee [LP]
Jazmin Bean - Traumatic Livelihood [Clear LP]v
Hurray For The Riff Raff - The Past Is Still Alive[Orange LP]
Mama Zu - Quilt Floor [Coke Bottle Clear LP]
Gracie Abrams - The Good Riddance Acoustic Shows (Live) [Magenta LP]
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - of the Last Human Being [Oxblood & Blood Red 2LP]
Laetitia Sadier - Rooting For Love [LP]
Allie X - Girl With No Face [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Mustard LP]
Ace Frehley - 10,000 Volts [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition LP]
Remo Drive - Mercy [LP]
Rod Stewart with Jools Holland - Swing Fever [LP]
BTS - LOVE YOURSELF : 'Tear' [LP]
Amigo the Devil - Yours Until the War Is Over [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition White/Black Swirl LP]
Various Artists - Bear's Sonic Journals: Sing Out! (Berkeley Community Theater, 4/25/1981)
Post Malone - The Diamond Collection [Metallic Silver 2 LP]
Art Pepper Quintet - Smack Up: Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series [LP]
The Snuts - Millennials [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Yellow LP]
Various Artists - Street Fighter 6 (Original Soundtrack) [4LP Box Set]
TWICE - With YOU-th [Blast ver.]
Wynonna - Wynonna
Van Halen - Live: Right Here, Right Now (Box)
Natalie Jane - Where Am I? [White LP]
Olivia Dean - Messy (Uk)
UPCOMING RELEASES
Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven - EPITAPH
What's New 2-16-24
An album that would turn the heads of those who love Nine Inch Nails just as much as people who adore Billie Eilish. She Reaches Out To She… is the absolute sweet spot between chilling and beautiful, nearly three-quarters of an hour of sumptuous, spellbinding music that will bowl you over again and again for the rest of time, let alone this year.
On Rat Wars, Health, are not only making the heaviest, most genre-obliterating music of their career, they’re documenting just how insane it feels to be alive right now. It’s The Downward Spiral for people with at least two monitors and a vitamin D deficiency. Rat Wars is a definitive statement on the insanity and the insipidness of contemporary life. "
With their trademark blend of gritty guitar riffs and heartfelt lyricism, Blackberry Smoke delivers another soul-stirring journey through the heartland of America. Be Right Here continues to showcase the band’s ability to weave intricate narratives with infectious melodies while embodying they home state of Georgia’s rich musical legacy.
Combining retro funk with contemporary electro-pop, Chromeo crafts a groovy homage to the past with a futuristic twist. Tracks shimmer with infectious beats and smooth vocals, drawing listeners into their neon-lit dance paradise. It’s nostalgia and innovation— a testament to the duo’s ability to reinvent classic sounds for the modern era.
Tangk is, at its core, a love album. Open to anyone who requires something to shout out loud in order to fend off any encroaching sense of the void, now or forever. It’s a bona fide pop record in a way we’ve never heard from Idles before, that is, something for everyone to pass around and share, communal anthems intended for overcoming our grievances.
New Release Round-Up 02-16-24
Lil Peep - Cry Baby - Death Note Music / The Orchard
Lil Peep - Crybaby 1st Press 45rpm - in interviews that followed the release of Crybaby, and even afterwards during press runs for HELLBOY as well as Come Over When You're Sober Pt. 1, one of the most consistently asked (and answered) questions that would be thrown at Peep usually teetered around the lines somewhat of "aye Peep, love what you've been doing with your past couple of projects man, but what's the deal with that massive Crybaby tattoo you got on your forehead?" - To which, he would typically answer, "I got the Crybaby tat to keep me grateful, to remind myself that even if I'm going through a lot, there are kids across the world that don't even have clean water or know when their next meal will be, so I got it to remind myself that I need to be grateful for what little I have, and to keep pushing through for those who can't." - With this context now surrounding the whole ethos of this project, it seems fitting that the whole mixtape essentially focuses on Peep's hopes, dreams, and overcoming the emotions that ever so powerfully bled through nearly every song on here one way or another. Whether it's through the haunting coke lines on "Lil Jeep" and the Radiohead-sampled "Falling 4 Me", or through the ambitious glimpse into the future that initially got him signed in the first place with the Smokeasac-produced signature track "Nineteen", he flips blatant samples and turns them into his own songs. For example, there's a borderline "Wonderwall' cover (and hear me out on this one) in the shape of "Yesterday," where he paints a bleak picture of getting out of a toxic environment with the chorus "Change my name, shave my head // Tell my friends that I'm dead, run away from the pain // Yesterday is not today, it's not the same," that winds up adding to the source material more often than it taking away anything. - More notably though perhaps, is that he never conveys a sense of giving up when singing/rapping about any of these topics, and that only aids the sense of triumph found in moments all throughout the record. While it may seem like Peep is promoting all of the wrong things, what people don't seem to realize is that he never condones it; it's almost as if he's telling the listener to not make the same mistakes as he did, which eventually led to his untimely death just over a year later.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
IDLES - TANGK [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Transparent Pink LP]
Jennifer Lopez - This is Me…Now [Evergreen LP]
Blackberry Smoke - Be Right Here [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Golden Birdwing LP]
Omni - Souvenir [Silver Souvenir Swirl LP]
HEALTH - RAT WARS [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Translucent Ruby LP]
Crawlers - The Mess We Seem To Make [Blue Splatter Alternate Cover LP]
Grandaddy - Blu Wav [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Nebula LP]
Paloma Faith - The Glorification Of Sadness [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Clear LP]
Mother Mother - Grief Chapter [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Coke Bottle Clear LP]
Levitation Room - Strange Weather [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition LP]
Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist - VOIR DIRE [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Silver LP]
Friko - Where We've Been, Where We Go From Here [LP]
Molly Lewis - On The Lips [Candlelight Gold LP]
Deadmau5 - 4x4=12 [Transparent Green 2LP]
Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstasy [LP]
Das Damen - 1986: Keeps Me Wild [LP]
Elijah Wolf - Forgiving Season [LP]
Peter Dicarlo - The Other Side
Einar Solberg - The Congregation: Acoustic [2LP]
Melissa Errico & Stephen Sondheim - Sondheim In The City
Techno Animal - The Brotherhood of the Bomb: Reissue [Forest Green / Blood Red Combo 2LP]
Prince Royce - Llamada Perdida
For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.UPCOMING RELEASES
What's New 2-9-24
10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition features 11 bonus tracks, including B- sides and instrumentals. Album includes singles “Berzerk,” “Survival,” “Rap God,” “Headlights” and “The Monster.” The album won Eminem a record sixth GRAMMY Award for Best Rap Album and is now certified 4x platinum. 4 LP set on 180g black vinyl.
A vibrant exploration of social and environmental themes. With catchy melodies and McKenna's distinct vocals, the album seamlessly blends indie-pop and thoughtful lyricism. Each track feels like a musical commentary, making it a compelling and relevant addition to the artist's discography.
While Phasor feels loose and expansive, it's Lange's tightest collection-deep, atmospheric, meticulously executed. It's aligned with 2019's This Is How You Smile, which found him incorporating more upfront drums and bass and focused grooves. It's a returning-to-life record, remembering what the sun feels like and letting it warm your skin.
There is a definite connection to the past, but the swinging guitar boogie and snarled blues you might expect from Nance and company sounds leaner and completely hypnotic. What remains are 10 tracks from a well-oiled group so rhythmically together that the songs on the album seem as connected as links in a chain.
These are songs born from moments of serendipity: a spontaneously composed poem, an old voice memo, an uncannily pertinent book. Through unhurried exploration, Any Light invites a similar sense of charmed receptivity, even as it's songs examine such complex matters as depression, existential uncertainty and an increasingly digitized world.
The Dead South flawlessly execute banjo rolls and lightning fast mandolin tremolos, 3-part harmonies and songs of classic themes -murder ballads, disloyalty, ghosts and the like, with a wink and a smile. Where Bluegrass meets Bach meets Billy Talent, for fans of Frank Sinatra and Tool alike, you’ll find Chains & Stakes.
A mesmerizing sonic journey that skillfully blends progressive rock with introspective lyrics. Bruce Soord's emotive vocals and the band's tight instrumentation create a melancholic atmosphere, weaving a tapestry of sound that captivates the listener. A poignant and immersive musical experience.
Coming Home marks the creative reunion of Usher and L.A. Reid, who haven’t worked together since 2004’s Diamond-certified Confessions. The album was mainly recorded in Atlanta, GA with many of Atlanta’s hottest producers including Sean Garrett, Lil John, The Avila Brothers, Mel & Mus, Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Jermaine Dupri, and more.