Now Hear This! - September 2022

Now Hear This

Madonna
Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones
Rhino/Warner

Madonna made history once again when she topped the Dance Club Songs chart for the 50th time, making her the first and only recording artist to have 50 #1 hits on any single Billboard chart. To celebrate, she curated a new 50-track collection that includes her favorite remixes of those chart-topping dance hits that have filled clubs worldwide for four decades, and this abridged 16-track version, simply titled Finally Enough Love.

Early James
Strange Time To Be Alive
Easy Eye

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Alabama's native son returns with his sophomore album. The lyrical wordsmith conjures the ghosts of great southern gothic writers from Eudora Welty to William Faulkner, while channeling the haunted spirits of Tom Waits and Townes Van Zandt. The album evokes a timeless amalgam of forsaken blues, wistful folk, and Tin Pan Alley crooning, anchored by James� unmistakable voice. *Ltd Ed Brown Swirl LP*

Valerie June
Under Cover
Fantasy

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A special collection of cover songs curated and performed by GRAMMY-nominated artist Valerie June. Under Cover features singular interpretations of some of her favorite songs including Mazzy Star�s �Fade Into You,� Frank Ocean�s �Godspeed,� Nick Drake�s �Pink Moon,� and more. Available on *Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Cobalt Blue LP*

Goo Goo Dolls
Chaos In Bloom
Warner Records

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Marking the first album of their career to be produced by frontman John Rzeznik, the record finds the band at the top of their game and continuing to constantly evolve just as they have for nearly four decades together. Chaos in Bloom is an album of biting sarcasm, stadium-ready choruses, and the type of spear-sharp songwriting that�s led them to becoming one of the most influential alternative rock groups of all time.

Wade Bowen
Somewhere Between The Secret and The Truth
Thirty Tigers

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Bowen slices through the B.S. of country-lifestyle posturing, and matches his gravel-road growl to a sound spanning the whole of Texas. From swaying campfire singalongs to two-stepping country rockers geared toward Saturday nights in the state�s famed dancehalls, he�s earned a rep for purpose-driven diversity. And just like his heroes, does everything on his terms.

Amythyst Kiah
Live at The Earnest Tube
Concord

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Live performance of her songs �Wild Turkey� and �Firewater� cut direct to vinyl. With an unforgettable voice that�s both unfettered and exquisitely controlled, Kiah gracefully interlaces political commentary and personal revelation, ultimately offering a raw yet nuanced examination of grief, alienation, and the hard-won triumph of total self-acceptance. *Ltd Ed Vinyl Single*

Various Artists
Stranger Things: Season 4 Soundtrack
Legacy

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Key tracks covering various classic eras and styles as featured in the hit Netflix show. As evidenced by the meteoric resurgence of Kate Bush�s �Running Up That Hill� after its appearance, the show�s soundtrack has become just as much a phenomenon as its thrilling plot. Conceptualized and produced showcreators The Duffer Brothers and music supervisor Nora Felder.

Momma
Household Name
Polyvinyl Records

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On their third outing, Momma (one of nouveau grunge's best-kept secrets) perfects their balance of heavy riffs, deep emotions, inviting sonic production, and a lighthearted, wry sense of humor, creating a singular lane for the band in today's world of alt rock. It�s a tightly-stitched collection�magnetic and dynamic. Available on *Limited Edition Red Vinyl*.

Madison Cunningham
Revealer
Verve

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Revealer is a warts-and-all self-portrait of a young artist who is full of doubt and uncertainty, yet bursting with exciting ideas about music and life; who has numerous GRAMMY nominations but still feels like she has far to go. It's a rumination on music as a vehicle for revelations, what's gained and what's lost when you put words to your innermost feelings.

Swedish House Mafia
Paradise Again
Republic

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Paradise Again came together in the wake of rediscovering Swedish House Mafia's musical synergy on the band's 2019 reunion tour. It represents an ambitious broadening of their musical scope, as evinced by the wide-ranging roster of collaborators and guests, including The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, Sting, Ty Dolla $ign and many more.

Samara Joy
Linger Awhile
Verve

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Simply put, Samara Joy is next. At just 22 years old, her Verve debut Linger Awhile shows that with a voice, tone, and phrasing that harkens back to the most legendary jazz vocalists, Samara belongs in the company of iconic labelmates from Ella Fitzgerald to Sarah Vaughan to Billie Holiday. She is poised to be a household name, synonymous with timeless jazz music.

Blondie
Against The Odds: 1974 � 1982
Capitol/UMe

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The first-ever authorized and in-depth archive in Blondie�s history. Against The Odds features 124 songs (36 previously unreleased) remastered from the original analog tapes and cut at Abbey Road Studios. Super Deluxe Collector�s Edition presents their first 6 albums expanded to include over 4 dozen demos, alternate versions, and outtakes - plus, a 120-page discography and a 144-page hardback book. 10 LPs/10� LP/7� Single.

Nina Nesbitt
�lskar
Cooking Vinyl

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Inspired by the introspection, fear and loss during lockdown, �lskar celebrates life in all of its complexities as well as love in every form imaginable. Includes the singles �Dinner Table�, �Pressure Makes Diamonds�, and �When You Lose Someone�. �lskar shimmers with both tender, intimate ballads and huge escapist '80s-tinged bangers that beg for the dancefloor.

Zach Bryan
American Heartbreak
Warner

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The meaning, importance, and heart of this album is best described in Bryan�s own words. �This album to me is all the trials we face day-in and day out and I wrote all the stories on it hoping someone, somewhere might relate. Some songs are sad, some are happy, some are hopeful and some are hopeless, all of them mean something different to me and I pray they mean something to someone else.�

PJ Western
Here I Go
New West

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PJ Western creates music of contradictions. His tripped out pop-rock psychedelia evokes a haze of 60�s AM radio as heard emanating from someone else�s car window. Here I Go, Western�s debut album, was written in dreams. In visions. Wild but refined, classic but modern. The album is a lot like the man who wrote it: complex, celebratory, grateful.
*Ltd Ed Red Splatter LP*

Muse
Will of The People
Warner

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A pandemic, new wars in Europe, massive protests & riots, an attempted insurrection, Western democracy wavering, rising authoritarianism, wildfires and natural disasters and the destabilization of the global order all informed Will Of The People. This album is a personal navigation through those fears and preparation for what comes next. *Ltd Ed Cream LP*

Phase IV
Phase IV
Moribund Records

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Progressive & atmospheric sci-fi infused Metal heralding the most unique and invigorating sound the scene has experienced in decades. Cosmic rays of dissonant and abstract guitars, intergalactic waves of contra-bass and pulsar emissions of nonlinear syncopated drums reverberate, emanate and comingle. Prepare yourself for the coming change as the cosmic electromagnetic sound waves of Phase IV have arrived!

Brotherkenzie
Nathan
Thirty Tigers

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Brotherkenzie�s music is a chasm carved from honesty and earnestness, the result teetering between catchiness and pop, but with sharp edges. Throughout Nathan, he examines that self-destructive tenderness, observant of the way he was then but not fraught over it. Instead, he�s like a documentarian of trying times; of what it feels like to grow a new epidermis instead.

Ringo Starr
EP3
UMe

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Cleverly named EP3, Ringo Starr's third EP includes 4 new tracks featuring longtime collaborators Steve Lukather, Linda Perry, Dave Koz, Jose Antonio Rodriguez and Bruce Sugar. EP3 is filled with Ringo's instantly recognizable vocals, feel-good lyrics and easy-breezy melodies.

Ondara
Spanish Villager No. 3
Verve

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The foundation of the Minnesotan-via-Kenya singer-songwriter�s work has always felt extremely current and rooted in his perspective surrounding the American experience. Spanish Villager continues the narrative, but it feels more weighty and soulful compared to his previous acoustic folk releases.It also finds Ondara's (formerly J.S. Ondara) voice sounding more stunning than ever.

Young Jesus
Shepherd Head
Saddle Creek

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Shepherd Head is a dramatic departure, delving deeper into the themes that have always fascinated John Rossiter�love, loss, and God�approached in a completely new direction. His voice is deep and lovely, conjuring a sense of melancholy and grandeur, but never with bitterness or despair. There�s a joy to this music, the wild hope and possibility that arises after tragedy, a feeling of revelation.

Daddy Yankee
Legendaddy
Republic

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Daddy Yankee's farewell album combines all the styles that have defined the best-selling Reggaeton artist over the past three decades. Going out on a bang, these 19 tracks include the most superb guest list yet including Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro, Nile Rodgers, Becky G and many more. Legendaddy stands out as his first album in ten years and his boldest, brightest, and biggest musical statement ever.

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The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) is a national level organization comprised of the best independent record stores in America. CIMS was founded in 1995 with the goal of uniting like minded independent store owners, giving them a more powerful voice in the music industry. The stores that make up CIMS are all very different, but we share the same desires � to be the heart of our communities, to super-serve our customers, to support and develop artists, and to share our love of music.

For more information about CIMS and the stores in our organization, please visit cimsmusic.com or find us through social media with the #cimsmusic hashtag. And please remember to always shop local by supporting your neighborhood record store.