New Release Round-Up 03-22-19

Jenny Lewis - On The Line -  Warner Bros
The 11 all-new original songs were written by Jenny Lewis and recorded at Capitol Records’ Studio B, and feature a backing band of legendary talent including Beck, Benmont Tench, Don Was, Jim Keltner and Ringo Starr.

La Dispute - Panorama - Epitaph
La Dispute is five close friends from the Upper Midwest with a firm passion for the concept of music and art as a medium for making new friends. As a result, La Dispute makes (or strives to make) music that is both artistically, technically, and emotionally engaging in hopes of establishing legitimate connections with any and all interested people, while encouraging dialogue between those people and themselves about things in life that truly matter and that truly last. La Dispute also carries a firm passion for the relevance of a live show, both for the bands involved and for the people in attendance, and will go to the grave believing that the environment created when strangers come together despite their differences to celebrate one important thing is invaluable and should not under any circumstances be taken for granted.

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Ex Hex - It's Real - Merge Records
When Ex Hex exploded onto the scene with their unfettered brand of rock and riffage, the power trio for our generation had finally arrived. Made up of Mary Timony (guitar, vocals), Betsy Wright (bass, vocals), and Laura Harris (drums), the group’s 2014 debut Rips was a gleaming collection of tightly wound gems that scored Best New Music honors from Pitchfork, the top spot on Magnet Magazine’s Best of 2014 list, and No. 11 in that year’s Pazz & Jop critics poll. Near-constant touring throughout 2015 and 2016 established the band as a force to be reckoned with: an audacious three-piece distilling rock music to its essence with formidable skills and a reputation for frenzied and unabashedly fun live shows. On It's Real, the group’s forthcoming second album, Ex Hex’s commitment to larger-than-life riffs and unforgettable hooks remains intact, but the garage-y, post-punk approach that defined Rips has grown in scale and ambition. What started as a reaction to the blown-out aesthetic of Rips would test the sonic limits of the power trio and lead the band on a quest for a more immersive and three-dimensional sound. Vocal harmonies are layered ten tracks deep, solos shimmer and modulate atop heaving power chords, and the codas linger and stretch toward new frontiers of sound. On first listen, you might think you’ve unearthed a long-lost LP carved from the space where crunch-minded art rock and glitter-covered hard rock converge, an event horizon at the intersection of towering choruses and swaggering guitars.

American Football - American Football LP3 - Polyvinyl Records
Fifteen years after American Football’s highly influential self-titled debut album (American Football), the band reunited (now as a four-piece, with the addition of Nate Kinsella) and recorded their long-anticipated second album, 2016’s American Football (LP2). The release was widely praised, but the band members still felt like their best work was yet to come. American Football (LP3) is contemplative, rich, expressive, yet with a queasy undercurrent. Featuring guest vocals from Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell, and Land of Talk’s Elizabeth Powell, the album is heavy with expectancy, revealing its ideas slowly, eliciting the hidden stories people carry around with them. There was a determination to let the songs breathe, to trust in ideas finding their own pace.

Motley Crue - The Dirt Soundtrack - Motley Records
Motley Crue is one of The World's Biggest and Most Notorious Rock Bands. They laid the foundation for their inimitable career in the '80s with their genre-bending music and relentless reputation, typifying an excess never before seen in modern music. They continued to evolve through the '90s and beyond, redefining what it meant to be storytellers in music, with the release of their NY Times Best-selling book, The Dirt, in 2001. This page-turning rock epic offered a glimpse into The Crüe's iconic lives and has now become a Netflix original movie, giving fans a chance to reconnect with the band they know and love in an unprecedented way. As a band they have released nine studio albums, seven of which are certified platinum or multi-platinum, selling over 100 million copies worldwide; 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits; six Top 20 pop singles; a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; three Grammy nominations for Best Hard Rock Performance; and countless sold-out tours across the globe during their 30 plus years on the road, playing to millions and generations of fans. Besides their hook-filled, groundbreaking music, Mötley Crüe's image pioneered an attitude, fashion sense and lifestyle all of which are portrayed throughout the film capturing the nostalgia.

Nilufer Yanya - Miss Universe - ATO Records
Debut album from ATO's priority developing artist, Nilufer Yanya. Taking her inspiration from iconic songwriters such as Nina Simone and Jeff Buckley as well as modern influences Connan Mockasin and The Strokes, Nilüfer's music incorporates the city’s urban edge with beautiful wandering guitar lines, downtrodden soulful and jazz flickered melodies, on top of minimalist and atmospheric beats. Miss Universe releases this week via ATO Records.

 

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Megadeath - Warheads On Foreheads - Capitol
2018 marked the 35th anniversary for Megadeath, one of the most influential powerhouses in thrash metal.  All year long the band celebrated with various events, culminating in Warheads On Foreheads - with Dave Mustaine personally A&R’ing a new anthology honoring his legacy - 35 tracks for 35 years, on 3CD, Digital and 4LP. For the first time, a Megadeth anthology includes tracks from The System Has Failed, United Abominations, Endgame, Th1rt3en, Super Collider and the Grammy award winning Dystopia. “Warheads on foreheads” is a military term expressed when bombing missions are underway. 

 

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UPCOMING RELEASES 

Steve Earle & The Dukes - GUY - New West Records
Steve Earle was nineteen and had just hitchhiked from San Antonio to Nashville in 1974. Back then if you wanted to be where the best songwriters were you had to be in there. Guy Clark had moved to Nashville and if you were from Texas, Guy Clark was king. Flash forward more than forty years. In the fall of 2018, Steve Earle & The Dukes went into House Of Blues studio in Nashville and recorded GUY in six days. 'I wanted it to sound live...When you've got a catalog like Guy's and you're only doing sixteen tracks, you know each one is going to be strong.' Earle and his current, perhaps best-ever Dukes lineup, take on these songs with a spirit of reverent glee and invention. But in the end GUY leads the listener back to its beginning, namely Guy Clark, which is what any good 'tribute' should do. GUY is a saga of friendship, its ups and downs, what endures. We are lucky that Earle remembers and honors these things, because like old friends, GUY is a diamond.

 

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Lang Lang - Piano Book - Deutsche Grammophon
With this collection, Lang Lang goes back to his first love - to the pieces that made him want to become a musician in the first place. Rediscovering the most popular and accessible pieces written for learners and lovers of the piano, this album is a journey; of inspiration, of discovery, fantasy and learning. It is a moment for Lang Lang to illuminate these classic pieces as the masterworks they truly are. It is also a reflection on the music that influenced him most during his early childhood, later in life coping with difficult moments, and working with young piano learners around the world. Music can change lives and Piano Book tells this story. "I dedicate this album to my wonderful piano students and all my friends around the world who love the piano as much as I do." Lang Lang

 

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For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.

New Release Round-Up 03-15-19

Karen O & Danger Mouse - Lux Prima -  BMG
Icons Karen O and Danger Mouse (a.k.a. Brian Burton) release their first album as a duo, “Lux Prima”. “After making music for the past twenty years and embarking on making this record with Brian I knew a couple things: one was that the spirit of collaboration between us was going to be a pure one, and two was that the more I live the less is clear to me,” said O. “When you create from a blurry place you can go places further than you’ve ever been. I think we both were excited to go far out.”

Stephen Malkmus - Groove Denied - Matador Records
Following hot on the heels of 2018’s Sparkle Hard comes Groove Denied, the rejected album Stephen Malkmus has been telling everyone about. Groove Denied was written in Berlin and Oregon between Malkmus’ soundtrack to the Netflix series Flaked and Sparkle Hard. It finds Stephen in a playful, exploratory mode – recorded by himself in Oregon; Malkmus plays bass, organ, drum machines, a Roland 2080 and a Memorymoog alongside other instruments interspersed with loops and vocal effects. His first album as a solo artist since 2001, Groove Denied is a fine companion to Sparkle Hard, echoing the experimentation (Auto-Tune, genre-dabbling) found there.

Lauren Jenkins - No Saint - Big Machine Records
Named one of The New York Times’ Artists To Watch in 2019 and Billboard’s Hot Country Artists to Watch, Lauren Jenkins mesmerizes crowds with her sultry vocals and authentic songwriting. She blends her traditional Country roots with Americana influences to seamlessly transition between cheerful and raw emotions. The Texas native showcases her variety of musical influences, including the southern charm of Charleston, artistic vibe of New York City and the eclectic nature of Music City. 

 

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Jerry Garcia - Electric On The Eel - ATO Records
On August 29, 1987 Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia led both the Jerry Garcia Band and the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band for performances at French’s Camp On The Eel River in Piercy, California. Garcia would bring the JGB back to the scenic venue on June 10, 1989 and on August 10, 1991 - now get ready for the spectacular new re-issue Electric On The Eel 6CD Set showcasing the Jerry Garcia Band’s electric sets from 8/29/1987, 6/10/1989, and 8/10/1991. It comes with a Gift with Purchase Limited Edition bonus disc (a separate slipcase jacket and limited to 2000 units). The 6CD Set features: Jerry Garcia, John Kahn, Melvin Seals, David Kemper Jaclyn LaBranch, and Gloria Jones. 

 

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Finn Andrews - One Piece At A Time - Nettwerk Records
British/New Zealand musician, and lead singer and songwriter of The Veils, Finn Andrews reveals his most personal songwriting to date with the release of his first solo material. The resulting songs are some of the most profound and intimate pieces of work Andrews’ has done. Recorded at The Lab in Auckland, and co-produced by Tom Healy (Tiny Ruins), not only do the songs’ subject matter expose more of his life than before, Andrews also admits that their arrangements allowed for less to hide behind, showcasing his voice in a different way.  

 

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The Faint - Egowerk - Saddle Creek
The Faint's long-awaited new album, Egowerk, is released this week. Made up of vocalist Todd Fink, drummer Clark Baechle, keyboardist Graham Ulicny, and guitarist and bassist Michael “Dapose” Dappen, the group that ignited an electro-pop-punk movement is back with an 11-track deep-dive into themes on modern society, the internet, and ego - specifically social media and its dark effects. Opener “Child Asleep” echoes well-loved Faint singles from the Danse Macabre days, with rapidfire techno beats that sear so hot, your forehead will break into a sweat regardless of proximity to a dance floor. And though the synths should sound familiar to any Faint follower, the song’s monotone message is at once classic and current: “If I was wise, I would see I’m a child still asleep.” Elaborating further, Todd says, “It would be amazing if I could wake up from the world that I think I'm awake in already. If there’s a better way of understanding life, I'd love to be privy to it. You see the wisdom of all Gurus in the East, and you know they're not bothered by this or that. They've attained something, and the rest of us are just kind of banging into stuff, trying to figure out what to do with our lives.”

UPCOMING RELEASES 

La Dispute - Panorama - Epitaph
La Dispute is five close friends from the Upper Midwest with a firm passion for the concept of music and art as a medium for making new friends. As a result, La Dispute makes (or strives to make) music that is both artistically, technically, and emotionally engaging in hopes of establishing legitimate connections with any and all interested people, while encouraging dialogue between those people and themselves about things in life that truly matter and that truly last. La Dispute also carries a firm passion for the relevance of a live show, both for the bands involved and for the people in attendance, and will go to the grave believing that the environment created when strangers come together despite their differences to celebrate one important thing is invaluable and should not under any circumstances be taken for granted.

_________________________________________________________

Megadeath - Warheads On Foreheads - Capitol
2018 marked the 35th anniversary for Megadeath, one of the most influential powerhouses in thrash metal.  All year long the band celebrated with various events, culminating in Warheads On Foreheads - with Dave Mustaine personally A&R’ing a new anthology honoring his legacy - 35 tracks for 35 years, on 3CD, Digital and 4LP. For the first time, a Megadeth anthology includes tracks from The System Has Failed, United Abominations, Endgame, Th1rt3en, Super Collider and the Grammy award winning Dystopia. “Warheads on foreheads” is a military term expressed when bombing missions are underway. 

 

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Nilufer Yanya - Miss Universe - ATO Records
Debut album from ATO's priority developing artist, Nilufer Yanya. Taking her inspiration from iconic songwriters such as Nina Simone and Jeff Buckley as well as modern influences Connan Mockasin and The Strokes, Nilüfer's music incorporates the city’s urban edge with beautiful wandering guitar lines, downtrodden soulful and jazz flickered melodies, on top of minimalist and atmospheric beats. Miss Universe releases 3/22 via ATO Records.

 

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For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.

Record Store Day 2019

We are super excited (and hope you are too!) that Record Store Day 2019 is coming up very soon.

This year RSD will be held on April 13th. We hope to see you in store so we can say hi and celebrate all things Record Store while we all have a giant worldwide party.

The list of exclusive titles has now been released and you can view the full list on www.recordstoreday.com

J.S. ONDARA - FREE FLEXI DISC

Free Flexi Disc of the single AMERICAN DREAM from J.S. Ondara's upcoming new album "Tales of America" with any vinyl purchase on Black Friday. Heavily influenced by Dylan, his album is "a deliberation on the times and a search for wisdom and the American Dream."
(while supplies last)

Tales of America - The new album from J.S. Ondara - Available 02-01-2019

New Release Round-Up 01-26-18

Calexico - The Thread That Keeps Us - New West Records
Over the past two decades, a strong sense of place has shaped the music of Calexico, infusing their albums with a stylistic unpredictability and richness of texture. While 2015’s Edge of the Sun brought the Tucson-bred band to the Mexico City borough of Coyoacán, their new full-length The Thread That Keeps Us mostly came to life in a house studio near the Northern California coast nicknamed “The Phantom Ship” by CALEXICO vocalist/guitarist Joey Burns and drummer John Convertino.

 

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Hollie Cook - Vessel of Love - Merge Records
Hollie Cook combines her unique vocal talent with charming charisma to craft her own dynamic strand of lovers rock with enduring tropical vibes, weaving a path from her West London roots to an arena of diverse collaborations, critically acclaimed records, and iconic live appearances around the world. Cook’s ability to continually surprise, delight, and progress solidifies her position as one of the most exciting voices in reggae, and this is crystal clear on her third full-length and Merge debut, Vessel of Love.

Ty Segall - Freedom's Goblin [LP] - Drag City
Ty Segall goes all the way, flipping the Freedom coin to find passion, laughter and savagery on both sides. A head-spinning compendium of stompers, weepers, ballads, screamers, bangers and funker-uppers, all marking a different impasse, like a flag whirling into a knot, exploding and burning on contact, in the name of life and loathing and the pursuit of what you love.

Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Black Coffee [Red LP] - J&R Adventures
It's been 4 years since the critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated, and #1 Billboard Blues album Seesaw was released by Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa. They have reunited for Black Coffee - another collection of scorching interpretations of ten soul gems that pair Hart’s breathtaking vocals and Joe’s masterfully expressive playing. Featuring songs made famous by; Edgar Winter, Ray Charles, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Lucinda Williams and more. LP is 180g, red vinyl, and contains an exclusive bonus track.

Nightmares On Wax - Shape The Future [2LP] - Warp Records
One of the most influential artists of a generation and a long-standing member of the Warp Records family, Nightmares On Wax announces his new album Shape The Future. A perfect marriage of soul, hip-hop, dub and timeless club sounds that act as a salvo masterpiece of contemporary and classic genre-blending, brilliantly solidifying Nightmares On Wax place as an inspirational electronic music figurehead.

Cornelius - Mellow Waves [LP] - Rostrum Records
Acclaimed Japanese producer, composer, and recording artist Cornelius first proper studio album in over 11 years, featuring the singles If You're Here, Sometime / Someplace, and In a Dream. 180g black vinyl gatefold LP

American Folk [Soundtrack] - American Folk Records
American Folk is the soundtrack to the award-winning 2018 independent film, American Folk, starring Joe Purdy and Amber Rubarth. In addition to both original compositions and classic folk song renditions by Purdy and Rubarth, the soundtrack includes John Prine's ''Some Humans Ain't Human'' and Jerry Garcia & David Grisman's ''Freight Train.''

 

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For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section and don't forget that many of these titles are also available on vinyl.