New Releases for April 28, 2023
CDs + Vinyl:
The National – First Two Pages Of Frankenstein CD/LP+MP3 (4AD)
Anchored by evocative melodies and an enthralling lyrical narrative, First Two Pages Of Frankenstein signals a new chapter in the band’s beloved discography. The album features guest appearances by Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens. First Two Pages Of Frankenstein channels the group’s revitalized chemistry into a body of work that beautifully balances elegant musicality with The National’s more idiosyncratic impulses. “To me the power of this record has to do with the intentionality and structure of the music meeting with a lot of accidental magic,” says Aaron Dessner. [An indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing is available.]
William S. Burroughs – Nothing Here Now But The Recordings CD/LP (Dais)
In 1980, Genesis P-Orridge and Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson of (then-)Throbbing Gristle travelled to New York City to meet up at the fortified apartment, known as The Bunker, of famed beat writer and cultural pioneer William S. Burroughs and his executor James Grauerholz. Genesis and Sleazy started the daunting task of compiling the experimental sound works of Burroughs, which, up until that point, had never been widely heard. Inspired by the original Industrial Records release of William S. Burroughs’s Nothing Here Now But The Recordings, Belgian record label Sub Rosa worked with Burroughs to release another album: Break Through In Grey Room. Originally compiled in 1986 by producer Bill Rich, the album features Burroughs’s experimental recordings from 1961 to 1976, featuring field recordings by Burroughs of the Master Musicians of Jajouka, experimental collaborations with mathematician Ian Sommerville and painter/cut-up originator Brion Gysin.
Cradle Of Filth – Trouble And Their Double Lives 2xCD/2xLP (Napalm)
2023 live release from the extreme metal legends. Recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the US, Europe, Australia and beyond during their Cryptoriana World Tour and dates following, the album serves as a time-capsule of blisteringly intense live energy.
The Damned – Darkadelic CD/LP (earMUSIC)
46 years after releasing the groundbreaking debut Damned Damned Damned, The Damned return with Darkadelic, their twelfth studio album and their first one since 2018’s Evil Spirits. The album catches the band that launched punk and invented goth once again innovating and expanding upon their unique universe.
Indigo De Souza – All Of This Will End CD/LP+MP3 (Saddle Creek)
“I was finally able to trust myself fully,” says Indigo de Souza of making her masterful third album All Of This Will End. Across eleven songs, the LP is a raw and radically optimistic work that grapples with mortality, the rejuvenation that community brings, and the importance of centering yourself now.
Tommy Emmanuel – Accomplice Two CD (CGP Sound)
Tommy Emmanuel’s duet album, Accomplice Two, has an amazing variety of artists and styles. There are songs with the rock legends Michael McDonald, Jorma Kaukonen and Little Feat; be amazed by bluegrass superstars such as Billy Strings, The Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Sierra Hull and David Grisman. Also featured are the country icons Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jamey Johnson, and Raul Malo, and guitar heavyweights Yasmin Williams, Larry Campbell, and Richard Smith.
Neil Gaiman & FourPlay String Quartet – Signs Of Life CD/LP (Instrumental Records)
Since selling out the Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House in 2010, Neil Gaiman and FourPlay String Quartet have been firm friends and collaborators. Signs Of Life is a gorgeous, ground-breaking, and genre-bending collaboration between an iconic author and a unique musical ensemble. Part songwriting, part poetry, part storytelling; all-encompassing, all-engaging, all beautiful.
Great Lake Swimmers – Uncertain Country CD (Fontana North)
Doubt, followed by discovery. Demos that ended up as finished tracks. New beginnings, rear-view reflections, and ruminations on the fluidity of time. Great Lake Swimmers’ new album, Uncertain Country, captures these feelings and so much more, featuring singer/songwriter Tony Dekker’s first new music in nearly five years.
Illenium – Illenium CD/2xLP (WB)
Grammy Award nominated producer/DJ and instrumentalist Illenium (born Nick Miller) elevates dance music via his bold, progressive take on the genre. His is an expansive sound, which mixes elements of celestial electronic, mellow alternative, crushing dubstep, emotional indie, and pop-tinged bass music.
Rickie Lee Jones – Pieces Of Treasure CD/LP (Modern Recordings/BMG)
Pieces Of Treasure, Rickie Lee Jones’ newest album, has been a long time coming. In a career that has spanned more than four decades, the renowned singer songwriter has interpreted an extraordinarily wide range of songs from writers and artists she loves, often collected on the same album – showtunes, blues, folk, rock.
Joseph – The Sun CD/LP+MP3 (ATO)
The Sun is the fourth studio record from Joseph (sisters Natalie, Meegan and Allison Closner) and the follow-up to Good Luck, Kid (2019). It builds on its predecessor’s cinematic pop, bringing a thrilling new energy into each of the album’s ten elegantly sculpted tracks. Joseph worked with acclaimed producers Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, First Aid Kit) and Christian “Leggy” Langdon (Amos Lee, BANKS) to build an irresistibly vibrant sound ranging from moody grandeur to pure anthemic glory.
Kero Kero Bonito – Intro Bonito CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)
Originally released in 2013, Kero Kero Bonito’s debut mixtape, Intro Bonito, was a monumental success in the underground hyperpop scene bubbling up throughout the band’s hometown of South London.
Kip Moore – Damn Love CD/2xLP (MCA Nashville)
Kip Moore’s fifth studio album features 13 tracks including the single “Kinda Bar”. Moore has charted 12 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts.
Josh Ritter – Spectral Lines CD/LP (Pytheas Recordings)
Josh Ritter has been thinking a lot about space exploration. It has nothing to do with his new album, Spectral Lines, except that in a way, it really does. “The Voyager spacecraft went up in ’77 and now it’s out there in a place that no one’s ever been before, and it’s sending back all these messages,” Ritter says. “I feel like songs do that in their own little way. They’re probes: they go out into the world, and sometimes you hear stories back from them, but really, they go off on their own.”
Sun Ra & His Solar-Myth Arkestra – The Solar-Myth Approach 2xCD (Charly)
This release showcases both the prolific output and unparalleled creative verve of Sun Ra, the man who created his own genre. Upgrading his celebrated band The Arkestra to the rank of Solar Myth Arkestra, the bandleader-composer-pianist-keyboardist produced enough music in his lifetime to fill a universe, and these sessions, though their precise date and place of recording remain unknown, are among the finest he released in the ’70, which was an action-packed decade for him.
Taj Mahal – Savoy CD/LP (Stony Plain)
Taj Mahal can rightfully be called a living legend for his contributions to popular music. With a voice as instantly recognizable as Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, or Dr John, Taj Mahal has throughout his career pushed the envelope of American music forward by incorporating sounds from the Caribbean, Africa, traditional blues, and jazz. With Savoy, Taj takes a new direction in his musical journey, exploring classics from the American songbook.
Whitesnake – Still Good To Be Bad CD/2xCD/2xLP/4xCD+Blu-ray (Rhino)
Super Deluxe 4xCD + Blu-ray edition. Whitesnake explores the group’s 2008 return with the retrospective, Still Good To Be Bad. This collection includes two new versions of the original album (one remastered and the other remixed), a selection of rare and unreleased studio and live recordings from the period, and video of live performances from the Good To Be Bad world tour.
Bolt Thrower – Spearhead/Centotaph [Reissue/1992] LP (Earache)
Eight blistering tracks of the heaviest death metal originally released in 1992 and produced by the legendary Colin Richardson.
The Church – The Hypnogogue LP (Communicating Vessel)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Australian psych-rock legends The Church emerge with their first new studio album in six years.
Death Cab For Cutie – Codes And Keys [Reissue/2011] 2xLP (Barsuk)
Death Cab for Cutie’s seventh studio album, Codes And Keys was originally released in 2011 and is back in stock.
Fever Ray – Radical Romantics LP+MP3 (Mute)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl.
Gatekeeper – From Western Shores LP (Cruz Del Sur Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The first full-length album in five years from the Canadian melodic metal heroes.
Love And Rockets – Earth Sun Moon [Reissue/1987] LP (Beggars Banquet)
Love And Rockets – Love And Rockets [Reissue/1989] LP (Beggars Banquet)
Love And Rockets is the seminal, groundbreaking trio of Daniel Ash (vocals and guitar), David J (vocals and bass) and Kevin Haskins (drums). Formed in 1985 after the first split of their band Bauhaus, Love And Rockets provided a clean slate and an opportunity to plumb the depths of imagination and influences.
Rush – Signals [Reissue/1982] LP
Picture disc vinyl reissue.
