New Releases for October 7, 2022
CDs + Vinyl:
Action Bronson – Cocodrillo Turbo CD/LP (Loma Vista)
Action Bronson isn’t anyone’s idea of an underdog with a slew of critical acclaim, a New York Times best seller, successful TV shows, and a decade plus long career where he’s proved time and time again why he is one of the best MCs of our time. And yet, on his brilliant new album, Cocodrillo Turbo, he sets out to prove that his lingual versatility is stronger than it’s ever been.
Alvvays – Blue Rev CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)
Alvvays never intended to take five years to finish their third album, the nervy joyride that is the compulsively lovable Blue Rev. In fact, the band began writing and cutting its first bits soon after releasing 2017’s Antisocialites, that stunning sophomore record that confirmed the Toronto quintet’s status atop a new generation of winning and whip-smart indie rock. At least the five-year wait was worthwhile: Blue Rev doesn’t simply reassert what’s always been great about Alvvays but instead reimagines it.
Courtney Marie Andrews – Loose Future CD/LP (Fat Possum)
Following Old Flowers’ 2020 Grammy nomination, and due to Covid restrictions, Courtney Marie Andrews, for the first time in her young nomadic life, was forced off the road and to remain at home. What resulted was the publishing of her first book of poetry, the first gallery showings of her paintings, and a period of self-discovery leading to the new album, Loose Future. Whereas Old Flowers was a beautiful and emotional break-up record, CMA’s return with Loose Future is a bright, dynamic, falling-in-love record.
Broken Bells – Into The Blue CD/LP/Cassette (Broken Bells LLC)
Featuring two of the bigger names in indie and alternative music – the Shins’ singer/guitarist James Mercer and producer/multi-instrumentalist Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse – Broken Bells combined the pair’s greatest strengths. On 2010’s Grammy-nominated self-titled debut and 2014’s more structured After the Disco, Mercer’s gift for indelible, slightly spooky melodies and Burton’s atmospheric productions complemented each other perfectly. Into The Blue, the project’s first album in eight years, is first to incorporate samples into their orchestral pop sound. [An indie store exclusive clear w/ purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
Bush – The Art Of Survival CD (BMG)
Ninth album from the alt-rock/post-grunge band led by Gavin Rossdale. Includes the single “More Than Machines”.
Clutch – Sunrise On Slaughter Beach CD/LP (Weathermaker Music)
Sunrise On Slaughter Beach, Clutch’s thirteenth studio album, is a slamming summary of everything that makes the band great and another giant leap forward into career longevity.
Counterparts – A Eulogy For Those Still Here CD/LP (Pure Noise)
“It’s easy to characterize Counterparts as rather straightforward since there is little mystery surrounding the band. You know their new record will not exceed 35 minutes, you’re aware members rarely last more than two consecutive albums, and you know you can always find Brendan Murphy supplementing his deeply depressing lyrics with deeply unhinged Twitter rants. Yet, it is this very forthrightness that makes Counterparts a reliably excellent band that consistently gives a voice to buried insecurities and uncertainties: moreover, this honesty that underscores their every move makes the band one of the very best in melodic hardcore.” – Jesper L., Sputnik Music
The Cult – Under The Midnight Sun CD/LP (Black Hill)
“Six years after their last record, 2016’s Hidden City, The Cult’s main men, founders Ian Astbury (lead vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitars, backing vocals), emerge once again re-energized and inspired as ever, with their latest offering, Under The Midnight Sun. Troubled by musical differences and lots of personnel changes in the past, Astbury and Duffy have always managed to keep The Cult afloat and relevant. The album is a return to The Cult’s original sound of the post-punk era.” – Alfie Vera Mella, Cryptic Rock
Dungen – En Är För Mycket Och Tusen Aldrig Nog CD/LP+MP3 (Mexican Summer)
Dungen, torch bearers of Sweden’s rich and fabled history of pastoral psychedelia, return with En Är För Mycket Och Tusen Aldrig Nog, the band’s first full-length album since 2015’s Allas Sak. Creating their own critical and fervent, fan-based lane for guitar-powered, melodic, and magisterial rock ‘n’ roll with their 2004 break out album Ta Det Lugnt, Dungen has since left a staggering array of albums and a prodigious live presence in the embers of their burning wake. en är för mycket och tusen aldrig nog (English translation: “One is too much and a thousand is not enough”) finds Dungen’s core four members Gustav Ejstes, Reine Fiske, Mattias Gustavsson, and Johan Holmegard in pure form. [An indie store exclusive burgundy color vinyl pressing is available.]
Gilla Band – Most Normal CD (Rough Trade)
For their first album as Gilla Band, (formerly Girl Band) the foursome has redrawn their own paradigm. Most Normal is like little you’ve heard before, a kaleidoscopic spectrum of noise put in service of broken pop songs, FX-strafed avant-punk rollercoaster rides and passages of futurist dancefloor nihilism.
Goatwhore – Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven CD/LP (Metal Blade)
The first new music from Goatwhore since 2017, Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven is 47 minutes of their trademark blend of death, black, thrash and sludge metal delivered with breathless intensity and an unrepentant bloodlust.
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol. 1 No. 2 – October ’77 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
Spring ’77 shows get the ink, but the Dead’s Fall ’77 tour through some of the lesser-traveled byways of America goes toe to toe with that deservedly legendary series of performances. And by cherry-picking from three October ’77 gigs (10/11/77 in Norman, Oklahoma; 10/14/77 in Houston; 10/16 in Baton Rouge), this Road Trip offers the greatest show that never was.
Iceage – Shake The Feeling: Outtakes & Rarities 2015–2021 CD/LP+MP3 (Mexican Summer)
Shake The Feeling: B-Sides & Rarities 2015–2021 surveys the sound surrounding Iceage’s last three albums, Plowing Into the Field Of Love, Beyondless and Seek Shelter. A study in the powerful song form and raw execution that have defined the Danish band as rock ‘n’ roll’s saviors, this essential collection digs deep into the Iceage vault for unheard and rare cuts that both devotees and the uninitiated alike will relish.
Incantation – Tricennial Of Blasphemy 2xCD/3xLP (Relapse)
Incantation celebrates 30 years as one of the most influential and iconic death metal bands with the Tricennial Of Blasphemy collection. Containing rarities and unreleased tracks, Tricennial Of Blasphemy traces all eras of the band’s infamous history.
Lamb Of God – Omens CD/LP (Epic)
Produced by longtime collaborator Josh Wilbur (Korn, Megadeath), Omens is (according to press sheet) Lamb Of God’s most diverse affair. Densely muscular with a pessimistic eye toward inner struggles and global affairs alike, Omens is a furious entry in the Lamb Of God’s angry catalog. “The world is crazy and keeps changing. Omens is a reaction to the state of the world,” explains vocalist D. Randall Blythe. “It’s a very pissed-off record.”
Lissie – Carving Canyons CD/LP (Lionboy)
Lissie’s Carving Canyons finds the acclaimed singer-songwriter digging deep to carry on through life’s many uncertainties. The singer-songwriter’s fifth album is her most personal expression yet, with twelve songs that chart the ripples caused by heartbreak and loneliness as well as what happens when the soul perseveres amidst pain.
NCT 127 – The 4th Album ‘2 Baddies’ CD (SM Entertainment Co)
NCT 127 returns in a genre-bending album of 12 songs that combine brilliant performance with appealing vocals. Includes a poster, photo cards, etc.
Oh Wonder – 22 Break / 22 Make 2xCD (Republic)
Through powerful and intimate music, Oh Wonder’s dual project – 22 Break / 22 Make – combines a turbulent period in the duo’s story (pain, sadness, loneliness, fear of the future) with a new chapter as they married and did the work to allow their love to flourish. By opening to fans (and each other) the “Make Or Break?” poised by this release is not so much a question as an active choice – to be honest as possible, to move forward, and to begin a brand-new chapter in the story of Oh Wonder.
Charlie Puth – Charlie CD (Atlantic)
Third album from the Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum singer/songwriter/producer.
Queensrÿche – Digital Noise Alliance CD/2xLP (Century Media)
Queensryche’s sixteenth studio album and fourth to be helmed by founding guitarist Michael Wilton, vocalist Todd LaTorre and bassist Eddie Jackson, Digital Noise Alliance continues the ever-evolving legacy the Bellevue, Washington born band began in 1982 when they first took hold of the flame with their hugely received self-titled EP. From the album’s frenetic opener, “In Extremis”, the pensive, “Forest” or “Behind The Walls”, which echoes Queensrÿche classics and genre-defining albums including Operation: Mindcrime and Empire, Digital Noise Alliance is Queensrÿche effortlessly moving from strength to strength: immediate and thought-provoking.
Will Sheff – Nothing Special CD/LP (ATO)
After nine critically acclaimed albums, twenty bandmates, countless bars, clubs, theaters, and festivals, after two full decades, Will Sheff is letting Okkervil River drift out to sea with the release of Nothing Special, his debut collection under his own name. Nothing Special was recorded with a mix of old friends (like Benjamin Lazar-Davis and Will Graefe) and new collaborators (Christian Lee Hutson, Cassandra Jenkins, Dawes drummer Griffin Goldsmith, and Death Cab For Cutie pianist Zac Rae).
Town Mountain – Lines In The Levee CD/LP (New West)
Hailing from Asheville, North Carolina, Town Mountain is the sum of all its vast and intricate influences – this bastion of alt-country rebellion and honky-tonk attitude pushed through the Southern Appalachian lens of its origin. With their latest album, Lines In The Levee, Town Mountain creates a collage of sound and scope within the same template of freedom found in the round-robin fashion of the musical institution that is The Band – a solidarity also found in the incendiary live shows Town Mountain is now revered for from coast-to-coast, this devil-may-care gang of strings and swagger.
Bob Weir – Bobby Weir & The Wolf Brothers: Live In Colorado, Vol. 2 CD/2xLP (Third Man)
Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros: Live In Colorado, Vol 2 features more songs recorded at the band’s live performances at the historic Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, Colorado on June 8, 9, 11, 12, 2020, including classic Grateful Dead hits, “Ripple” and “Brokedown Palace”.
Beyoncé – Renaissance 2xLP (Columbia)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Seventh album by the R&B and pop superstar. Includes the single “Break My Soul”. 180gm in deluxe gatefold packaging with a collectable (1 of 3 randomized) poster in a hard slipcase.
Kenny Burrell – Kenny Burrell [Reissue/1956] LP (Blue Note)
The first thing that strikes you about Kenny Burrell’s second album for Blue Note is the cover, which features an illustration by Andy Warhol. The second is the music drawn from four different sessions recorded in 1956 with the guitarist featured in a variety of settings. Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet vinyl reissue series, remastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180gm vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.
Eric Church – Sinners Like Me [Reissue/2006] LP (EMI Nashville)
Eric Church – Desperate Man [Reissue/
Color vinyl pressings (blue and red respectively) of the country singer’s debut and sixth albums.
Ezra Furman – All Of Us Flames LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl.
Grant Green – Feelin’ The Spirit [Reissue/1962] LP (Blue Note)
Grant Green was Feelin’ The Spirit on this deeply soulful 1962 date that found the great guitarist interpreting a set of spirituals with a state of the art modern jazz line-up featuring Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, Billy Higgins on drums plus Garvin Masseaux on tambourine. Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet vinyl reissue series, remastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180gm vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.
L7 – Hungry For Stink [Reissue/1994] LP (Real Gone Music)
L7 – The Beauty Process – Triple Platinum [Reissue/1996] LP (Real Gone Music)
L7 helped pave the way for the grunge and riot grrrl movements with killer songs, crunching riffs, and badass attitude.
Mac Miller – Macadelic [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Rostrum)
Double silver color vinyl pressing housed in embossed cover. Includes 11” x 17” poster. 10th anniversary edition. Macadelic was the seventh mixtape by rapper Mac Miller, originally released in 2012. The album includes the hit single “Loud”.
Jeannie C. Riley – Harper Valley P.T.A. [Reissue/1968] LP (Sun)
Discovered by Shelby Singleton, Jeannie C. Riley rose to fame upon recording Tom T. Hall’s “Harper Valley P.T.A”. The track (which was recorded live in two takes) shot to #1 on the Country and Pop charts in 1968, making the crossover hit singer the first woman to hold the spots simultaneously. Remastered in mono from the original tapes, this deluxe version includes an additional Clark Bentley track, “Yesterday All Day Long”.
Shpongle – Ineffable Mysteries From Shpongleland [Reissue/2009] 3xLP (Twisted)
The fourth instalment of the journey into the weird and wonderful worlds of Shpongle arrived with Ineffable Mysteries in 2009 and now 13 years on, the masterful craftsmanship of Simon and Raja is still self-evident in every single one of the eight glorious tracks. Deepening further into the fusion of worlds, this album sees a journey through manifold aspects of the creative genius that is Shpongle, using a large array of awesome acoustic instrum
Various Artists – Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine Vol. 2 LP (Oh Boy)
Indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing. Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine Vol. 2, the follow up to the original 2010 tribute record, adds to an esteemed legacy for Oh Boy Records which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2021. Featuring your favorite artists interpreting their favorite John Prine songs including Sturgill Simpson and Brandi Carlile, proceeds from each track will go to a charity of the respective artist’s choosing.
Tom Waits – Blood Money (20th Anniversary Edition) LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
2002’s Blood Money is based on the true story of Woyzeck, a conscripted German soldier, who murders the mother of his child after being driven mad by army drug experiments. This is a darkly rhythmic record, illuminating life’s bleak carnival with songs like “Misery Is The River Of The World” and “God’s Away On Business” and includes the melancholic beauty of “All The World Is Green” and “The Part You Throw Away”. Marimba, bass clarinet, trumpet, viola, cello, calliope, and log drums form the core group of instruments. “Blood Money is flesh and bone, earthbound,” said Waits of the record. “The songs are rooted in reality: jealousy, rage, the human meat wheel…They are more carnal. Kathleen and I are well suited to this material. She is hilarious, blasphemous, and ominous. I like a beautiful song that tells you terrible things.”
