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What's New 4-2-21
There's early work with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner in Charles Mingus' Jazz Workshop, work with Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln, a stint in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and also one with Miles. This is what Gary Bartz brings to the Jazz Is Dead project and as can be expected, his questing spirit fits the JID style like a glove and has produced an album that's a cutting-edge addition to his immense canon as he effortlessly interfaces with a new generation.
Lead single, “Six Days In June,” is an upbeat and foot-stomping anthem that sure to put a big smile on the face of any Fratellis fan. “Some days you sit on the couch watching daytime TV and along comes a song like Six ‘Days In June’ to remind you that you’re still alive!,” says Jon Fratelli. Half Drunk… follows their critically acclaimed album In Your Own Sweet Time and very much continues on this upward trajectory, sure to become a signature moment in the band's career.
The South London trio’s New Long Leg is more ambitious and complex, with spoken vocals tightly intertwined with the band's restless instrumentals. With lyrics preoccupied by themes like dissociation, escapism, daydreaming, complicated feelings of love, anger, revenge, anxiety, the kitchen, lethargy, forgetfulness, and survival, lead singer Shaw says, "the title is ambiguous; a new long leg could be an expensive present or a growth or a table repair."
Heavy Sun fuses classic gospel and modern electronics, mixing gritty, human textures with crisp, digital accents and lush, swirling atmospherics to create a sound that's at once warmly familiar and boldly unexpected. It’s spacious and dreamy, anchored by rich, righteous organ topped with airy falsetto and mesmerizing four-part harmony, tapping into the shared uncertainty of the human condition to offer hope, comfort, and connection at a time when all three run in desperately short supply.
Sturgill returns with the next installment of his bluegrass series, Cuttin' Grass Vol. 2. An A-Team of acoustic players reconvened for another round of reinterpretations of his catalogue, this time largely focusing on 2016's A Sailor's Guide to Earth, which won the Grammy for Country Album of the Year. This volume also includes "Jesus Boogie," originally performed by Simpson's first band, Sunday Valley, and two previously unreleased songs, "Tennessee" and "Hobo Cartoon."
In 2008 Etienne de Rocher paused his budding career as a songwriter in the Bay Area to relocate his growing family to the fertile artistic grounds of Athens, GA. Faltering Light is more than just a love letter to the Classic City though. It’s a love letter to life. 11 rocking, thoughtful, psychedelic, literary songs about Etienne’s experience with life raising kids, restoring homes, cooking, holidays and his inward contemplations of dreams, emotions, and nightmares.
Demi Lovato returns with her highly anticipated seventh studio album, Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over. The album serves as the companion to Demi's powerful 4-part YouTube Originals documentary, Dancing with the Devil, which premiered March 23rd. The album includes 19 original songs including previously released Grammy Awards showstopper "Anyone" as well as "What Other People Say" with Sam Fischer.
New Release Round-Up 04-02-21
Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass - Vol. 2 (The Cowboy Arms Sessions) - High Top Mountain
After the surprise release of the Cuttin' Grass (Vol. 1): Butcher Shoppe Sessions album—which Uproxx called “the most sublime and delightful music he’s yet made on record”— Sturgill Simpson returns with the next installment of his bluegrass series, Cuttin' Grass - Vol. 2 (The Cowboy Arms Sessions). The genre-defying singer/songwriter reconvened an A-Team of acoustic players (now dubbed "The Hillbilly Avengers") for another round of reinterpretations of his catalogue, this time largely focusing on 2016's A Sailor's Guide to Earth, which won the Grammy for Country Album of the Year and was nominated for Album of the Year. This volume also includes "Jesus Boogie," originally performed by Simpson's first band, Sunday Valley, and two previously unreleased songs, "Tennessee" and "Hobo Cartoon," the latter of which was co-written with the incomparable Merle Haggard—who once said that Simpson was "about the only thing I've heard that was worth listening to in a long time."
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Clear & Black LP]
Demi Lovato - Dancing With The Devil...The Art Of Starting Over
Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra - Promises
The Fratellis - Half Drunk Under A Full Moon
Flux Pavilion - .Wav
Haunted Shed - Faltering Light
Hey, King! - Hey, King!
Flock Of Dimes - Head Of Roses
Shakey Graves - Roll The Bones X
Charlotte Lawrence - Charlotte EP
Brasstracks - Golden Ticket [Deluxe 2LP]
Daniel Lanois - Heavy Sun
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Teenage Gizzard [Limited Edition Pink Splatter on Transparent Yellow LP]
& More .....
What's New 3-26-21
With a 50+ year history, ToP has been a funk institution since 1968, knocking out hits like “What is Hip,” “So Very Hard to Go,” and “You’re Still a Young Man" while lending their soulful sound to collaborations with Santana, the Grateful Dead, Elton, Huey Lewis, Justin Timberlake and everyone in-between. 50 Years of Funk & Soul captures their storied career with no-holds-barred concerts, performing their full spectrum of life-affirming funk and soul hits to sold out audiences in 2018.
For two decades, Sara Watkins has been one of the most visible artists in roots music, with her catalog ranging from solo albums and Watkins Family Hour, a duo with her brother Sean Watkins, to her Grammy-winning bands Nickel Creek and I’m With Her. With the nostalgic and gentle new album Under the Pepper Tree, Watkins offers a comforting record for those moments as daily rhythms fade into nightly rituals – and when a child’s imagination comes to life.
Building on the success of Perception and The Search, consecutive No. 1 Billboard Top 200 albums, Michigan rapper NF is back with his first ever mixtape, Clouds (The Mixtape). The project comes as a surprise for fans who are sure to enjoy NF’s signature blend of introspective lyrics and thematic elements, and features from Hopsin and Tech N9ne. The album boasts a wide range of new sounds, including heavy hitting hip hop tracks alongside melancholic anthems.
Tune-Yards, the celebrated Oakland-based duo of Merrill Garbus & Nate Brenner, release sketchy., a balance of self-inspection and reflection with bombastic rallying cries. It’s reminiscent of the furious tones of early days Tune-Yards – a colorful and joyous record with lyrics that cut to the bone. "I started remembering that people come to us to be entertained, to move, to feel joy. And together, I think, we can wake up,” Merrill reflects.
New Release Round-Up 03-26-21
The Antlers - Green To Gold - Anti
Green To Gold is the much-anticipated new album from New York based, Indie/Folk band, The Antlers. Perhaps what distinguishes Green to Gold from the rest of The Antlers’ canon is its, well, sunniness. Conceived and written almost entirely in the morning hours, Green to Gold is the band’s first new music in nearly seven years, and easily their most luminous to date. ”I think this is the first album I’ve made that has no eeriness in it,” singer and primary songwriter Peter Silberman asserts. “I set out to make Sunday morning music.” The brighter outlook emerged, paradoxically, after a succession of ominous events. In 2015, Silberman suffered with an auditory condition that made touring near impossible and he retreated to the quiet of Upstate New York to heal. His return in 2017 with a solo album was short lived when he was diagnosed with lesions on his vocal chords, which required surgery and again a quiet rest and recovery period. Silberman explains. “I took these health obstacles as a sign that I should change course for a little while. I hadn’t made a full stop like that since The Antlers began.” But he still felt the strong pull to spend time and work with longtime drummer Michael Lerner, and frequently invited him up to visit the idyllic hamlet he now called home. The two friends’ days typically involved long walks in the woods, but routinely ended up in Silberman’s converted-garage studio. “I would record him playing drums in the studio while he listened to old soul and R&B songs in headphones... and those drum recordings ultimately served as starting points for the songs that followed. At the time, we were merely attempting to make music together again, without really knowing how to approach it, or to what end.” “I think the shift in tone is the result of getting older. It doesn’t make sense for me to try to tap into the same energy that I did ten or fifteen years ago, because I continue to grow as a person, as I’m sure our audience does too. Green to Gold is about this idea of gradual change,” he sums up. “People changing over time, struggling to accept change in those they love, and struggling to change themselves. And yet despite all our difficulty with this, nature somehow makes it look easy.”
Sara Watkins - Under The Pepper Tree - New West Records
For two decades, Sara Watkins has been one of the most visible artists in roots music, with her catalog ranging from solo albums and Watkins Family Hour, a duo with her brother Sean Watkins, to her Grammy-winning bands Nickel Creek and I’m With Her. With the nostalgic and gentle new album Under The Pepper Tree, Sara Watkins offers a comforting record for those moments as daily rhythms fade into nightly rituals – and when a child’s imagination comes to life. Made with families in mind, the personal project encompasses songs she embraced as a child herself, as well as the musical friendships she’s made along the way. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Tyler Chester, Under the Pepper Tree brings storytelling, solace, and encouragement to the listener, no matter the age.
The Dust Coda - Mojo Skyline - Earache Records
Championed by Sir Elton John on Apple Music Beats 1. From the label that is pioneering the new wave of 21 st century Rock N Roll artists. Following in the footsteps of bands like Rival Sons, The Temperance Movement, Blackberry Smoke, Massive Wagons & Those Damn Crows. Developed a fearsome live reputation with relentless touring up and down the UK. Played festivals such as Ramblin' Man Fair, Planet Rockstock & Winter's End. Chosen for the support slots with the likes of Black Stone Cherry * The Dead Daisies Huge support from major UK Rock media such as Classic Rock Magazine and Planet Rock Radio (1.2 million listeners per week)
3 Doors Down - The Better Life: 20th Anniversary - Republic
Anniversary edition of the debut album from 3 Doors Down. The first disc is the album featuring the smash hit "Kryptonite" plus four bonus tracks: The Better Life (XX Mix), Kryptonite (2000 Acoustic), Be Like That (2000 Acoustic) & Wasted Me (Studio Version). Disc two is The Escatapwa Sessions of early home demo recordings, including the never-released "Dead Love" & "Man in My Mind". 2 CD.
Carrie Underwood - My Savior - Capitol Nashville
Carrie Underwood will be releasing her first ever Inspirational album on March 26th entitled My Savior. Available on Double White Vinyl on April 30th.
SYML - You Knew It Was Me EP - Nettwerk Records
With a keen grasp on textural and emotive songwriting, SYML aka Brian Fennell wrote this EP choosing to paint in piano rather than using lyrics to describe his feelings. Says Fennell, "Words can be limiting, especially when the writer isn’t speaking a language you understand. I wanted to make a piece of wordless music that still tells a story."
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
Joe Strummer - Assembly [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Red 2LP]
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia: The Moonlight Edition
Neil Young - Young Shakespeare
Ariana Grande - Positions
Evanescence - The Bitter Truth
Tune-Yards - Sketchy. [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Blue LP]
AJR - Ok Orchestra
Justin Bieber - Anyone / Holy [12in Single]
Loney, Dear - A Lantern And A Bell
Xiu Xiu - Oh No
Tomahawk - Tonic Immobility [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Coke Bottle Green LP]
The Horrors - Lout [Limited Edition Blood Red 7in Single]
SG Lewis - Times
The Mountain Goats - Songs for Pierre Chuvin [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Opaque Pink & White Swirl LP]
Ben Howard - Collections From The Whiteout [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Clear 2LP]
Death From Above 1979 - Is 4 Lovers [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition LP]
World Party - Bang!
Suzi Quatro - The Devil In Me
Karol G - KG0516
Lamb Of God - Lamb of God: Live In Richmond, VA
& More .....
What's New 3-19-21
We Are is a career-changing album from musician and activist Jon Batiste. We Are celebrates Black American culture and music while exploring themes of lineage, authenticity, excellence and evolution. This album is about honoring roots and traditions, while looking forward to the future and constantly evolving. Featuring Mavis Staples, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, Kizzo, Autumn Rowe, Steve Jordan, and many more.
The Sydney-based rock trio’s follow up to their debut album Lost Friends, is an astonishing collection of 12 songs that are deeply personal, courageous, and rattling. Singer Hannah Joy sums up the title track as, “a simple song about people being tiny and our lives being fleeting but also that we are epic and great. It’s finding the beauty and majesty of the everyday. Life is gory and boring sometimes: it’s both hectic and mundane and we have to accept both.”
On August 20, 2020 the world lost an amazing light with the passing of Justin Townes Earle. Justin's father, Steve Earle, pays tribute to his son by recording an album of songs written by Justin titled, J.T. The album consists of ten Justin Townes Earle songs as well as one song written by Mr. Earle shortly after Justin's passing. J.T. is a loving tribute to a loved son and beautiful songsmith who left this earth too early. All proceeds from this release will be put into a trust for Justin’s 3 year old daughter, Etta.
Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold shares, “Shore feels like a relief, like you’d feel when your feet finally hit sand after getting caught in a riptide. It’s a celebration of life in the face of death, honoring our lost musical heroes, from David Berman to John Prine to Judee Sill to Bill Withers, embracing the joy and solace they brought to our lives and honoring their memory. Shore is an object levitating between the magnetic fields of the past and the future.”
Still Woman Enough celebrates women in country music. From her homage to the originators, Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter Family, through a new interpretation of her very first single, "I'm A Honky Tonk Girl," Lynn acknowledges her role in the continuum of American country music while her duets with Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Margo Price and Tanya Tucker find her sharing the musical torch with some of the brightest lights and biggest stars in contemporary pop-country.