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What's New 9-25-20
What started out in LA and was finished back in North Carolina at Esso’s home studio, Free Love asks major questions about self-image, self-righteousness, friendship, romance, and environmental calamity with enough warmth, playfulness, and magnetism to make you consider an alternate reality. These are Sylvan Esso’s most nuanced and undeniable songs—bold enough to say how they feel, big enough to make you join in that feeling.
Small World reflects that odd sense of distance one develops from being in a place that's so close yet so far, so undeniably locked in the gravitational pull of the center of the universe, only with a language and lore all its own. These songs remind us to trust our gut and that love is worth exploring, all with an inescapable rhythm. In these trying times, everybody should say thank you for reminding us to dance our little asses off.
15 tracks highlighting the group's energetically hopeful vibe, conveying the members' collective message that we're all "Super" and we can overcome any hardship together as "One". The album includes 1 booklet, 1 CD-R booklet, 1 ID card, 1 ID card holder, 1 postcard, 1 folded poster, and 2 photo cards.
A 21-track collection containing Chubby Checker’s biggest hits from 1960 to 1966. 18 Top 40 hits including four number 1 chart toppers!. Chubby’s original hit version of “The Twist,” which has the distinction of being the only single of the rock era to reach number 1 twice in two consecutive years, is included. Includes rare tracks from Chubby’s creative folk and soul period from 1963 to 1966.
Ohms is a magnificent tour de force and their first album in 4 years since the critically acclaimed Gore in 2016. The album boasts a familiar collaborator in veteran producer and engineer Terry Date, who worked on 1995’s Adrenaline, 1997’s Around the Fur and 2000’s White Pony. 10 tracks of raw escapism and unparalleled grooves that have made Deftones' sound singular for over two decades.
Overflowing with musical ideas and topical lyrics that sound just as relevant today as they did when they were initially released, Prince’s iconic double album captured the artist in a period of complete reinvention. The 3CD Deluxe Edition features the classic album remastered by Prince’s original mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, along with single mixes and edits released in the period the album was released.
Daydream was recorded in Nashville with multiple Grammy award-winning producer Chad Carlson – a 12-track affair reflecting the full scope of the band’s musical vision. Country, rock, pop, Motown and blues, all of these flavors are here, underpinned by telling hooks and melodies.
Sonically constructed to capture the feeling of a hip-hop record, Ultra Mono doubles down on the vitriolic sneer and blunt social commentary of their past work. Not far beneath the surface of their self-admitted sloganeering lies a deeply complex and brutally relevant album that chews up clichés and spits them out as high art for the masses. This is momentary acceptance of the self.
For their fourth album as Cayucas, brothers Zach and Ben Yudin are heading back to the beach — in other words, to the sunny, vibrant, melodic rock from which they first paddled out. While at first listen the tracks may seem to simplify the glory of a sunny SoCal day, there is typically a slight pang or sense of longing present. Fitting for a year rife with our own bummer summers.
New Release Round-Up 09-25-20
Recorded at Henson Studios and Trainwreck Studios, Ohms is an other-worldly body of work meticulously crafted by the 5 piece band. It is a magnificent tour de force and their first album in 4 years since the critically acclaimed Gore LP in 2016. The band, which includes Chino Moreno, Frank Delgado, Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham, and Sergio Vega, has produced a dense LP with every member firing on all cylinders. The album also boasts a familiar collaborator in veteran producer and engineer Terry Date, who worked on 1995’s Adrenaline, 1997’s Around the Fur and 2000’s White Pony. All of the above assembles and sets the stage to deliver Ohms; 10 tracks of raw escapism and unparalleled grooves that have made Deftones' sound singular for over two decades.
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Prince - Sign O’ The Times: Remastered - Warner Records
Prince's iconic album, Sign O’ The Times, has been remastered for the very first time by Prince's original mastering engineer Bernie Grundman. Primarily recorded between the end of 1985 and beginning of 1987, the era saw the dissolution of his band The Revolution, the end of his engagement to Susannah Melvoin, and the creation (and ultimate abandonment) of the albums Dream Factory, Camille, and Crystal Ball. By the end of that period of transformation, Prince emerged with one of his most urgent and wide-ranging releases to date - an epochal double album that would be hailed as a creative, critical, and commercial triumph.
The Buckleys, a three-piece band featuring siblings Sarah, Lachlan, and Molly, embody a brand of “hippie country” representing the infectious personality and spirited conscience that the band maintains. The debut album, Daydream, features the singles “Money,” “Leave Me Hanging On,” and the title track “Daydream” which scored a #1 single at Australian country radio, followed by “I’m Comin’ For Ya (Love),” which hit #3. Nominated for New Talent Of The Year Award at the 2020 Country Music Awards Australian.
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The album features 15 tracks highlighting the group’s energetically hopeful vibe, conveying the members’ collective message that we’re all “Super” and we can overcome any hardship together as “One”. The album, which will be released this week, includes 1 booklet, 1 CD-R booklet, 1 ID card, 1 ID card holder, 1 postcard, 1 folded poster, and 2 photo cards. This is an official release from SM Entertainment and Capitol Records.
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In this era of reckoning for American policing, increases of racism fostered by the most incompetent president in modern times, and a global pandemic that has affected all areas of life as we once knew it, voices of dissent in entertainment have become more relevant than ever. Enter Paris, arguably one of the most politically outspoken artists in hip-hop history, with his latest album, Safe Space Invader. Entirely self-produced and released on his own Guerrilla Funk Recordings imprint, Safe Space Invader is a brutal commentary on Black life in 2020 America, touching on the topics of police brutality, racism, gentrification, economic inequality and cancel culture, among others.
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Diana Krall's new self-produced album, This Dream Of You, was mixed by Al Schmitt, who worked closely with her to achieve the notable intimacy and immediacy. Performances from 2016-2017 sessions, on which she collaborated with late friend/longtime creative partner Tommy LiPuma. A record for right now but also feels like a movie you might share with someone you know will stay with it until the final reel. As she says, "If But Beautiful is the overture, then `Singing In The Rain' is the end title.
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One of the first bands to overtly combine death metal with atmospheric keyboards, Nocturnus' debut album introduced more technical and progressive elements into the traditional death metal formula without losing any of the brutality. The audio for this vinyl is taken from the original tapes in Full Dynamic Range, allowing the music's nuances to shine through and giving the album a more immersive and dynamic sound than ever before.
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ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
Bob Mould - Blue Hearts
Idles - Ultra Mono
The Rolling Stones - Steel Wheels Live: Live From Atlantic City, NJ, 1989
Public Enemy - What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - The Clouds Hill Tapes Pt I, II & III
Sylvan Esso - Free Love
Surfer Blood - Carefree Theatre
Reckless Kelly - American Jackpot / American Girls
Blitzen Trapper - Holy Smokes Future Jokes
Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) - Tickets To My Downfall
Dashboard Confessional - Mtv Unplugged 2.0 [LP]
Thurston Moore - By The Fire
A Certain Ratio - ACR Loco
The Hives - Live At Third Man Records
Roger Eno and Brian Eno - Luminous
Will Butler - Generations
Tricky - Fall To Pieces
TOMORROW X TOGETHER - Drama
The War and Treaty - Hearts Town
Carrie Underwood - My Gift
Lou Reed - New York: Deluxe Edition [3CD/DVD/2LP]
The Weeknd - After Hours
Peggy Lee - Ultimate Christmas
& More .....
For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.
What's New 9-18-20
The Third Gleam marks a return to the Avett Brothers’ roots, both sonically and with Seth & Scott playing as a trio with longtime bassist Bob Crawford. The eight tracks capture their personal experiences and perspectives on undeniably timely, universal themes: isolation, gun violence, incarceration, historical prejudice, mortality, resilience, love, hope, redemption.
Live at the Roundhouse is unlike any other concert recording connected to Pink Floyd. It's the nearest thing you can get to a time machine with Nick Mason, the only band member to have played on all of Pink Floyd’s studio albums, transporting you back to the group's earliest records, playing only music recorded before The Dark Side of the Moon.
From primitive origins nearly four decades ago, Napalm Death has been a prime mover in defining the sound of the underground by pushing sonic speed limits and galvanizing the extremes of metal, punk and hardcore - creating "grindcore" in the process. Throes of Joy is yet another chapter in their history that’ll leave most aural extremists in the dirt.
Alicia Keys is ready for a new era. The singer releases her 7th studio album, ALICIA, which includes the previously released tracks “Underdog,” and “Time Machine”. Keys mentioned in an interview that working on the album and memoir was, “the best therapy I ever had.” We could all use a little bit of that.
New Release Round-Up 09-18-20
Neil Young - The Times - Warner Records
The Times is a moving and topical solo acoustic performance, a unique collection of songs, filmed at home during lockdown as part of the raw and personal, Fireside Sessions series.
Run The Jewels - RTJ4 - BMG Rights Management
This eleven song, 40 minute powerhouse is their most ferocious and focused effort to date, and sports a lineup of all-star guests including Pharrell Williams, Mavis Staples, 2 Chainz, Zack de la Rocha, Josh Homme, DJ Premier, and Greg Nice. Recorded primarily at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La Studios and the iconic Electric Lady Studios in NYC, RTJ4 represents two years of intensive writing, recording, distilling, and amplifying the most potent elements of their music. The result is a collection of wall-to-wall bangers illuminating the group's unique ability to straddle the worlds of pointed social commentary and raw, boisterous fun.
Keith Urban releases his brand new studio album THE SPEED OF NOW Part 1. The album includes his hit single “God Whispered Your Name” as well as the #2 smash hit “We Were”. Keith won the CMA Entertainer Of The Year in 2018 and he is currently the 2019 ACM Entertainer Of The Year. Keith will be hosting the ACM Awards on Wednesday-September 16th while will air on ABC-TV. “In October 2019 this album title came to me. I liked it because I felt like life was flying by so fast. But music (for me) has always been the place where it slows down and doesn’t even exist. I would never have imagined that, in 2020, this album title would take on a whole new meaning.” - Keith
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50 years after the original made him a global superstar Yusuf / Cat Stevens has rerecorded an entirely new version of his 1970 classic album Tea For The Tillerman. With many of the album’s songs sounding more relevant than ever today, Tea For The Tillerman 2 offers up striking and sensitive new renditions of stone-cold classics like “Father And Son,” “Wild World,” and “Where Do The Children Play?”
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A follow up to 2009's GRAMMY Winning Family Time - Ziggy Marley has bottled the energy of his children and put it into music form! This is a very special piece and have a number of friends guesting on this album, including: Stephen Marley, Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper, Angelique Kidjo, Alanis Morissette, Tom Morello, Lisa Loeb, Busta Rhymes and Jamie Lee Curtis (reading her new book Today I Feel Silly). A portion of proceeds will benefit Ziggy's 501(c)3 URGE - which supports the education, social development and overall well being of the Chepstow Primary School and the One Love Youth Camp, both in Jamaica.
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After the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1968, racial tensions across the country rose. Palo Alto, a largely white college town in Cali, wasn't immune. Danny Scher, a junior at the high school, had a dream to have Thelonious Monk perform and help bring about racial unity the community while raising funds for the International Committee. After many twists and turns, the triumphantly successful concert eventually happened. Now available on CD; Softpak w/ booklet & foldable poster.
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Between You And Me is the fourth album by the indie trio San Cisco, from Fremantle in Western Australia, town of sun-baked sandstone and sea breezes. It's an album two years and at least one sadly remembered love affair in the making. Between You and Me finds the childhood friends' open-hearted/ good times chemistry distilled to it's essence. Nearly 10 years since those first EPs, ARIA nominations and early US and UK inroads, San Cisco have made their most painstaking album sound effortless.
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Acclaimed singer/songwriter Joan Osborne is back with Trouble And Strife (Womanly Hips Records), her first album of original material in six years. Osborne self-produced the new collection and penned all ten songs, with two co-writes. Trouble and Strife finds the gifted vocalist offering a strong yet uplifting response to some of the socio-political issues plaguing our nation over the last several years. Osborne beautifully balances the weight of her messages with solace and optimism. Throughout her 25-year, multi-Grammy nominated career, Joan Osborne has never been an artist confined to one space. She has utilized her incredible voice through her own songs while also becoming one of her generation’s finest interpreters. Osborne has shared the stage with artists ranging from Stevie Wonder and Mavis Staples to Bob Dylan and Lucinda Williams and she continues to seamlessly blend into any genre. On Trouble & Strife, her tenth studio album, the need for her voice and words has never been stronger.
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ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
Bright Light Bright Light - Fun City
Alicia Keys - Alicia
Charli XCX - how i'm feeling now
Anjimile - Giver Taker
Gus Dapperton - Orca
Butcher Brown - #KingButch
Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets - Live At The Roundhouse
Osees - Protean Threat
Semisonic - You're Not Alone EP
Cults - Host
Matt Berry - Phantom Birds
Ace Frehley - Origins, Vol. 2
David Bowie - Young Americans [Brick & Mortar Exclusive 2016 Remaster Gold LP]
Brad Mehldau - Suite: April 2020
Nick Cordero - Live Your Life - Live At Feinstein's / 54 Below
Ed Harcourt - Monochrome To Colour
Jealous of the Birds - Peninsula
Ava Max - Heaven & Hell
Lauren Alaina - Getting Over Him EP
Steam Down / Afronaut Zu / Yazmin Lacey - Blue Note Re:imagined - Etcetera / I'll Never Stop Loving You [Limited Edition Vinyl Single]
& More .....
For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.
What's New 9-11-20
As chaos envelopes the world, Manson penned the perfect prescription. The aptly titled We Are Chaos was written/produced by Manson & Shooter Jennings. Rock & roll icon and painter, Manson continues to infiltrate fashion, film, and music, leaving his fingerprints on modern culture.
On this record, Vega revisits familiar songs in her repertoire, as well as some hidden gems. Recorded live at New York’s Café Carlisle (on 14 March last year), Vega’s backed by longtime guitarist, Gerry Leonard, bassist Jeff Allen and keyboardist Jamie Edwards.
The enduring California rock quintet realign on their fifth full-length and first album since 2014, What Is There. As much as it reflects their journey thus far, it also ushers them into new territory as both musicians and, most importantly, friends. In the end, Delta Spirit not only return, but move forward together.
The supergroup-Renee Rosnes (piano), Melissa Aldana (tenor sax), Anat Cohen (clarinet), Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Noriko Ueda (bass), Allison Miller (drums) and Cecile McLorin Salvant (vocals)-conjures a powerful, multi-generational, globe-spanning collective voice. The 9-track project features material composed/arranged by the instrumentalist members that unfurls with a dynamic flow, stunningly eclectic yet entirely cohesive.
