New Releases & Staff Picks - 4/18/25

STAFF PICKS
Dario – Tunde Adebimpe and Arthur Russell
Kimber – Tunde Adebimpe
Jake – Karate Reissue and Arthur Russell
Zach – Beirut and The Convenience
Ash – Bobby Hutcherson reissue
Mary - Polo & Pan

Tunde Adebimpe - Thee Black Boltz CD/LP (Sub Pop)
For the last 24 years, Tunde Adebimpe has largely been known as the co-founder, co-vocalist and principal songwriter for TV On The Radio. The mostly-black art-rock band triumphed through two decades of volatile cultural change to become one of the most beloved, enduring and influential groups from New York City's early-2000s rock scene. Though Tunde's poetic songwriting and towering vocals are central to TV On The Radio, the band will always be a collaboration between a group of musicians.Tunde's personal story exists on a parallel path, as a sort of creative polymath. He is a musician but also an illustrator and painter. And now he is also a solo artist, with his first-ever solo album, Thee Black Boltz. 

Adrian Younge - Something About April III LP (Linear Labs)
This highly anticipated album is the epitome of analog transcendence, a sonic world fueled by a 30-piece orchestra, analog synthesizers, breakbeats and Brazilian vocalists that carol psychedelic melodies in Portuguese. On Something About April III (SAA III), Adrian Younge pushes the musical franchise forward with fearless conviction, surpassing its predecessors as an essential piece in today’s vinyl culture. 

Beirut - A Study of Losses CD/LP (Pompeii)
A Study Of Losses is the seventh studio album from Beirut, the musical project of Zach Condon. The project originated in spring 2023, when Viktoria Dalborg, director at the Swedish circus Kompani Giraff, reached out to Condon, asking if he would be interested to provide the music for their next project, a show based on an adaptation of a novel by German author Judith Schalansky. The main themes in Schalansky´s book and in the adaptation for the circus show deal with the concept of loss and the impermanence of everything known to us:from extinct animal species, lost architectural and literary treasures to more abstract concepts of loss through the process of aging. In close collaboration, A Study Of Losses, turned into a rather unexpected piece of music - at 18 songs and nearly an hour long, it is by far the largest album Beirut has ever done, and amongst some of their most beautiful work to date.

Childish Gambino - Bando Stone and the New World LP (RCA)
Double vinyl LP pressing. It is with a certain sadness for his fans across mediums that Donald Glover has declared Bando Stone and the New World the last Childish Gambino album. The ostensible soundtrack to a feature-length movie of the same name, the hour-long project includes snippets of dialogue that hint at the film's apocalyptic subject matter. The fact that the soundtrack is preceding the actual film is part of Glover's strategy: He wants listeners to work to figure out what they're listening to. The soundtrack forces the audience to participate in a way that I don't feel like most things force you to participate, he says. It forces you to have an imagination. I already see people being like, 'This is very cinematic, this must be the part that... This feels like a credit sequence.' A lot of stuff feels flat because it's not asking you to participate. Art used to be you had to participate on some level and have some sort of thought process on it. You can't just be like, 'Oh, this is mid.' Even without the benefit of the full visuals, these 17 tracks make for a satisfying swan song that synthesizes what came before with fresher ideas gleaned from the threshold of finality.

The Convenience - Like Cartoon Vampires LP (Winspear)
On their second record as The Convenience, Like Cartoon Vampires, New Orleans multi-instrumentalists Nick Corson and Duncan Troast embrace a hypnotic physicality and collage-y, spur-of-the-moment approach to composition. The result is an avant-rock soundworld, peppered with spidery, atonal guitar work, pointy rhythms, and strident feedback, which may strike as a total reinvention following the sugary funk-pop of their 2021 debut album Accelerator. With their second LP, following their inspiration meant creating with their hands much more than buttons or switches. Sessions were characterized by gnarly, improvisational jams as they tinkered with everything from cassette loops, found sounds, and 808s. Tracks like “Target Offer” and “Fake the Feeling” quake with ear-splitting guitar feedback, while “Pray’r” and “Rats” eschew their groove worship in favor of haunting minimalism.

Miles Davis Quartet - Musings of Miles (Original Jazz Classic Series) LP [Reissue/1955]  (Craft)
Released in 1955 on Prestige Records, The Musings of Miles is the first album from legendary trumpet player Miles Davis released in the 12 LP format. With Davis as bandleader, other players include Red Garland (piano), Oscar Pettiford (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). This new edition of the album is released as part of the Original Jazz Classics Series on 180-gram vinyl pressed at RTI with all-analog mastering from the original tapes at Cohearent Audio and a Stoughton Tip-On Jacket.

Miles Davis All Stars - Walkin (Original Jazz Classics Series) LP [Reissue/1957] (Craft)
Released in 1957 on Prestige Records, Walkin' features a collection of songs that were originally recorded in 1954. With Davis on trumpet and as band leader, the recordings also feature Horace Silver, Lucky Thompson, J.J. Johnson, Percy Heath and Kenny Clarke. This new edition of the album is released as part of the Original Jazz Classics Series on 180-gram vinyl pressed at RTI with all-analog mastering from the original tapes at Cohearent Audio and a Stoughton Tip-On Jacket.

Deadboy & the Elephantmen - If This is Hell, Then I’m Lucky LP (Fat Possum)
If This Is Hell, Then I'm Lucky is the debut album by Deadboy & the Elephantmen, fronted by Dax Riggs, formerly of Acid Bath and Agents of Oblivion. It features Dax Riggs (vocals, guitar), Jason Dupre (guitar), Christopher T. Gautreaux (bass guitar), Jeff LeCompte (drums, percussion), and Kurt Westwood (piano, synths).

Duke Ellington / Johnny Hodges - Side By Side (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series) LP [Reissue/1960] (Verve)
When Norman Granz signed Johnny Hodges to a recording contract in 1951, it was a prelude to Hodges' leaving the Duke Ellington orchestra to lead his own small band. Four years later Hodges was back in the Ellington fold, but he continued to record for Granz under his own name. Side By Side, recorded in 1958 and 1959, is a throwback to the small-group sessions Ellington recorded with Hodges and other members of his orchestra in the 1930s, but with a couple of important differences: the absence of Ellington himself on several cuts (with Billy Strayhorn taking over on piano), and the presence of such notable non-Ellingtonians as drummer Jo Jones and trumpeters Roy Eldridge and Harry Sweets Edison. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

The Fall - Real New Fall - Formerly Country on the Click LP [Reissue/2003] (Cherry Red)
Limited red and yellow colored vinyl LP reissue of the 2003 The Fall album.

Fontaines D.C. - It’s Amazing to Be Young b/w Before You I Just Forget 7” (XL)
Hot on the heels of their 2x GRAMMY nominated album ROMANCE, Fontaines D.C. return with new single “It’s Amazing To Be Young / Before You I Just Forget” on limited edition neon-yellow 7” vinyl. Produced by ROMANCEcollaborator James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Blur), these new songs propel the Irish band further into the stratosphere, as they stake their claim as one of the exciting rock bands on the planet.

Rhiannon Giddens / Justin Robinson - What Did The Blackbird Say to the Crow CD/LP (Nonesuch)
Rhiannon Giddens reunites with her former Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmate Justin Robinson on What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, an album of North Carolina fiddle and banjo music. Produced by Giddens and Joseph joebass DeJarnette, the album features Giddens on banjo and Robinson on fiddle, with the duo playing eighteen of their favorite North Carolina tunes: a mix of instrumentals and tunes with words. Many were learned from their late mentor, the legendary North Carolina Piedmont musician Joe Thompson; one is from another musical hero, the late Etta Baker, from whom they also learned by listening to recordings of her playing. Giddens and Robinson recorded outdoors at Thompson's and Baker's North Carolina homes, as well as the former plantation Mill Prong House. They were accompanied by the sounds of nature, including two different broods of cicadas, which had not emerged simultaneously since 1803, creating a true once-in-a-lifetime soundscape

Bobby Hutcherson - Four Seasons LP [Reissue/1986] (Music on Vinyl)
When considering the jazz vibraphone giants of the 20th century, seven stand out: Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo, Milt Jackson, Terry Gibbs, Cal Tjader, Gary Burton, and Bobby Hutcherson. Bobby Hutcherson (1941-2016), originally inspired by Milt Jackson, emerged from Los Angeles in the late 1950s. After a stint with the Billy MitchellAl Grey sextet in 1962, Hutcherson moved to New York, becoming the house vibraphonist for the Blue Note label. His foundation in hard bop did not limit him, as he also played in avant-garde sessions with artists like Eric Dolphy and Jackie McLean. On December 11, 1983, the 42-year-old Hutcherson performed seven standards with a stellar group. Pianist George Cables, consistently excellent throughout his career, had been working with Hutcherson since 1977. Bassist Herbie Lewis, a versatile musician, had collaborated with Hutcherson since 1966. Drummer Philly Joe Jones, known for his work with Miles Davis, also contributed to the session. 

Julien Baker & Torres - Send a Prayer My Way CD/LP (Matador)
Julien Baker & Torres' Send A Prayer My Way was written and sung in the best of the outlaw tradition-defiant, subversive, working class, and determined to wrestle not only with addiction, regret and bad decisions, but also with oppressive systems of power. Mercifully, this is only the beginning of the stories TORRES and Baker are determined to tell. Because these are also songs about radical empathy and second chances, and third chances, and while there's plenty of struggle and regret in here, there's also humor and defiance.

Karate - Unsolved (Y2K 25th Anniversary Edition) LP (Numero)
As Warped Tour pop-punk and American Apparel indie rock dominated the strange post-Y2K guitar-band milieu, Boston’s Karate delivered an engrossing shot of rock that constantly shifted between several shades of subterranean sounds. The quiet moments on Karate’s millennium busting fourth album carry much of that old, unbridled intensity, braided into subdued jazz melodies and slowcore restraint. This 25th anniversary edition of Unsolved replicates the original 2000 pressing’s side D, and includes the Death Kit 7” and split with Crown Hate Ruin. God forgive us.

Kinsella & Pulse - Open Ing Night LP (Kill Rock Stars)
Following the compulsively layered collage of their Kill Rock Stars debut, Giddy Skelter, the duo felt inclined to evoke simpler times by foregrounding the performances instead of the production. They dropped Ableton & turned to attentive study of Carole Kaye & Hal Blaine. They enlisted Tim’s old bandmate from Joan of Arc, Theo Katsaounis, as a multi-instrumentalist, & hit the road to workshop the songs live, playing dozens of shows across the US & UK over a period of four months & that set that they played each night became the foundation of their new album, Open ing Night.

Lady Wray - Be A Witness b/w Best For Us 7”  (Big Crown)
Lady Wray treats us to an unstoppable two-sider while she and Grammy-nominated producer Leon Michels (Clairo / El Michels Affair) put the finishing touches on her forthcoming album. The A side “Be A Witness” showcases one of the new directions Lady Wray is taking her sound. Nicole’s vocals soar over bottom heavy drum machine and Nick Movshon’s funky basslines making this a proper mid-tempo dance floor filler. Lady Wray sings about a love destined to happen, celebrates the joys that come with it, and spreads the good vibes to everyone in earshot. The B side “Best For Us” is a gorgeous tune about love, commitment, intention, and overcoming the tough times. Synths and background vocals float over Homer Steinweiss’ signature in-the-pocket drums creating the perfect backdrop for Cole’s world-renowned voice. This one will be an instant two-step classic.

The Melvins - Thunderball CD/LP (Ipecac)
The new 2025 album featuring the 1983 lineup of Buzz & Mike Dillard, plus special guests Void Manes and Ni Maitres. Formed over 40 years ago in Seattle, Melvins were one of the pioneers of the grunge and sludge metal scenes.

Polo & Pan - 22:22 LP (Virgin)
Get ready for an unforgettable musical journey as Polo & Pan make their grand return in 2025 with their highly anticipated album, 22:22, followed by an ambitious international tour. 22:22, the magical mirror hour, a symbol of dreams and fulfilled wishes, reflects the duo's universe, where anything seems possible. Featuring Beth Ditto, Metronomy, PawPaw Rod and Arthur Teboul (Feu! Chatterton).

Arthur Russell - Open Vocal Phrases Where Songs Come In And Out LP (Audika)
Open Vocal Phrases, Where Songs Come in And Out offers two intimate unedited Arthur Russell solo live performances recorded at Phill Niblock's Experimental Intermedia Foundation in Downtown NYC on 12/20/85 and 06/25/84. Phill curated and produced with Arthur both concerts at EI that would become part of the foundation for the World of Echo album. Arthur titled the performances Sketches for World of Echo (released on cassette/DL in 2020) and Open Vocal Phrases, Where Songs Come in and Out.These extraordinary performances were recorded 18 months apart between 1984/85 by Steve Cellum and overseen by Phill and Arthur. Arthur would later edit sections from both concerts merging it with studio material recorded at Battery Sound to finalize the World of Echo album released in 1986. The double vinyl LP includes the complete nineteen minute plus version of ‘Tower of Meaning/Rabbit's Ear/Home Away’ along with the previously unreleased songs ‘That's The Very Reason,’ and ‘Too Early to Tell.’ Side four includes two instrumental performances from the 06/25/84 Sketches for World of Echo performance, ‘Changing Forest’ and ‘Sunlit Water’ along with a full color insert and liner notes from Audika Records and Arthur Russell archivist Steve Knutson.

Arthur Russell - Sketches For World Of Echo & Open Vocal Phrases…CD (Audika)
Sketches For World of Echo/ Open Vocal Phrases, Where Songs Come in And Out offers two intimate unedited Arthur Russell solo live performances recorded at Phill Niblock's Experimental Intermedia Foundation in Downtown NYC on 12/20/85 and 06/25/84. Phill curated and produced with Arthur both concerts at EI that would become part of the foundation for the World of Echo album. Arthur titled the performances Sketches for World of Echo (released on cassette/DL in 2020) and Open Vocal Phrases, Where Songs Come in and Out. 

Pharoah Sanders -  Love In Us All (Verve By Request Series) LP [Ressiue/1974]
Comprising two extended length compositions - ‘Love Is Everywhere’ and ‘To John’ - this 1974 release through Impulse! Is evidence of Pharaoh Sanders' ability during this time to force listeners to take a stand on what they were listening to. With a cast including Cecil McBee (bass), Joe Bonner (flute), and Norman Connors (drums), among others, they take on the two works resulting in some of Pharaoh Sanders' most respected work.

Tony Williams - Civilization (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition) LP [Reissue/1986] (Blue Note)
Drummer Tony Williams was a frequent Blue Note presence in the 1960s and returned to the label in 1985 eager to form a new acoustic band as a vehicle to perform his compositions. 1986's masterful release, Civilization, featured his great '80s quintet with trumpeter Wallace Roney, saxophonist Billy Pierce, pianist Mulgrew Miller, and bassist Charnett Moffett. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes.

Neil Young - Coastal O.S.T. CD/LP (Reprise)
Coastal is a personal, behind-the-scenes documentary on Neil Young as he cruises the coast on his 2023 solo US tour. The film gives an intimate view of the maverick musician, as he navigates a return to the stage post-Covid. From his everyday observations on the bus to his candid banter with his audience. Coastal is a rare peek behind the curtain of this unguarded iconoclast. The film was shot and directed by Daryl Hannah. Coastal - The Soundtrack features 11 Neil Young songs including Song X, Vampire Blues, Expecting To Fly, Throw Your Hatred Down, I Am A Child, and Prime of Life.

COMING NEXT WEEK
VIAGRA BOYS - Viagr Aboys CD/LP
DEERHOOF - Noble and Godlike In Ruin CD/LP
MOLCHAT DOMA - Live at Panorama Hotel LP
IDA - Will You Find Me 25th Anniversary CD/LP
JULIE DOIRON - LP Reissues
WILLIAM TYLER - Time Indefinite CD/LP
WISHY - Paradise on Planet Popstar CD/LP
GOOSE - Everything Must Go CD/LP
RILO KILEY - The Execution of All Things CD/LP Reissue
GHOST - Skeleta CD/LP
SAMIA - Bloodless LP
HAROLD BUDD - Avalon Sutra LP
ELORI SAXL - Texada LP
WILL JOHNSON - Diamond City CD/LP
NICK SHOULDERS - LP Reissues
GARY NUMAN - Berserker LP
HTRK - Rhinestones LP
SELENA - Entra A Mi Mundo LP Reissue
KING GIZZARD - Laminated Denim LP