New Releases & Staff Picks - 5/3/24

STAFF PICKS
Lindsay - Emily Nenni, Karate Boogaloo, and Camera Obscura
Dario - Jessica Pratt and Karate Boogaloo
Kimber - Broadcast
Jake - Xiu Xiu reissue and Matmos
Zach - Emily Nenni, Ibibio Sound Machine and Lemon Twigs
Ash - Mdou Moctar and Kamasi Washington

Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement CD/2xLP (Young)
Kamasi Washington calls Fearless Movement his dance album. “It’s not literal,” Washington says. “Dance is movement and expression, and in a way it’s the same thing as music—expressing your spirit through your body. That’s what this album is pushing.” Dance as an embodied form of expression signals a shift in focus for Washington. Where previous albums dealt with cosmic ideas and existential concepts, Fearless Movement focuses on the everyday, an exploration of life on earth. This change in scope is due in large part to the birth of Washington’s first child a few years ago. The album features Washington’s daughter—who wrote the melody to “Asha The First” during some of her first experimentations on the piano—as well as a host of collaborators new and old. André 3000 appears on flute, George Clinton lends his voice, as do BJ The Chicago Kid, Inglewood rapper D-Smoke and Taj and Ras Austin of Coast Contra, the twin sons of West Coast legend Ras Kass. Washington further enlisted lifelong friends and collaborators Thundercat, Terrace Martin, Patrice Quinn, Brandon Coleman, DJ Battlecat and more. [An indie store exclusive red and blue color vinyl pressing is available.]

Mdou Moctar – Funeral For Justice CD/LP (Matador)
Funeral For Justice is the new album by Mdou Moctar. Recorded at the close of two years spent touring the globe following the release of 2019 breakout Afrique Victime, it captures the Nigerien quartet in ferocious form. The music is louder, faster, and wilder. The guitar solos are feedback-scorched, and the lyrics are passionately political. Nothing is held back or toned down. The songs on Funeral For Justice speak unflinchingly to the plight of Niger and of the Tuareg people. "This album is really different for me," explains Moctar, the band’s singer, namesake, and indisputably iconic guitarist. "Now the problems of terrorist violence are more serious in Africa. When the US and Europe came here, they said they're going to help us, but what we see is really different. They never help us to find a solution."

Emily Nenni – Drive & Cry CD/LP (New West)
Emily Nenni has written a follow-up to 2022’s critically acclaimed record, On The Ranch. Her debut album garnered her much success and introduced her to a devoted audience of music fans who celebrate the traditional side of country music while embracing the modern indie aesthetic that comes with that nod to the past. While writing her latest record, Drive & Cry, Nenni looked in the rearview mirror for inspiration but kept focus on the sound that she has become known for. “This is the first record I have completely written on my own. I spent a good bit of solitary time ruminating on things that had happened over the last year or two. Rethinking what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, who with, even in just the everyday. Change is hard but also such a gift.” Nenni worked with producer John James Tourville (The Deslondes, Sunny War) to broaden her sound and bring nuance to the recording. The record was engineered by Jake Davis and mixed by Matt Ross-Spang in Memphis, TN. The resulting recording is a mature country sound that focuses on the fun and the tears that come with all changes in life. [An indie store exclusive autographed clear/pink color vinyl pressing is available.]

The Lemon Twigs – A Dream Is All We Know CD/LP (Captured Tracks)
Since the release of their debut studio album Do Hollywood (4AD) in 2016, The Lemon Twigs - the New York City rock band fronted by brothers Brian (27) and Michael D'Addario (25) - have waved the same revivalist torch as Alex Chilton and his Big Star crew, working to prove that archaic music from the '60s and '70s can still be relevant in digital world. Alongside peers like Foxygen and Drugdealer, The Lemon Twigs have explicitly documented a synchronistic blend of contemporary narrative motifs, old-school recording techniques, and flawless, consistent attitudes collaged from various crucial stages of rock 'n' roll. After a whirlwind 2023, the D'Addarios are continuing the momentum of their own evolving vision and voice, distilling a history lesson of baroque and power pop into A Dream Is All We Know. [Several colorways are available on vinyl, including ‘ice cream white’.]

Dua Lipa – Radical Optimism CD/LP (WB)
Inspired by Dua's own self-discovery, Radical Optimism is an album that taps into the pure joy and happiness of having clarity in situations that once seemed impossible to face. The hard goodbyes and vulnerable beginnings that previously threatened to crush your soul, become milestones as you choose optimism and start to move with grace through the chaos. Infused with the energy of Dua's hometown, London, the attitude of the album embodies the rawness, honesty, confidence, and freedom of '90s Britpop. Radical Optimism transports its listener to a dreamy pop world rich in musicality, lyrically unapologetic and sonically liberating. [Several colorways are available, including clear; and indie store exclusive red.]

Sia – Reasonable Woman CD/LP (Atlantic)
Reasonable Woman is Sia’s first proper album since 2016 and is so filled to the brim with pop perfection, it almost overwhelms with how effortless it is for her to craft such instantly connectable songs. The collection is everything Sia does best, and the sonic equivalent of a myriad of things: an empowering embrace, secrets told late at night, going to the best party in the world, the vulnerability of declaring you love someone, the steadfast determination to keep going, even if your love isn’t returned; the messiness of being human; the exuberance of being human. In essence, it is life - happening to us, happening for us; the songs on Reasonable Woman mirror back to us being alive with every chorus. [Pink and blue color vinyl pressings are available.]

Frank Turner – Undefeated CD/2xCD/LP (Xtra Mile)
“Undefeated is my tenth solo studio album, and in many ways, I’m pleasantly surprised by that statement. I feel very fortunate that I’m still making records and touring - fortunate and proud. The record is fired by that feeling, and a new sense of energy and liberation. It feels like a new chapter for me - after the pandemic, back in the independent world, the new lineup of the Sleeping Souls, and a slightly bewildered sense of gratitude that I’m still standing, still have something to say.” - Frank Turner [An indie store exclusive purple color vinyl pressing is available.]

WILLOW – empathogen CD/LP (Three Six Zero/Gamma.)
empathogen is the sixth studio album from WILLOW. This release sees WILLOW moving in a new alternative and jazz-tinged direction following her widely praised 2022 release <COPINGMECHANISM>. The album includes features from Jon Batiste and St. Vincent. “empathogen marks Willow’s first studio album in nearly two years, following 2022’s Coping Mechanism. She first began unveiling the record last month when she shared ‘Symptom Of Life,’ which she described in a statement, saying: “The song has a very beautiful whimsical nature but holds a lot of mystery. There’s this beautiful light coming in through the piano, but also this syncopated rhythm of the bass, bringing in that mysterious element. A juxtaposition of light and dark. Both songs capture Willow on her own, though two collaborations will appear on the album. Jon Batiste joins her on empathogen‘s opening track ‘Home’, while St. Vincent appears on ‘Pain For Fun’. The track list for the record suggests more mystery and emotional exploration with titles like “The Fear Is Not Real” and “Run!”.

Charlotte Day Wilson – Cyan Blue CD/LP (XL)
Toronto-born-and-raised singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Charlotte Day Wilson announces her highly anticipated sophomore album Cyan Blue. Cyan Blue finds Wilson crafting a smoothly woven cyan tapestry of her eternal influences: thumping gospel piano, warm soul basslines, atmospheric electronics, and penetrating R&B melodies. Yet, it possesses a sense of vastness that rings in a new era for Wilson, one in which she’s embracing collaboration and newfound creative openness tinged with wistfulness and yearning and a reflection on youthful innocence. “I want to look through the unjaded eyes of my younger self again,” Wilson explains of making Cyan Blue. “Before there wasn’t as much baggage, before so much life was lived. But I also wish that my younger self could see where I am now. It would be nice to be able to impart some of the wisdom and clarity that I have now onto her.” [A translucent green color vinyl pressing is available.]

Karate Boogaloo – Hold Your Horses CD/LP (Colemine)
Sitting at the core of Melbourne's burgeoning movement of cinematic instrumental soul, Karate Boogaloo's roots go deep into the fabric of the DIY soul idiom. A mainstay of the Melbourne underground over the last decade, their now sought-after series of LPs delving into hip-hop sample culture and its relationship to funk music, The 'KB's Mixtapes', are evidence of their long-standing contribution to the development of the Melbourne cinematic soul sound. Hold Your Horses is a mesmerizing new long-playing disc of original instrumental tunes [A camo green colorway is available.]

Broadcast – Spell Blanket – Collected Demos 2006-2009 CD/2xLP+MP3 (Warp)
Spell Blanket - Collected Demos 2006-2009 comprises songs and sketches drawn from Trish's extensive archive of 4-track tapes and MiniDiscs. The recordings lay the groundwork for what would have been Broadcast’s fifth album, offering a window into Trish and James’ creative process during the post-Tender Buttons period from 2006-2009. The photography used in its artwork is by Trish and James and the artwork is designed by Broadcast's long-time collaborator Julian House.

Camera Obscura – Look To The East, Look To The West CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Look To The East, Look To The West is Camera Obscura at their best and most evocative. Reuniting with producer Jari Haapalainen (Let's Get Out Of This Country, My Maudlin Career), Camera Obscura have crafted an album that simultaneously recalls why longtime fans have ferociously loved them for decades, while also being their most sophisticated effort to date. The lead single “Big Love” relishes in the space between country rock and prog, a pining break-up anthem featuring the soaring pedal steel of Tim Davidson. [An indie store exclusive blue w/ white color vinyl pressing is available.]

Xiu Xiu – Unclouded Sky [Reissue/2013] LP+MP3 LP (Polyvinyl)
Silver colorway. During the summer of 2013, Xiu Xiu founder Jamie Stewart and producer Shahzad Ismaily (Yoko Ono, Feist, Arooj Aftab, Bonnie Prince Billy) traveled to Sigur Rós's personal studio in Iceland. Having access to the space for only one day, Stewart worked on setting down their interpretations of American and Caribbean spirituals using a 1953 Silvertone guitar given to them by their father (producer Michael Stewart), the man who introduced them to religious thought and folk music. The resulting album, Unclouded Sky, explores themes of death and faith over the course of nine songs originally composed between 1850 and 1920, which are interspersed with field recordings Stewart made in the jungle of Guyana on a bird watching trip in 2011. Previously only available as a Record Store Day exclusive, Unclouded Sky returns on vinyl to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of its initial release.

John Carpenter – Lost Themes IV: Noir CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
It's been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood's great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. In the years since, Carpenter, Carpenter, and Davies have released close to a dozen musical projects, including a growing library of studio albums and the scores for David Gordon Green's trilogy of Halloween reboots. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they've struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available, including an indie store exclusive tan/black marbled pressing.]

Ibibio Sound Machine – Pull The Rope CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Pull The Rope by Ibibio Sound Machine casts the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard-led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remain, but further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album Electricity, the connection they aim to foster has shifted venues from the sunny buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked, all-night dance club. Williams and Grunhard attribute this shift to a matter of collaborators, recording Pull the Rope with Sheffield-based producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) over the course of two weeks. The way the pair wrote songs changed significantly-rather than Eno penning lyrics to music generated by Max and company's jamming, Orton started with Eno and Max writing together before adding the band. With less time in the studio and a new way of considering how they built songs, the duo found making decisions about Pull the Rope's sound quicker and more instinctual than before. [An indie store exclusive black w/ blue & red color vinyl pressing is available.]

Jessica Pratt – Here In The Pitch CD/LP+MP3 (Mexican Summer)
On her fourth album, west coast artist Jessica Pratt expands the scope of her artistry, placing her sharpest songs to date within an ever-broadening pool of influences including spectral '60s pop, Hollywood psychedelia and bossa nova. Whereas Pratt's 2019 record, Quiet Signs, floated elegantly in the ether, Here In The Pitch is entrenched in more earthen characteristics, as the title suggests, and her craft is emboldened with a newfound gravitas. [A ‘panamint’ brown color vinyl pressing is available.]

Various Artists – Eccentric Soul: The Tammy Label LP (Numero)
Silver colorway. Lost in the soot and fallout from Youngstown, Ohio's infamous Black Monday steel industry collapse was Tony March's cross-generational Tammy label. From its early days as a doo wop powerhouse to their last gasps chasing disco hits, Tammy unintentionally documented Youngstown's small but prolific Black music scene. This single LP surveys the label's best R&B, soul, funk, and disco, with 13 tracks from Ice Cold Love, Lynn Minor, J.C. & the Soul Angels, The Snapshots, Iron Knowledge, Roy Jefferson, and Steel City Band. Housed in a deluxe tip-on jacket, with a booklet crammed full of notes and ephemera, The Tammy Label continues Numero's 20-year tradition of preserving regional Ohio music.

Blushing – Sugarcoat LP (Kanine)
Red colorway. Blushing’s unique brand of dream pop-infused indie rock hearkens back to the halcyon days of college radio. With a diverse array of influences including Elastica, Curve, Veruca Salt, Lush, The Breeders, and Smashing Pumpkins, Blushing manages a deftly executed eclecticism that recalls the best elements of alt rock’s past while retaining a vitality and immediacy that tethers them firmly to the present. On their recently completed third LP, Sugarcoat, Blushing’s dynamism is on full display, flitting effortlessly from spacey psychedelia to twee pop jangle with finesse and panache.

The Bolshoi – Country Life [Reissue/2015] 2xLP (Beggars Banquet)
Green and orange colorway. The Bolshoi released three albums during their existence, but they also recorded a fourth album that was never officially released during their tenure. Provisionally titled Country Life, it was released in 2015 as part of a limited 5xCD box set. Beggars are excited to now release it on vinyl for the first time. Country Life consists of demos recorded for the album, and many of these only survived on reference cassettes but were digitally restored. Beggars are especially thrilled that Trevor Tanner has recorded a brand-new acoustic reimagining of the song “Dolores Jones” made specifically for this release. The Bolshoi were different. Their songs were dark and subversive, sufficient evidence for many critics to corral them under the 'Gothic' banner at the time of their debut - but they only "flirted" with Goth. They oozed dark, pensive lyrics supported with inventive pop-goth guitar making them nearly impossible to categorize.

Delta 5 – Singles & Sessions 1979-1981 LP (Kill Rock Stars)
Seaglass blue colorway. The original members of Delta 5, Julz Sale (vocals/guitar), Ros Allen (bass) and Bethan Peters (bass), formed the band "on a lark", but soon became a part of the thriving Leeds post-punk scene, and later added Kelvin Knight on drums and Alan Riggs on guitar. Combining feminist politics with a two-bass funk-punk sound (much in the style of another, more famous Leeds band, Gang of Four), they released in 1979 their debut single, "Mind Your Own Business".

HEALTH – Disco4 :: Part I and Disco4 :: Part II LP (Loma Vista)
Two original albums in one commemorative LP set. Disco4 :: Part I plus the new album Disco4 :: Part II, the latter which sees HEALTH showcasing a new range and ambitiousness through collaborations with the likes of industrial rock icons Nine Inch Nails, metal institution Lamb Of God, internet savant Poppy, indie rock mainstays The Neighbourhood, French techno brutalist Perturbator, and more.

Heartless Bastards & Special Guest Artists – Winter In The Blood 2xLP (Spaceflight)
White colorway. This star-studded soundtrack to the acclaimed 2013 indie film Winter In The Blood is out for the first time on a deluxe limited edition 2xLP vinyl set. The original score is written and performed by indie darlings Heartless Bastards, and the song list includes tracks by Robert Plant & Patty Griffin, Cass McCombs, Sonny & The Sunsets, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Them Savages, Alemayehu Eshete, Cowboy & Indian, and Youth & Valor.

Bobby Hutcherson – Total Eclipse [Reissue/1968] LP (Blue Note)
Bobby Hutcherson's 1968 album Total Eclipse was the vibraphonist's first recording to feature saxophonist Harold Land who would become a key collaborator for years to come. Rounding out the band were pianist Chick Corea, bassist Reggie Johnson, and drummer Joe Chambers on this impassioned post-bop set.

Laufey – Typical Of Me LP (Laufey LLC)
2021 EP from the singer/songwriter. Laufey is Los Angeles-based singer, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose jazz songs are about young love and self-discovery. Raised between Reykjavik and Washington, D.C. with annual visits to Beijing, the Icelandic-Chinese artist grew up playing cello as well as piano and became hooked on the jazz standards of Ella Fitzgerald after digging through her father's record collection.

Melanie Martinez – K-12 LPk reissue (Atlantic)
Melanie Martinez's sophomore album, K-12, is another ambitious triumph for the artist. As with her debut album Cry Baby, K-12's music is a vibrant and singular melting pot of low-key hip-hop, soulful pop and indie-leaning electro. K-12's universe is an expansion of the one introduced in Cry Baby. Using lyrics rich with metaphor, songs address the struggle to find a place to belong -including within friendships, the physical world and romantically - even when fitting into society feels like an uphill battle.

Matmos – Return To Archive LP (Smithsonian Folkways)
Return To Archive, Matmos' 14th album, is constructed entirely from the "non-musical" recordings released by Folkways Records in the mid-20th century. It contains sounds sourced from dozens of LPs, from Sounds Of North American Frogsto Speech After The Removal Of The Larynx, Sounds Of Insects to Voices Of Satellites, Sounds Of Medicine to Sounds Of The Junk Yard. Drew Daniel and M.C. Schmidt were given unprecedented access to the label's fabled archive at the Smithsonian Institution and encouraged to repurpose and rework the source material however they liked. The resulting album illuminates the radical, inquisitive, and poetic aspects of the original recordings, extracting the latent moments of creative revelation on records intended primarily for the backroom shelves of universities and libraries. Some tracks cycle through source material at a rate of dozens of samples per minute, while others sit with specific recordings for their duration.

Dave Matthews – Some Devil [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Some Devil, Dave Matthews' seminal solo studio album is now on vinyl for the first time. Originally released in 2003, the highly introspective album was heralded as a fresh direction for Matthews and was a commercial success, selling over one million copies.

Squirrel Nut Zippers – Perennial Favorites [Reissue/1998] LP (Mammoth)
Swing revival band Squirrel Nut Zippers released their third studio album, Perennial Favorites, in 1998. This is the album's first vinyl reissue since its original release.

Sun Ra and His Arkestra – Thunder Of The Gods [Reissue/2017] LP (Modern Harmonic)
An album of originally unreleased Sun Ra, over 50 years after it was recorded, back in print on lightning yellow vinyl. Sun Ra is still trying to get our attention 50 years after dispatching this transmission. Humanity's path since then makes his message even more urgent today. Years after Herman Poole "LeSony'r Ra" Blount "left the planet" he's still trying to reach us, to wake us up and to change our destiny. Sun Ra and the Arkestra weren't a traditional studio band, and every star in the vast galaxy of their discography reflects this.

Tsunami Bomb - The Definitive Act LP (Kung Fu)
Limited reissue of this 2004 album on purple vinyl from SoCal power punk outfit, Tsunami Bomb! This is the final studio album of the band's "classic" period before they took a long 15 year hiatus! The reunited line-up continues to tour and perform live, making new TB fans with every electrifying performance!

Majesty Crush - Butterflies Don't Go Away LP (Numero)
Driven by lust-fueled limerence and drifting far from conformity, Butterflies Don't Go Away captures Majesty Crush's transient, yet subversive mark on the landscape of American shoegaze to come. Tracked between 1991-1995, the quartet reimagined the collapse of the American rust belt as a late-night, nail biting fever dream/revenge fantasy. This deluxe 2xLP compiles their Love 15 album, singles, EPs, and rarities, all remastered from the original tapes, with thorough annotation and visual documentation in a 24-page booklet. An immortal transcendence if there ever was one.

Bloc Party - The High Life EP 12" (Infectious Music)
While they never quite achieved the same icon status as Arctic Monkeys or the Killers, their legacy can be heard in some of the most popular music around today, in The 1975’s swaggering indie-pop and, according to Hayley Williams herself, Paramore’s triumphant new album This Is Why.They’ve evolved a lot since they debuted with Silent Alarm in 2005, turning their raw, early work into fuller, more expansive pop-tinged guitar music. Now, they’re delivering The High Life EP, which they’ve described as “a little bridge between Alpha Games and what’s next for the band.” Amid an ongoing indie sleaze revival, Bloc Party instead opt for fun danceability on the opening title track “High Life.”

Noah Kahan - Cape Elizabeth LP (Republic)
Limited colored vinyl LP pressing. Within six days and "without overthinking anything," Noah Kahan completed the five-track Cape Elizabeth EP which has amassed 200M streams. See the newly repackaged Cape Elizabeth on Aqua-colored vinyl as Noah's "thank you to the fans who stuck around, came to shows, watched my livestreams and listened." The vinyl features fan-favorite songs "A Troubled Mind," "Glue Myself Shut" and "Maine."

Leftfield - Leftism LP (Legacy)
Leftism is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo Leftfield, originally released in 1995 on Columbia Records. It contained a mixture of new tracks along with reworked versions of previous Leftfield singles. The album contains guest spots from musicians not associated with dance music at the time such as John Lydon from Public Image Ltd. (and formerly of Sex Pistols) and Toni Halliday from Curve.

Vitamin String Quartet - VSQ Performs Taylor Swift LP (Vitamin Records)
Blue Vinyl. VSQ performs some of our favorite songs from Taylor's catalogue. Through her endless reinventions and multiple classic albums, the once-country songwriter, pop superstar and indie auteur has proven herself a creative force and massive talent in her own right. And that's not to mention her immense skill for ear worms and catchy melodies. We're so happy to bring you twelve string quartet renditions of our favorite Taylor tracks from her career. From Red to Reputation to Folklore and everything in between, we've got you covered with this comprehensive tribute to this one-of-a-kind artist. Adorned in an expressive pink/yellow/purple swirl colorway (reminiscent of an artist's paint hitting the canvas), this single LP is a great one for both listening and collecting.

Guy Clark - Truly Handmade Vol 1 CD/LP
The focus of Truly Handmade is solo acoustic demos, which reveal the early forms of several Clark classics. Rodney Crowell, who produced ClarkÕs 1981 album The South Coast of Texas, chose a few demos from that record, as well as four from ClarkÕs highly acclaimed 1975 debut Old No. 1. His fans may have heard ÒL.A. FreewayÓ or ÒLet Him RollÓ or ÒLone Star HotelÓ dozens of times, but hearing them like this affords a precious peek behind the curtain. Even more intriguing are songs that were left on the cutting-room floor. Nearly half the songs on Truly Handmade will be new to even longtime fans.

COMING NEXT WEEK!
KINGS OF LEON - Can We Please Have Fun CD/LP
RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE - Love Hate Music Box CD/LP
SHANNON AND THE CLAMS - Moon Is In The Wrong Place CD/LP
DEHD - Poetry CD/LP
HOT WATER MUSIC - Vows CD/LP
POKEY LAFARGE - Rhumba Country CD/LP
LES SAVY FAV - Oui LSF CD/LP
UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS - Nell' Ora Blu LP
BELA FLECK + CHICK COREA - Remembrance CD/LP
STURGILL SIMPSON - Metamodern Sounds In Country Music CD/PL
AMEN DUNES - Death Jokes CD/LP
SUNSET RUBDOWN - Random Spirit Lover LP reissue
ANGUS AND JULIA STONE - Cape Forestier CD/LP
ALKALINE TRIO - From Here To Infirmary LP reissue
ARAB STRAP - I'm Totally Fine With It Don't Give A Fuck Anymore LP
WITCH - Paralyzed LP reissue
WITCH - Self Titled LP reissue
MARY LATTIMORE + WALT MCCLEMENTS - Rain On The Road LP
SIR RICHARD BISHOP - Saginaw Racket LP
MULATU ASTATKE - Mulatu Of Ethiopia LP