New Releases & Staff Picks - 9/6/24

STAFF PICKS
Lindsay - Deslondes and Fat Dog
Dario - Matt Duncan and the Civil War soundtrack
Kimber - Seefeel
Jake -  MJ Lenderman, Horse Jumper of Love, and Decemberists reissue
Zach - Suuns, Horse Jumper of Love, Ant, Fat Dog
Ash - Sister Rosetta Tharpe 

MOLCHAT DOMA - Belaya Polosa CD/LP/CASS  (Sacred Bones)
Belarusian post-punk / synth pop group Molchat Doma have always exuded the kind of brutalist aesthetic of the architecture that adorns their album art. It's cold, gray, imposing, industrial-and yet there are human hearts beating within those foundations. In the wake of their breakthrough success in 2020, the trio endured a polarity of experiences, from the lowest point of an uprooted life and forced relocation away from their native Minsk to the apex of headlining massive shows across the world. It was in this headspace that the band settled into their new home of Los Angeles to finish writing their fourth album Belaya Polosa, a testament to change in difficult times, a love letter to the digital pulse of the '90s, and a technicolor reinvention of the band's somber dancefloor anthems. [Multiple vinyl colors are available.]

TORO Y MOI - Hole Erth CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
Hole Erth, Chaz Bear's eighth full-length studio record as Toro y Moi, is the genre shapeshifter's most unexpected and bold move to date, with Bear diving headlong into rap-rock, Soundcloud rap and Y2K emo. The album blitzes anthemic pop-punk next to autotuned, melancholic rap - two genres that inform one another now more than ever before - and packs in the most features ever on a Toro y Moi album. A sense of nostalgia sneaks its way into almost every Toro y Moi release, but angst is an emotion that Bear has never intentionally explored the way he does here.  [A clear w/ blue smoke color vinyl pressing is available.]

MERCURY REV - Born Horses CD/LP (Bella Union)
A sound and vision linked to their exalted past whilst quite unlike anything they have created before? The answer is somewhere between the homes of founder members Jonathan Donahue (the hamlet of Mt Tremper) and Grasshopper (the town of Kingston), in their veins and brains of their now-legendary tapping of musical cosmology, and the vital presence of new permanent member Marion Genser (keys), plus long-term ally Jesse Chandler (keys) and guests Jeff Lipstein (drums), Martin Keith (double bass) and Jim Burgess (trumpet). A place that feeds off the levitating mood of their last album, 2019's expansive tribute Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited, and the instrumental psych explorations under the names of Harmony Rockets and Mercury Rev's Clear Light Ensemble, and the spiritual guidance of avant-garde artist Tony Conrad and Beat poet Robert Creeley, to whom Born Horses is dedicated.

MJ LENDERMAN - Manning Fireworks CD/LP/CASS (ANTI-)
Manning Fireworks is a remarkable development in MJ Lenderman's story as an incredibly incisive singer-songwriter, whose propensity for humor always points to some uneasy, disorienting darkness. The punchlines are still here, as are the rusted-wire guitar solos that have made Lenderman a favorite for indie rock fans looking for an emerging guitar hero. There's a new sincerity, too, as Lenderman lets listeners clearly see the world through his warped lens. [An indie store exclusive translucent red color vinyl pressing is available.] For fans of Jason Molina, Wednesday, Waxahatchee, South San Gabriel, Son Volt.

HORSE JUMPER OF LOVE - Disaster Trick LP (Run For Cover)
Horse Jumper of Love thrives on patient and pummeling songs. Since 2013, the Boston trio of singer-guitarist Dimitri Giannopoulos, bassist John Margaris, and drummer James Doran have slowly stretched the fringes of indie rock across five full-length LPs. Their music unwinds with gutting emotional intensity thanks to Giannopoulos' impressionistic lyrics and how the arrangements violently lurch from delicate to bludgeoning. Disaster Trick, the band's new album, is their most direct and uncompromising LP yet. Its 11 songs tackle self-destructiveness and healing with jolting lucidity. [An indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]

PALE JAY - Low End Love Songs CD/LP (Karma Chief)
“Low End Love Songs, more so than previous releases, is a diary in the form of song. I knew I just had to wait for the songs to be ready to be picked, like ripe fruit from a tree. The entire album came together in just four weeks, a process that was both cathartic and joyful. Each tune encapsulates a distinct moment in my life, with music serving as my means of processing complex and sometimes conflicting emotions.  In this album, I depart from loop-based song structures towards more intricate and lush compositions. Latin influences permeate the music, adding new layers of rhythms and textures to my soul-music roots.” - Pale Jay

THE CARDIGANS – The Rest Of The Best – Vol. 1 CD/2xLP (Mercury)
THE CARDIGANS – The Rest Of The Best – Vol. 2 CD/2xLP (Mercury)
The Cardigans compilation album The Rest Of The Best Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 covers some of the band's recordings released as B-sides on singles, soundtracks and as bonus tracks on Japanese, French and UK versions of their albums between 1994 - 2006. Each volume was compiled by The Cardigans and remastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound.

DEFTONES – B-Sides & Rarities [Reissue/2005] CD/2xLP (Reprise)
Digitally remastered edition of this 2005 Deftones compilation of covers, acoustic versions, live tracks and other rarities. Includes "Change (In The House Of Flies)", "Be Quiet And Drive (Far away)" [both acoustic], "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want", "Simple Man", "No Ordinary Love" & more.

FAT DOG - Woof. CD/LP (Domino)
Fat Dog are the most exciting breakthrough band of the past few years, conjurers of the sort of frenzied and wild live shows not seen in the capital for years and now the creators of Woof, a brilliant and mind-bending debut album. A thrilling blend of electro-punk, rock’n’roll snarling, techno soundscapes, industrial-pop and rave euphoria, Woof. is music for letting go or, in the words of frontman Joe Love, “screaming-into-a-pillow music”. For fans of Black Midi, Liars etc. [An indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing is available.]

DAVID GILMOUR - Luck and Strange CD/LP (Sony)
The brand-new album by David Gilmour, Luck And Strange was recorded over five months in Brighton and London and is Gilmour’s first album of new material in nine years. The record was produced by David and Charlie Andrew, best known for his work with ALT-J and Marika Hackman, with lyrics mostly written by Polly Samson, Gilmour’s co-writer for the past thirty years. The album features eight new tracks along with a beautiful reworking of The Montgolfier Brothers’ “Between Two Points”, which sees Romany Gilmour, who performs backing vocals across the album, on vocals and harp. 

THE HEAVY HEAVY – One Of A Kind CD/LP (ATO)
Having spent two years on stage (Bonnaroo, Boston Calling) and on TV (Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert), Brighton, UK's The Heavy Heavy now draw listeners even deeper into their dreamworld with their long-awaited debut album, One Of A Kind. Written entirely by co-founders Georgie Fuller and William Turner, the album expands the sunshine psych-pop and folk sound of their debut EP which won massive acclaim from the likes of NME (who named them an essential emerging artist for 2023) and The Guardian. 

REX ORANGE COUNTY - The Alexander Technique CD/LP (RCA)
The Alexander Technique, Rex Orange County's fifth studio album, is a detailed portrait of Alex's lived experience from his early to mid-20's. The album was produced by Rex himself alongside Teo Halm and Jim Reed, in addition to James Blake who produced and features on the track “Look Me In The Eyes”. Longer than any project he's ever made and more musically varied, The Alexander Technique was made over a matter of years and recorded at various studios including Abbey Road, Henson, Conway, Decoy & Black Rock. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]

SHOVELS AND ROPE - Something Is Working Up Above My HeadCD/LP (Dualtone)
From the inimitable husband and wife folk-punk duo that started a movement, Shovels & Rope's new studio albumSomething Is Working Up Above My Head is a catalog of vulnerable characters with sweet and sordid narratives. [A clear vinyl pressing is available.]

GEORGE STRAIT - Cowboys and Dreamers CD/LP (MCA Nashville)
George Strait's latest album, Cowboys And Dreamers, is his first new music since 2019. This new collection features 13 songs and includes a duet with Chris Stapleton.

MADONNA - Like A Prayer [Reissue/1989] LP (WB)
Limited silver colored vinyl pressing. Madonna's paradigm shifting Like A Prayer scandalized the world upon its release 35 years ago. It is her fourth studio album and has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, and produced 6 singles, and four top ten hits, "Like A Prayer," "Cherish," "Express Yourself," and "Keep it Together." The silver edition release is the latest reissue in the series of Silver Editions of Madonna's catalog as we continue to celebrate 40 years of her illustrious career.

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA - Cope Live At The Earl CD/LP (Loma Vista)
Releasing Cope, Manchester Orchestra stated it was an "unapologetically heavy rock record." Ten years later, the legacy holds up as the band's loudest, fastest and most pounding album of their career. To celebrate the 10th-anniversary of this seminal album, Manchester Orchestra took the stage for one night only at East Atlanta’s tiny but beloved rock venue The Earl to perform a blistering set of the record from start to finish – immortalized on this special tribute. [An indie store exclusive bone white color vinyl pressing is available.]

GRAM PARSONS - Now Playing LP (Atlantic)
Dive into the timeless sound of Gram Parsons with this captivating tracklist that effortlessly blends country, rock, and folk influences. From the heartfelt melodies of “A Song for You” to the lively rhythms of “Ooh Las Vegas”, each track highlights Parsons' musical genius and enduring legacy in Americana music.

JOHN PRINE - Now Playing LP (Atlantic)
John Prine's tracklist on this Now Playing, features a collection of deeply personal and storytelling songs that span folk and country genres. Tracks like "Illegal Smile" and "Angel from Montgomery" showcase his ability to craft vivid narratives, while songs like "Paradise" and "Fish and Whistle" add a touch of humor and charm. This compilation shines light on Prine's songwriting prowess and his enduring impact on folk and country music. 

MAX RICHTER - In A Landscape LP (Decca)
In a Landscape is the ninth studio album by British composer Max Richter. The album sees Richter returning to themes he previously explored on his 2004 album The Blue Notebooks. It was recorded in Studio Richter Mahr in Oxfordshire.

SEEFEEL - Everything Squared LP (Warped)
After critically acclaimed reissues of their mid-90s material, Seefeel return with their first new music since 2011. Everything Squared is a one-off 6-track mini-album that presents a contemporary evolution of their trademark sound. Mainly composed and performed by the core duo of Mark Clifford and Sarah Peacock, with bass on two tracks from Shigeru Ishihara. 

DENITIA - Sunset Drive LP (Country Road)
On her new album, Sunset Drive, Denitia shares her story of going after something new - a life back in Nashville, where she attended college, immersed in both the city's roots music scene and the community of the artist collective Black Opry - while experiencing the menagerie of emotions that come with leaving behind what you knew and starting over. Across the album, she draws from the country and alternative rock music she listened to growing up outside of Houston; the songs of artists such as the Eagles, Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton, and Neil Young, ever present in her life; and the decade she spent entrenched in Brooklyn's indie music scene. [A bone white color vinyl pressing is available.]

10,000 MANIACS - MTV Unplugged [Reissue/1993] 2LP (Elektra/WEA)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition. Originally released in October 1993, MTV Unplugged is 10,000 Maniacs' most commercially successful album, featuring the band's best-loved songs and marks the final recording with lead singer Natalie Merchant before she embarked on her solo career. Includes newly remastered sound, as well as bonus tracks with the band being joined by vocalist guest David Byrne. The collection showcases acoustic versions of songs from three of the band's previous albums: In My Tribe (1987), Blind Man's Zoo (1989), and Our Time In Eden (1992).

ATREYU - Curse (20th Anniversary) [Reissue/2004] LP (Craft)
The Curse is the second album from the California metalcore group, Atreyu. Originally released in 2004, the album went on to be RIAA-Certified Gold in the United States and hit #1 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart. The Curse features the singles, "Bleeding Mascara," "Right Side of the Bed" and "The Crimson." This reissue includes a cover of "You Give Love A Bad Name."

BREMER/MCCOY - Kosmos LP (Luaka Bop)
Pianist Morton McCoy and bassist Jonathan Bremer have been making music together for over a decade now, and their latest album is their airiest, dubbiest offering yet. It's jazz at its core, but the duo don't adhere to the usual stuffy rules; their music is aware of the world outside, and takes in inspiration from ambient, prog and dub. Although, according to Bremer and McCoy, the album is about transcending time and space, it sounds as if it's latched to the idyllic Danish countryside. McCoy's lilting piano lines on tracks like 'Alting løser sig' are so pastoral you can almost smell the grass, and Bremer provides a similarly earthy rhythm section, underpinning the ecstatic melodies with deep, dubby thumps.

NEIL YOUNG – Neil Young Archives Vol. III Takes 2xLP (Reprise/Wea)
This is the third volume of the Neil Young Archives series of box sets produced by Neil Young. A definitive, comprehensive, and chronological record of his entire body of released work. Volume III covers the period from 1976 through 1987, an extremely productive and musically diverse period in Neil Young's career that included the release of several classic albums including Comes A Time, Rust Never Sleeps, Live Rust and Trans. Spanning 11 years, this Archivesbox set covers more years, and includes more music and video than the previous two volumes in the Archives series.[Takes is a vinyl only, 2xLP, 16-track compilation featuring one track from each of 16 of the 17 CDs in the Archives IIIbox set. Takes includes three unreleased songs and 12 previously unreleased versions. It is the only way to get these unreleased songs or versions on vinyl.]

MATT DUNCAN - I Will Write You Song LP (Soul Step Records)
Color vinyl pressing. For fans of Vulfpeck, Steely Dan, and Electric Light Orchestra. This album is a musical trip down memory lane. Remember when your mom and dad were listening and getting down to the AM Radio? This album has that vibe.

ANT - Collections Of Sounds Vol LP (Rhymesayers)
Green colorway. Anthony "Ant" Davis is a distinguished hip-hop producer, one-half of the renowned duo Atmosphere, and a founding member of independent record label Rhymesayers Entertainment. His decades-long career of beat-making has also included works for MF DOOM, Brother Ali, Murs, Rav, Sage Francis and a dozen others. Raised in a military family, his nomadic upbringing exposed him to many diverse influences and, coupled with his father's love for collecting records, laid the groundwork for his deep appreciation for all sorts of music. Ant's latest endeavor, Collection Of Sounds, is a four-volume series of instrumental works showcasing the breadth and depth of his musical expertise.

BEN SALISBURY + GEOFF BARROW - Civil War Soundtrack LP (a24)
Original Score for A24's CIVIL WAR by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow (Portishead). Featuring selected needle drops from the film. Pressed on Neon Green.

EL MICHELS AFFAIR + BLACK THOUGHT - Glorious Game Instrumentals LP (Big Crown)
The Instrumental version of the underground classic El Michels Affair & Black Thought collaborative 2023 album Glorious Game.

SUUNS - Breaks LP (Joyful Noise)
On their sixth long player The Breaks, SUUNS find themselves lost in limbo. The trio of Ben Shemie, Joseph Yarmush and Liam O' Neill leans more zealously than ever into their pop instincts. Yet remarkably enough, with that same dauntless abandon, SUUNS have mined a more extreme sonic palette this time around, one that stretches far beyond their core fundamentals as a band The Breaks finds Shemie, O'Neill and Yarmush gleefully experimenting with loops, synths, samples and MIDI instruments like a post-millennial Tangerine Dream messing with downtempo trip hop beats. [A translucent red color vinyl pressing is available.]

HINDS - Viva Hinds CD/LP (Lucky Number)
Madrid's Hinds, back to their formative line-up of best friends Carlotta Cosials & Ana Perrote, return with a sonically adventurous & career-defining 4th album. Recorded with producer Pete Robertson (Beabadoobee) & Grammy-nominated engineer Tom Roach in rural France, Viva Hinds features the singles "Coffee", "Boom Boom Back" with a guest verse from Beck & the band's close friend Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C. singing on the simmering post-punk inspired stand-out track "Stranger." [An indie store exclusive translucent pink color vinyl pressing is available.]

DECEMBERISTS - Picaresque LP (Kill Rock Stars)
Newly pressed "Black Ice" vinyl in a tip-on gatefold LP jacket with photo & lyric booklet. In August of 2004, Rachel Blumberg, Jenny Conlee, Chris Funk, Colin Meloy, and Nate Query set up shop at a former Baptist church in Portland, Oregon. With co-producer Chris Walla at the controls, the five musicians collectively known as The Decemberists emerged three weeks later with the bulk of the work completed for Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars - March 22, 2005), their most ambitious and realized effort to date.

DESLONDES - Roll It Out CD/LP (New West)
The Deslondes is a five-piece from New Orleans. The band splits up songwriting and lead vocal duties among its five members, continuing its democratic ethos and musical versatility. Multiple members have released solo recordings between their sophomore release, Hurry Home (2016) and their previous release Ways & Means (2022). Now, with their latest record, Roll It Out, the band continues to build on their inventive take on New Orleans country and R&B. Roll It Out finds the band leaning on the country-folk of their debut along with the sometimes-psychedelic, electrified gospel-soul sound of their previous records. The sound will continue to draw comparisons to the country-funkiness of The Band, Link Wray, and others but Roll It Out is the sound of a band that understands the history of American music, while embracing their own contemporary approach. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]

PHISH - Rift [Reissue/1993] LP (Jemp)
PHISH - Junta [Reissue/1992] LP (Jemp)
PHISH - A Picture Of Nectar [Reissue/1992] LP (Jemp)
Limited colored reissues of some of the earliest Phish releases

GUILTY SIMPSON + SMALL PROFESSOR - Highway Robbery [Reissue/2016] LP (Coalmine Records)
Available on limited “ghostly teal colored vinyl”  Weighing in at 11 tracks, which includes the vinyl-only bonus track of Zilla Rocca’s Remix of “Go,” the album places the listener in a seemingly post apocalyptic Detroit where the mentality is feast or famine. The LP plays as one long narrative of Guilty’s day-to-day survival in Detroit’s concrete jungle, all set to the backdrop of Small Professor’s ominous, percussion heavy production. Featuring guest appearances from Detroit’s Boldy James, AG (of D.I.T.C.), Elucid, and Castle, with both Statik Selektah and DJ Revolution handling the Technics 1200s.

SISTER ROSETTA THARPE - Live In 1960 LP (Org Music)
Oxblood colorway. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the first great recording star of gospel music and among the first gospel musicians to appeal to rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll audiences. Later being referred to as "the original soul sister" and "the godmother of rock and roll”, Sister Rosetta’s influence is omnipresent. Long overdue, Tharpe was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influence in 2018. This set from 1960 has plenty of variety, lots of sincere feeling, and high levels of musicianship from the unique performer.

TRUST - Joyland [Reissue/2014] LP (Arts and Crafts)
2014 sophomore album from Canadian Electronic artist Robert Alfons AKA Trust. After years of extensive touring, and garnering glowing praise from top international critics at Pitchfork, VICE and the Guardian UK for the 2012 Juno-nominated debut album TRST, Joyland is an eruption of guts, eels and joy.

FLAMING LIPS - The Soft Bulletin LP 25th Anniversary Edition LP (Warner)
25th Anniversary Limited Edition 2LP of the classic album from The Flaming Lips. Featuring mesmerizing Zoetrope designs masterfully created by Drew Tetz with Wayne Coyne, plus new sleeve artwork and insert with text by Wayne. Originally released in 1999 and includes the tracks “Race for the Prize”, “Waitin’ for a Superman”, “Feeling Yourself Disintegrate” & more.

CASS MCCOMBS – Not The Way [Reissue/2002] 12” (4AD)
CASS MCCOMBS – A [Reissue/2003] CD/LP (4AD)
CASS MCCOMBS – Prefection [Reissue/2005] CD/LP (4AD)
CD and vinyl reissues of the singer-songwriter’s first three releases.

COMING NEXT WEEK!
JESUS LIZARD - Rank CD/LP
NADA SURF - Moon Mirror CD/LP
PORCHES - Shirt CD/LP
TINDERSTICKS - Soft Tissue CD/LP
FRANK ZAPPA - Apostrophe LP reissue
SNOW PATROL - Forest Is The Path CD/LP
JACK WHITE - No Name CD/LP
ROBYN HITCHCOCK - 1967: Vacations In The Past CD/LP
HUGO LARGO - Huge Large and Electric: Hugo Largo 1984-1991
LONDON GRAMMAR - Greatest Love CD/LP
MELVINS - Bad Mood Rising CD/LP
NILUFER YANYA - My Method Actor CD/LP
GHOSTFACE KILLAH - Set The Tone CD/LP
FLOATING POINTS - Cascade CD/LP
WILLIE WATSON - Self Titled CD/LP
DALE CROVER - Glossolalia LP
CURSIVE - Devourer CD/LP
MAC DEMARCO - Salad Days LP 10th Anniversary reissue
FOXING - Self Titled LP
GARDENS AND VILLA - Ultra Terrestrial LP
NOTORIOUS B.I.G. - Ready To Die LP reissue
WATCHHOUSE - This Side Of Jordan CD/LP
SUKI WATERHOUSE - Memoir Of A Sparklemuffin CD/LP
TR/ST - Performance CD/LP
COLDPLAY - Parachutes LP reissue
COLDPLAY - Rush Of Blood To The Head LP reissue
COLDPLAY - X+Y LP reissue
MEAT PUPPETS - Huevos CD/LP reissue
MEAT PUPPETS - I CD/LP reissue
MEAT PUPPETS - Out My Way CD/LP reissue
MYSTERY LIGHTS - Purgatory CD/LP