Obviously, not a lot of new releases a week before Record Store Day, but there’s a few things in. If you don’t like waiting in lines, I recommend coming in over the Easter weekend this weekend and scooping the crowds on all the recent new releases. Speaking of Easter….
Friday April 14 – Noon – 5
Saturday April 15 – 11 – 6
Sunday April 16 – CLOSED
Monday April 17th – 11 – 6
Also, a couple of real nice chaps who also happen to work here are playing a show and releasing some new tunes on May 27th at our friend’s barber shop. So, if you’d like to see Slates, Switches, and Rhythm of Cruelty at Barber Ha, you’re gonna need a ticket, and we’ve got em. $15, cash only. Get em while you can.
…..pick of the week…..
SATURDAY, APRIL 22nd is RECORD STORE DAY!
Needless to say we are busy, busy and BUSY getting things ready for next Saturday. Exclusive releases are starting to show up, other things are en route. Some things haven’t even shipped. Stress levels are rising. Typical RSD. Anywho.. you know the drill by now right? Come down early. Dress warm. Be prepared to wait in line. Etc. We are looking forward to seeing you that day!
Oh, and did I forget to mention, as with every Record Store Day, we’ll be running a draw to give away a REGA Queen Turntable! And if you don’t win that, you could win one of our other prize packages from our pals up the road at Local 124, or Elm Cafe (who also will be providing coffee for the early birds).
File Under: RSD, Parties
…..new arrivals…..
Anjou: Epithymia (Kranky) LP
Ambient power duo Anjou’s sophomore statement continues in the vein of their 2014 debut, unfurling a full hour of mesmeric synthetic drift and veiled melodic undertow. Comprised of Mark Nelson (of pioneering post-rock experimentalists Labradford and Pan·American) and Robert Donne (of Labradford, Aix Em Klemm, Cristal), the group works largely in long-form suites of sound, alternately spacious and dense. Epithymia’s six pieces embrace flux and ambiguity: drones swell and shudder, hushed currents of noise glitch and dissolve, atmospheres congeal and liquify. As with the participants’ prior projects, Anjou evokes a shadowed, mysterious mood, variously melancholy and transcendent. The album is an accumulation of craftsmanship and experience, blurred forms traced in light and fog.
File Under: Electronic, Ambient
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Arca: s/t (XL) LP
Arca’s self-titled record is the first to feature the Venezuela-born, London-based producer’s untreated singing voice. He sings in Spanish – the language of his childhood home, Caracus. It stands as a defiant, delicate statement of intent, and cements his position as one of this turbulent decade’s defining musicians. Previous work has incorporated snatches of song and Arca’s rapping, but on Arca, his voice is front-and-centre on eight of the album’s 13 tracks. Frequently, he has used his first-takes, untreated and without post-production: clicks of saliva and burrs of the throat carry melodies of staggering richness and delicacy. His masterful production knits together vocal tracks like “Sin Rumbo” and first single “Anoche” with instrumentals like “Whip” and “Urchin”, each as extreme as the other. Across the album, the tectonics of pure digital sound, his own piano playing and voice combine, weaving the album together like folds of skin, or wounds healing post-trauma. Arca has made some of most brazenly forward-thinking music of recent years, both on his previous solo albums Xen (2014) and Mutant (2015), and in collaboration with fellow futurists Björk (Vulnicura), Kanye West (Yeezus), and fashion collective Hood By Air.
File Under: Electronic, Abstract, Experimental
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Joey Bada$$: All Amerikkkan Bada$$ (Cinematic) LP
Joey Bada$$ is an American, independent hip-hop recording artist, who hails from Brooklyn, New York. With his rugged style, an invigorating outcome of his Brooklyn neighborhood and surroundings, Joey has been a staple in the hip-hop industry for maintaining an authentic, unique and versatile sound. Whereas other rappers may take less risks with formulaic projects, Joey never shies away from keeping his music raw and original. All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ is the politically minded sophomore full-length from Joey Bada$$ and follow-up to 2015’s B4.Da.$$. The project features such high profile guest artists as J. Cole, ScHoolboy Q, Styles P, Chronixx, Flatbush Zombies’ Meechy Darko, and Pro Era crewmates Kirk Knight and Nyck Caution. The album is ushered in by the powerful single “Land of the Free” and its stirring music video.
File Under: Hip Hop
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Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: Mars OST (Milan) LP
National Geographic Channel and Milan Records partner with artists/composers Nick Cave and Warren Ellis to deliver a cosmic title song and score for the original soundtrack of MARS, the network’s six-part global event series that predicts an international crew of astronauts’ critical, maiden mission to Mars. Directed by Everardo Gout (Days of Grace), who formerly collaborated with Cave and Ellis; executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard; and starring an ensemble cast, MARS tells the story of mankind’s first successful mission to Mars, human colonization and the precarious purpose of becoming an interplanetary series. Cave and Ellis deliver a pitch-perfect score to complement the thrilling yet daunting mission to a desolate alien planet in which the human species struggle to survive, thrive and forge an existence in this new world. “When I first started on MARS, I knew I wanted to make a series about people, not about machinery,” says Gout. “I wanted to create Das Boot in space and understand the emotional journey of the astronauts on this Martian mission. Having worked with Nick and Warren before, I immediately thought they would be perfect for this project. They bring such a visceral human quality to their scores, a sound so delicate and yet so powerful What does Mars sounds like? This was a challenge both in substance and form. We needed to create the musical universe with Mars as a veritable protagonist in our story. Equally, the sound of MARS not only had to underscore a futuristic grounded drama but an intelligent factual, scientific documentary, as well.” To coincide with the home release of the television series, the MARS soundtrack is getting the vinyl treatment. The soundtrack is pressed on rust red colored 180g vinyl so that the music disc itself appears like the eponymous planet. The LP is housed in a euro sleeve along with a download card for a digital version of the album. A high quality dress jacket completes the package.
File Under: OST, Bad Seeds
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Dark: Anonymous Days (Void) LP
For the first time on vinyl, the killer second offering by UK Psych monsters Dark! Anonymous Days is the second studio album from Dark recorded 23 years after the first, the famous and highly collectible (and stone cold psychedelic classic) Round the Edges LP. The band’s line-up remains the same— Steve Giles, Ron Johnson, Martin Weaver and Clive Thorneycroft. Anonymous Days contains songs written between 1974 and 1995 and is the album that Dark always wanted to make, combining the Dark progressive rock style with more modern recording techniques. “The first album was recorded in about 24 hours, this one took an awful lot longer: that’s modern studios for you. The tracks are pure Dark combining complicated twin harmony guitar work with thought provoking lyrics and wide ranging musical structures. We thoroughly enjoyed getting back together again to write and rehearse after all those years, we even played a live gig in our home town of Northampton. At the start of the project Ron’s bass guitar was taken from the dust in his loft where it had lain undisturbed for over twenty years. After the album was finished he put it back in exactly the same place; ready for the next one?” —Martin Weaver, Northampton, England. June 2001.Anonymous Days was recorded between 1994-1996 at Outrider Studios Northampton, all tracks were composed between 1974-1995. Many of the songs were written in the wayback, some of them more recent but all Dark! This will sell out fast. 500x copies on black vinyl, with insert.
File Under: Psych
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Willie Mitchell: Ooh Baby, You Turn Me On (Fat Possum) LP
A prominent bandleader, hit instrumental recording artist and prolific producer, Willie Mitchell is credited with creating the now legendary “Hi Sound,” its legacy of hit records, and discovering and directing the creative careers of Hi’s incredible artist roster which included Al Green, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay and Syl Johnson. Mitchell’s mix of jazz sophistication and down-home Southern blues – not to mention his ambition and work ethic – set him apart, and he and his streamlined, stripped-down big band were in demand by black and white audiences alike. 1967’s Ooh Baby, You Turn Me On (retitled Soul Serenade in 1968) is another consummate slab from Mitchell featuring soul-infused instrumentals and excellent covers of standards like “Slippin’ and Slidin'” and “Sunny.” The album is appearing on vinyl for the first time since 1968, remastered with updated artwork.
File Under: Funk, Soul
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Willie Mitchell: Driving Beat (Fat Possum) LP
A prominent bandleader, hit instrumental recording artist and prolific producer, Willie Mitchell is credited with creating the now legendary “Hi Sound,” its legacy of hit records, and discovering and directing the creative careers of Hi’s incredible artist roster which included Al Green, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay and Syl Johnson. Mitchell’s mix of jazz sophistication and down-home Southern blues – not to mention his ambition and work ethic – set him apart, and he and his streamlined, stripped-down big band were in demand by black and white audiences alike. 1966’s Willie Mitchell’s Driving Beat is one of his finest solo efforts, a funky and soulful affair that finds the Hi master working outside of the usual pop framework with killer results. Home to dancefloor dynamite like “Everything’s Is Gonna Be Alright” and “That Driving Beat,” the album is appearing on vinyl for the first time since its original release, remastered with updated artwork.
File Under: Funk, Soul
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Willie Mitchell: It’s Dance Time (Fat Possum) LP
A prominent bandleader, hit instrumental recording artist and prolific producer, Willie Mitchell is credited with creating the now legendary “Hi Sound,” its legacy of hit records, and discovering and directing the creative careers of Hi’s incredible artist roster which included Al Green, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay and Syl Johnson. Mitchell’s mix of jazz sophistication and down-home Southern blues – not to mention his ambition and work ethic – set him apart, and he and his streamlined, stripped-down big band were in demand by black and white audiences alike. 1965’s It’s Dance Time is a compelling collection of instrumental dance numbers highlighted by “Buster Browne” and “When My Dreamboat Comes Home” and rounded out by stylish covers of “Twine Time,” “Fever,” and “Since I Met You Baby.” It’s Dance Time is appearing on vinyl for the first time since its original release, remastered with updated artwork.
File Under: Funk, Soul
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Willie Mitchell: Robbin’s Nest (Fat Possum) LP
A prominent bandleader, hit instrumental recording artist and prolific producer, Willie Mitchell is credited with creating the now legendary “Hi Sound,” its legacy of hit records, and discovering and directing the creative careers of Hi’s incredible artist roster which included Al Green, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay and Syl Johnson. Mitchell’s mix of jazz sophistication and down-home Southern blues – not to mention his ambition and work ethic – set him apart, and he and his streamlined, stripped-down big band were in demand by black and white audiences alike. Mitchell kicked off the ’70s with Robbin’s Nest, another accomplished set of soul-infused funk highlighted by rock solid cuts like “Tails Out” and “Wade in the Water.” The album is appearing on vinyl for the first time since its original 1970 release, remastered with updated artwork.
File Under: Funk, Soul
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Various: Nicolas Winding Refn: The Wicked Die Young (Milan) LP
In 2016, Milan Records had the pleasure of releasing the soundtrack to Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon, composed by Cliff Martinez. The synth-heavy electronic score went on to be one of the most critically-lauded soundtrack releases of the year, making numerous “Best of 2016” critic lists along the way. Refn now returns with his latest creation: The Wicked Die Young. The Wicked Die Young is the latest release in Milan’s “Nicolas Winding Refn Presents” series – a sublabel of releases curated by director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, The Neon Demon). Conceptualized as a companion album to The Neon Demon and curated by Refn, The Wicked Die Young compiles the music that he was listening to while writing and filming The Neon Demon. This album is a unique opportunity to enter the musical mind of one of the most visionary contemporary directors. This eclectic selection confirms his love of music from the disco of Giorgio Moroder and Tommy Seebach to the punk and rock of Suicide and 999! The album also features exclusive tracks by Cliff Martinez, Electric Youth and Julian Winding. Available on vinyl, The Wicked Die Young comes pressed on a pair of colored 180 gram vinyl discs housed in a beautiful gatefold jacket featuring liner notes by Nicolas Winding Refn. “The fourteen tracks on this compilation represent the various ideas I had while preparing The Neon Demon and each song represents a specific emotion. Some of the tracks are from the past and some the present including new material by Cliff Martinez, Julian Winding, and Electric Youth. Since I wanted my film to be both a horror film and a melodrama with camp, glitter, and vulgarity, as well as a comedy and of course a little science fiction, all these various tracks made me able to step into a parallel world to tell the story.” – Nicolas Winding Refn
File Under: Comps, Drive
Various: Resistance Radio (Columbia) LP
Danger Mouse (a.k.a. Brian Burton) was recently approached by the folks at Amazon to compile a companion piece to the network’s alternate dystopia hit show The Man in the High Castle. Officially dubbed Resistance Radio: The Man in the High Castle, the star-studded affair was helmed by Burton and co-producer Sam Cohen, who were already working together in the studio when the offer was broached. It features a curated collection of brand new covers versions of classic 1960s songs, including contributions from Sharon Van Etten, Beck, Benjamin Booker, the Shins, Angel Olsen, Michael Kiwanuka, Grandaddy, Kevin Morby, Kelis, Norah Jones and Karen O.
File Under: Indie Rock, Covers
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…..Restocks…..
Angel Witch: s/t (Real Gone) LP
Bauhaus: Crackle (Beggars) LP
Black Angels: Passover (Light in the Attic) LP
Michael Chapman: Wrecked Again (Light in the Attic) LP
Betty Davis: They Say I’m Different (Light in the Attic) LP
Bob Dylan: Freewheelin’ (Music on Vinyl) LP
Serge Gainbourg: Historie de Melody Nelson (Light in the Attic) LP
Greg Graffin: Millport (Anti) LP
Lee Hazlewood: Cowboy in Sweden (Light in the Attic) LP
Kaytranada: 99.9% (XL) LP
Egisto Macchi: Bitmori (Roundtable) LP
Neutral Milk Hotel: On Avery Island (Merge) LP
OST: Stranger Things (Lakeshore) LP
Outkast: Stankonia (Arista) LP
Pixies: Bossanova (4AD) LP
Power Trip: Nightmare Logic (Southern Lord) LP
Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool (XL) LP
Radiohead: Amnesiac (XL) LP
Radiohead: Ok Computer (XL) LP
Rodriguez: Coming From Reality (Light in the Attic) LP
John K. Samson: Winter Wheat (Anti) LP
Shellac: Terraform (Touch & Go) LP
Shellac: 1000 Hurts (Touch & Go) LP
Shellac: Excellent Italian Greyhound (Touch & Go) LP
Spoon: Hot Thoughs (Matador) LP
XX: Coexist (Young Turks) LP