In The Groove
Free Love thrives on collaborative frisson—two people pushing one another into new territories with the shared assurance of knowing they’re in good company, a sort of trust fall in reverse. Yes, these 10 songs are some of Sylvan Esso’s most direct. And most delicate. And most intricate. And most urgent. Free Love carries the confidence of two people delighted to be all those things, together, at once.
The Ascension is the eighth studio album from singer, songwriter and composer Sufjan Stevens and is the long awaited follow-up to Stevens’ Carrie & Lowell. One of the most acclaimed albums of 2015, The New York Times praised Carrie & Lowell as “restrained and meticulous” while Pitchfork declared it “a masterpiece.”
In the time between Carrie & Lowell and the forthcoming The Ascension, Stevens also released Oscar-nominated music for the Luca Guadagnino film Call Me By Your Name; a collaborative album entitled Planetarium with Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner (The National) and James Mcalister; The Decalogue, a solo piano work performed by Timo Andres; and scored several works for ballet: Reflections (Houston Ballet) and Principia (NYCB).
The Ascension is musically expansive and sweeping in thematic scope.
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 it's own.
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 on Sep 25, 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.
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 on Sep 25, 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.
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 on Sep 25, 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.
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 on Sep 25, 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.
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 on Sep 25, 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.
Far from apathetic, Good Luck With Whatever is Dawes at their most unapologetic. It’s sympathetic, magnetic, 50% genetic and highly kinetic. Songs like “Didn’t Fix Me” and “Me Especially” showcase Goldsmith’s poetic prowess perfectly; a historian of the human condition, transforming turmoil into motor oil. An unfiltered photograph of a band doing what they do best, these guys learned to rock before they could crawl. Produced by 6X Grammy winner Dave “Corn On The” Cobb.
A 21-track collection of Chubby Checker's biggest hits (1960 - 1966) for Philadelphia's Cameo Parkway label. Features 18 Top 40 singles and four #1 chart-toppers, as well as the original, iconic version "The Twist". Includes rare tracks from Chubby's creative folk/soul period and the little-known single "What Do Ya Say!". With an essay by acclaimed rock & roll and R&B historian, John Broven, Dancin' Party: The Chubby Checker Collection was mastered from original archive tapes.
American Head is the best and most consistent studio album from The Flaming Lips since the release of their most successful brace of albums The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. Similar to those albums, the 13 songs on American Head are classically structured and features the same sonic and production qualities. Kacey Musgraves (a fan who covers “Do You Realize” in her live set) is featured on “God And The Policeman”.
Medium Rarities is the first rarities collection from Mastodon covering their entire career. The compilation features one brand new song – “Fallen Torches”. It also includes a bevy of classic covers, soundtrack contributions, instrumentals, B-sides, and live recordings on one complete package for the very first time. Among an eclectic array of covers, the musicians tackle “A Commotion” by Feist, “A Spoonful Weighs A Ton” by The Flaming Lips, “Atlanta” by Butthole Surfers, and “Orion” by Metallica. It also features soundtrack cuts such as “White Walker”[from the Game of Thrones inspired mix tape] and the soundtrack song “Cut You Up With A Linoleum Knife” [Aqua Teen Hunger Force]. Meanwhile, they get under the hood with instrumental versions of “Asleep in the Deep,” “Toe To Toes,” “Jaguar God,” and “Halloween.”
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.
Prince’s iconic album, Sign O’ The Times, has been remastered for the very first time by Prince’s original mastering engineer Bernie Grundman.
- CD1-2: Sign O’ The Times album (2020 Remaster)
- CD3: 13x singles mixes and edits, all newly remastered
Sign O' The Times (Deluxe Edition)
2020 release. 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.
Midnight Manor, the much anticipated sophomore album of the six-piece rock outfit The Nude Party is set for release on October 2nd via New West Records. Following two years of non-stop touring in support of their eponymous debut release, the band returned to their farmhouse in New York's Catskill Mountains to record the follow up to their acclaimed 2018 self-titles debut.
Like The Band's sacred home-recording habitat The Big Pink, The Nude Party's communal dwelling provided the landscape and proximity to focus on deepening their bonds through music. It was at the Manor that the band of childhood friends could shift their energies from the archetypical emotional journeys of mid-twenty-somethings towards rebuilding their road-worn relationships with one another, leading them to write Midnight Manor - an album that lead singer Patton Magee describes as "a stone skipping over troubled waters."
With Midnight Manor, The Nude Party shine a light on their past while at the same time moving towards a brighter future.
CD Version comes with a bonus track - Jamie lee Curtis reading her children's story 'Today I Feel Silly'. A follow up to 2009's GRAMMY Winning Family Time - Ziggy 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.
For his fourth album, Keep ‘Em on They Toes, Brent Cobb is giving his songs the space they need to speak for themselves, a reflection of his own decision to write about the way he sees the world. “My last couple of albums have been about people and places, and I wanted this album to be about thoughts and feelings,” he says.
At his core, Cobb still writes country songs, so there’s a continuity between Keep ‘Em on They Toes and past projects like 2016’s Shine on Rainy Day (a Grammy nominee for Best Americana Album) and 2018’s Providence Canyon. After living in LA and Nashville to develop his music career, Cobb and his family moved back to Georgia a few years ago – a decision that affected his songwriting. “It’s funny because the last two albums were about me growing up in Georgia, and now we’re back here,” he says. “I’m not writing about missing it anymore, so the songs are coming from within now. It’s not a longing for home, it’s what I think about now that I live down here.”
Cobb and his band recorded the project in Durham, North Carolina, with producer Brad Cook. Inspired by the spaciousness of classic country albums like Jerry Lee Lewis’ 1977 Country Memories, the new project allows the listener to hear everything that’s going on, yet the songs remain the star of the show.
Keep ‘Em on They Toes, Cobb captures the mindset of a man who values a simpler time despite living in a modern world. “To me, listening to this album feels like I’m sitting there with somebody, having a conversation,” Cobb says. “I would hope that it feels like sitting with an old friend you haven’t seen in a while. There’s nothing like being alone and listening to an album that is quiet and conversational – like those old records by Jerry Lee Lewis, Roger Miller, or Willie Nelson. I hope my music is that way to somebody now.”
ROGER WATERS: US + THEM, chronicles the acclaimed 2017-2018 tour of the iconic Pink Floyd artist. As the founding member, lyricist, composer and creative force behind Pink Floyd, US + THEM presents Waters powerful music in stunning form and highlights its’ message of human rights, liberty and love. Based around his acclaimed, sold-out US + THEM worldwide tour of 2017-18, comprising a total of 156 shows to 2.3 million people across the globe, it features classic songs from The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here as well as his most recent album, Is This The Life We Really Want?
Waters powerfully demonstrates that he is at heart, a musical activist and one of the most passionate political commentators of his time. He has dedicated his life to fighting against those who seek to control our lives and destroy our planet. Welcome To The Machine and Another Brick In The Wall Part II, are a stark reminder of the bleak warnings that he gave decades ago about alienation, displacement, greed, suffering, destruction and loss. And yet the humanity of the songwriter cannot be more plainly seen than in Wish You Were Here, because, although he presents a grim picture of the state of the world, ultimately his message is one of hope through unity and love.
Creation Myths is the first album in 5 years from Elvis Perkins. Produced by Sam Cohen (Kevin Morby, Danger Mouse, etc), the album in many ways picks up where his debut Ash Wednesday (XL Recordings) left off. Pitchfork wrote of that album Elvis Perkins has emerged as an assured, fully-formed cosmopolitan able to merge readily recognizable influences with a sense of theatre. The record is being released under Perkins own label MIR under exclusive license to Petaluma Records - a new label venture founded by Nion McEvoy (San Francisco Chronicle and Chronicle Books). With a little bit of luck, Perkins and his band will be hitting the road (post-pandemic) on a worldwide tour in support of Creation Myths in Spring 2021.
Bahamas -"Sad Hunk" - The fifth album from Bahamas (Afie Jurvanen), Sad Hunk, takes it's title from a nickname bestowed by his wife in reaction to how he was portrayed in the media. A collaboration from same team as 2018's Earthtones (Christine Bougie/Don Kerr/Mike O'Brien/Felicity Williams). With the graceful guitar work of Sam Weber, a musician he discovered on YouTube and with GRAMMY-nominated producer Robbie Lackritz, Sad Hunk is the next step in Afie' virtuosic signature style. Recycled Softpak w/ folded poster.
Elizabeth Cook is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter from Wildwood, FL- the New York Times lauds her "a sharp and surprising country singer". A veteran SiriusXM Outlaw Country Radio DJ, Cook has hosted her own show, Apron Strings, for over 10 years. She's also a favorite of David Letterman, the host of an upcoming TV show on Circle Network called Upstream, and a frequent guest star on Adult Swim's long-running hit cartoon series "Squidbillies".
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Joan Osborne is back with Trouble & 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 & 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.
The album opens with the inspiring “Take It Anyway That I Can Get”, a soulful calling to brazenly live life to the fullest. “Hand’s Off” is a visceral reaction to the unchecked corruption that is happening before our eyes, while on “That Was A Lie” Osborne takes on the acceptance of misinformation and how it has been weaponized and normalized. Driven by an infectious 1970’s synth riff, “Never Get Tired (Of Loving You)” features a heartfelt message of reassurance for her teenaged daughter during unstable times. Osborne offers a comforting song of hope on the beautiful lullaby, ”Whole Wide World” as she sings, “We could see the whole wide world from here, Lookin’ past the sorrow and the tears, Let me take you to that better place, Let me put that smile back on your face.”
On one of the album’s most important songs, “What’s That You Say” Osborne focuses on immigration and the plight of Ana Marie Rea. Rea spoke in-depth with Osborne about and the difficulties she and her family faced when coming to America from Mexico seeking asylum, and the challenges since. Rea’s words can be heard throughout the powerful song, spoken in her native tongue.
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.
'A quintessential Future Islands blend of thumping drums, thick synths and a gooey bass line that anchors a swooning guitar. Frontman Samuel Herring delivers another charac- teristically mighty vocal performance' - Rolling Stone
Kate Stables' group This Is The Kit have created a name for themselves with songs that untangle emotional knots and weave remarkable stories. Their second album for Rough Trade Records, Off Off On, (October 23, 2020) is a beautifully clear distillation of Stables' songwriting gifts. The songs are exquisitely astute, the album title suggesting life's glitchy rhythms ' 'two steps backwards, one step forwards' Swinging between good places and bad places inside and out.'
Big Thief's singer/guitarist/songwriter returns with an album of songs and an album of instrumentals.
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 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.
2020 release. "Change is inevitable if you're lucky," says guitarist/vocalist Alex Edkins while talking about Atlas Vending, the fourth full-length album by Toronto's METZ. "Our goal is to remain in flux, to grow in a natural and gradual way. We've always been wary to not overthink or intellectualize the music we love but also not satisfied until we've accomplished something that pushes us forward." The music made by Edkins and his compatriots Hayden Menzies (drums) and Chris Slorach (bass) has always been a little difficult to pin down. Their earliest recordings contained nods to the teeming energy of early '90s DIY hardcore, the aggravated angularities of This Heat, and the noisy riffing of AmRep's quintessential guitar manglers, but there was never a moment where METZ sounded like they were paying tribute to the heroes of their youth.
A commissioned jazz suite to commemorate the 60th anniversary of a turning points in the civil rights movement, No Tears Suite brings together local composers Christopher Parker & vocalist Kelley Hurt with an incredible band featuring grammy award winning drummer, Brian Blade and Ellington band veteran saxophonist Bobby LaVell.
NAV - "Good Intentions" Toronto-native Nav celebrated his 2nd #1 Billboard 200 debut with third album, Good Intentions, via XO/Republic. The celebrated record has features from rap heavy weights like Young Thug, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Gunna, Lil Durk, Don Toliver and Pop Smoke. He set the tone early with the success of his song 'Turks' feat. Travis Scott and Gunna. Now available on CD
Where Birds Say reminisced on the past and Extralife looked to imagined futures, Darlingside’s new album Fish Pond Fish concerns the claustrophobia of the here and now. Some of the most consistent themes on the album are the desire to return to past states (“Keep coming home,” “take me back to south of Denver“) on one hand and change on the other. In some cases, repetition and return are a desirable way to deal with uncertain times; in others, the stagnancy of the present is overwhelming. Much of the album lives in the space between repetition and change, and considers how those two pieces complement one another — how either one can be a stress or a salve depending on the circumstances, and how even change itself predictably repeats. As the band sings, "things will change, and change again."
The sense of an 'eternal present' came into sharper focus with the coronavirus quarantine, which fell into place just as the band was finalizing the last batch of songs and forced the cancellation of the final weeks of recording at Tarquin Studios with Grammy Award-winning produced Peter Katis (Interpol, The National). Since the band was unable to meet up in-person during the quarantine, each member set up a home recording rig to capture sounds individually, while mixing, writing, and arrangement decisions were all carried out virtually. Since the band's favored approaches for sound capture (playing and/or singing together around one mic, for example) and in-studio discussion were made impossible by the quarantine,the group was forced to lean more heavily on individual experimentation and decision-making, both in recording and editing — as a result, the entire album bears an imprint of each of the four members in a way their previous releases have not. Likewise, at Katis' suggestion, many components of their informal demos were preserved as layers in the produced tracks to retain the spirit of the initial recordings, resulting in a collection of songs that is simultaneously the most bedroom-tracked and production-heavy full-length album that the band has yet released.
Produced by Randall Poster and Stewart Lerman, 'I'd Rather Lead a Band' finds Loudon Wainwright III partnering up with Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks for their take on some of the American songbook's finest classics. This album showcases a fresh side of LW3 with big band sounds and timeless songs from Irving Berlin, Cliff Friend, Lew Brown and other Tin Pan Alley contemporaries.