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Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's.
Lori McKenna - The Bird & The Rifle CD/LP (CN Music)
Produced by Dave Cobb, McKenna's tenth studio album revels in the routines and events that may seem mundane but are the most important, transcendent moments of our lives. The Bird & The Rifle proves that the worlds of Cobb and McKenna were meant to overlap. The Grammy-winning producer behind albums from Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, and more, Cobb has emerged as a modern master of capturing the grizzled beauty in imperfection.
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Anyway You Love, We Know How You Feel CD/LP (Silver Arrow)
When the Chris Robinson Brotherhood headed into the studio to begin recording their fourth album, Any Way You Love, We Know How You Feel, no one knew just what to expect. These would be the band's first recordings with new drummer Tony Leone (Ollabelle, Levon Helm), their first since the departure of founding bassist Mark "Muddy" Dutton," and their first time producing themselves. But as anybody who's been following the CRB can attest, this is a band that thrives on the unexpected. "Instead of seeing these things as challenges, we started to see them as something exciting," explains Robinson. "It was an opportunity to see where our expression could take us. Some people get really uptight when they're making records, but for us, the looser it gets the better. It's all about taking our intuition and following it to where our ideas can really manifest themselves. This turned out to be the most spontaneous record I've ever been a part of." Not coincidentally, Robinson also cites it as perhaps the best recording experience of his life. The band relocated to northern California for the sessions, recording on the side of a mountain overlooking the foggy Pacific Ocean and channeling the natural majesty and melancholic weather of their surroundings into the album's eight, epic, immersive tracks.
Death Grips - Bottomless Pit CD/LP (Harvest)
"Bottomless Pit finds Ride (aka Stefan Burnett), producer Flatlander (aka Andy Morin), and drummer Zach Hill in their most cohesive and incendiary form since 2012's The Money Store. Flatlander obfuscates and annihilates seemingly insurmountable soundscapes with the help of Hill's passioned and precise drumming, as well as Ride's occultist and misanthropic rage. All of this is focused through a new lens where the band's actions no longer dictate their relevance - Death Grips are Death Grips because of what they make, not what they do. Bottomless Pit is Death Grips 2.0, as promised." - Consequence Of Sound
Owen - The King Of Whys CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)
Owen - the solo musical guise of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Mike Kinsella - releases the first work in his two-decade-plus career to be made entirely outside of his beloved Chicago home base. The King Of Whys was produced by S. Carey over 18 days last winter at Justin Vernon's April Base Studios in Eau Claire, WI. Songs like "The Desperate Act" and "Sleep Is A Myth" remain spare but with a distinctly outward shift in scope, their open-armed sonic range a perfect foil to Kinsella's evocative explorations of marriage, melancholia, and modern middle age. Fraught with hurt and wry humor, The King Of Whys is a portrait of a restless artist grappling with doubt and ghosts of the past but searching for meaning through candor, creativity, and an ardent need for emotional release.
Descendents - Hypercaffium Spazzinate CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
On their first album in 12 years, vocalist Milo Aukerman, drummer Bill Stevenson, guitarist Stephen Egerton, and bassist Karl Alvarez channel an energy just as raw and jittery as in their earliest days-a time when the band was driven by the equally mighty forces of "rejection, food, coffee, girls, fishing, and food." Hypercaffium Spazzinate began taking shape soon after the Descendents surfaced from extended hiatus for a series of gigs in 2010. With Milo now living in Delaware, Karl and Bill in Colorado, and Stephen in Oklahoma, the album came to life over a three-year period in which the band sent tracks back and forth and occasionally met up in Karl and Bill's adopted hometown of Fort Collins. "Since the dawn of rock-and-roll every band's tried to pretend they exist in the age group of 18 to 35, no matter how old they get," says Karl. "But this band's very honest about the fact that we're not teenagers anymore." "Each time we make a record it's almost like the first time all over again," says Bill. "There's a quote from Ornette Coleman about how the song is the territory, and what you do with the song is the adventure. We're definitely still going on all these little adventures together." [CD is available in regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds five bonus tracks. Limited white vinyl pressing also available.]
D Generation - Nothing Is Anywhere CD/LP (MRI/Bastard Basement)
D Generation - Jesse Malin, Danny Sage, Howie Pyro, Richard Bacchus and Michael Wildwood - is widely regarded as one of the most unsung rock 'n' roll bands of the past 25 years. Nothing Is Anywhere is their first album in seventeen years, and is a first-or-second-take album, recorded in basements under Avenue A and the Magic Shop in NYC. On the autobiographical "Apocalypse Kids," D Generation might have summed up their story in four lines: "slip through the cracks like a criminal / lost in a packet full of chemicals / from 7th Street to The New York Times." "We grew up together as misfits who always turned towards music as an escape and a way out," says Jesse. "We always had each other." "Bands should be a gang, a brotherhood," adds Malin, who began playing music with Danny in Queens at age of 13. "We've all known each other forever," says Sage. "We're like a weird family that you can never leave, but somehow it all makes sense."
Bouncing Souls - Simplicity CD/LP+MP3 (Rise)
Tenth studio album from the New Jersey punk veterans. "We set out to recapture the spirit of our earlier songs, not over-thought or over-produced. In the studio our goal was to keep it raw and real, the feeling of a band playing live." [Limited copies pressed on 'blood red' color vinyl.]
Billy Talent - Afraid Of Heights CD/2xCD (The End)
Fifth album from the Canadian alt-rock/punk band. [Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a disc of demo versions.]
Fea - Fea CD/LP (Blackheart)
Recently released on vinyl - now available on CD. Fea's self-titled full-length was produced by Laura Jane Grace (Against Me!), Lori Barbero (Babes In Toyland) and Alice Bag (The Bags). Fea is a new band from Girl In A Coma's Jenn Alva and Phanie Diaz a unique riot grrrl resurgence with a Chicana punk edge from San Antonio, TX. The album is a fierce, melodic exploration of societal, cultural, and gender-related issues. Includes a zine featuring exclusive content.
Future Generations - Future Generations CD (French Kiss)
It's been nearly five years since Eddie Gore, Mike Sansevere and Eric Grossman serendipitously first met at Fordham University. Five years since they were admitted into a small, integrated community freshmen dorm that, replete with a built-in practice room and a piano in the foyer, encouraged artistic collaboration. As is natural of strangers in a strange new place, they bonded over a shared interest: in their case, a nerd-like, academic appreciation of all forms of musicianship. On Future Generations, Eddie's lyrical transfixions reveal a man eager to burst forth from the confines of collegiate ennui, but still pondering the same existential quandaries that unfailingly tend to catch his imagination. And the fuel for such escape comes from a formulaic synthesis of soaring guitar hooks and pulsing synths.
Jake Owen - American Love CD/LP (Sony Music Nashville)
Fifth studio album from the country singer/songwriter. Grammy, CMA and ACM winner Chris Stapleton is a co-writer and featured background vocals on "If He Ain't Gonna Love You". Hillary Lindsey provides harmonies on "Where I Am" and "When You Love Someone".
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family - Love Remains CD (Capitol Nashville)
New release from Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott & The Scott Family. The collection of 13 songs features Hillary's mom Linda Davis, father Lang Scott and little sister Rylee Scott, all produced by Ricky Skaggs.
National Park Radio - The Great Divide CD (MRI)
A new modern folk record from the Ozark Mountains, AR based National Park Radio.
Thank You Scientist - Stranger Heads Prevail CD/2xLP+MP3 (Evil Ink)
Thank You Scientist is a prog rock band from Montclair, NJ. [Limited copies pressed on green vinyl.]
Gary Hoey - Dust & Bones CD/LP+MP3 (Provogue)
Dust & Bones showcases Gary Hoey's fender stratocaster-driven fury, alongside open-d-tuned resonator guitars, plugged into half-stacks. The massive sonic attack was essential for paying sincere and appropriate homage to some of Hoey's influences, including Johnny Winter ("Steamroller"), Robin Trower ("This Time Tomorrow"), and Brian Setzer ("Who's Your Daddy"), as well as a thrill-a-minute mash up of Robert Johnson meets Led Zeppelin ("Boxcar Blues"). There's also a classic power ballad ("Coming Home") where Lita Ford sings a duet with Hoey.
Steve Hackett - The Total Experience Live In Liverpool 2xCD+2xDVD (Inside Out Music)
New live recording of prog rock guitarist Steve Hackett's 2015 Acolyte To Wolflight with Genesis Revisited Tour on its stop in the northwest English city of Liverpool. Comprising incendiary guitar work with majestic melodies and transcendental keys, The Total Experience Live In Liverpool celebrates the 40th anniversary of Hackett's first solo effort, Voyage Of The Acolyte, and his 2015 solo album, Wolflight, as well as a set list paying tribute to his former band Genesis. Along with the concert film, the accompanying double-DVD includes a half hour behind-the-scenes video featuring interviews with Hackett himself, his band members, the touring crew, and others. [Stand-alone Blu-ray edition also available.]
Joe Lovano - Classic: Live At Newport CD (Blue Note)
Classic: Live At Newport captures the quartet's entire six-song set, which opened with the swaggering Lovano blues "Big Ben" and featured songs drawn from the band's studio albums including two songs written by Hank's brother Thad Jones ("Don't Ever Leave Me" and "Kids Are Pretty People") before closing with a rollicking performance of Oliver Nelson's "Six And Four" to wild applause.
Gensu Dean & Denmark Vessey - Whole Food CD/LP (Mello Music)
Gensu Dean has produced for David Banner, Large Professor, Roc Marciano, and more, while Denmark Vessey has had his praises sung by the likes of Earl Sweatshirt. [Limited splatter color vinyl edition also available.]
Valient Thorr - Old Salt CD/LP+MP3 (Napalm)
Valient Thorr is a wild ass rock 'n' roll band said to hail from inside of the planet Venus.
Zodiac - Grain Of Soul CD (Napalm)
Fourth full-length album by the riff-laden German rock four-piece.
Get Dead - Honesty Lives Elsewhere CD (Fat Wreck Chords)
No shtick. No posturing. Just straight up, from the heart, punk rock. [Vinyl edition due August 19.]
Ghoul - Dungeon Bastards CD/LP (Tankcrimes)
Creepsylvania's favorite hooded, cannibal splatterthrashers, Ghoul, are back with their fifth studio album. "Ghoul!! This dirty mofo rips!!" -- Kirk Hammett. [Limited splatter color vinyl also available.]
Kohti Tuhoa - Rutiinin Orja CD/LP (Southern Lord)
Debut album from the incendiary Helsinki hardcore punk band. "Irresistible pogo beats and pit parts pile on top of each other with reckless abandon, and thick waves of drum rolls provide a dangerous velocity over which Discharge-influenced guitars chug and wail." - The Gauntlet
Ringworm - Snake Church CD/LP (Relapse)
Legendary Cleveland quintet Ringworm discharge their eighth full-length album -- a 12-track, 30-plus minute testament of vicious aggression.
Eerie - Eerie CD/LP (Tee Pee)
Frightening black metal/hard rock hybrid Eerie delivers a lycanthropic lashing with their self-titled debut. "Don't be a fink, sink your teeth into this toothsome and gruesome new group, Eerie. This creature feature has our vote for the beast music of the year" -- Famous Monsterz. [Limited 'swamp green' color vinyl also available.]
Reissues...
John Prine - In Spite Of Ourselves [1999] CD/LP+MP3 (Oh Boy)
Reissue of 1999 duets album from John Prine. The songwriter's songwriter takes a curious turn with this collection of duets (mostly covers). "On In Spite Of Ourselves, Prine penned only the hysterically coarse title track, opting instead to coo a slew of classic lovin'-and-losin' country tunes with Iris DeMent, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Connie Smith, Trisha Yearwood, Melba Montgomery, Patty Loveless, Fiona Prine, and Dolores Keane. Given Prine's ragged-but-right voice, the effect is something akin to casting a grizzled character actor opposite Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. And you know what? It'd probably still be a charming (albeit very different) movie, because romantic comedies, like country duets, are all about chemistry, which is something In Spite Of Ourselves has in excess" - Rolling Stone. [Limited edition numbered 180gm translucent red color vinyl pressing]. A sequel of sorts is coming with Prine's upcoming 'For Better, or Worse' due out Sept. 30.
Modest Mouse - Night On The Sun [1999] CD/EP/12" (Glacial Pace)
Originally released as a 700 CD limited run in Japan in 1999, Night On The Sun features alternate versions of tracks that later appeared on The Moon & Antarctica and Everywhere And His Nasty Parlour Tricks.
David Bowie - Earthling [1997] CD (Rhino/Parlophone)
Reissue of the 20th studio album by David Bowie, originally released in February 1997. The album showcases an electronica-influenced sound partly inspired by the industrial and drum and bass culture of the 1990s. This was the first album Bowie self-produced since his 1974 album Diamond Dogs. Includes the song "I'm Afraid Of Americans."
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus [1971] 2xCD/LP (BMG Rights Management)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Pictures At An Exhibition [1971] 2xCD/LP (BMG Rights Management)
Latest in the ongoing reissue series of ELP's back catalog. Emerson, Lake & Palmer were one of the most successful, innovative and ground breaking British groups of the golden age of progressive rock.
Compilations, Best Of's & Sundry Collections...
Various Artists -
Quiero Creedence CD (Concord)
With John Fogerty's autobiography released late last year, the legacy of Creedence Clearwater Revival remains, and it's worth noting that their influence ran far and deep beyond American rock fans alone. Nowhere is that more apparent than on Quiero Creedence. This Latin-inspired, multilingual tribute album to Creedence Clearwater Revival includes covers of the band's greatest songs by some of the world's most popular Latin artists, including: Juan Gabriel, Bunbury, Andrés Calamaro, Enjambre, Los Enanitos Verdes, Juanes, Los Lonely Boys, Ozomatli, La Marisoul from La Santa Cecilia, El Tri, Diamante Eléctrico, Los Lobos, as well as Billy Gibbons. As these names indicate, the set (the title of which translates as "I Want Creedence") spans a variety of genres and decades.
Various Artists -
Rough Guide To Ethiopian Jazz CD (World Music Network)
Swinging Addis is thriving once again, with the distinctive ancient-sounding tones of Ethiopia blending with modern jazz interpretations to create an unmistakable fusion. From the legendary innovators Mulatu Astatke and Getatchew Mekuria to today's new generation of artists, this Rough Guide celebrates Ethiopian jazz artists have pushed the boundaries of the genre.
Various Artists -
The Rough Guide To Blues Women CD (World Music Network)
From the classic blues of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey to female country blues pioneers Memphis Minnie and Geeshie Wiley, this Rough Guide explores the hugely significant and often overlooked role that women have played in the story of the blues. Includes selections from both the urban and rural female blues singers who played a pivotal role in the development of the genre.
Vinyl...
Coupler - Blue Room Sessions LP (Third Man Records)
Back in October 2015, we invited Coupler to participate in the first Blue Room Session - an intimate affair with only a handful of tickets sold to those interested in seeing a recording process become a performance.Coupler's set consisted of a special piece of music, with a full orchestra of nine friends and musicians accompanying them, exploring the nether-regions where the organic collides with the electronic. We are selling the standard black vinyl on Friday but we will have the limited blue vinyl Coupler records on Monday.
William Tyler - Live at Third Man LP (Third Man Records)
William Tyler is one of America's most vital instrumental guitarists. Recorded back in 2014, this recording serves as a logical bridge between 2013'sImpossible Truth and 2016's Modern Country both released on Merge Records. This LP showcases sketches of future songs and re-imagined versions of older songs. On tour this fall with Margo Price and Wilco.
Pylon - Pylon Live 2xLP+MP3 (Chunklet)
Back in 1983, Athens, GA legends Pylon had just released Chomp, their second album and toured the country extensively, and played several opening slots for then up-and-comers, U2. Without a hint of explanation, they suddenly quit. This is their final show at the Mad Hatter in Athens, full of a frenzy of minimal disco thud, post-punk guitar scree and deliriously inspired howl.
My Morning Jacket - Okonokos [Reissue/2006] 4xLP (ATO)
Limited four-LP repress of MMJ's epic 2006 live album. Okonokos was recorded during the band's fall 2005 Z Tour, over two nights at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California. This is the first My Morning Jacket album for which frontman Jim James does not receive a production credit; he is credited for "concept/story."
Mothers - Accessory Cloud b/w Easy As Possible 7" (Grand Jury)
Mothers released their debut album, When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired, in February of this year, but the band has been working together a lot longer than that, which means that there are a lot of stray odds and ends that didn't fit onto the album but still justify a release.
PJ Harvey - The Wheel 7" (Vagrant)
Limited 7" vinyl pressing of the first single lifted from her recent album The Hope Six Demolition Project. Etching on Side B.
Essential Tremors - The Visitor 12" EP (Third Man Records)
Essential Tremors is something of an anomaly in a city steeped in twang, bathed in sunshine and besieged with hootenannies. This group is most likely to trigger a cold sweat, a nosedive into a cesspool of circuit-bent pollution. If you needed a reminder that good times are not forever, you've just found it.
Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop The Feeling! 12" (RCA)
Limited orange color 12" vinyl pressing of the single from the movie Trolls. Main version and instrumental.
Zhu - Generationwhy 2xLP+MP3 (Sony)
Eagerly anticipated debut album enigmatic vocalist/DJ/producer Steven Zhu, pressed on blue vinyl. Generationwhy includes his Top 5 Dance hit "Working For It" with Skrillex. Zhu has been active since the beginning of 2014, signed to Mind of a Genius Records. Until mid-2014 Zhu remained anonymous, asking to be judged by his music alone.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits [Reissue/1993] 2xLP (Geffen)
First-time US vinyl pressing. 19 classics including "American Girl," "Refugee," "Don't Come Around Here No More" and many others. The collection also features the singles from Tom Petty's solo album Full Moon Fever including "Free Fallin," "I Won't Back Down" and "Runnin' Down A Dream." Rounding out the track listing are "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and a cover of Thunderclap Newman's "Something In The Air" which were first made available on this hits collection.
Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch 2 LP (Reprise)
140gm vinyl pressing now available. Mudcrutch, Tom Petty's pre-Heartbreakers Southern rock band, return with their second album, Mudcrutch 2, released eight years after their 2008 debut. Songwriting for Mudcrutch 2 was a shared responsibility, with Petty (who plays bass in the group) penning seven of the record's cuts and the remainder of the track listing coming courtesy of solo compositions from Mike Campbell, Tom Leadon, Randall Marsh and Benmont Tench.
Hole - Live Through This [Reissue/1994] LP (Geffen)
Vinyl reissue of the second studio album by alternative rock band Hole. The title is derived from a quote in the film Gone With The Wind. Considered a contemporary classic, this record was included in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of '500 Greatest Albums Of All Time'. Features production by Sean Slade and Paul Q Kolderie with mixing by Scott Litt and J Mascis.
R.E.M. - Life's Rich Pageant [Reissue/1986] LP (IRS)
R.E.M. - Dead Letter Office [Reissue/1987] LP (IRS)
R.E.M. - Eponymous [Reissue/1988] LP (IRS)
Limited edition vinyl reissues now available.
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Mammoth)
New remastered 180gm vinyl repress includes the bonus track "The Puffer."
The Sisters Of Mercy - Vision Thing Era 4xLP (Elektra)
This box set spotlights The Sisters Of Mercy's third studio release, Vision Thing, which was originally released in 1990. The set includes the original album plus its 12" singles, all pressed on 180gm vinyl: More, Doctor Jeep, and When You Don't See Me. Additional highlights include a non-album B-side, an extended mix, and live recordings.
Broods - Conscious LP (Capitol)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. Conscious is the follow up to Broods' 2014 debut album, Evergreen, which climbed into the Top 10 of Billboard's Alternative Albums chart. Joel Little (Lorde, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding), who produced Evergreen, served as executive producer on Conscious, producing many of the tracks. The album features a duet with Tove Lo and a song the band co-wrote with Lorde.
Niykee Heaton - The Bedroom Tour Playlist LP (Capitol)
Niykee Heaton makes sultry and sizzling pop.
Chick Corea - Three Quartets [Reissue/1981] LP (Stretch)
Vinyl reissue of the 1981 album by the prolific jazz and fusion artist.
Judas Priest - Battle Cry 2xLP+MP3 (Epic)
Released late last March on CD - now available on vinyl. Judas Priest's tour in support of their 17th studio album overall, Redeemer Of Souls, was one of the most extensive of the group's entire career -- consisting of 130 shows in 33 countries, and offering a setlist that touched upon selections from nearly all of their classic albums. This 15-track LP was recorded live on August 1st, 2015 at Germany's Wacken Festival in front of an audience of 85,000
Alice Cooper - Last Temptation [Reissue/1994] LP (Friday Music)
Limited 180gm audiophile translucent blue vinyl reissue housed in a gatefold sleeve.
Chicago - XI [Reissue/1977] LP (Friday Music)
Limited 180gm vinyl reissue housed in a gatefold sleeve.
Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans [Reissue/1973] 2xLP (Atlantic)
180gm vinyl reissue of Yes's sixth studio album.
Soundtrack -
The Bourne Identity [OST/2002] LP (Varese Sarabande)
Limited 'military green' color vinyl pressing. Score by John Powell.
Various Artists -
The Rough Guide To A World Of Psychedelia LP (World Music Network)
The psychedelic movement of the 1960s imprinted a kaleidoscopic stamp on musical cultures from across the globe -- from the Tropicália artists in Brazil to the Afrobeat groups in West Africa and even the legendary Bollywood composers. Selected from albums in the Rough Guide Psychedelic series, this compilation ranges from the vintage Cambodian recordings of the 1960s to the spellbinding grooves of Latin America.
Free At Last - Embrace You LP (Triple B)
The last thing that should come to mind, if anything, when hearing the word "Springfield" followed by "Missouri" is that it gave to the world a band, Free At Last, that has written one of the most genuine, unique, and fresh hardcore records of recent times.
Fort Minor - The Rising Tied [2005] 2xLP (WB)
First-time official vinyl edition. Fort Minor, the side project and solo debut for Mike Shinoda of multi-platinum, Grammy-winning Linkin Park, returns the emcee to his roots-making hip-hop. The Rising Tied, produced by Shinoda, who wrote every track and played nearly every instrument was executive produced by Jay-Z. Featuring guest appearances from Common, the Roots' Black Thought, John Legend, Linkin Park DJ Joe Hahn, alt-funk rocker Kenna and two acts signed to Linkin Park's Machine Shop Recordings, Style of Beyond and Holly Brook, The Rising Tied raises the standard for unique, unadulterated hip-hop.
DVDs & Bluray...
Brian Wilson - Brian Wilson and Friends CD+DVD/Blu-ray (BMG Rights Management)
This live set was recorded live in Las Vegas for Chicago television's Soundstage program, in December 2014. This special originally aired on PBS in April 2015 and was offered as a pledge piece for PBS in DVD and Blu-ray configurations. This is the first time an audio CD has been offered and bonus tracks have been added not included in the original PBS airing. The program features Brian Wilson's phenomenal touring band (including long-time Beach Boys sidemen Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar) along with special guests Mark Isham, Kacey Musgraves, Nate Ruess (front man of Fun) and She & Him. [Stand-alone Blu-ray edition also available.]
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