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New Release Round-Up 08-13-21
Watchhouse - Watchhouse - Tiptoe Tiger Music
On April 21, 2021 the duo of Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz — who over the past decade have achieved grassroots success as Mandolin Orange, going from coffee shop performers to festival headliners — announced that they are now called Watchhouse. Says the band in a new statement: "This past year has been the first time we’ve stayed still since we were 21, and the pause gave us the opportunity to sit with ourselves and set intentions. We have long been burdened by the dichotomy between our band name and the music we strive to create—if you’ve heard the songs, you know they are personal. Now that we can see a future where music is a shared experience again, we're defining the space we share with you on a stage or in your headphones, and making it one that welcomes our creativity and anyone who wants to listen." Watchhouse's self-titled album is the first under their new name, and is co-produced by Josh Kaufman, who has produced records for The National and Bonny Light Horseman, and also played on Taylor Swift’s folklore and evermore. The album represents a seamless reinvention as a band at the regenerative edges of subtly experimental folk-rock. Challenging as they are charming, and an inspired search for personal and political goodness, these nine songs offer welcome lessons about what any of us might become when the night begins to break. The first single "Better Way" pairs their own honest songcraft with bold, otherworldly sonic explorations that signify a new sense of confidence and ambition for the band.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
The Killers - Pressure Machine
Sheryl Crow - Live From The Ryman And More
Jennifer Hudson - RESPECT (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Nicki Minaj - Beam Me Up Scotty
Pop Smoke - Faith
Jungle - Loving In Stereo [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Marble LP]
Pachyman - The Return of Pachyman
Mastodon - Fallen Torches [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Vinyl]
Sepultura - SepulQuarta
Rainbow Kitten Surprise - RKS! Live From Athens Georgia
Dan + Shay - Good Things
Paul Anka - Making Memories
Devendra Banhart & Noah Georgeson - Refuge
Jade Bird - Different Kinds of Light
Luke Hemmings - When Facing The Things We Turn Away From
Various Artists - Rip It Up: The Best Of Specialty Records
Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue: 2021 - Stereo Remaster
El Michels Affair Meets Liam Bailey - Ekundayo Inversions
Bendigo Fletcher - Fits Of Laughter [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Violet LP]
Samia - Scout EP [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Apple Red Vinyl]
Pearl Jam - No Code
Ben Platt - Reverie
& More .....
New Release Round-Up 08-06-21
Barbra Streisand - Release Me 2 - Sony Legacy
The only artist to ever achieve #1 albums in SIX consecutive decades, Barbra Streisand's Release Me 2 is yet another musical gem in her unparalleled career. The follow-up to her acclaimed 2012 album, Release Me, this new collection contains previously unreleased tracks from Barbra’s vault, including duets with Willie Nelson and Kermit the Frog. With songs by Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Barry Gibb, Paul Williams, Randy Newman, Michel Legrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Harold Arlen, and Carole King, Barbra describes Release Me 2 as, “A lovely walk down memory lane…a chance to revisit, and in some cases, add a finishing instrumental touch to songs that still resonate for me in meaningful ways.”
Guccihighwaters - Joke's On You - Epitaph
Guccihighwaters is the artistic persona of 21 year -old, artist/producer, Morgan Murphy. Since his debut single in 2017, Murphy has exploded in the cloud rap community and his music has been streamed over 200 Million times. His new album, Joke's On You, is his debut for Epitaph Records and will be his first available on vinyl. Guccihighwaters is the keystone to the label's dedication to this sound that we feel is the future of Alternative music. Spending his formative years growing up in rural Ireland, Murphy was shy and when his family returned to their native New York, that shy 15 year-old turned to home recording/bedroom production and starting making his own beats. He began to indulge his musical vision by exploring community on the internet, finding a place to belong that he had not found prior. As a singer, Murphy was a bit of an outsider to the SoundCloud rap world he'd begun to orbit. "I was grouped in because of the time and place and platform," he says. His use of original piano with a classic touch and his angelic singing gave him an original voice within the scene's crowded world. Even if he wanted to blend in, he didn't know how. With Jokes On You, he says, "basically my goal was to make it sound like me. " Some members of that community, like Powfu and nothing, nowhere, feature on the album, adding their voices to Murphy's signature sound. Guccihighwaters is a top digital artist in the Indie Pop/Cloud Rapspace, releasing his music on vinyl for the first time. Album features include lo-fi sensation powfu , top emo rapper Convolk and popular alt/hip hop artist, nothing, nowhere. For Fans of powfu, Lil Peep, nothing, nowhere and Lund
Brian May - Back To The Light: Remastered - UMe
The original album newly remastered by Bob Ludwig from the original master tapes and personally overseen by Brian May. The CD is presented in a 6 panel digipak with a 24pg booklet containing rare photos and album notes. The second disc, Out of the Light, contains alternative versions, B-Sides and live tracks. The LP is presented in 180g heavyweight white vinyl in spined sleeve with printed inner bag. The whole package comes in a 12” lift lid box with 2 X CD in wallets and enamel badge.
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass: Remastered - Capitol
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass is being celebrated with a suite of new releases highlighted by a stunning new mix of the classic album by Grammy Award-winning mixer/engineer Paul Hicks, overseen by executive producer Dhani Harrison.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
Drive-By Truckers - Plan 9 Records July 13, 2006 [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Spring Green 3LP]
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Hippo Campus - Good Dog, Bad Dream EP [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Red Marble Vinyl]
Kississippi - Mood Ring [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Jawbreaker LP]
Bob Mould - Distortion: Live [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Signed 140-Gram Clear Splatter 8LP Box Set]
Movements - No Good Left To Give B-Sides [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Grape Candy Purple 7in Single]
Leah Blevins - First Time Feeling
Paul Thorn - Never Too Late To Call
Benet - Game Over! EP
Chris Young - Famous Friends
Sponge - Lavatorium
BTS - BTS, THE BEST
Staind - Live: It's Been Awhile
Liars - The Apple Drop
Will Young - Crying On The Bathroom Floor
Night Ranger - ATBPO
LCD Soundsystem - The Long Goodbye (LCD Soundsytem Live At Madison Square Garden)
& More .....
New Release Round-Up 07-30-21
Son Volt - Electro Melodier - Transmit Sound
2020 was not quite what Jay Farrar was expecting for the 25th anniversary of Son Volt, the band he started in 1995 after leaving the seminal group Uncle Tupelo, whose No Depression album helped define the alt-country and Americana genre. The group had just finished an Outlaw Country Cruise when the pandemic hit and sent them into their homes on lockdown. Instead of a triumphant tour marking the illustrious landmark, Farrar was forced indoors by the pandemic, and his “Reverie” during that time helped define Electro Melodier, Son Volt’s 10th studio album – and third for influential Nashville indie Thirty Tigers. The title, taken from the names of two vintage amplifiers from the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, also describes the disc’s unique blend of folk, country, blues, soul and rock – an electric troubadour with melodies that hit and stick. Social protest songs like “Living in the U.S.A.” and “The Globe,” the former about the promises of this nation gone wrong, the latter referencing the street protests accompanying the Black Lives Matter movement, exist side by side with odes to long-term relationships (specifically his 25-year marriage) in “Diamonds and Cigarettes” and “Lucky Ones.” Once again accompanied by the current Son Volt line up – keyboardist/steel guitarist Mark Spencer, bassist Andrew Duplantis, guitarist Chris Frame and drummer Mark Patterson – Farrar takes a slight turn from 2019’s politically pointed Union to a series of songs that asks questions rather than demanding answers – think of “Living in the U.S.A.” as Farrar’s version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” or Patti Smith’s “People Have the Power,” an anthem to unite the populace. One listen to Electro Melodier, which opens with “Reverie,” describing Farrar’s contemplative state gazing out his window, enlivened with Mark Spencer’s “Wichita Lineman” guitar riffs and the lush Big Star melodies, and you wonder why no other rock ‘n’ roll bands or singer/songwriters are making albums like this about what we’re all going through. With tour dates scheduled before the end of 2021, Son Volt is ready to return to what they know best after a welcome period of introspection. The songs of Electro Melodier help remind us to be thankful of what we still have – new music from Jay Farrar and Son Volt.
Parker McCollum - Gold Chain Cowboy - MCA Nashville
Parker McCollum will be releasing his major label debut- Gold Chain Cowboy on MCA Nashville on July 30th. He is born and raised in the Houston-TX market and has been based in Austin-TX since he released is first independent single and EP in 2013. He has performed and will headline numerous radio station festivals during the summer. The 10 Tracks on his debut album will feature the #1 Platinum-"Pretty Heart" and his current Top 40 hit- "To Be Loved By You".
Los Lobos - Native Sons - New West Records
Los Angeles based band, Los Lobos, have always been inspired by their surroundings and the place they call home. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños. With Native Sons the band set out to showcase all of these influences with their own take on the songs of Los Angeles from some of the cities greatest songwriters. Native Sons features 13-songs from well known LA artists such as Buffalo Springfield, WAR, Jackson Browne and the Beach Boys as well as deep cuts from the Jaguars, The Basters and The Premiers. The album title track is the sole original composition written by the band.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Deep Brown 2LP]
Prince - Welcome 2 America [Deluxe 2 LP / 1 CD / 1 Blu-Ray]
Clay Walker - Texas to Tennessee
Yola - Stand for Myself [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Hot Pink LP]
Torres - Thirstier [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Peak Opaque Red-in-Translucent Yellow LP]
Blues Traveler - Traveler's Blues [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Blue LP]
Naia Izumi - A Residency In The Los Angeles Area
Son Lux - Tomorrows [Limited Edition 3LP]
Grouplove - This Is This
Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space
Needtobreathe - Into The Mystery
Bleachers - Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition LP]
Dee Snider - Leave A Scar
King Woman - Celestial Blues [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Milky Clear w/Gold and Silver Splatter LP]
Slayyyter - Troubled Paradise
Peaches - Pussy Mask [Vinyl Single]
Patrick Page II - If I Fail Are We Still Cool? [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Smokey Translucent LP]
Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! - Gone Are The Good Days
Erasure - The Neon Remixed
& More .....
New Release Round-Up 07-23-21
Paul McCartney - McCartney III Imagined - Capitol
Hailed upon its release last year as "vital and comfortable taking new chances” (Rolling Stone) and “cheery, resilient, forever looking forward” (The New Yorker), Paul McCartney’s McCartney III, which topped album charts across the world, is now literally moving into the future in the form of McCartney III Imagined. Personally curated by Paul, McCartney III Imagined features an A-List assortment of friends, fans and brand new acquaintances, each covering and/or reimagining their favorite McCartney III moments in their own signature styles. The result is a kaleidoscopic reinterpretation of an album Rolling Stone accurately tagged “an inspiration to us all”—one that serves as an extension of the instantly beloved McCartney III while standing on its own as brilliant and adventurous milestone in the McCartney discography.
Descendents - 9th & Walnut - Epitaph
Formed in L.A.’s South Bay in 1978, Descendents began as a power trio featuring bassist Tony Lombardo, drummer Bill Stevenson, and guitarist Frank Navetta (d. 2008). The band recruited vocalist Milo Aukerman in 1980 and began establishing themselves as major players in the Southern California Punk movement. Over the years, the band has sustained a potent chemistry and shared vision, further cementing them as punk legends. In 2002, the original four-piece lineup — Frank Navetta, Tony Lombardo, Bill Stevenson, and Milo Aukerman — got back into the studio to finally record their first-ever songs. The songs were written by the band from 1977 through 1980, before recording the Fat EP (1981) and the Milo Goes to College LP (1982). Put simply, this is the DESCENDENTS’ earliest material, representing a “lost” pre-MGTC album. Most of these songs have not been heard—until now. Every element of DESCENDENTS’ genre-creating sound is here: Stevenson’s hyper-caffeinated surf-beats, Lombardo’s intrepid bass, Navetta’s crunching attack, Aukerman’s impassioned, infinitely relatable singing—and all those great melodies and harmonies.
Rodney Crowell - Triage - RC1 Records
'Triage' offers a rare look inside of the songwriter. This album finds Rodney Crowell introspectively looking for answers and for healing, resulting in what he has called his most personal record yet. This new collection of songs was written during the great political, environmental and economic upheaval that has marked recent years. The noise of that chaos encouraged Crowell to look inward for solace and answers. The result is this series of songs that contend with these themes, but approaches them from a place of healing, love and solution. That they are being released while we find ourselves walking through a global pandemic, is a gift of perfect timing.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
Molly Burch - Romantic Images [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Coke Bottle Clear LP]
David Crosby - For Free
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Butterfly 3000
Lacuna Coil - Live From The Apocalypse [CD/DVD]
Leon Bridges - Gold-Diggers Sound [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Alternate Cover LP]
Jackson Browne - Downhill From Everywhere
Taylor Swift - folklore [Beige 2 LP]
Pennywise - Land Of The Free [Red LP]
2pac - Until The End Of Time [4 LP]
Erika de Casier - Sensational
Various Artists - Bills & Aches & Blues
Darkside - Spiral
Piroshka - Love Drips And Gathers [Limited Edition Red LP]
Glen Campbell - Live From The Troubadour
R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe: Original Hib-Tone Single [7in Single]
Spice Girls - Wannabe 25 [Silver Cassette]
Anika - Change [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Red & Silver Galaxy LP]
Page McConnell/Trey Anastasio - December [Barn Board LP]
Mudhoney - Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge: 30th Anniversary [Deluxe Edition 2LP]
Miley Cyrus - Plastic Hearts [2LP]
Brothers - March 10, 2020 Madison Square Garden
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - 662
Joshua Radin - The Ghost and the Wall
& More .....
New Release Round-Up 07-16-21
RSD Drops is back this Saturday and we are super excited to celebrate and thank you for supporting Indie Record Stores. Now is the time for you to look over those lists and see what you will be spinning this weekend. Check out the list of titles available here and of course hop over to RecordStoreday.com for more details.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
John Mayer - Sob Rock
Clairo - Sling [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Dark Green LP]
Ida Mae - Click Click Domino [Indie Exclusive Mystery Melt LP]
Cautious Clay - Deadpan Love [LP]
T.A.T.U. - 200 km/h In the Wrong Lane [Coke Bottle Clear LP]
J. Cole - The Off-Season
Aesop Rock - Appleseed [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Clear & Black Smoke LP]
Acid Dad - Take It From The Dead
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Layla Revisited
Wavves - Hideaway [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Orange LP]
Barenaked Ladies - Detour De Force
Opeth - Blackwater Park: 20th Anniversary Edition [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Silver 2LP]
Chet Faker - Hotel Surrender
A Place To Bury Strangers - Hologram
Bob Mould - Distortion: Live [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Signed 140-Gram Clear Splatter 8LP Box Set]
Nathaniel Rateliff - Red Rocks 2020 [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition 2CD]
Willow - lately I feel EVERYTHING [Red LP]
Tones and I - Welcome To The Madhouse
Lonelady - Former Things
The Allman Brothers Band - Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival July 3 & 5, 1970
Various Artists - Space Jam: A New Legacy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Luke Combs - The Trilogy [10in Single]
Various Artists - Dark Nights: Death Metal Soundtrack [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Electric Smoke 2 LP]
Rise Against - Broken Dreams, Inc. (DC - Dark Nights: Death Metal Version) [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Red 7in Flexi Disc + Comic]
Grey Daze - Anything, Anything (DC - Dark Nights: Death Metal Version) [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition 7in Flexi Disc + Comic]
Denzel Curry/PlayThatBoiZay - Bad Luck (DC - Dark Nights: Death Metal Version) [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Yellow 7in Flexi Disc + Comic]
Black Pumas - Capitol Cuts - Live from Studio A [Red LP]
& More .....