February 20 street date. (The most adventurous GBV album yet!!.. Featuring an exhilarating and dizzying trip to an inventive world of strange characters.) Starting off the year with a 100-song marathon in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve, Robert Pollard is setting a mighty high bar for Guided By Voices in 2020. Following three acclaimed and stylistically distinct full-length albums in 2019, Surrender Your Poppy Field, is a head-spinning tour de force: a bit of everything... plus more! And hands down the most adventurous GBV album ever. There are lo-fi four-track tape recordings, there are songs recorded with a single microphone in a basement, there are big studio fully-produced hook-laden pop songs, and there is a lot in between. Seemingly, the guiding concept of Surrender Your Poppy Field was to make the songs sound as different from one another as possible: sudden shifts in mood, tempo and rhythm, unexpected chord progressions, false endings and codas, string orchestrations, mysterious voices... It’s an exhilarating and dizzying trip to an inventive world of strange characters: Andre the Hawk, Queen Parking Lot, the Cul-de-Sac Kids, the Hard Hitter, the Steely Dodger, the Stone Cold Moron, A Man Called Physician, A Man Called Blunder...Not content with their usual mastery of the 4 P’s (punk, pop, prog, psych) Professor Pollard pushes the envelope on Poppy Field, and continues to redefine GBV from a myriad of angles. Anyone who thinks that he’s gotten complacent after 104 albums hasn’t been paying attention! Don’t miss out.
February 20 street date. (The most adventurous GBV album yet!!.. Featuring an exhilarating and dizzying trip to an inventive world of strange characters.) Starting off the year with a 100-song marathon in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve, Robert Pollard is setting a mighty high bar for Guided By Voices in 2020. Following three acclaimed and stylistically distinct full-length albums in 2019, Surrender Your Poppy Field, is a head-spinning tour de force: a bit of everything... plus more! And hands down the most adventurous GBV album ever. There are lo-fi four-track tape recordings, there are songs recorded with a single microphone in a basement, there are big studio fully-produced hook-laden pop songs, and there is a lot in between. Seemingly, the guiding concept of Surrender Your Poppy Field was to make the songs sound as different from one another as possible: sudden shifts in mood, tempo and rhythm, unexpected chord progressions, false endings and codas, string orchestrations, mysterious voices... It’s an exhilarating and dizzying trip to an inventive world of strange characters: Andre the Hawk, Queen Parking Lot, the Cul-de-Sac Kids, the Hard Hitter, the Steely Dodger, the Stone Cold Moron, A Man Called Physician, A Man Called Blunder...Not content with their usual mastery of the 4 P’s (punk, pop, prog, psych) Professor Pollard pushes the envelope on Poppy Field, and continues to redefine GBV from a myriad of angles. Anyone who thinks that he’s gotten complacent after 104 albums hasn’t been paying attention! Don’t miss out.
February 14 street date (LP) / February 21 for CD (date change). The simple power of DRAMA's musical expression is matched only by their work ethic. Since 2014, the Chicago-based duo have bootstrapped a subtle rise on their own terms, self-releasing several EPs and mapping multiple tours with Midwestern grit. A multicultural collaboration between producer Na'el Shehade and vocalist Via Rosa, the project plays to the complementary dynamics of their pairing, blurring the lines between R&B and dance-pop, heartbreak and bliss. Following their signing to Ghostly International in 2019, they realize their years-in-the-making full-length debut, aptly titled "Dance Without Me", a refined collection that recasts romantic tragedy as moonlit self-acceptance. DRAMA's first record appears remarkably refined for a young band; Rosa's lyrical candor creates expressionistic narratives about interpersonal intricacies all finessed for the club by Shehade. Here we see a lyricist whose vocal stylings are, not just complimented, but completed by a producer, and a producer whose genteel tracks are given a soul, however blue, depicted in a collaborator's deeply human lyrics.
February 21 street date. Montreal psych-pop group Elephant Stone release their sixth full-length. It arrives following their 2016 LP, ‘Ship Of Fools’, and a number of recent side-projects and collaborations, such as the Acid House Ragas project and new band MIEN with members of The Horrors and The Black Angels. The first Elephant Stone record made in frontman and sitarist Rishi Dhir's own Sacred Sounds studio, ‘Hollow’ is an ambitious, dystopian sci-fi concept album which he says is inspired by The Who's ‘Tommy’, Pretty Things' ‘S.F, Sorrow’ and the second side of The Beatles' White Album: From Side A (‘The Beginning) though to Side B (‘The Ending’), the story told through Elephant Stone's renowned garage-psych alchemy takes place immediately after mankind's catastrophic destruction of the Earth and what happens when the same elite responsible for the first world-destroying climate disaster touch down on New Earth, a recently-discover planet sold with the same life of prosperity as the one they'd just destroyed. As soon as the chosen few step off the Harmonia ship built for the journey, it's clear that all is not what it seems and humanity appears destined to make the same mistakes.
February 21 street date. Montreal psych-pop group Elephant Stone release their sixth full-length. It arrives following their 2016 LP, ‘Ship Of Fools’, and a number of recent side-projects and collaborations, such as the Acid House Ragas project and new band MIEN with members of The Horrors and The Black Angels. The first Elephant Stone record made in frontman and sitarist Rishi Dhir's own Sacred Sounds studio, ‘Hollow’ is an ambitious, dystopian sci-fi concept album which he says is inspired by The Who's ‘Tommy’, Pretty Things' ‘S.F, Sorrow’ and the second side of The Beatles' White Album: From Side A (‘The Beginning) though to Side B (‘The Ending’), the story told through Elephant Stone's renowned garage-psych alchemy takes place immediately after mankind's catastrophic destruction of the Earth and what happens when the same elite responsible for the first world-destroying climate disaster touch down on New Earth, a recently-discover planet sold with the same life of prosperity as the one they'd just destroyed. As soon as the chosen few step off the Harmonia ship built for the journey, it's clear that all is not what it seems and humanity appears destined to make the same mistakes.
February 21 street date. Rebecca Foon, the composer and musician behind Saltland and Esmerine (and former longstanding member of Silver Mt. Zion) presents a new album entitled "Waxing Moon". While best known as an incomparable cellist crafting textural soundscapes and instrumental chamber-rock in the aforementioned projects (and more recently recognized for her creative and organisational work as co-founder of Pathway To Paris), this new collection of songs finds Foon emphasizing piano and voice with striking intimacy and elegance, showcasing a captivating evolution in her always resplendent songwriting. The climate crisis has profoundly framed Foon's political and artistic life for many years now, and "Waxing Moon" finds her writing and singing her most arrestingly direct yet poetic words, tapping universal and personal heartbreak in both despair and hope.
February 21 street date. Rebecca Foon, the composer and musician behind Saltland and Esmerine (and former longstanding member of Silver Mt. Zion) presents a new album entitled "Waxing Moon". While best known as an incomparable cellist crafting textural soundscapes and instrumental chamber-rock in the aforementioned projects (and more recently recognized for her creative and organisational work as co-founder of Pathway To Paris), this new collection of songs finds Foon emphasizing piano and voice with striking intimacy and elegance, showcasing a captivating evolution in her always resplendent songwriting. The climate crisis has profoundly framed Foon's political and artistic life for many years now, and "Waxing Moon" finds her writing and singing her most arrestingly direct yet poetic words, tapping universal and personal heartbreak in both despair and hope.
February 21 street date. France Gall was a prolifi c French vocalist and performer, remembered as one of the central fi gures of the 1960s yé-yé pop movement. Aligning catchy, spirited rhythms with lighthearted lyrics and drawing from the beat music a la early Beatles and Hollies, the yé-yé artists promoted a sort of new freedom of expression and breaking down of social barriers in post-WWII France. Third Man Records is beyond honored to bring this music to a larger audience by issuing the fi rst authorized North American vinyl pressings of these titles, some of the most brilliant highlights from Gall’s catalog. While France Gall had been releasing music since she was 16 it wasn’t until she took the Grand Prix at the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest with her rendition of Serge Gainsbourg’s “Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son” that she would be catapulted to the top of the swinging yé-yé scene alongside the likes of Francoise Hardy, Sylvie Vartan and Bridgette Bardot. This record contains two of France’s most loved tracks, “Poupée de Cire” and “Laisse Tomber Les Filles” also penned by Gainsbourg. She recorded versions of the title track in French, German, Italian and Japanese and was now an international pop superstar. At the time France was dismissed by many as making fl uffy ultra commercial pop hits but her music stands the test of time far better than most, as not many were making music of this consistent high quality. Highly recommended. First ever U.S. pressing, on 180 gram vinyl no less.
February 21 street date. France Gall was a prolifi c French vocalist and performer, remembered as one of the central figures of the 1960s yé-yé pop movement. Aligning catchy, spirited rhythms with lighthearted lyrics and drawing from the beat music a la early Beatles and Hollies, the yé-yé artists promoted a sort of new freedom of expression and breaking down of social barriers in post-WWII France. Third Man Records is beyond honored to bring this music to a larger audience by issuing the fi rst authorized North American vinyl pressings of these titles, some of the most brilliant highlights from Gall’s catalog. Baby Pop is not only an important album for France herself, it is also a hugely important record for the entire yé-yé scene. Baby Pop hinted at the musical direction that yé-yé was headed in much the same way Revolver and Pet Sounds did in the UK and USA. Baby Pop is more mature and varied than her earlier more bubblegum releases. You will still fi nd a wonderfully cheesy tracks like “L’Amerique” here and there but with the impossibly infectious title track and songs like the Gainsbourg penned “Nous Ne Sommes Va-T’en” and the groovy Farfi ssa driven “Faut-Il que Je T’Aime” we welcome a new France Gall and say hello to some of the fi nest pop music ever released in French or any language. First ever U.S. pressing, on 180 gram vinyl no less.
February 21 street date. France Gall was a prolifi c French vocalist and performer, remembered as one of the central fi gures of the 1960s yé-yé pop movement. Aligning catchy, spirited rhythms with lighthearted lyrics and drawing from the beat music a la early Beatles and Hollies, the yé-yé artists promoted a sort of new freedom of expression and breaking down of social barriers in post-WWII France. Third Man Records is beyond honored to bring this music to a larger audience by issuing the fi rst authorized North American vinyl pressings of these titles, some of the most brilliant highlights from Gall’s catalog. Without a doubt this is the weirdest France Gall record. 1968 dives further into the psychedelia that she was hinting at on Baby Pop. Even with addition of sitars and echoes of The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks and Pet Sounds era Beach Boys all over this record it is still 100% French and could only have been made by France Gall. The addition of English expat producer/arranger, David Whitaker, brought a new and welcome airiness to the mix that was lacking on Gall’s earlier recordings. The album contains 2 of Serge Gainsbourg’s strangest and most out there arrangements, “Nefertiti” and “Teenie Weenie Boppie” about an LSD trip gone horribly wrong. 1968 is an absolutely essential addition to any record collection. First ever U.S. pressing, on 180 gram vinyl no less.
February 21 street date. King Krule has announced the release of his forthcoming album Man Alive!, due Feb 21 via True
Panther/Matador Records. (Available on CD, standard black vinyl, indie record store exclusive red vinyl.) Archy Ivan Marshall has the world at his feet. After two feverishly received albums as King Krule, plus another low-key outing under his own name, this extraordinarily gifted 25-year-old from Peckham in South London adds further depth and substance to his oeuvre with his new, wondrous long-player, Man Alive!. * It arrives packed full of his trademark sonic ambition and compositional skill, as well as the now-familiar corrosive lyricism and lurid social observation. Marshall has emerged as a pack leader amongst his peers, leading the charge in a fearless blurring of genre divisions. * The album was written as a direct reaction to the non-stop energy of touring The Ooz, and then partly recorded at Shrunken Heads in Marshall's native stamping ground of Nunhead, with Ooz co-producer Dilip Harris. Increasingly self-sufficient in the studio, he manned most of the instruments himself, except for the saxophone, which was played by his trusty Argentinian amigo, Ignacio Salvadores. * Midway through those sessions, however, Archy found out he was going to become a dad for the first time, and he decided to move up to the North West to be near the mother's family, ready for the baby's arrival.
February 21 street date. King Krule has announced the release of his forthcoming album Man Alive!, due Feb 21 via True
Panther/Matador Records. (Available on CD, standard black vinyl, indie record store exclusive red vinyl.) Archy Ivan Marshall has the world at his feet. After two feverishly received albums as King Krule, plus another low-key outing under his own name, this extraordinarily gifted 25-year-old from Peckham in South London adds further depth and substance to his oeuvre with his new, wondrous long-player, Man Alive!. * It arrives packed full of his trademark sonic ambition and compositional skill, as well as the now-familiar corrosive lyricism and lurid social observation. Marshall has emerged as a pack leader amongst his peers, leading the charge in a fearless blurring of genre divisions. * The album was written as a direct reaction to the non-stop energy of touring The Ooz, and then partly recorded at Shrunken Heads in Marshall's native stamping ground of Nunhead, with Ooz co-producer Dilip Harris. Increasingly self-sufficient in the studio, he manned most of the instruments himself, except for the saxophone, which was played by his trusty Argentinian amigo, Ignacio Salvadores. * Midway through those sessions, however, Archy found out he was going to become a dad for the first time, and he decided to move up to the North West to be near the mother's family, ready for the baby's arrival.
February 21 street date. King Krule has announced the release of his forthcoming album Man Alive!, due Feb 21 via True
Panther/Matador Records. (Available on CD, standard black vinyl, indie record store exclusive red vinyl.) Archy Ivan Marshall has the world at his feet. After two feverishly received albums as King Krule, plus another low-key outing under his own name, this extraordinarily gifted 25-year-old from Peckham in South London adds further depth and substance to his oeuvre with his new, wondrous long-player, Man Alive!. * It arrives packed full of his trademark sonic ambition and compositional skill, as well as the now-familiar corrosive lyricism and lurid social observation. Marshall has emerged as a pack leader amongst his peers, leading the charge in a fearless blurring of genre divisions. * The album was written as a direct reaction to the non-stop energy of touring The Ooz, and then partly recorded at Shrunken Heads in Marshall's native stamping ground of Nunhead, with Ooz co-producer Dilip Harris. Increasingly self-sufficient in the studio, he manned most of the instruments himself, except for the saxophone, which was played by his trusty Argentinian amigo, Ignacio Salvadores. * Midway through those sessions, however, Archy found out he was going to become a dad for the first time, and he decided to move up to the North West to be near the mother's family, ready for the baby's arrival.
February 21 street date. The Mississippi born slide guitar icon Sonny Landreth will be releasing his new studio album, ‘Blacktop
Run’, on February 21st, 2020 via Provogue Records. ‘Blacktop Run’ follows his previous Grammy nominated album ‘Recorded Live In Lafayette’ (2017) and his back-to-back Blues Music Awards for Best Guitarist and Best Blues Album for ‘Bound by the Blues’ (2015). Now based in south Louisiana, his groundbreaking work has long mixed familiarity with experimentation, and his latest ten-song collection stretches from hard-edged electric instrumentals to wistful acoustic ballads. The project’s range is the fruit of a renewed collaboration. Producer RS Field, who helmed Landreth’s trio of breakout albums, joined the six-stringer and co-producer Tony Daigle to finish the record. “His brilliance and creative energy recharged us,” Landreth said of reuniting with Field. “We came up with new and better ideas, and that’s what we wanted,” he added. “It couldn’t have gone better.” A quartet of instrumentals highlights the expressive power of bassist David Ranson, drummer Brian Brignac and multi-talented keyboardist/songwriter Steve Conn. “Groovy Goddess” takes the listener into harder-edged jazz-rock territory, showcasing the slide guitar prowess that has twice landed Landreth on the cover of Guitar Player magazine. “Honestly, I think the purest form of music is improvised,” the bandleader says. “When it flows, it’s exhilarating. It just seems to come out of nowhere and connect your heart and soul to your fingertips. After two Grammy nominations, multiple appearances at Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival and wide-ranging acclaim from fellow players and fans worldwide, Landreth is looking forward to playing the new material live. “It’s all about telling the story,” Landreth says, “and as long as I can find my way up that path, I’m all in.” As the songwriter’s narrator sings in the title number of Blacktop Run, “A new day is dawning and I have never felt so alive.”
February 21 street date. PURR marks the second project from childhood friends and born and raised New Yorkers, Eliza Callahan and Jack Staffen, who have previously released and performed music simply under their own names (Jack and Eliza). The songwriting duo formed PURR in 2017 while seniors in college. Taking cues from a lineage of dual-lead-vocalist bands with sonic roots in the late 60s and 70s, the pair fluidly oscillates between singing in harmony and unison with their voices often blending to forge what at times can eerily sound like a singular voice. While the songwriting style too makes nods to the same era as do their tones, their music evades placement in any specific time or place. They approached Sam Glick, a friend of Callahan’s, to record their first two songs they wrote as PURR in Callahan’s parent’s kitchen. Glick also stepped in on bass and brought Max Friedberg along to play drums which led to the band’s natural formation. After sending their demos around, they were offered their first show, opening for Foxygen at Terminal 5. It was that night that they met Jonathan Rado who took immediate liking to the band and a year later would record their forthcoming debut album at his Los Angeles studio.
February 21 street date. PURR marks the second project from childhood friends and born and raised New Yorkers, Eliza Callahan and Jack Staffen, who have previously released and performed music simply under their own names (Jack and Eliza). The songwriting duo formed PURR in 2017 while seniors in college. Taking cues from a lineage of dual-lead-vocalist bands with sonic roots in the late 60s and 70s, the pair fluidly oscillates between singing in harmony and unison with their voices often blending to forge what at times can eerily sound like a singular voice. While the songwriting style too makes nods to the same era as do their tones, their music evades placement in any specific time or place. They approached Sam Glick, a friend of Callahan’s, to record their first two songs they wrote as PURR in Callahan’s parent’s kitchen. Glick also stepped in on bass and brought Max Friedberg along to play drums which led to the band’s natural formation. After sending their demos around, they were offered their first show, opening for Foxygen at Terminal 5. It was that night that they met Jonathan Rado who took immediate liking to the band and a year later would record their forthcoming debut album at his Los Angeles studio.
February 21 street date. Six Organs of Admittance is back after 3 years with a new record, new techniques in sound generation, and a new attitude. "Companion Rises" has a driving force only hinted at with previous releases. Manipulating the rhythmic DNA from songs such as the bass-dominated "Taken By Ascent" (on his last record, "Burning The Threshold"), Ben Chasny has grown a new sound creature in his lab that is as welcoming as it is terrifying and as fun to listen to as it provocative and intriguing. Sonically, Ben's songs are bursting with ideas, harmonically rich, gorgeously arranged; often presenting two versions at once, overlaying electric and acoustic treatments that interlock like two shards that form a single key. "Companion Rises" plays like a mutant joining of avant and good-time forces, as if Faust produced The Revolution instead of Prince, or This Heat recorded on top of Amon DüüI's classic "Paramechanical World", but left a few of the original tracks to bleed through.
February 21 street date. Six Organs of Admittance is back after 3 years with a new record, new techniques in sound generation, and a new attitude. "Companion Rises" has a driving force only hinted at with previous releases. Manipulating the rhythmic DNA from songs such as the bass-dominated "Taken By Ascent" (on his last record, "Burning The Threshold"), Ben Chasny has grown a new sound creature in his lab that is as welcoming as it is terrifying and as fun to listen to as it provocative and intriguing. Sonically, Ben's songs are bursting with ideas, harmonically rich, gorgeously arranged; often presenting two versions at once, overlaying electric and acoustic treatments that interlock like two shards that form a single key. "Companion Rises" plays like a mutant joining of avant and good-time forces, as if Faust produced The Revolution instead of Prince, or This Heat recorded on top of Amon DüüI's classic "Paramechanical World", but left a few of the original tracks to bleed through.
February 28 street date. Black Market Brass' sophomore record, "Undying Thirst", is a noxious brew of diesel and bleach; a special long-player full of wasteoid rippers for skullduggerous hover-bike gangs peddling fugazi relics and snake oil tinctures. Hellacious guitars, nitrous-charged percussion, a brass section harsher than paint-thinner, and a special batch of short-circuited electronics and synthesizers will leave your head buzzing into the 31st century. Blasting "Undying Thirst" from your home speaker system is like going over a waterfall in a rusted out oil barrel, long after the sun has boiled the falls dry. RIYL Antibalas or The Budos Band.
February 28 street date. Black Market Brass' sophomore record, "Undying Thirst", is a noxious brew of diesel and bleach; a special long-player full of wasteoid rippers for skullduggerous hover-bike gangs peddling fugazi relics and snake oil tinctures. Hellacious guitars, nitrous-charged percussion, a brass section harsher than paint-thinner, and a special batch of short-circuited electronics and synthesizers will leave your head buzzing into the 31st century. Blasting "Undying Thirst" from your home speaker system is like going over a waterfall in a rusted out oil barrel, long after the sun has boiled the falls dry. RIYL Antibalas or The Budos Band.
February 28 street date. Gold vinyl edition, limited to 1500 copies. Black Market Brass' sophomore record, "Undying Thirst", is a noxious brew of diesel and bleach; a special long-player full of wasteoid rippers for skullduggerous hover-bike gangs peddling fugazi relics and snake oil tinctures. Hellacious guitars, nitrous-charged percussion, a brass section harsher than paint-thinner, and a special batch of short-circuited electronics and synthesizers will leave your head buzzing into the 31st century. Blasting "Undying Thirst" from your home speaker system is like going over a waterfall in a rusted out oil barrel, long after the sun has boiled the falls dry. RIYL Antibalas or The Budos Band.
February 28 street date. Third Man had the pleasure of hosting the inimitable Broken Social Scene, carefully absorbing and recording their magnetic and unforgettable live set on the Blue Room stage. Epic, panoramic, and intimate all at the same time, the legendary Toronto collective Broken Social Scene began as an ebbing and flowing collective of artists in the late 90s, collaborating to create a distinct strand of indie rock that is both perplexingly maximal and straight-up catchy. Their live set was captured, mixed and mastered in real time via the world’s only live venue and direct-to-acetate lathe cutting studio and is Broken Social Scene’s first commercially available live album.
February 28 street date. In 2014, Dan Snaith aka Caribou released Our Love to overwhelming critical acclaim. Caribou returns now with his new studio album Suddenly, a warm, untamable, and constantly surprising record about family and the changes we go through as those relationships evolve. Most prominently, Suddenly refers to the moments of dramatic and unexpected change that occur at points in any life and within any family—universal themes that can catch you off guard and change your life in a heartbeat. Those dramatic moments are part of a slower process. These moments rear their heads, for good or bad, during the everyday flow of life. “There’s a tension between those sudden things which blindside you and the more glacial, gradual day-to-day changes,” he observes. “We are so caught up in the immediate—the details that require our attention every day—that we can be blind to the bigger forces shaping us. That’s why so often when something drastic happens suddenly, it catalyzes all sorts of changes in our lives. Our perspective shifts.” Suddenly is in the music, too. This is the most surprising and unpredictable Caribou album to date. Though it retains the trademark Caribou warmth and technicolor, this album is littered with swerves and left turns. “I wanted to balance the familiar—the sound that people associate with my music— against these moments of surprise,” Snaith says. As his passion and joy in music-making remains as fresh as ever, Suddenly is the purest example of this yet. LP is half-speed mastered by Matt Colton of Metropolis Studios in London UK. First album with Dan Snaith vocals on all tracks. Saxophone & guitar performance by Colin Fisher. LP is pressed at RTI on lead-free black vinyl
Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7" single. The vinyl 7" was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette. With this release Merge also forged a relationship with Touch and Go Records of Chicago, who have done an admirable job manufacturing and distributing the bulk of Merge's full-length releases since then. Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC. In 2004 Merge Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 15 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge. Thanks for listening!
February 28 street date. In 2014, Dan Snaith aka Caribou released Our Love to overwhelming critical acclaim. Caribou returns now with his new studio album Suddenly, a warm, untamable, and constantly surprising record about family and the changes we go through as those relationships evolve. Most prominently, Suddenly refers to the moments of dramatic and unexpected change that occur at points in any life and within any family—universal themes that can catch you off guard and change your life in a heartbeat. Those dramatic moments are part of a slower process. These moments rear their heads, for good or bad, during the everyday flow of life. “There’s a tension between those sudden things which blindside you and the more glacial, gradual day-to-day changes,” he observes. “We are so caught up in the immediate—the details that require our attention every day—that we can be blind to the bigger forces shaping us. That’s why so often when something drastic happens suddenly, it catalyzes all sorts of changes in our lives. Our perspective shifts.” Suddenly is in the music, too. This is the most surprising and unpredictable Caribou album to date. Though it retains the trademark Caribou warmth and technicolor, this album is littered with swerves and left turns. “I wanted to balance the familiar—the sound that people associate with my music— against these moments of surprise,” Snaith says. As his passion and joy in music-making remains as fresh as ever, Suddenly is the purest example of this yet. LP is half-speed mastered by Matt Colton of Metropolis Studios in London UK. First album with Dan Snaith vocals on all tracks. Saxophone & guitar performance by Colin Fisher. LP is pressed at RTI on lead-free black vinyl
Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7" single. The vinyl 7" was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette. With this release Merge also forged a relationship with Touch and Go Records of Chicago, who have done an admirable job manufacturing and distributing the bulk of Merge's full-length releases since then. Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC. In 2004 Merge Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 15 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge. Thanks for listening!
February 28 street date. Whether scoring a film or making a solo album, Daniel Davies thinks cinematically. Images and story - on a movie screen, on a canvas, or flashing through his mind - inform the shape of his compositions and the sounds he uses to bring them to life. For "Signals", his first solo record for Sacred Bones, the inspiration for his musical narration was a collaboration with visual artist Jesse Draxler, whose otherworldly mixed media works grace the cover and the booklet. Using Draxler's images as his jumping off point, Davies created eight richly textured compositions that created a soundtrack for the unsettling world of the artwork. As the songs move through the landscape, Davies calls on whatever instrumentation he needs to serve their journey. He utilizes the warbling synths and slicing guitar that have characterized his soundtrack work, but he's also preternaturally at ease when he busts out a harpsichord and a vocal synth on lead single "Phantom Waltz." On "Destructive Field," he leaves space for his Halloween collaborator John Carpenter to lay down his signature sound. With the exception of that passage, all the music on the record is recorded by Davies himself. "Signals " is an album with a lot to discover, and repeat listens will reveal an inviting - if a bit unnerving - world that you'll want to spend all day in.
February 28 street date. Limited smoke coloured vinyl edition. Whether scoring a film or making a solo album, Daniel Davies thinks cinematically. Images and story - on a movie screen, on a canvas, or flashing through his mind - inform the shape of his compositions and the sounds he uses to bring them to life. For "Signals", his first solo record for Sacred Bones, the inspiration for his musical narration was a collaboration with visual artist Jesse Draxler, whose otherworldly mixed media works grace the cover and the booklet. Using Draxler's images as his jumping off point, Davies created eight richly textured compositions that created a soundtrack for the unsettling world of the artwork. As the songs move through the landscape, Davies calls on whatever instrumentation he needs to serve their journey. He utilizes the warbling synths and slicing guitar that have characterized his soundtrack work, but he's also preternaturally at ease when he busts out a harpsichord and a vocal synth on lead single "Phantom Waltz." On "Destructive Field," he leaves space for his Halloween collaborator John Carpenter to lay down his signature sound. With the exception of that passage, all the music on the record is recorded by Davies himself. "Signals " is an album with a lot to discover, and repeat listens will reveal an inviting - if a bit unnerving - world that you'll want to spend all day in.
February 28 street date. New project of Ty Segall and Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt). Heavily recommended by Henry Rollins. LP includes an 8-page risograph lyric zine by Brian Chippendale. If Brian Chippendale and Ty Segall made a record, would you want to hear it? If the answer is yes, read on. If the answer is no, it’s too bad you ended up canned, suspended in syrup with nothing but other peaches to keep you company. “Ty’s 2019 album First Taste and the new Lighting Bolt album Sonic Citadel are easily some of the best material either entity has ever released so if these two happened to find themselves in the same recording studio, a fan just might entertain elevated expectation levels. In fact, some might actually show signs of enthusiasm, even excitement at the fact that from July 5th -13th 2018, in the airconditioning free environs of Ty’s home studio, the duo, eventually calling themselves Wasted Shirt, wrecked the joint as thoroughly as you hoped they would. “Prepare To Be Stoked Dept.: The album is exploding euphoria from start to finish. A morphing day-glo rainbow that will bring a smile to your face like if you were on your way to Washington DC for the Million Puppy March. Upon first spin, all boxes are checked and any previously held doubts are completely obliterated. The more you play it, the better it kabongs you upside your head. Hectic doesn’t even begin to describe it. Brian and Ty, two mere particles in the grand scheme, collide at high speed, the technicians dive for cover, the reaction is recorded. Mutation is achieved. This is Freedom Rock. Turn up the volume. Hasten your emancipation. Sonic joy awaits.” —Henry Rollins
February 28 street date. New project of Ty Segall and Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt). Heavily recommended by Henry Rollins. LP includes an 8-page risograph lyric zine by Brian Chippendale. If Brian Chippendale and Ty Segall made a record, would you want to hear it? If the answer is yes, read on. If the answer is no, it’s too bad you ended up canned, suspended in syrup with nothing but other peaches to keep you company. “Ty’s 2019 album First Taste and the new Lighting Bolt album Sonic Citadel are easily some of the best material either entity has ever released so if these two happened to find themselves in the same recording studio, a fan just might entertain elevated expectation levels. In fact, some might actually show signs of enthusiasm, even excitement at the fact that from July 5th -13th 2018, in the airconditioning free environs of Ty’s home studio, the duo, eventually calling themselves Wasted Shirt, wrecked the joint as thoroughly as you hoped they would. “Prepare To Be Stoked Dept.: The album is exploding euphoria from start to finish. A morphing day-glo rainbow that will bring a smile to your face like if you were on your way to Washington DC for the Million Puppy March. Upon first spin, all boxes are checked and any previously held doubts are completely obliterated. The more you play it, the better it kabongs you upside your head. Hectic doesn’t even begin to describe it. Brian and Ty, two mere particles in the grand scheme, collide at high speed, the technicians dive for cover, the reaction is recorded. Mutation is achieved. This is Freedom Rock. Turn up the volume. Hasten your emancipation. Sonic joy awaits.” —Henry Rollins
March 6 street date. The first King Crimson release of 2020 is the Expanded Version of the 1970 release Cat Food. 50th anniversary edition of King Crimson’s first non-album single. Expanded to a 4 track EP & issued on 10” vinyl & CD. Features Cat Food (single version) & Groon (original single B-side). Features a live version of Cat Food performed by the current line-up in Toronto in September 2019. Included is an alternate mix of the album version of Cat Food prepared by David Singleton as part of the KC50 digital series. Artwork derived from Peter Sinfield’s original 7” sleeve art. Cut by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering.
March 6 street date. The first King Crimson release of 2020 is the Expanded Version of the 1970 release Cat Food. 50th anniversary edition of King Crimson’s first non-album single. Expanded to a 4 track EP & issued on 10” vinyl & CD. Features Cat Food (single version) & Groon (original single B-side). Features a live version of Cat Food performed by the current line-up in Toronto in September 2019. Included is an alternate mix of the album version of Cat Food prepared by David Singleton as part of the KC50 digital series. Artwork derived from Peter Sinfield’s original 7” sleeve art. Cut by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering.
March 6 street date. Dan Yemin is the only man in punk rock whose bands get louder and faster with age. As the guitarist in hardcore legends Lifetime and Kid Dynamite, Yemin has been known for bringing a keen sense of melody to even the heaviest hitting of his songs. Paint It Black, formed from the ashes of Kid Dynamite and the result of Yemin’s brush with death and subsequent renewed desire to make music. “On Paradise, the band’s second album, Paint It Black re“release a lot of the tension throughout the album with a lease reliance on melodic sensibilities -- guitar and vocal lines with interesting half-time chumpdowns -- which may be a result of Paradise being produced and recorded by J. Robbins. These are introspective songs of identiby identity against a backdrop of global breakdown and corporate ty manipulation. Paint It Black offer up fast beats, thick chords, and passionate lyrics on Paradise, and shine on tracks with vocal exchanges between Dan Yemin and Andy Nelson, such as “Pink Slip,” “Athiests in Foxholes,” and “Labor Day.” Paint It Black have always had a good sense of keeping the good fight going with passion and rage in their lyrics and delivery, while mixing in memorable musical elements. Paradise will make you get up, think about your situation, and fight for better days. “ - David Serra / All Music Guide
March 6 street date. Dan Yemin is the only man in punk rock whose bands get louder and faster with age. As the guitarist in hardcore legends Lifetime and Kid Dynamite, Yemin has been known for bringing a keen sense of melody to even the heaviest hitting of his songs. Paint It Black, formed from the ashes of Kid Dynamite and the result of Yemin’s brush with death and subsequent renewed desire to make music. “On Paradise, the band’s second album, Paint It Black re“release a lot of the tension throughout the album with a lease reliance on melodic sensibilities -- guitar and vocal lines with interesting half-time chumpdowns -- which may be a result of Paradise being produced and recorded by J. Robbins. These are introspective songs of identiby identity against a backdrop of global breakdown and corporate ty manipulation. Paint It Black offer up fast beats, thick chords, and passionate lyrics on Paradise, and shine on tracks with vocal exchanges between Dan Yemin and Andy Nelson, such as “Pink Slip,” “Athiests in Foxholes,” and “Labor Day.” Paint It Black have always had a good sense of keeping the good fight going with passion and rage in their lyrics and delivery, while mixing in memorable musical elements. Paradise will make you get up, think about your situation, and fight for better days. “ - David Serra / All Music Guide
March 6 street date. Pears laid siege to the punk world with their 2014 debut release "Go To Prison" and have been on a buzz generating rampage ever since. Their follow-up album "Green Star" saw Pears take their audacious songwriting to a new level with relentless touring along the way. The forthcoming self-titled third album is yet another significant step forward for a band that has grown by leaps and bounds with each album. "Pears" is 31 minutes of the band's signature hardcore: heavy, melodic, blistering, pointed, and surprisingly catchy. While their former albums were written well in advance, "Pears" was written on the fly, and the result is 14 songs with ankle-breaking tempo changes, frenetic guitar riffs, and imprelling vocals. Elements of prog and grunge intermingle with classic hardcore and hook-laden rock that can happen in the space of one song.
March 6 street date. Pears laid siege to the punk world with their 2014 debut release "Go To Prison" and have been on a buzz generating rampage ever since. Their follow-up album "Green Star" saw Pears take their audacious songwriting to a new level with relentless touring along the way. The forthcoming self-titled third album is yet another significant step forward for a band that has grown by leaps and bounds with each album. "Pears" is 31 minutes of the band's signature hardcore: heavy, melodic, blistering, pointed, and surprisingly catchy. While their former albums were written well in advance, "Pears" was written on the fly, and the result is 14 songs with ankle-breaking tempo changes, frenetic guitar riffs, and imprelling vocals. Elements of prog and grunge intermingle with classic hardcore and hook-laden rock that can happen in the space of one song.
March 6 street date. While the 77 year-old Jerry Williams' most enduring persona is the psychedelic soul superhero Swamp Dogg - a musical vigilante upholding truths both personal and political since 1970's immortal album, "Total Destruction To Your Mind" - he will tell anybody who will listen that he's considered himself country this entire time. "Sorry You Couldn't Make It" allows Swamp to finally dive into the sound he grew up playing. With the support of Pioneer Works Press, they recorded the album at Nashville's Sound Emporium backed by a crack studio band and special guests Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), John Prine, Jenny Lewis, and Sam Amidon. These are narratives about love, of missing the one you love, of compassion, family and friends, and even the kind of love that transcends death.
March 6 street date. While the 77 year-old Jerry Williams' most enduring persona is the psychedelic soul superhero Swamp Dogg - a musical vigilante upholding truths both personal and political since 1970's immortal album, "Total Destruction To Your Mind" - he will tell anybody who will listen that he's considered himself country this entire time. "Sorry You Couldn't Make It" allows Swamp to finally dive into the sound he grew up playing. With the support of Pioneer Works Press, they recorded the album at Nashville's Sound Emporium backed by a crack studio band and special guests Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), John Prine, Jenny Lewis, and Sam Amidon. These are narratives about love, of missing the one you love, of compassion, family and friends, and even the kind of love that transcends death.
March 6 street date. THICK is a Brooklyn-based punk trio featuring Nikki Sisti (guitar, vocals) - Kate Black (bass, vocals, guitar) - Shari Page (drums, vocals). Their debut album 5 Years Behind came to life at Studio G Brooklyn with producer/engineer Joel Hamilton (Iggy Pop, Jolie Holland). Over the years, THICK have earned recognition as an unstoppable live act, with their show typically spawning a mosh pit described by Stereogum as “more like an aggressive hug.” As they dreamed up the tightly crafted yet uncontainable sound of 5 Years Behind, the band kept the live experience at the forefront of their minds. “When we write, we write toward the emotions of the audience,” says Sisti. “I know that lyrics play a huge role in connection, but I’m personally more focused on visualizing how people might physically respond to a song—what it would make them feel in the moment and how it might make them move or dance.” Now gearing up for a national tour in support of 5 Years Behind, THICK aspire to strengthen the palpable sense of inclusivity that’s defined their shows from the start. “We want people to feel safe in the mosh pit, and hopefully connect with each other,” says Page. “We’ve made so many friends at the shows we’ve played, and we’d love it if people could build some kind of community from coming to see us.”
March 6 street date. THICK is a Brooklyn-based punk trio featuring Nikki Sisti (guitar, vocals) - Kate Black (bass, vocals, guitar) - Shari Page (drums, vocals). Their debut album 5 Years Behind came to life at Studio G Brooklyn with producer/engineer Joel Hamilton (Iggy Pop, Jolie Holland). Over the years, THICK have earned recognition as an unstoppable live act, with their show typically spawning a mosh pit described by Stereogum as “more like an aggressive hug.” As they dreamed up the tightly crafted yet uncontainable sound of 5 Years Behind, the band kept the live experience at the forefront of their minds. “When we write, we write toward the emotions of the audience,” says Sisti. “I know that lyrics play a huge role in connection, but I’m personally more focused on visualizing how people might physically respond to a song—what it would make them feel in the moment and how it might make them move or dance.” Now gearing up for a national tour in support of 5 Years Behind, THICK aspire to strengthen the palpable sense of inclusivity that’s defined their shows from the start. “We want people to feel safe in the mosh pit, and hopefully connect with each other,” says Page. “We’ve made so many friends at the shows we’ve played, and we’d love it if people could build some kind of community from coming to see us.”
March 13 street date. Where The Bombpops had a "Fear Of Missing Out" on their 2017 debut full-length, their highly anticipated follow up shows what happens when you're too involved - with booze, bad situations, and behavior that's unsustainable at best and destructive at worst. It's right there in the title - "Death In Venice Beach" - an allusion to Thomas Mann's celebrated novella about the price of an artistic life. What draws The Bombpops hasn't changed on their newest effort: highly melodic punk with big guitars, vocal harmonies, and the SoCal sound that inspired the quartet to pick up instruments. But the more light-hearted skate punk of "Fear Of Missing Out" has a serrated edge on "Death In Venice Beach", as they explore darker themes drawing from real life experiences leading up to and during the making of the album.
March 13 street date. Where The Bombpops had a "Fear Of Missing Out" on their 2017 debut full-length, their highly anticipated follow up shows what happens when you're too involved - with booze, bad situations, and behavior that's unsustainable at best and destructive at worst. It's right there in the title - "Death In Venice Beach" - an allusion to Thomas Mann's celebrated novella about the price of an artistic life. What draws The Bombpops hasn't changed on their newest effort: highly melodic punk with big guitars, vocal harmonies, and the SoCal sound that inspired the quartet to pick up instruments. But the more light-hearted skate punk of "Fear Of Missing Out" has a serrated edge on "Death In Venice Beach", as they explore darker themes drawing from real life experiences leading up to and during the making of the album.
March 13 street date. First time on vinyl. "Placer Found" establishes the sonic and emotional palette that would come to define Dan Burton's work as Early Day Miners. This is music that rewards patience, and reveals itself more with each listen. There's a deep clarity within the soft focus - equal parts lost and found. The opening title track sets the mood just right, its comforting guitar interplay and gentle vocals holding your hand toward an unseen destination that's "still a ways to go." "East Berlin at Night" is the definition of cinematic, almost like an Ativin song with the amplifiers turned down from 12 to 3, while the last two minutes of "Texas Cinema," are the equivalent of a deep embrace from which you never want to let go. This new edition brings it all back to the proverbial start, as it is being released on Secretly Canadian which championed Ativin from the beginning and quickly became a home for Early Day Miners after the initial Western Vinyl release of "Placer Found." The two unreleased instrumental tracks on side D are fascinating glimpses into creative paths not taken. "Prospect Refuge" is a delicious slice of posi-vibes math-rock, while the taut, vaguely ominous "Blue Casino" makes an entirely different song out of a riff later utilized for the standout "Jefferson" from the band's 2003 "Jefferson at Rest" LP.
March 13 street date. Espers, existing in between places, were a part of a flow of ideation that has as much to do with revelations from the 70s or 60s - with all the decades of the last century, really - as it does with the current expressions in favor of selfhood and safety that are struggled over today. Their music has retained a mysterious, unknowable vitality that, in the name of their original intention, continues to express Espers'’ individualism, optimism and deeply empathetic soul. Espers' self-titled first release appeared in 2004, heralding an era in which there was a perception of back-to-the-roots in the underground; kids making new music that spoke strongly of folk traditions and psychedelia, in the process setting themselves apart from latter-day sounds and approaches. Espers didn't shy away from this image, projecting a collective air, almost like a rural outpost, out of time and place in the urban environs of Philadelphia. The staid harmonies of Meg Baird and Greg Weeks, the 6- and 12-string guitars and percussion of Brooke Sietinsons, the full-bodied arrangements rife with traditional and classical details and the regular intervention of acid-toned guitar leads formed, along with the mystic and melancholy cast to their songwriting, a galvanizing identity for them among other like-minded music players of the day.
March 13 street date. Espers, existing in between places, were a part of a flow of ideation that has as much to do with revelations from the 70s or 60s - with all the decades of the last century, really - as it does with the current expressions in favor of selfhood and safety that are struggled over today. Their music has retained a mysterious, unknowable vitality that, in the name of their original intention, continues to express Espers'’ individualism, optimism and deeply empathetic soul. Espers' self-titled first release appeared in 2004, heralding an era in which there was a perception of back-to-the-roots in the underground; kids making new music that spoke strongly of folk traditions and psychedelia, in the process setting themselves apart from latter-day sounds and approaches. Espers didn't shy away from this image, projecting a collective air, almost like a rural outpost, out of time and place in the urban environs of Philadelphia. The staid harmonies of Meg Baird and Greg Weeks, the 6- and 12-string guitars and percussion of Brooke Sietinsons, the full-bodied arrangements rife with traditional and classical details and the regular intervention of acid-toned guitar leads formed, along with the mystic and melancholy cast to their songwriting, a galvanizing identity for them among other like-minded music players of the day.
March 13 street date. The second Espers album, "The Weed Tree" was released in 2005. It was a nearly inevitable endeavor for the group, made almost entirely of cover material, but the traditional folk songs - "Rosemary Lane" and "Black Is The Color" - were paired with songs by Nico, Michael Hurley, and even Blue Oyster Cult, making for an oblique run through eclectic aspects of the past that succeeded due to Espers' thorough re-imagining of the material in their own image. The addition of current members Helena Espvall on cello and Otto Hauser on drums and percussion upped the alchemy of the band to its most potent, making music that drew from tradition, but making it new at the same time.
March 13 street date. The second Espers album, "The Weed Tree" was released in 2005. It was a nearly inevitable endeavor for the group, made almost entirely of cover material, but the traditional folk songs - "Rosemary Lane" and "Black Is The Color" - were paired with songs by Nico, Michael Hurley, and even Blue Oyster Cult, making for an oblique run through eclectic aspects of the past that succeeded due to Espers' thorough re-imagining of the material in their own image. The addition of current members Helena Espvall on cello and Otto Hauser on drums and percussion upped the alchemy of the band to its most potent, making music that drew from tradition, but making it new at the same time.
Please note new street date: March 13. Smile With Your Heart: The Best of Bill Evans on Resonance takes listeners on a journey through the four official Bill Evans discoveries in the Resonance catalog — Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top of the Gate (2012), Some Other Time: The Lost Session from the Black Forest (2016), Another Time: The Hilversum Concert (2017) & Evans In England (2019). Mastered by Bernie Grudman and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI.
March 13 street date. Since their 2013 self-titled debut, The Frights have embodied a carefree vulnerability, setting their most awkward and painful feelings to a wildly joyful surf-punk sound. On their fourth studio album Everything Seems Like Yesterday, the San Diego-based band twist that dynamic to deliver their most emotionally direct body of work to date: a collection of songs written and performed solely by frontman Mikey Carnevale, each track matching its stripped-back simplicity with both raw outpouring and intense reflection. Everything Seems Like Yesterday first took shape through a handful of songs Carnevale wrote on acoustic guitar back in fall 2018. “Hypochondriac was the first time I’d ever written that way, and it felt really therapeutic,” he says, referring to the band’s 2018 Epitaph debut. “It pushed me to get much more into the craft of songwriting—as opposed to mostly writing songs for people to mosh to—and it felt right to keep going with that on this record.” Carnevale originally intended to release this acoustic material as a solo album, but had a change of heart upon sharing his new songs at a series of shows in San Diego and L.A. “All the guys in the band came out and the response was pretty positive, so I started to think this might be something more than a bunch of songs to put online for free,” he says. Carnevale soon enlisted bassist Richard Dotson as a producer, and the two bandmates set off to record at Carnevale’s grandmother’s cabin in Idyllwild, California.
March 13 street date. Since their 2013 self-titled debut, The Frights have embodied a carefree vulnerability, setting their most awkward and painful feelings to a wildly joyful surf-punk sound. On their fourth studio album Everything Seems Like Yesterday, the San Diego-based band twist that dynamic to deliver their most emotionally direct body of work to date: a collection of songs written and performed solely by frontman Mikey Carnevale, each track matching its stripped-back simplicity with both raw outpouring and intense reflection. Everything Seems Like Yesterday first took shape through a handful of songs Carnevale wrote on acoustic guitar back in fall 2018. “Hypochondriac was the first time I’d ever written that way, and it felt really therapeutic,” he says, referring to the band’s 2018 Epitaph debut. “It pushed me to get much more into the craft of songwriting—as opposed to mostly writing songs for people to mosh to—and it felt right to keep going with that on this record.” Carnevale originally intended to release this acoustic material as a solo album, but had a change of heart upon sharing his new songs at a series of shows in San Diego and L.A. “All the guys in the band came out and the response was pretty positive, so I started to think this might be something more than a bunch of songs to put online for free,” he says. Carnevale soon enlisted bassist Richard Dotson as a producer, and the two bandmates set off to record at Carnevale’s grandmother’s cabin in Idyllwild, California.
March 13 street date. THE GARDEN have been carving their own path since their formation in 2011. With 3 LP’s and 4 EP releases, they have become known musically for their fast, punk influenced jungle and DnB styles, and have consistently touring since 2013.While live, they are known for a mix of aggressive, unpredictable and trickster-ish tendencies - this new album, Kiss My Super Bowl Ring rivals the previous albums lyrically and sonically with an unmatched belligerence. The album is primarily self-produced, but includes tracks co-produced by the likes of Dylan Brady and Wharfwit, along with tracks featuring Ariel Pink and Khalif Jones (aka Le1f) and even a snippet from Carrot Top. The album shows it’s first bit of skin with the opening track, “Clench To Stay Awake” - a track based off the experiences of both brothers mysterious health issues over the years. Kiss My Super Bowl Ring boasts a roster of songs that just might be the most creatively rattling yet from the duo.
March 13 street date. THE GARDEN have been carving their own path since their formation in 2011. With 3 LP’s and 4 EP releases, they have become known musically for their fast, punk influenced jungle and DnB styles, and have consistently touring since 2013.While live, they are known for a mix of aggressive, unpredictable and trickster-ish tendencies - this new album, Kiss My Super Bowl Ring rivals the previous albums lyrically and sonically with an unmatched belligerence. The album is primarily self-produced, but includes tracks co-produced by the likes of Dylan Brady and Wharfwit, along with tracks featuring Ariel Pink and Khalif Jones (aka Le1f) and even a snippet from Carrot Top. The album shows it’s first bit of skin with the opening track, “Clench To Stay Awake” - a track based off the experiences of both brothers mysterious health issues over the years. Kiss My Super Bowl Ring boasts a roster of songs that just might be the most creatively rattling yet from the duo.
March 13 street date. Free-thinking Nova Scotia composer, musician and visual artist Jay Crocker (aka JOYFULTALK) channels Minimalism, Japanese environmental music, Maghrebian rhythmic modes and other numinous folkways to create his most focused, vibrant work to date. Based on a monumental, kaleidoscopic graphic score, "A Separation Of Being" is translated from two-dimensional page to trans-dimensional aural life using an array of homemade instruments, crowned with a majestic string arrangement written by Crocker and performed by Polaris and Juno winner Jesse Zubot (Tanya Tagaq, Destroyer). This three-part suite is airtight; interlocking arcs of polyrhythmic deep groove and new minimalism roll out in spellbinding propulsion, the music gathering its warmth from the strings and its peculiarities from Crocker's bespoke instrumentation and analog clockworks. Album packaging on CD and audiophile 180g LP features details on the outer jacket cover art, and a reproduction of the full score on the inside gatefold, and as an exquisite 12" x 24" pull-out art print, respectively.
March 13 street date. Free-thinking Nova Scotia composer, musician and visual artist Jay Crocker (aka JOYFULTALK) channels Minimalism, Japanese environmental music, Maghrebian rhythmic modes and other numinous folkways to create his most focused, vibrant work to date. Based on a monumental, kaleidoscopic graphic score, "A Separation Of Being" is translated from two-dimensional page to trans-dimensional aural life using an array of homemade instruments, crowned with a majestic string arrangement written by Crocker and performed by Polaris and Juno winner Jesse Zubot (Tanya Tagaq, Destroyer). This three-part suite is airtight; interlocking arcs of polyrhythmic deep groove and new minimalism roll out in spellbinding propulsion, the music gathering its warmth from the strings and its peculiarities from Crocker's bespoke instrumentation and analog clockworks. Album packaging on CD and audiophile 180g LP features details on the outer jacket cover art, and a reproduction of the full score on the inside gatefold, and as an exquisite 12" x 24" pull-out art print, respectively.
March 13 street date. With a timeless sound that blends heavy soul and psych-rock, Monophonics have built a reputation over the past decade as one of the best live bands in the country. Led by singer Kelly Finnigan, the band of has drawn on their colorful history - both their experiences as veteran touring performers and as individuals growing up in the Bay Area - to create "It's Only Us", their fourth release since 2012. A reflection of what they see as the current state of the world, the record touches on difficult subjects such as broken relationships, mental health issues, gun violence and power struggles, all with an underlying message of unity, resilience and acceptance. The band's signature style of arrangement has been expanded with top-notch production and creative instrumentation to round out the Monophonics' trademark soul sound, while Finnigan's vocals are more powerful than ever.
March 13 street date. With a timeless sound that blends heavy soul and psych-rock, Monophonics have built a reputation over the past decade as one of the best live bands in the country. Led by singer Kelly Finnigan, the band of has drawn on their colorful history - both their experiences as veteran touring performers and as individuals growing up in the Bay Area - to create "It's Only Us", their fourth release since 2012. A reflection of what they see as the current state of the world, the record touches on difficult subjects such as broken relationships, mental health issues, gun violence and power struggles, all with an underlying message of unity, resilience and acceptance. The band's signature style of arrangement has been expanded with top-notch production and creative instrumentation to round out the Monophonics' trademark soul sound, while Finnigan's vocals are more powerful than ever.
March 13 street date. Limited random coloured vinyl edition. With a timeless sound that blends heavy soul and psych-rock, Monophonics have built a reputation over the past decade as one of the best live bands in the country. Led by singer Kelly Finnigan, the band of has drawn on their colorful history - both their experiences as veteran touring performers and as individuals growing up in the Bay Area - to create "It's Only Us", their fourth release since 2012. A reflection of what they see as the current state of the world, the record touches on difficult subjects such as broken relationships, mental health issues, gun violence and power struggles, all with an underlying message of unity, resilience and acceptance. The band's signature style of arrangement has been expanded with top-notch production and creative instrumentation to round out the Monophonics' trademark soul sound, while Finnigan's vocals are more powerful than ever.
Please note new street date: March 13. Wes’s Best: The Best of Wes Montgomery on Resonance explores five of the guitar legend Wes Montgomery’s official releases of previously-unissued recordings on Resonance — Echoes of Indiana Avenue (2012), In the Beginning (2015), One Night in Indy (2016), Smokin’ in Seattle (2017) and Back on Indiana Avenue (2019). Mastered by Bernie Grudman and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI.
March 13 street date. Porridge Radio grew out of Dana Margolin's bedroom, where she started making music in private. Living in the seaside town of Brighton, she recorded songs and slowly started playing them at open mic nights to rooms of old men who stared at her quietly as she screamed in their faces. Though she eventually grew out of them, for Margolin these open mic nights unlocked a love of performing and songwriting, as well as a new way to express herself. She decided to form a band through which to channel it all, and be noisier while she was at it - so Porridge Radio was born. Inspired by interpersonal relationships, her environment - in particular the sea - and her growing friendships with her new bandmates, Margolin's distinctive, indie-pop-but-make-it-existentialist style soon started to crystallise. As the band's sound - bright pop-rock instrumentation blended with Margolin's tender, open-ended lyrics - has developed and refined, Porridge Radio have also received enthusiastic radio airplay on the BBC, Radio X and more. Now, they are taking that development a step further, as they put out their label debut, "Every Bad".
March 13 street date. Limited transparent blue vinyl edition. Porridge Radio grew out of Dana Margolin's bedroom, where she started making music in private. Living in the seaside town of Brighton, she recorded songs and slowly started playing them at open mic nights to rooms of old men who stared at her quietly as she screamed in their faces. Though she eventually grew out of them, for Margolin these open mic nights unlocked a love of performing and songwriting, as well as a new way to express herself. She decided to form a band through which to channel it all, and be noisier while she was at it - so Porridge Radio was born. Inspired by interpersonal relationships, her environment - in particular the sea - and her growing friendships with her new bandmates, Margolin's distinctive, indie-pop-but-make-it-existentialist style soon started to crystallise. As the band's sound - bright pop-rock instrumentation blended with Margolin's tender, open-ended lyrics - has developed and refined, Porridge Radio have also received enthusiastic radio airplay on the BBC, Radio X and more. Now, they are taking that development a step further, as they put out their label debut, "Every Bad".
March 13 street date. Hilary Woods' "Birthmarks" has been a labor of intensity and intuition, written over the course of two years. Recorded whilst heavily pregnant between Galway and Oslo in the winter of 2019, Woods explores the oscillating and volatile processes of selfhood and becoming, hidden gestational growth, and the birthing of the Self, amidst continuous social and personal change. In its mystery and attentiveness to the art of alchemy and the world of the unseen, "Birthmarks" is a journey through textural fog and feral density that gives way to passages of voracious sonic exorcism and poetic healing. Its eight songs traverse planes of visceral physicality, stark tender space, and breathtaking introspective beauty. Field recordings, analogue bass synthesizers, hushed vocals, and the breath are underpinned with heavy noise processing, fierce and wide cello, rich percussion, sable saxophone, and electronics. It is a deeply powerful and enigmatic record that ultimately transcends its disquiet roots.
March 13 street date. Hilary Woods' "Birthmarks" has been a labor of intensity and intuition, written over the course of two years. Recorded whilst heavily pregnant between Galway and Oslo in the winter of 2019, Woods explores the oscillating and volatile processes of selfhood and becoming, hidden gestational growth, and the birthing of the Self, amidst continuous social and personal change. In its mystery and attentiveness to the art of alchemy and the world of the unseen, "Birthmarks" is a journey through textural fog and feral density that gives way to passages of voracious sonic exorcism and poetic healing. Its eight songs traverse planes of visceral physicality, stark tender space, and breathtaking introspective beauty. Field recordings, analogue bass synthesizers, hushed vocals, and the breath are underpinned with heavy noise processing, fierce and wide cello, rich percussion, sable saxophone, and electronics. It is a deeply powerful and enigmatic record that ultimately transcends its disquiet roots.
March 13 street date. Dark red vinyl edition, limited to 1500 copies. Hilary Woods' "Birthmarks" has been a labor of intensity and intuition, written over the course of two years. Recorded whilst heavily pregnant between Galway and Oslo in the winter of 2019, Woods explores the oscillating and volatile processes of selfhood and becoming, hidden gestational growth, and the birthing of the Self, amidst continuous social and personal change. In its mystery and attentiveness to the art of alchemy and the world of the unseen, "Birthmarks" is a journey through textural fog and feral density that gives way to passages of voracious sonic exorcism and poetic healing. Its eight songs traverse planes of visceral physicality, stark tender space, and breathtaking introspective beauty. Field recordings, analogue bass synthesizers, hushed vocals, and the breath are underpinned with heavy noise processing, fierce and wide cello, rich percussion, sable saxophone, and electronics. It is a deeply powerful and enigmatic record that ultimately transcends its disquiet roots.
March 20 street date. Brownout's legendary status as a "Funk Powerhouse" (Stereogum) is a reputation well deserved. The band of musicians have an impressive resumé performing with Prince, GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Bernie Worrell, and accolades from Ozzy Osbourne for their "Brownout Presents: Brown Sabbath" project. The Austin 9-piece is back with their first full length album of original music in over 8 years. The album, aptly titled "Berlin Sessions" was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and is the first with lead singer Alex Marrero, whom they originally collaborated with on their wildly successful "Brown Sabbath" records. "Berlin Sessions" finds the group merging a multitude of styles, from rock to psych and of course the Latin Funk and Breakbeat on which they have built their sixteen-year career and reputation as Austin's premier party-starters.
March 20 street date. Brownout's legendary status as a "Funk Powerhouse" (Stereogum) is a reputation well deserved. The band of musicians have an impressive resumé performing with Prince, GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Bernie Worrell, and accolades from Ozzy Osbourne for their "Brownout Presents: Brown Sabbath" project. The Austin 9-piece is back with their first full length album of original music in over 8 years. The album, aptly titled "Berlin Sessions" was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and is the first with lead singer Alex Marrero, whom they originally collaborated with on their wildly successful "Brown Sabbath" records. "Berlin Sessions" finds the group merging a multitude of styles, from rock to psych and of course the Latin Funk and Breakbeat on which they have built their sixteen-year career and reputation as Austin's premier party-starters.
March 27 CD Street date. (LP due Fall 2020) Jennah Barry's long-awaited sophomore release!! (new single hiit #5 on CBC Top 20. Confirmed coverage from Mojo, Popmatters, Exclaim! & many more!!) - Hailing from the coastal haven of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Jennah Barry is one of Atlantic Canada’s surest sirens. Her undeniable, rosewater voice sets a mood wherein even the hardest truths seem palatable. Moving effortlessly between folk, country and soft rock motifs, Barry’s music, last heard on her instantly classic debut Young Men, sets her at the forefront of a tradition of women making music as strong as it is sentimental. "Hazy and calm and entirely entrancing" - The Line of Best Fit // "Barry has an unsettling ability to capture the warmth of an evening (possibly seaside) while slowly cracking into that cozy façade with the tap-tap of insistent heartbreak." - CBC Music
March 27 street date. Bon Iver's "Blood Bank" EP was originally released in early 2009, hot on the heels of the beloved album "For Emma, Forever Ago". The EP was a harbinger of a new sound for Bon Iver: a movement away from the acoustic guitar-led instrumentation of the debut and the beginning of an exploration into the experimental sounds that have evolved but defined Bon Iver ever since. The reissue of this seminal EP is coupled with brand new live renditions of all the EP tracks, all recorded at various venues in 2018.
March 27 street date. Limited translucent red vinyl edition. Bon Iver's "Blood Bank" EP was originally released in early 2009, hot on the heels of the beloved album "For Emma, Forever Ago". The EP was a harbinger of a new sound for Bon Iver: a movement away from the acoustic guitar-led instrumentation of the debut and the beginning of an exploration into the experimental sounds that have evolved but defined Bon Iver ever since. The reissue of this seminal EP is coupled with brand new live renditions of all the EP tracks, all recorded at various venues in 2018.
March 27 street date. Coriky is a band from Washington, D.C. with Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Minor Threat), Joe Lally (Fugazi), and Amy Farina (The Evens). Formed in 2015, Coriky did not play their first show until 2018. They have recorded one album. They hope to tour.
March 27 street date. Coriky is a band from Washington, D.C. with Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Minor Threat), Joe Lally (Fugazi), and Amy Farina (The Evens). Formed in 2015, Coriky did not play their first show until 2018. They have recorded one album. They hope to tour.
March 27 street date. Half Waif Nandi Rose is on her own again, and three songs into her forthcoming album The Caretaker , the singer, songwriter and producer declares her fearlessness: “Baby don’t worry about me, I don’t worry about you.” Here, on “Ordinary Talk,” Rose meditates on the heaviness of ordinary moments, the constellation of tears and chores and self-doubt and small talk that comprise being a person, accompanied by her most cinematic, pulsing arrangements to date. It’s an apt introduction to The Caretaker, an ax-lbum that negotiates the space between working alone and with others, between isolation and connection. The result is her boldest work yet. Over the course of eleven songs, Rose creates the lush world of a humid summer night, dreaming of and reaching for a season in which she is her “best self.”
March 27 street date. Half Waif Nandi Rose is on her own again, and three songs into her forthcoming album The Caretaker , the singer, songwriter and producer declares her fearlessness: “Baby don’t worry about me, I don’t worry about you.” Here, on “Ordinary Talk,” Rose meditates on the heaviness of ordinary moments, the constellation of tears and chores and self-doubt and small talk that comprise being a person, accompanied by her most cinematic, pulsing arrangements to date. It’s an apt introduction to The Caretaker, an ax-lbum that negotiates the space between working alone and with others, between isolation and connection. The result is her boldest work yet. Over the course of eleven songs, Rose creates the lush world of a humid summer night, dreaming of and reaching for a season in which she is her “best self.”
March 27 street date. It's been a long, winding road to Hailu Mergia's sixth decade of musical activity. With 2018's critical breakthrough "Lala Belu", Mergia championed himself and consolidated his legacy, producing the album on his own and connecting with listeners through the sheer creative power of his version of modern Ethiopian music. His subsequent performances revealed an artist who is in no way stuck in the nostalgia for the "golden age" sound. The press agreed, including the New York Times, BBC and Pitchfork, calling his music "triumphantly in the present" in its Best 200 Albums of the 2010's list. Mergia's new album "Yene Mircha" encapsulates many of the things that make the keyboardist, accordionist and composer-arranger remarkable - elements that have persisted to maintain his vitality all these years, through the ebb and flow of his career. The rock solid trio with whom he has toured the world most recently, DC-based Alemseged Kebede (bass) and Ken Joseph (drums), forms the nucleus around which an expanded band makes a potent response to the contemporary jazz future "Lala Belu" promised. "Yene Mircha" calcifies Mergia's prolific stream of creativity and his philosophy that there is a multitude of Ethiopian musical approaches, not just one sound.
March 27 street date. It's been a long, winding road to Hailu Mergia's sixth decade of musical activity. With 2018's critical breakthrough "Lala Belu", Mergia championed himself and consolidated his legacy, producing the album on his own and connecting with listeners through the sheer creative power of his version of modern Ethiopian music. His subsequent performances revealed an artist who is in no way stuck in the nostalgia for the "golden age" sound. The press agreed, including the New York Times, BBC and Pitchfork, calling his music "triumphantly in the present" in its Best 200 Albums of the 2010's list. Mergia's new album "Yene Mircha" encapsulates many of the things that make the keyboardist, accordionist and composer-arranger remarkable - elements that have persisted to maintain his vitality all these years, through the ebb and flow of his career. The rock solid trio with whom he has toured the world most recently, DC-based Alemseged Kebede (bass) and Ken Joseph (drums), forms the nucleus around which an expanded band makes a potent response to the contemporary jazz future "Lala Belu" promised. "Yene Mircha" calcifies Mergia's prolific stream of creativity and his philosophy that there is a multitude of Ethiopian musical approaches, not just one sound.
March 27 street date. Parkway Drive, the five-piece metal band from Byron Bay, Australia formed in 2002. The band features vocalist Winston McCall, guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling, bassist Jia O’Connor, and drummer Ben Gordon. For more than a decade, the band has stood at the forefront of heavy music worldwide, matching their uncompromising urgency with a powerful musicality. They have released six studio albums, two platinum selling DVDs and one book in their storied career, which has been documented in the feature length documentary Viva the Underdogs, and this album release is the soundtrack to the film. The film, Viva The Underdogs features over a decade of behind the scenes personal footage, coupled with unprecedented access to the bands most explosive live tours and world’s biggest music festivals. The film gives an incredibly honest and candid look at Parkway Drive’s journey; the good-times, battles, triumphs, and sacrifices. Viva The Underdogs the album features 14 tracks; 11 of their biggest songs recorded live at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany, as well as three of their most popular tracks re-imagined, recorded in German and one with a feature from German Rap artist, Casper.
March 27 street date. Parkway Drive, the five-piece metal band from Byron Bay, Australia formed in 2002. The band features vocalist Winston McCall, guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling, bassist Jia O’Connor, and drummer Ben Gordon. For more than a decade, the band has stood at the forefront of heavy music worldwide, matching their uncompromising urgency with a powerful musicality. They have released six studio albums, two platinum selling DVDs and one book in their storied career, which has been documented in the feature length documentary Viva the Underdogs, and this album release is the soundtrack to the film. The film, Viva The Underdogs features over a decade of behind the scenes personal footage, coupled with unprecedented access to the bands most explosive live tours and world’s biggest music festivals. The film gives an incredibly honest and candid look at Parkway Drive’s journey; the good-times, battles, triumphs, and sacrifices. Viva The Underdogs the album features 14 tracks; 11 of their biggest songs recorded live at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany, as well as three of their most popular tracks re-imagined, recorded in German and one with a feature from German Rap artist, Casper.
March 27 street date. Parkway Drive, the five-piece metal band from Byron Bay, Australia formed in 2002. The band features vocalist Winston McCall, guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling, bassist Jia O’Connor, and drummer Ben Gordon. For more than a decade, the band has stood at the forefront of heavy music worldwide, matching their uncompromising urgency with a powerful musicality. They have released six studio albums, two platinum selling DVDs and one book in their storied career, which has been documented in the feature length documentary Viva the Underdogs, and this album release is the soundtrack to the film. The film, Viva The Underdogs features over a decade of behind the scenes personal footage, coupled with unprecedented access to the bands most explosive live tours and world’s biggest music festivals. The film gives an incredibly honest and candid look at Parkway Drive’s journey; the good-times, battles, triumphs, and sacrifices. Viva The Underdogs the album features 14 tracks; 11 of their biggest songs recorded live at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany, as well as three of their most popular tracks re-imagined, recorded in German and one with a feature from German Rap artist, Casper.
March 27 street date. "Aporia" is a New Age album from Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather and record label co-owner, Lowell Brams. In the spirit of the New Age composers who sanded off the edges of their synths' sawtooth waves, "Aporia" approximates a rich soundtrack from an imagined sci-fi epic brimming with moody, hooky, gauzy synthesizer soundscapes. The album may suggest the progeny of a John Carpenter, Wendy Carlos, and Mike Oldfield marriage, but it stands apart from these touchstones and generates a meditative universe all its own. This is no mere curio in the Sufjan Stevens catalog - but a fully realized collaborative musical piece.
March 27 street date. "Aporia" is a New Age album from Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather and record label co-owner, Lowell Brams. In the spirit of the New Age composers who sanded off the edges of their synths' sawtooth waves, "Aporia" approximates a rich soundtrack from an imagined sci-fi epic brimming with moody, hooky, gauzy synthesizer soundscapes. The album may suggest the progeny of a John Carpenter, Wendy Carlos, and Mike Oldfield marriage, but it stands apart from these touchstones and generates a meditative universe all its own. This is no mere curio in the Sufjan Stevens catalog - but a fully realized collaborative musical piece.
March 27 street date. "Aporia" is a New Age album from Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather and record label co-owner, Lowell Brams. In the spirit of the New Age composers who sanded off the edges of their synths' sawtooth waves, "Aporia" approximates a rich soundtrack from an imagined sci-fi epic brimming with moody, hooky, gauzy synthesizer soundscapes. The album may suggest the progeny of a John Carpenter, Wendy Carlos, and Mike Oldfield marriage, but it stands apart from these touchstones and generates a meditative universe all its own. This is no mere curio in the Sufjan Stevens catalog - but a fully realized collaborative musical piece.
March 27 street date. Limited yellow vinyl edition. "Aporia" is a New Age album from Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather and record label co-owner, Lowell Brams. In the spirit of the New Age composers who sanded off the edges of their synths' sawtooth waves, "Aporia" approximates a rich soundtrack from an imagined sci-fi epic brimming with moody, hooky, gauzy synthesizer soundscapes. The album may suggest the progeny of a John Carpenter, Wendy Carlos, and Mike Oldfield marriage, but it stands apart from these touchstones and generates a meditative universe all its own. This is no mere curio in the Sufjan Stevens catalog - but a fully realized collaborative musical piece.
March 27 street date. It was in 2006 that Detroit punks The Suicide Machines called it a day after 15 years and six full-throttle, super-charged and confrontational albums. The break didn't last too long - in 2009, the four-piece reconvened to play the occasional local shows and embarked on a handful of tours. Finally, the band is back with a brand-new album - the first since "War Profiteering Is Killing Us" 15 years ago! "Revolution Spring", the band's Fat Wreck debut, picks up right where they left off - full of blistering, rousing songs finding the band in truly explosive and energetic form. While on one hand these songs serve as an overview of the band's career and the different permutations of punk they've dabbled in over the years, they also possess the energy, spontaneity and enthusiasm of a band many years their junior - albeit with the wisdom that comes from being alive for a few decades.
March 27 street date. It was in 2006 that Detroit punks The Suicide Machines called it a day after 15 years and six full-throttle, super-charged and confrontational albums. The break didn't last too long - in 2009, the four-piece reconvened to play the occasional local shows and embarked on a handful of tours. Finally, the band is back with a brand-new album - the first since "War Profiteering Is Killing Us" 15 years ago! "Revolution Spring", the band's Fat Wreck debut, picks up right where they left off - full of blistering, rousing songs finding the band in truly explosive and energetic form. While on one hand these songs serve as an overview of the band's career and the different permutations of punk they've dabbled in over the years, they also possess the energy, spontaneity and enthusiasm of a band many years their junior - albeit with the wisdom that comes from being alive for a few decades.
Please note: new street date is March 27. Swamp green vinyl edition includes bonus 7" with 3 unreleased songs - limited to 1500 copies. While the 77 year-old Jerry Williams' most enduring persona is the psychedelic soul superhero Swamp Dogg - a musical vigilante upholding truths both personal and political since 1970's immortal album, "Total Destruction To Your Mind" - he will tell anybody who will listen that he's considered himself country this entire time. "Sorry You Couldn't Make It" allows Swamp to finally dive into the sound he grew up playing. With the support of Pioneer Works Press, they recorded the album at Nashville's Sound Emporium backed by a crack studio band and special guests Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), John Prine, Jenny Lewis, and Sam Amidon. These are narratives about love, of missing the one you love, of compassion, family and friends, and even the kind of love that transcends death.
March 27 street date. A lounge in the Poconos located just inside a Holiday Inn, 1973. The smoky haze clears to reveal a middle aged couple on a one-foot high stage, prattling on about the weather or Watergate before launching into a serviceable cover of Burt Bacharach's "Do You Know The Way To San Jose?". Tens of thousands of such combos littered restaurants, cruise ships, casinos, lobbies, and cocktail bars throughout the 60s and 70s, but far fewer cut a record worth buying from the stage, much less listening to on the home hi-fi. Gathered here are 14 lounge originals from across the entire easy listening spectrum. Includes letterpressed heavyweight matchbook-style jacket with screenprinted strike strip, debossed inner sleeve, and a 22" square fold-out matchbook gallery poster.
March 27 street date. What do we hold on to from our past? What must we let go of to truly move forward? Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield spent much of 2018 reckoning with these questions and revisiting her roots for answers. The result is Saint Cloud, an intimate journey through the places she’s been, filled with the people she’s loved. Written immediately in the period following her decision to get sober, the album is an unflinching self-examination. This raw, exposed narrative terrain is aided by a shift in sonic arrangements as well. While her last two records featured the kind of big guitars, well-honed noise, and battering sounds that characterized her Philadelphia scene and strongly influenced a burgeoning new class of singer-songwriters, Saint Cloud strips back those layers to create space for Crutchfield’s voice and lyrics. The result is a classic Americana sound with modern touches befitting an artist who has emerged as one of the signature storytellers of her time. Over the course of Saint Cloud, which was recorded the summer of 2019 and produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver), Crutchfield peels back the distortion of electric guitars to create a wider sonic palette than on any previous Waxahatchee album. It is a record filled with nods to classic country, folk-inspired tones, and distinctly modern touches. To bolster her vision, Crutchfield enlisted Bobby Colombo and Bill Lennox, both of the Detroit band Bonny Doon, to serve as backing band on the record, along with Josh Kaufman (Hiss Golden Messenger, Bon Iver) on guitar and keyboards and Nick Kinsey (Kevin Morby) on drums and percussion. Saint Cloud marks the beginning of a journey for Crutchfield, one that sees her leaving behind past vices and the comfortable environs of her Philadelphia scene to head south in search of something new. If on her previous work Crutchfield was out in the storm, she’s now firmly in the eye of it, taking stock of her past with a clear perspective and gathering the strength to carry onward.
Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7" single. The vinyl 7" was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette. With this release Merge also forged a relationship with Touch and Go Records of Chicago, who have done an admirable job manufacturing and distributing the bulk of Merge's full-length releases since then. Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC. In 2004 Merge Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 15 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge. Thanks for listening!
March 27 street date. What do we hold on to from our past? What must we let go of to truly move forward? Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield spent much of 2018 reckoning with these questions and revisiting her roots for answers. The result is Saint Cloud, an intimate journey through the places she’s been, filled with the people she’s loved. Written immediately in the period following her decision to get sober, the album is an unflinching self-examination. This raw, exposed narrative terrain is aided by a shift in sonic arrangements as well. While her last two records featured the kind of big guitars, well-honed noise, and battering sounds that characterized her Philadelphia scene and strongly influenced a burgeoning new class of singer-songwriters, Saint Cloud strips back those layers to create space for Crutchfield’s voice and lyrics. The result is a classic Americana sound with modern touches befitting an artist who has emerged as one of the signature storytellers of her time. Over the course of Saint Cloud, which was recorded the summer of 2019 and produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver), Crutchfield peels back the distortion of electric guitars to create a wider sonic palette than on any previous Waxahatchee album. It is a record filled with nods to classic country, folk-inspired tones, and distinctly modern touches. To bolster her vision, Crutchfield enlisted Bobby Colombo and Bill Lennox, both of the Detroit band Bonny Doon, to serve as backing band on the record, along with Josh Kaufman (Hiss Golden Messenger, Bon Iver) on guitar and keyboards and Nick Kinsey (Kevin Morby) on drums and percussion. Saint Cloud marks the beginning of a journey for Crutchfield, one that sees her leaving behind past vices and the comfortable environs of her Philadelphia scene to head south in search of something new. If on her previous work Crutchfield was out in the storm, she’s now firmly in the eye of it, taking stock of her past with a clear perspective and gathering the strength to carry onward.
Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7" single. The vinyl 7" was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette. With this release Merge also forged a relationship with Touch and Go Records of Chicago, who have done an admirable job manufacturing and distributing the bulk of Merge's full-length releases since then. Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC. In 2004 Merge Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 15 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge. Thanks for listening!
March 27 street date. What do we hold on to from our past? What must we let go of to truly move forward? Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield spent much of 2018 reckoning with these questions and revisiting her roots for answers. The result is Saint Cloud, an intimate journey through the places she’s been, filled with the people she’s loved. Written immediately in the period following her decision to get sober, the album is an unflinching self-examination. This raw, exposed narrative terrain is aided by a shift in sonic arrangements as well. While her last two records featured the kind of big guitars, well-honed noise, and battering sounds that characterized her Philadelphia scene and strongly influenced a burgeoning new class of singer-songwriters, Saint Cloud strips back those layers to create space for Crutchfield’s voice and lyrics. The result is a classic Americana sound with modern touches befitting an artist who has emerged as one of the signature storytellers of her time. Over the course of Saint Cloud, which was recorded the summer of 2019 and produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver), Crutchfield peels back the distortion of electric guitars to create a wider sonic palette than on any previous Waxahatchee album. It is a record filled with nods to classic country, folk-inspired tones, and distinctly modern touches. To bolster her vision, Crutchfield enlisted Bobby Colombo and Bill Lennox, both of the Detroit band Bonny Doon, to serve as backing band on the record, along with Josh Kaufman (Hiss Golden Messenger, Bon Iver) on guitar and keyboards and Nick Kinsey (Kevin Morby) on drums and percussion. Saint Cloud marks the beginning of a journey for Crutchfield, one that sees her leaving behind past vices and the comfortable environs of her Philadelphia scene to head south in search of something new. If on her previous work Crutchfield was out in the storm, she’s now firmly in the eye of it, taking stock of her past with a clear perspective and gathering the strength to carry onward.
Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7" single. The vinyl 7" was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette. With this release Merge also forged a relationship with Touch and Go Records of Chicago, who have done an admirable job manufacturing and distributing the bulk of Merge's full-length releases since then. Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC. In 2004 Merge Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 15 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge. Thanks for listening!
April 3 street date. When Anna Burch introduced herself on her 2018 debut "Quit The Curse", it was with a concentrated wash of energetic, serotonin-boosting pop. Two years later, Burch's follow up "If You're Dreaming" takes us down a different path than its predecessor, shedding some nervous energy in favor of a deeper exploration of an internal world. "If You're Dreaming" was tracked with producer Sam Evian in his home studio in the Catskill mountains of upstate New York. The end goal was to present not just an assortment of new songs, but craft an album that moved dynamically through an interconnected emotional arc. With recurring themes of isolation, weariness and longing, these songs deliver that emotional arc with a delicate but uncompromising execution. Even at its most introverted, "If You're Dreaming" is always warm and present. Daring and clear-headed, these songs cut deeper in their subtleties. "If You're Dreaming" moves with intention, taking its time revealing new layers of sophistication and growth in Burch's always charming songcraft.
April 3 street date. When Anna Burch introduced herself on her 2018 debut "Quit The Curse", it was with a concentrated wash of energetic, serotonin-boosting pop. Two years later, Burch's follow up "If You're Dreaming" takes us down a different path than its predecessor, shedding some nervous energy in favor of a deeper exploration of an internal world. "If You're Dreaming" was tracked with producer Sam Evian in his home studio in the Catskill mountains of upstate New York. The end goal was to present not just an assortment of new songs, but craft an album that moved dynamically through an interconnected emotional arc. With recurring themes of isolation, weariness and longing, these songs deliver that emotional arc with a delicate but uncompromising execution. Even at its most introverted, "If You're Dreaming" is always warm and present. Daring and clear-headed, these songs cut deeper in their subtleties. "If You're Dreaming" moves with intention, taking its time revealing new layers of sophistication and growth in Burch's always charming songcraft.
April 3 street date. When Anna Burch introduced herself on her 2018 debut "Quit The Curse", it was with a concentrated wash of energetic, serotonin-boosting pop. Two years later, Burch's follow up "If You're Dreaming" takes us down a different path than its predecessor, shedding some nervous energy in favor of a deeper exploration of an internal world. "If You're Dreaming" was tracked with producer Sam Evian in his home studio in the Catskill mountains of upstate New York. The end goal was to present not just an assortment of new songs, but craft an album that moved dynamically through an interconnected emotional arc. With recurring themes of isolation, weariness and longing, these songs deliver that emotional arc with a delicate but uncompromising execution. Even at its most introverted, "If You're Dreaming" is always warm and present. Daring and clear-headed, these songs cut deeper in their subtleties. "If You're Dreaming" moves with intention, taking its time revealing new layers of sophistication and growth in Burch's always charming songcraft.
April 3 street date. Working under various aliases since 2014, Christina Schneider has explored everything from groovy garage rock to minimalist bedroom pop to Syd Barrett-style psychedelia. Buoyed by her desire to create the same "crazy, powerful feeling" she gets when she hears an ABBA or Kate Bush song, she reached again for the outer limits of pop music and recorded "Personalia", her sophomore album as Locate S,1. Schneider spends much of the album trying to understand and expel a darkness that has come over her (and society at large) in order to live a more fulfilling life. While she was writing and recording the album over the past year, she was thinking a lot about her own growth and self-worth as an artist, and where her constantly evolving and always experimental music fits in the digital age. Environmentalism, money, power, and modern feminism formed part of that conversation, too. Throughout "Personalia" Schneider seeks to address how the attention economy is plaguing us with feelings of FOMO and anxiety, and is causing many of us to abandon their progressive values.
April 3 street date. First pressing on green vinyl. Working under various aliases since 2014, Christina Schneider has explored everything from groovy garage rock to minimalist bedroom pop to Syd Barrett-style psychedelia. Buoyed by her desire to create the same "crazy, powerful feeling" she gets when she hears an ABBA or Kate Bush song, she reached again for the outer limits of pop music and recorded "Personalia", her sophomore album as Locate S,1. Schneider spends much of the album trying to understand and expel a darkness that has come over her (and society at large) in order to live a more fulfilling life. While she was writing and recording the album over the past year, she was thinking a lot about her own growth and self-worth as an artist, and where her constantly evolving and always experimental music fits in the digital age. Environmentalism, money, power, and modern feminism formed part of that conversation, too. Throughout "Personalia" Schneider seeks to address how the attention economy is plaguing us with feelings of FOMO and anxiety, and is causing many of us to abandon their progressive values.
April 3 street date. Pearlescent platinum coloured vinyl edition, limited to 1000 copies. Marking their 20th year as a band, Maserati returns with their first new album in five years. Produced by the band and mixed by Grammy-winning producer John Congleton (Explosions In The Sky, Swans, Angel Olsen), "Enter The Mirror" is Maserati's most compelling mélange of triumphant guitar hooks, abstract synth-pop, and Wax Trax-inspired noise anthems. The gated drums of Phil Collins and chorus-drenched guitars of INXS were prominent influences on "Enter The Mirror", paired to magnificent effect with the increasingly dystopian lyrical themes. In addition to longtime members Coley Dennis, Matt Cherry, Chris McNeal, and Mike Albanese, Maserati are joined by friends and collaborators, Bill Berry (R.E.M.), Owen Lange, and Alfredo Lapuz Jr. "Enter The Mirror" is Maserati's most efficient and cohesive album, and a monumental accomplishment for a band who have weathered many storms throughout their first two decades.
April 3 street date. Marking their 20th year as a band, Maserati returns with their first new album in five years. Produced by the band and mixed by Grammy-winning producer John Congleton (Explosions In The Sky, Swans, Angel Olsen), "Enter The Mirror" is Maserati's most compelling mélange of triumphant guitar hooks, abstract synth-pop, and Wax Trax-inspired noise anthems. The gated drums of Phil Collins and chorus-drenched guitars of INXS were prominent influences on "Enter The Mirror", paired to magnificent effect with the increasingly dystopian lyrical themes. In addition to longtime members Coley Dennis, Matt Cherry, Chris McNeal, and Mike Albanese, Maserati are joined by friends and collaborators, Bill Berry (R.E.M.), Owen Lange, and Alfredo Lapuz Jr. "Enter The Mirror" is Maserati's most efficient and cohesive album, and a monumental accomplishment for a band who have weathered many storms throughout their first two decades.
April 3 street date. Marking their 20th year as a band, Maserati returns with their first new album in five years. Produced by the band and mixed by Grammy-winning producer John Congleton (Explosions In The Sky, Swans, Angel Olsen), "Enter The Mirror" is Maserati's most compelling mélange of triumphant guitar hooks, abstract synth-pop, and Wax Trax-inspired noise anthems. The gated drums of Phil Collins and chorus-drenched guitars of INXS were prominent influences on "Enter The Mirror", paired to magnificent effect with the increasingly dystopian lyrical themes. In addition to longtime members Coley Dennis, Matt Cherry, Chris McNeal, and Mike Albanese, Maserati are joined by friends and collaborators, Bill Berry (R.E.M.), Owen Lange, and Alfredo Lapuz Jr. "Enter The Mirror" is Maserati's most efficient and cohesive album, and a monumental accomplishment for a band who have weathered many storms throughout their first two decades.
April 3 street date. "BRAT" is the masterful LP from beloved Chicago multi-instrumentalist NNAMDÏ. It follows his critically acclaimed LP "DROOL" (2017), an album that brought him to Pitchfork Fest and earned him Best Music of the Year recognition from NPR, Fader, Bandcamp, and more. On his follow-up "BRAT", NNAMDÏ starkly explores the psychological turmoil between wanting and needing in a manner that is both intensely personal and highly relatable. Its virtuosic fusion of Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop, Electronics, Gospel, and West African influences firmly establishes him in a genre-less class of his own.
April 3 street date. Limited clear with pink and blue vinyl splatter vinyl edition, exclusively available to independent record shops. "BRAT" is the masterful LP from beloved Chicago multi-instrumentalist NNAMDÏ. It follows his critically acclaimed LP "DROOL" (2017), an album that brought him to Pitchfork Fest and earned him Best Music of the Year recognition from NPR, Fader, Bandcamp, and more. On his follow-up "BRAT", NNAMDÏ starkly explores the psychological turmoil between wanting and needing in a manner that is both intensely personal and highly relatable. Its virtuosic fusion of Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop, Electronics, Gospel, and West African influences firmly establishes him in a genre-less class of his own.
April 3 street date. "BRAT" is the masterful LP from beloved Chicago multi-instrumentalist NNAMDÏ. It follows his critically acclaimed LP "DROOL" (2017), an album that brought him to Pitchfork Fest and earned him Best Music of the Year recognition from NPR, Fader, Bandcamp, and more. On his follow-up "BRAT", NNAMDÏ starkly explores the psychological turmoil between wanting and needing in a manner that is both intensely personal and highly relatable. Its virtuosic fusion of Hip-Hop, Rock, Pop, Electronics, Gospel, and West African influences firmly establishes him in a genre-less class of his own.
April 3 street date. We follow up January's release of "Here Are The Sonics!" with a 180g black vinyl replica release of "Boom", the Sonics' second album, originally released in 1966 on Etiquette Records in wonderful mono. "Boom" still does much more than merely deliver on the promise of the first album, "Here Are The Sonics!". Few records have ever packed as much of a musical punch from start to finish. Even more so than their first LP, it offers a representation of what the Sonics must have sounded like at the peak of their considerable powers. Recorded in the most glorious no-fi you could ever wish for and with anthemic originals like ‘Cinderella’ and ‘He’s Waiting’ vying for your attention with what is possibly the most violent version of ‘Louie Louie’ that there will ever be, "Boom" is an album that has always justified the esteem in which it is held by collectors around the globe.
April 3 street date. The artwork for TOPS' fourth LP sets the tone for the music enclosed. Inspired by the work of photographer Thomas Ruff, TOPS' vocalist Jane Penny stares bare-faced down the lens-simple and un-posed, yet striking with starkness and vulnerability. The image captures the fraught nature of being alive, which the 11 tracks on "I Feel Alive" explore. Penney's remarkably expressive voice is front and center. On this record more than any other, she sings with passion and energy, without sacrificing the honesty and introspection that gives her voice its depth. The songs cover a range of experiences but at its heart "I Feel Alive" is a record about resilience, the ways we can grow from for our pain and the strength that comes from learning to stand on your own as an individual. TOPS' trademark sound of beguiling melodies over soft-rock grooves, with touches of '80s sophisti-pop and a contemporary experimental palette is intact, but bolder and more expansive. The songs manage to be both immediately catchy and deceptively deep, with Penny's literary lyrics adding an extra dimension to the pure pop hooks. Satisfying yet far from predictable, this is a record to be savored, revealing itself slowly, gaining power and poignancy with each listen.
April 3 street date. The artwork for TOPS' fourth LP sets the tone for the music enclosed. Inspired by the work of photographer Thomas Ruff, TOPS' vocalist Jane Penny stares bare-faced down the lens-simple and un-posed, yet striking with starkness and vulnerability. The image captures the fraught nature of being alive, which the 11 tracks on "I Feel Alive" explore. Penney's remarkably expressive voice is front and center. On this record more than any other, she sings with passion and energy, without sacrificing the honesty and introspection that gives her voice its depth. The songs cover a range of experiences but at its heart "I Feel Alive" is a record about resilience, the ways we can grow from for our pain and the strength that comes from learning to stand on your own as an individual. TOPS' trademark sound of beguiling melodies over soft-rock grooves, with touches of '80s sophisti-pop and a contemporary experimental palette is intact, but bolder and more expansive. The songs manage to be both immediately catchy and deceptively deep, with Penny's literary lyrics adding an extra dimension to the pure pop hooks. Satisfying yet far from predictable, this is a record to be savored, revealing itself slowly, gaining power and poignancy with each listen.
April 3 street date. The artwork for TOPS' fourth LP sets the tone for the music enclosed. Inspired by the work of photographer Thomas Ruff, TOPS' vocalist Jane Penny stares bare-faced down the lens-simple and un-posed, yet striking with starkness and vulnerability. The image captures the fraught nature of being alive, which the 11 tracks on "I Feel Alive" explore. Penney's remarkably expressive voice is front and center. On this record more than any other, she sings with passion and energy, without sacrificing the honesty and introspection that gives her voice its depth. The songs cover a range of experiences but at its heart "I Feel Alive" is a record about resilience, the ways we can grow from for our pain and the strength that comes from learning to stand on your own as an individual. TOPS' trademark sound of beguiling melodies over soft-rock grooves, with touches of '80s sophisti-pop and a contemporary experimental palette is intact, but bolder and more expansive. The songs manage to be both immediately catchy and deceptively deep, with Penny's literary lyrics adding an extra dimension to the pure pop hooks. Satisfying yet far from predictable, this is a record to be savored, revealing itself slowly, gaining power and poignancy with each listen.
April 3 street date. “It was in winter 18/19 - I flew to Montreal to meet with Tim Kingsbury, Richard Reed Parry, Craig Silvey and Teddy Impakt at Le Studio Du Arcade Fire. It was a fine time with a dream team in a city I love. Winter in beautiful Quebec. Les semaines les plus froides de ma vie. I had a bunch of demos that were inspired by migration stories I had heard from friends or read in newspapers while on tour in Europe and North America. I remember being struck by the similarities of the stories I heard from both continents and how really only the names of the powerful and the powerless had changed - thinking, “Is this the future? Is this our future?” Some time went by, the stories wove together and I remember them now closer to characters in a dream of how people could treat each other than any kind of front-page news realism. I think music subconsciously - whether writing or listening - is a filter for me - helping to process all the bad news into something new to build from - some records to me are like self-fulfilling prophecies - visualizing change to wish something into being - those records inspired this one.” - M. Ward winter 19/20
April 3 street date. “It was in winter 18/19 - I flew to Montreal to meet with Tim Kingsbury, Richard Reed Parry, Craig Silvey and Teddy Impakt at Le Studio Du Arcade Fire. It was a fine time with a dream team in a city I love. Winter in beautiful Quebec. Les semaines les plus froides de ma vie. I had a bunch of demos that were inspired by migration stories I had heard from friends or read in newspapers while on tour in Europe and North America. I remember being struck by the similarities of the stories I heard from both continents and how really only the names of the powerful and the powerless had changed - thinking, “Is this the future? Is this our future?” Some time went by, the stories wove together and I remember them now closer to characters in a dream of how people could treat each other than any kind of front-page news realism. I think music subconsciously - whether writing or listening - is a filter for me - helping to process all the bad news into something new to build from - some records to me are like self-fulfilling prophecies - visualizing change to wish something into being - those records inspired this one.” - M. Ward winter 19/20
April 3 street date. “It was in winter 18/19 - I flew to Montreal to meet with Tim Kingsbury, Richard Reed Parry, Craig Silvey and Teddy Impakt at Le Studio Du Arcade Fire. It was a fine time with a dream team in a city I love. Winter in beautiful Quebec. Les semaines les plus froides de ma vie. I had a bunch of demos that were inspired by migration stories I had heard from friends or read in newspapers while on tour in Europe and North America. I remember being struck by the similarities of the stories I heard from both continents and how really only the names of the powerful and the powerless had changed - thinking, “Is this the future? Is this our future?” Some time went by, the stories wove together and I remember them now closer to characters in a dream of how people could treat each other than any kind of front-page news realism. I think music subconsciously - whether writing or listening - is a filter for me - helping to process all the bad news into something new to build from - some records to me are like self-fulfilling prophecies - visualizing change to wish something into being - those records inspired this one.” - M. Ward winter 19/20
April 10 street date. When one thinks of the Dream Syndicate, it’s not just the wild abandon with which singer/guitarist Steve Wynn, drummer Dennis Duck, bassist Mark Walton, and lead guitarist Jason Victor perform – it’s the carefully constructed songwriting of Wynn that comes to mind. By now every rock critic in the country has predetermined who he or she feels Wynn reminds them of and what they think of that style of songs. This time, don’t! Which brings us to The Universe Inside. Every article or review ever written will claim “this is new and different” – well, it is! Just look at the song lengths: 20:27, 7:36, 8:56, 9:55 and 10:53. Ok, sure – the Syndicate have occasionally committed a long song to vinyl, “John Coltrane Stereo Blues” was 9 minutes with live versions over the ten-minute mark. For the first time, every song is a group songwriting effort. What seeps in are Dennis Duck’s knowledge of European avant-garde music , Jason Victor’s passion for 70s prog, Mark Walton’s experience in Southern-fried music collectives and Wynn’s love of vintage electric jazz. The dazzling display of album cover artwork alone should clue you into the changes. But don’t take our word for it. Dive in!
April 10 street date. When one thinks of the Dream Syndicate, it’s not just the wild abandon with which singer/guitarist Steve Wynn, drummer Dennis Duck, bassist Mark Walton, and lead guitarist Jason Victor perform – it’s the carefully constructed songwriting of Wynn that comes to mind. By now every rock critic in the country has predetermined who he or she feels Wynn reminds them of and what they think of that style of songs. This time, don’t! Which brings us to The Universe Inside. Every article or review ever written will claim “this is new and different” – well, it is! Just look at the song lengths: 20:27, 7:36, 8:56, 9:55 and 10:53. Ok, sure – the Syndicate have occasionally committed a long song to vinyl, “John Coltrane Stereo Blues” was 9 minutes with live versions over the ten-minute mark. For the first time, every song is a group songwriting effort. What seeps in are Dennis Duck’s knowledge of European avant-garde music , Jason Victor’s passion for 70s prog, Mark Walton’s experience in Southern-fried music collectives and Wynn’s love of vintage electric jazz. The dazzling display of album cover artwork alone should clue you into the changes. But don’t take our word for it. Dive in!
April 10 street date. "I first heard Daniel in 1985. Half Japanese had a show in Austin and Daniel's manager Jeff Tartakov gave me a tape of "Hi How Are You?". I loved it and began corresponding with Jeff and Daniel. A few years later I was in NYC to take part in a recording session of Moe Tucker at Kramer's studio Noise New York. Daniel was at the studio and he and I became friends. Daniel recorded two songs with lyrics I wrote. He recorded "Do It Right" for Moe's album, and "Some Things Last A Long Time" for his album "1990". Soon after his time in NYC I invited him to my home and we had a week to record the songs for "It's Spooky". I considered Daniel to be a genius. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him. I'm so grateful to have it released again and it's sounding better than ever thanks to an amazing mastering job by Kramer". - Jad Fair.
April 10 street date. Features guest appearances from members of Gwar, Three 6 Mafia, Dwarves, Lost Dog Street Band, and more!! Highlighting the artist’s singular lyrical attack, Space Goretex is the first album combining all of KOOL KEITH’s primary personas – Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom and Black Elvis. The instrumentation is primarily comprised of bass, drums, theremin, and synth, performed by THETAN’s Chad L’Plattenier and Dan Emery. The album also includes some special guest appearances, including Gangsta Boo (Three 6 Mafia) who performs as Officer Lola. Casey Orr (Gwar, X-Cops) appears as his X-Cops character Sheriff Tubb Tucker, marking the first time he has recorded anything as this character since 1996. Blag Dahlia from the Dwarves provides a monologue alongside Ashley Mae of Lost Dog Street Band and DJ Black Cat Sylvester, inventor of the Synth-Table. Blowfly’s right-hand man Uncle Tom Bowker also makes an appearance. Space Goretex was recorded by Dan Emery and Fred Ones, and all post-production and mastering handled by Emery at Black Matter Mastering (Buzzov*en, Lost Dog Street Band, Krieg). The album’s cover art was created by Ethan Lee McCarthy (Primitive Man, Many Blessings). . . Since the mid-1980s, KOOL KEITH has been an icon in the hip-hop world, as one of the founders of the Ultramagnetic MC’s. Following that act’s departure, he began a long career, releasing an extensive arsenal of albums, singles, and much more since the mid-1990s, including collaborations with Ice-T, Tim Dog, Dan The Automator, and many others. THETAN has been grinding out their pummeling powerviolence/hardcore since 2011, most of the time as the stripped-down two-piece lineup of drummer Chad L’Plattenier and bassist/vocalist Dan Emery the band currently bears. The band has issued two LPs, several singles and EPs, splits with the likes of Bleed The Pigs, Downpour, Bible Thumper, and others along the way. Album trailer available here https://youtu.be/BYMaLV2lNbI
April 10 street date. Features guest appearances from members of Gwar, Three 6 Mafia, Dwarves, Lost Dog Street Band, and more!! Highlighting the artist’s singular lyrical attack, Space Goretex is the first album combining all of KOOL KEITH’s primary personas – Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom and Black Elvis. The instrumentation is primarily comprised of bass, drums, theremin, and synth, performed by THETAN’s Chad L’Plattenier and Dan Emery. The album also includes some special guest appearances, including Gangsta Boo (Three 6 Mafia) who performs as Officer Lola. Casey Orr (Gwar, X-Cops) appears as his X-Cops character Sheriff Tubb Tucker, marking the first time he has recorded anything as this character since 1996. Blag Dahlia from the Dwarves provides a monologue alongside Ashley Mae of Lost Dog Street Band and DJ Black Cat Sylvester, inventor of the Synth-Table. Blowfly’s right-hand man Uncle Tom Bowker also makes an appearance. Space Goretex was recorded by Dan Emery and Fred Ones, and all post-production and mastering handled by Emery at Black Matter Mastering (Buzzov*en, Lost Dog Street Band, Krieg). The album’s cover art was created by Ethan Lee McCarthy (Primitive Man, Many Blessings). . . Since the mid-1980s, KOOL KEITH has been an icon in the hip-hop world, as one of the founders of the Ultramagnetic MC’s. Following that act’s departure, he began a long career, releasing an extensive arsenal of albums, singles, and much more since the mid-1990s, including collaborations with Ice-T, Tim Dog, Dan The Automator, and many others. THETAN has been grinding out their pummeling powerviolence/hardcore since 2011, most of the time as the stripped-down two-piece lineup of drummer Chad L’Plattenier and bassist/vocalist Dan Emery the band currently bears. The band has issued two LPs, several singles and EPs, splits with the likes of Bleed The Pigs, Downpour, Bible Thumper, and others along the way. Album trailer available here https://youtu.be/BYMaLV2lNbI
April 17 street date. The brand new studio album from punk/metal icon and powerhouse vocalist Glenn Danzig paying tribute to his idol and inspiration, Elvis Presley! Features 14 unforgettable interpretations of well-known Elvis classics and unheralded deep cuts that will thrill fans of both of these kings of rock music! Highlights include Danzig's sinister take on "Fever" and a truly haunting version of "Always On My Mind!" Danzig is no stranger to working with American music royalty having written songs for both Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison! Available in a special digipak for CD and on vinyl in a deluxe gatefold jacket!
April 17 street date. The brand new studio album from punk/metal icon and powerhouse vocalist Glenn Danzig paying tribute to his idol and inspiration, Elvis Presley! Features 14 unforgettable interpretations of well-known Elvis classics and unheralded deep cuts that will thrill fans of both of these kings of rock music! Highlights include Danzig's sinister take on "Fever" and a truly haunting version of "Always On My Mind!" Danzig is no stranger to working with American music royalty having written songs for both Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison! Available in a special digipak for CD and on vinyl in a deluxe gatefold jacket!
May 27 street date. The buzz around CHRISTIAN LEE HUTSON started in earnest in 2018 after he began his collaborative friendship with singer Phoebe Bridgers. Hutson co-wrote songs with Bridgers for both the EP of supergroup boygenius ( ft. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus) and her 2019 release with Conor Oberst, Better Oblivion Community Center. The emerging folk artist received further critical attention after Bridgers invited him to Eaux Claires Festival last July, where he performed a solo set and earned praise from festival host Bon Iver. Eventually, Bridgers asked if she could produce an album for him. Engineered and mixed by Joseph Lorge (Blake Mills, Perfume Genius), the forthcoming release also features contributions from Bright Eyes pianist Nathaniel Walcott. To merely call Christian Lee Hutson an old soul would be to deny the vibrancy of his sound. Hutson writes songs that the SF Bay Guardian describes as, ”... Foreboding, bluesy love ballads laden with longing nostalgia.” Hutson is an avid touring artist and his touring will take him to Austin this Spring for SXSW. For Fans of Phoebe Bridgers, Elliott Smith and Bright Eyes.
May 27 street date. The buzz around CHRISTIAN LEE HUTSON started in earnest in 2018 after he began his collaborative friendship with singer Phoebe Bridgers. Hutson co-wrote songs with Bridgers for both the EP of supergroup boygenius ( ft. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus) and her 2019 release with Conor Oberst, Better Oblivion Community Center. The emerging folk artist received further critical attention after Bridgers invited him to Eaux Claires Festival last July, where he performed a solo set and earned praise from festival host Bon Iver. Eventually, Bridgers asked if she could produce an album for him. Engineered and mixed by Joseph Lorge (Blake Mills, Perfume Genius), the forthcoming release also features contributions from Bright Eyes pianist Nathaniel Walcott. To merely call Christian Lee Hutson an old soul would be to deny the vibrancy of his sound. Hutson writes songs that the SF Bay Guardian describes as, ”... Foreboding, bluesy love ballads laden with longing nostalgia.” Hutson is an avid touring artist and his touring will take him to Austin this Spring for SXSW. For Fans of Phoebe Bridgers, Elliott Smith and Bright Eyes.
May 27 street date. The buzz around CHRISTIAN LEE HUTSON started in earnest in 2018 after he began his collaborative friendship with singer Phoebe Bridgers. Hutson co-wrote songs with Bridgers for both the EP of supergroup boygenius ( ft. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus) and her 2019 release with Conor Oberst, Better Oblivion Community Center. The emerging folk artist received further critical attention after Bridgers invited him to Eaux Claires Festival last July, where he performed a solo set and earned praise from festival host Bon Iver. Eventually, Bridgers asked if she could produce an album for him. Engineered and mixed by Joseph Lorge (Blake Mills, Perfume Genius), the forthcoming release also features contributions from Bright Eyes pianist Nathaniel Walcott. To merely call Christian Lee Hutson an old soul would be to deny the vibrancy of his sound. Hutson writes songs that the SF Bay Guardian describes as, ”... Foreboding, bluesy love ballads laden with longing nostalgia.” Hutson is an avid touring artist and his touring will take him to Austin this Spring for SXSW. For Fans of Phoebe Bridgers, Elliott Smith and Bright Eyes.
January 24 street date. "A true legend and a hero. I love Terry's music so much" - Kurt Vile. Iconic and iconoclastic Texan songwriter and visual artist Terry Allen's heartbreaking, hilarious new album, his first set of new songs since 2013's "Bottom Of The World", features the full Panhandle Mystery Band, including co-producer Charlie Sexton (Dylan, Bowie, Blaze), Shannon McNally, and Jo Harvey Allen; mainstays Bukka Allen, Richard Bowden, and Lloyd Maines; and co-writes with Joe Ely and Dave Alvin. The connections to Melville's masterpiece are metaphorical and allusive, as elusive as the White Whale. The masterly spiritual successor to "Lubbock (on everything)", "Just Like Moby Dick" casts its net wide for wild stories, depicting, among other monstrous things, Houdini in existential crisis, the death of the last stripper in town, bloodthirsty pirates, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a vampire-infested circus, mudslides and burning mobile homes, and all manner of tragicomic disasters, abandonments, betrayals, bad memories, failures, and fare-thee-wells. The deluxe tip-on gatefold 2xLP package features lyrics, color labels, high-res Bandcamp download code, three sides of music, and a fourth-side vinyl etching artwork by Allen.
January 24 street date. "A true legend and a hero. I love Terry's music so much" - Kurt Vile. Iconic and iconoclastic Texan songwriter and visual artist Terry Allen's heartbreaking, hilarious new album, his first set of new songs since 2013's "Bottom Of The World", features the full Panhandle Mystery Band, including co-producer Charlie Sexton (Dylan, Bowie, Blaze), Shannon McNally, and Jo Harvey Allen; mainstays Bukka Allen, Richard Bowden, and Lloyd Maines; and co-writes with Joe Ely and Dave Alvin. The connections to Melville's masterpiece are metaphorical and allusive, as elusive as the White Whale. The masterly spiritual successor to "Lubbock (on everything)", "Just Like Moby Dick" casts its net wide for wild stories, depicting, among other monstrous things, Houdini in existential crisis, the death of the last stripper in town, bloodthirsty pirates, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a vampire-infested circus, mudslides and burning mobile homes, and all manner of tragicomic disasters, abandonments, betrayals, bad memories, failures, and fare-thee-wells. The deluxe tip-on gatefold 2xLP package features lyrics, color labels, high-res Bandcamp download code, three sides of music, and a fourth-side vinyl etching artwork by Allen.
February 14 street date. Limited clear vinyl edition. One thing you won't be able to avoid on Bambara's "Stray" is death. It's everywhere and inescapable, abstract and personified - perhaps the key to the whole record. Death, however, won't be the first thing that strikes you about the group's fourth - and greatest - album to date. That instead will be its pulverising soundscape; by turns, vast, atmospheric, cool, broiling, and at times simply overwhelming. Bambara (twin brothers Reid and Blaze Bateh, singer/guitarist and drummer respectively, and bassist William Brookshire) have been evolving their midnight-black noise into something more subtle and expansive ever since the release of their 2013 debut 'Dreamviolence'. While the music itself on "Stray" is evocative and propulsive, a fever dream all of its own, the lyrical content pushes the record even further into its own darkly thrilling realm. Here Bambara sound like they've locked into what they were always destined to achieve, and the effect is nothing short of electrifying.
February 14 street date. One thing you won't be able to avoid on Bambara's "Stray" is death. It's everywhere and inescapable, abstract and personified - perhaps the key to the whole record. Death, however, won't be the first thing that strikes you about the group's fourth - and greatest - album to date. That instead will be its pulverising soundscape; by turns, vast, atmospheric, cool, broiling, and at times simply overwhelming. Bambara (twin brothers Reid and Blaze Bateh, singer/guitarist and drummer respectively, and bassist William Brookshire) have been evolving their midnight-black noise into something more subtle and expansive ever since the release of their 2013 debut 'Dreamviolence'. While the music itself on "Stray" is evocative and propulsive, a fever dream all of its own, the lyrical content pushes the record even further into its own darkly thrilling realm. Here Bambara sound like they've locked into what they were always destined to achieve, and the effect is nothing short of electrifying.
February 14 street date. One thing you won't be able to avoid on Bambara's "Stray" is death. It's everywhere and inescapable, abstract and personified - perhaps the key to the whole record. Death, however, won't be the first thing that strikes you about the group's fourth - and greatest - album to date. That instead will be its pulverising soundscape; by turns, vast, atmospheric, cool, broiling, and at times simply overwhelming. Bambara (twin brothers Reid and Blaze Bateh, singer/guitarist and drummer respectively, and bassist William Brookshire) have been evolving their midnight-black noise into something more subtle and expansive ever since the release of their 2013 debut 'Dreamviolence'. While the music itself on "Stray" is evocative and propulsive, a fever dream all of its own, the lyrical content pushes the record even further into its own darkly thrilling realm. Here Bambara sound like they've locked into what they were always destined to achieve, and the effect is nothing short of electrifying.
January 24 street date. It's country music but not as we know it which begs the question: have these Bad Kids of 21st Century rock 'n' roll finally grown up on their ninth studio album? ‘Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart’ continues to flick the middle finger to one and all. This ain't another gaggle of bearded southern sons fleeing their collective suburban upbringings and collegiate music education. There aren't the usual clichés about drinking, honky tonks, and heartbreak. These are, after all, the same Black Lips who rescued the waning garage punk subgenre. They also dug contemporary hip-hop and punk and actualized themselves. Like so many dramatic moments in the Black Lips career, ‘Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart’ was born out of crisis. The band's stylistic evolution through decades of prolific touring and recording took them where no garage punk band had gone before - huge venues, network television shows, and major music festivals. Here Black Lips are at their grimiest, most dangerous and equipped with the best collection of songs since the aughts. They roll on with an unapologetic southern-fried twang, pacing the beast, every now and then dropping a psycho howl into the rubber room madness lurking underneath the truckstop fireworks. This ain't your granny's country album. And conversely this ain't your mama's Black Lips!
January 24 street date. It's country music but not as we know it which begs the question: have these Bad Kids of 21st Century rock 'n' roll finally grown up on their ninth studio album? ‘Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart’ continues to flick the middle finger to one and all. This ain't another gaggle of bearded southern sons fleeing their collective suburban upbringings and collegiate music education. There aren't the usual clichés about drinking, honky tonks, and heartbreak. These are, after all, the same Black Lips who rescued the waning garage punk subgenre. They also dug contemporary hip-hop and punk and actualized themselves. Like so many dramatic moments in the Black Lips career, ‘Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart’ was born out of crisis. The band's stylistic evolution through decades of prolific touring and recording took them where no garage punk band had gone before - huge venues, network television shows, and major music festivals. Here Black Lips are at their grimiest, most dangerous and equipped with the best collection of songs since the aughts. They roll on with an unapologetic southern-fried twang, pacing the beast, every now and then dropping a psycho howl into the rubber room madness lurking underneath the truckstop fireworks. This ain't your granny's country album. And conversely this ain't your mama's Black Lips!
January 24 street date. Limited deluxe red vinyl edition, with a die cut spot gloss sleeve and poster - available exclusively to indie shops. It's country music but not as we know it which begs the question: have these Bad Kids of 21st Century rock 'n' roll finally grown up on their ninth studio album? ‘Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart’ continues to flick the middle finger to one and all. This ain't another gaggle of bearded southern sons fleeing their collective suburban upbringings and collegiate music education. There aren't the usual clichés about drinking, honky tonks, and heartbreak. These are, after all, the same Black Lips who rescued the waning garage punk subgenre. They also dug contemporary hip-hop and punk and actualized themselves. Like so many dramatic moments in the Black Lips career, ‘Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart’ was born out of crisis. The band's stylistic evolution through decades of prolific touring and recording took them where no garage punk band had gone before - huge venues, network television shows, and major music festivals. Here Black Lips are at their grimiest, most dangerous and equipped with the best collection of songs since the aughts. They roll on with an unapologetic southern-fried twang, pacing the beast, every now and then dropping a psycho howl into the rubber room madness lurking underneath the truckstop fireworks. This ain't your granny's country album. And conversely this ain't your mama's Black Lips!
January 24 street date. The timeless qualities of traditional tunes can carry us across oceans and eons, linking us not only to the past but to each other as well. It was under the banner of those eternal connections that the trio of Bonny Light Horseman came together. From festival fields and a German art hub to a snowy upstate studio and everywhere in between, the astral folk outfit - comprised of Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats, The Shins), and Josh Kaufman (The National, Bob Weir) - is mixing the ancient, mystical medium of transatlantic traditional folk music with a contemporary, collective brush. The resulting album, "Bonny Light Horseman", is an elusive kind of sonic event: a bottled blend of lightning and synergy that will excite fans of multiple genres, eras, and ages.
January 24 street date. The timeless qualities of traditional tunes can carry us across oceans and eons, linking us not only to the past but to each other as well. It was under the banner of those eternal connections that the trio of Bonny Light Horseman came together. From festival fields and a German art hub to a snowy upstate studio and everywhere in between, the astral folk outfit - comprised of Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats, The Shins), and Josh Kaufman (The National, Bob Weir) - is mixing the ancient, mystical medium of transatlantic traditional folk music with a contemporary, collective brush. The resulting album, "Bonny Light Horseman", is an elusive kind of sonic event: a bottled blend of lightning and synergy that will excite fans of multiple genres, eras, and ages.
February 14 street date. For Patrick Flegel, Cindy Lee is more than just a recording music project. It is the culmination of a lifelong exploration of art, the electric guitar, queer identity and gender expression. “Singers like Patsy Cline and The Supremes carried me through the hardest times of my life,” explains Flegel, “and also provided the soundtrack to the best times.” Following the dissolution of Canadian experimental indie band Women, Flegel would delve deeper into songwriting that bends further toward high atmospherics and bracing melodies—a unique space where splendor naturally collides with experimentation. Delivering moments of sheer beauty through somber reflections on longing and loneliness, Cindy Lee is something to hold onto in a world of disorder. What’s Tonight To Eternity, Cindy Lee’s fifth long-form offering, showcases the project’s most entrancing strengths: ethereal snowdrift pop and sly nods toward classic girl-group motifs. Recorded at Flegel’s Realistik Studios in Toronto and featuring younger brother Andrew Flegel on drums, the album travels hand in hand with a spectral guide. What’s Tonight To Eternity remains a mix of pop culture indoctrination, pain and suffering, hopes and dreams, fierce confrontations and wide-open confessional blurs. Closing with the song “Heavy Metal” (dedicated to the memory of former Women bandmate Chris Reimer) and adorned by Andrea Lukic’s Journal of Smack artwork, the album continues the bold and rewarding path on which Cindy Lee has embarked.
January 31 street date. Destroyer conceived of Have We Met as a Y2K album. Dan Bejar assigned producer and bandmate John Collins the role of layering synth and rhythm sections over demos with the period-specific Björk, Air, and Massive Attack in mind, but he soon realized the sonic template was too removed from Destroyer’s own, and the idea of a concept was silly anyway. So he abandoned it and gave Collins the most timeless instruction of all: “Make it sound cool.” The result is not a startling departure from 2017’s ken, but unlike that more band-oriented approach, the only actual instruments that appear are bass and electric guitar. MIDI instrumentation will of course invite Your Blues and Kaputt nostalgia, but Have We Met is buoyed by precise, plasticky guitar shredding three dimensionally across massive percussion—the loudest and dirtiest drums on a Destroyer record to date. Atmosphere and loose approximations of a place or feeling are what we’ve come to expect from any new Destroyer record— certainly not an easily defined and stridently adhered to theme or concept. Have We Met manages to meet somewhere between those disparate Y2K reference points and Destroyer’s own area of expertise, gliding deftly into territory that marries the old strident Destroyer with the new, aged crooning one of late.
Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7" single. The vinyl 7" was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette. With this release Merge also forged a relationship with Touch and Go Records of Chicago, who have done an admirable job manufacturing and distributing the bulk of Merge's full-length releases since then. Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC. In 2004 Merge Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 15 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge. Thanks for listening!
January 31 street date. Destroyer conceived of Have We Met as a Y2K album. Dan Bejar assigned producer and bandmate John Collins the role of layering synth and rhythm sections over demos with the period-specific Björk, Air, and Massive Attack in mind, but he soon realized the sonic template was too removed from Destroyer’s own, and the idea of a concept was silly anyway. So he abandoned it and gave Collins the most timeless instruction of all: “Make it sound cool.” The result is not a startling departure from 2017’s ken, but unlike that more band-oriented approach, the only actual instruments that appear are bass and electric guitar. MIDI instrumentation will of course invite Your Blues and Kaputt nostalgia, but Have We Met is buoyed by precise, plasticky guitar shredding three dimensionally across massive percussion—the loudest and dirtiest drums on a Destroyer record to date. Atmosphere and loose approximations of a place or feeling are what we’ve come to expect from any new Destroyer record— certainly not an easily defined and stridently adhered to theme or concept. Have We Met manages to meet somewhere between those disparate Y2K reference points and Destroyer’s own area of expertise, gliding deftly into territory that marries the old strident Destroyer with the new, aged crooning one of late.
Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7" single. The vinyl 7" was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette. With this release Merge also forged a relationship with Touch and Go Records of Chicago, who have done an admirable job manufacturing and distributing the bulk of Merge's full-length releases since then. Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC. In 2004 Merge Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 15 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge. Thanks for listening!
February 7 street date. Dooz Kawa revient avec son cinquième album, "Nomad's Land", dont le fil conducteur est le voyage, une échappée belle physique mais avant tout spirituelle et philosophique. Cet album se veut onirique et plein d'espoir en dépit du constat parfois difficile du rappeur. Sur ce disque fait de tristesse gaie, Dooz Kawa nous parle en treize chansons du bonheur et de ce qui nous lie. Il invite pour l'occasion Gaël Faye, Davodka, Degiheugi, Shantel, Swift Guad et le spécialiste en mandoline Vincent Beer Demander. Le tout est entrecoupé d’interludes avec Dorian Astor, maitre de conférences international et expert européen de Nietzsche. Force est de constater que peu importe le temps qui passe, peu importe les années qui défilent et l’âge qui avance, les mots de Dooz Kawa, seul ou accompagné, font toujours le même effet.
February 7 street date. Dooz Kawa revient avec son cinquième album, "Nomad's Land", dont le fil conducteur est le voyage, une échappée belle physique mais avant tout spirituelle et philosophique. Cet album se veut onirique et plein d'espoir en dépit du constat parfois difficile du rappeur. Sur ce disque fait de tristesse gaie, Dooz Kawa nous parle en treize chansons du bonheur et de ce qui nous lie. Il invite pour l'occasion Gaël Faye, Davodka, Degiheugi, Shantel, Swift Guad et le spécialiste en mandoline Vincent Beer Demander. Le tout est entrecoupé d’interludes avec Dorian Astor, maitre de conférences international et expert européen de Nietzsche. Force est de constater que peu importe le temps qui passe, peu importe les années qui défilent et l’âge qui avance, les mots de Dooz Kawa, seul ou accompagné, font toujours le même effet.
February 14 street date (LP) / February 21 for CD (date change). The simple power of DRAMA's musical expression is matched only by their work ethic. Since 2014, the Chicago-based duo have bootstrapped a subtle rise on their own terms, self-releasing several EPs and mapping multiple tours with Midwestern grit. A multicultural collaboration between producer Na'el Shehade and vocalist Via Rosa, the project plays to the complementary dynamics of their pairing, blurring the lines between R&B and dance-pop, heartbreak and bliss. Following their signing to Ghostly International in 2019, they realize their years-in-the-making full-length debut, aptly titled "Dance Without Me", a refined collection that recasts romantic tragedy as moonlit self-acceptance. DRAMA's first record appears remarkably refined for a young band; Rosa's lyrical candor creates expressionistic narratives about interpersonal intricacies all finessed for the club by Shehade. Here we see a lyricist whose vocal stylings are, not just complimented, but completed by a producer, and a producer whose genteel tracks are given a soul, however blue, depicted in a collaborator's deeply human lyrics.
February 7 street date. After reuniting with briefly estranged singer Tetsuya Fukagawa, and shaking up their lineup for the first time in 25 years, Envy return refreshed with their most dynamic and progressive work, "The Fallen Crimson" - their first new studio album in five years. Japan's most iconic and influential post-hardcore band suffered seemingly insurmountable personal and creative struggles that challenged the very existence of the band like nothing they had experienced in their nearly three decades together. Opening with the kind of thunderous thrash that made them so renowned in the first place, and closing with the kind of triumphant ascent that has made them an inimitable force, "The Fallen Crimson" finds Envy perfecting their past, exploring their present, and pondering their future.
February 7 street date. After reuniting with briefly estranged singer Tetsuya Fukagawa, and shaking up their lineup for the first time in 25 years, Envy return refreshed with their most dynamic and progressive work, "The Fallen Crimson" - their first new studio album in five years. Japan's most iconic and influential post-hardcore band suffered seemingly insurmountable personal and creative struggles that challenged the very existence of the band like nothing they had experienced in their nearly three decades together. Opening with the kind of thunderous thrash that made them so renowned in the first place, and closing with the kind of triumphant ascent that has made them an inimitable force, "The Fallen Crimson" finds Envy perfecting their past, exploring their present, and pondering their future.
February 7 street date. Limited metallic sand and deep crimson vinyl edition - exclusively available to independent shops. After reuniting with briefly estranged singer Tetsuya Fukagawa, and shaking up their lineup for the first time in 25 years, Envy return refreshed with their most dynamic and progressive work, "The Fallen Crimson" - their first new studio album in five years. Japan's most iconic and influential post-hardcore band suffered seemingly insurmountable personal and creative struggles that challenged the very existence of the band like nothing they had experienced in their nearly three decades together. Opening with the kind of thunderous thrash that made them so renowned in the first place, and closing with the kind of triumphant ascent that has made them an inimitable force, "The Fallen Crimson" finds Envy perfecting their past, exploring their present, and pondering their future.
January 10 street date. Never before released on vinyl, the December 1991 indie cassette album that started all the hype over Eric's Trip, soon taking them into the hands of Sub Pop Records as their first Canadian signing. Remixed and remastered from the original 4-track master tapes and sounding better than ever. Also includes two bonus live tracks from the same era and a download code. Coloured vinyl!
January 17 street date. Deluxe edition 2xLP set includes two exclusive tracks and a reworking of "Don't Let My Marigolds Die". The great Bill Fay returns with the third album in the celebrated second phase of his recording career. A prime Fay song is a deceptively simple thing which carries more emotional weight than its concision and brevity might imply. For decades now - it's almost 50 years since he cut his classic albums "Bill Fay" and "Time of the Last Persecution" - songs like these have been Fay's ambassadors helping rave reviews and endorsements from the likes of Jim O'Rourke (Tortoise) and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) which led to a huge revival of interest in his music. He had continued to make music almost every day in the intervening decades. For "Countless Branches" he's completed new toplines over some of his cache of backing tracks, most of them 20 to 40 years old.
January 17 street date. Deluxe edition 2xLP set includes two exclusive tracks and a reworking of "Don't Let My Marigolds Die". The great Bill Fay returns with the third album in the celebrated second phase of his recording career. A prime Fay song is a deceptively simple thing which carries more emotional weight than its concision and brevity might imply. For decades now - it's almost 50 years since he cut his classic albums "Bill Fay" and "Time of the Last Persecution" - songs like these have been Fay's ambassadors helping rave reviews and endorsements from the likes of Jim O'Rourke (Tortoise) and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) which led to a huge revival of interest in his music. He had continued to make music almost every day in the intervening decades. For "Countless Branches" he's completed new toplines over some of his cache of backing tracks, most of them 20 to 40 years old.
January 17 street date. The great Bill Fay returns with the third album in the celebrated second phase of his recording career. A prime Fay song is a deceptively simple thing which carries more emotional weight than its concision and brevity might imply. There are ten of these musical haikus on "Countless Branches", as pointed and as poignant as anything he's ever recorded. For decades now - it's almost 50 years since he cut his classic albums "Bill Fay" and "Time of the Last Persecution" - songs like these have been Fay's ambassadors helping rave reviews and endorsements from the likes of Jim O'Rourke (Tortoise) and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) which led to a huge revival of interest in his music. He had continued to make music almost every day in the intervening decades. For "Countless Branches" he's completed new toplines over some of his cache of backing tracks, most of them 20 to 40 years old.
January 24 street date. "the first glass beach album" was initially self-released by the band in Spring 2019, but its roots date back to as early as 2015 - songwriter and band leader j mclendon started demoing songs for the album when they first moved to Los Angeles and spent three years polishing those first demos into these songs with bassist Jonas Newhouse and drummer William White. On their Bandcamp page, the band describes their sound as the accumulation of jazz, new wave, synth music, and emo distorted through the lens of punk. The songs that make up "the first glass beach album" are ambitious, theatrical and chaotic. Abandoning genre limitations makes glass beach's talent for songwriting all the more apparent - mathy guitar leads, catchy drum grooves and the constant interplay of horns, synths, and even the intermittent theremin set the perfect scene for j's stunning vocal performance, which can shift from a charming falsetto to the lead of a sing-a-long in an instant.
January 24 street date. Limited clear with blue and red splatter edition. "the first glass beach album" was initially self-released by the band in Spring 2019, but its roots date back to as early as 2015 - songwriter and band leader j mclendon started demoing songs for the album when they first moved to Los Angeles and spent three years polishing those first demos into these songs with bassist Jonas Newhouse and drummer William White. On their Bandcamp page, the band describes their sound as the accumulation of jazz, new wave, synth music, and emo distorted through the lens of punk. The songs that make up "the first glass beach album" are ambitious, theatrical and chaotic. Abandoning genre limitations makes glass beach's talent for songwriting all the more apparent - mathy guitar leads, catchy drum grooves and the constant interplay of horns, synths, and even the intermittent theremin set the perfect scene for j's stunning vocal performance, which can shift from a charming falsetto to the lead of a sing-a-long in an instant.
February 14 street date. The UK's cosmic, psychedelic-funk ensemble issue their first album on maverick producer Madlib's label, Madlib Invazion. The Heliocentrics' albums are all confounding pieces of work. Drawing equally from the funk universe of James Brown, the disorienting asymmetry of Sun Ra, the cinematic scope of Ennio Morricone, the sublime fusion of David Axelrod, Pierre Henry's turned-on musique concrète, and Can's beat-heavy Krautrock, they have - regardless of the label on which they've released their music - pointed the way towards a brand new kind of psychedelia, one that could only come from a band of accomplished musicians who were also obsessive music fans. Drummer Malcolm Catto and bassist Jake Ferguson are the Heliocentrics’ masterminds and producers, and they are obsessive weirdos in today's musical climate, searching, progressive humans who are often out-of-time with current trends. The Heliocentrics search for an individual in an alternate galaxy where the orbits of funk, jazz, psychedelic, electronic, avant-garde and "ethnic" music all revolve around "The One". With "Infinity Of Now", the Heliocentrics have returned to develop their epic vision of psychedelic funk, while exploring the possibilities created by their myriad influences - Latin, African, and more.
February 14 street date. The UK's cosmic, psychedelic-funk ensemble issue their first album on maverick producer Madlib's label, Madlib Invazion. The Heliocentrics' albums are all confounding pieces of work. Drawing equally from the funk universe of James Brown, the disorienting asymmetry of Sun Ra, the cinematic scope of Ennio Morricone, the sublime fusion of David Axelrod, Pierre Henry's turned-on musique concrète, and Can's beat-heavy Krautrock, they have - regardless of the label on which they've released their music - pointed the way towards a brand new kind of psychedelia, one that could only come from a band of accomplished musicians who were also obsessive music fans. Drummer Malcolm Catto and bassist Jake Ferguson are the Heliocentrics’ masterminds and producers, and they are obsessive weirdos in today's musical climate, searching, progressive humans who are often out-of-time with current trends. The Heliocentrics search for an individual in an alternate galaxy where the orbits of funk, jazz, psychedelic, electronic, avant-garde and "ethnic" music all revolve around "The One". With "Infinity Of Now", the Heliocentrics have returned to develop their epic vision of psychedelic funk, while exploring the possibilities created by their myriad influences - Latin, African, and more.
Please note new street date: February 14. "Parasite", the seventh feature film by Korean director Bong Joon Ho, premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it took the coveted Palme d'Or for best film in competition. Since then, it has become the most critically acclaimed film of the year. For the film's bracingly original score, Bong turned to Jung Jae Il, who brings the world of "Parasite" to life with plaintive piano and stirring strings.
February 7 street date. It'll take you over four hours just to get from R&B singer Leon Bridges' hometown of Fort Worth down to Houston, where the psychedelic wanderers in Khruangbin hail from. The state is vast, crisscrossed with rugged expanses of road flanked by limestone cliffs and granite mountains, forests of pine and mesquite, miles of desert or acres of sprawling grassland, all depending on what part you're in. And it's all baking under the Texas Sun that lends its name to Bridges and Khruangbin's new collaborative EP. On "Texas Sun", these two members of the state's musical vanguard meet up somewhere in the middle of that scene, in the mythical nexus of Texas' past, present, and future - a dreamy badlands where genres blur as seamlessly as the terrain. A journey through homesick reminiscences, backseat romances, and late-night contemplations, the kind of record made for listening with the windows down and the road humming softly beneath you.
February 7 street date. It'll take you over four hours just to get from R&B singer Leon Bridges' hometown of Fort Worth down to Houston, where the psychedelic wanderers in Khruangbin hail from. The state is vast, crisscrossed with rugged expanses of road flanked by limestone cliffs and granite mountains, forests of pine and mesquite, miles of desert or acres of sprawling grassland, all depending on what part you're in. And it's all baking under the Texas Sun that lends its name to Bridges and Khruangbin's new collaborative EP. On "Texas Sun", these two members of the state's musical vanguard meet up somewhere in the middle of that scene, in the mythical nexus of Texas' past, present, and future - a dreamy badlands where genres blur as seamlessly as the terrain. A journey through homesick reminiscences, backseat romances, and late-night contemplations, the kind of record made for listening with the windows down and the road humming softly beneath you.
February 7 street date. Limited translucent orange vinyl edition. It'll take you over four hours just to get from R&B singer Leon Bridges' hometown of Fort Worth down to Houston, where the psychedelic wanderers in Khruangbin hail from. The state is vast, crisscrossed with rugged expanses of road flanked by limestone cliffs and granite mountains, forests of pine and mesquite, miles of desert or acres of sprawling grassland, all depending on what part you're in. And it's all baking under the Texas Sun that lends its name to Bridges and Khruangbin's new collaborative EP. On "Texas Sun", these two members of the state's musical vanguard meet up somewhere in the middle of that scene, in the mythical nexus of Texas' past, present, and future - a dreamy badlands where genres blur as seamlessly as the terrain. A journey through homesick reminiscences, backseat romances, and late-night contemplations, the kind of record made for listening with the windows down and the road humming softly beneath you.
February 7 street date. Shorter, Faster, Louder is a fine sophomore album, refining the aggression and intelligence of Kid Dynamite’s debut while upping the adrenaline rush of the music ever so slightly. That said, all of the hallmarks in the band’s East Coast hardcore punk sound are still very much in place. Fans who enjoyed the first album will undoubtedly relish this one too, especially in light of the unfortunate fact that it’s Kid Dynamite’s last -- just prior to Shorter, Faster, Louder release, vocalist Jason Shevchuk departed to pursue a film career, and the remainder of the band elected to break up. - STEVE HUEY / ALL MUSIC GUIDE
February 7 street date. Shorter, Faster, Louder is a fine sophomore album, refining the aggression and intelligence of Kid Dynamite’s debut while upping the adrenaline rush of the music ever so slightly. That said, all of the hallmarks in the band’s East Coast hardcore punk sound are still very much in place. Fans who enjoyed the first album will undoubtedly relish this one too, especially in light of the unfortunate fact that it’s Kid Dynamite’s last -- just prior to Shorter, Faster, Louder release, vocalist Jason Shevchuk departed to pursue a film career, and the remainder of the band elected to break up. - STEVE HUEY / ALL MUSIC GUIDE
January 17 street date. Kid Dynamite’s first album was, and always will be a masterpiece. It will influence hardcore bands down the line. Hell, it probably already has. If you loved Lifetime, you’ll love this. Or, if you’re just looking for a good hardcore listen, pick this up. You’ll thank me.” - PunkNews.org
January 17 street date. (LIMITED EDITION – CLEAR W/ BLACK SMOKE LP) Kid Dynamite’s first album was, and always will be a masterpiece. It will influence hardcore bands down the line. Hell, it probably already has. If you loved Lifetime, you’ll love this. Or, if you’re just looking for a good hardcore listen, pick this up. You’ll thank me.” - PunkNews.org
February 14 street date. New York band The Men have always been genre-morphic and unpredictable, but on their eighth album "Mercy" they have truly done something new as a band. For the first time since forming, they have now created three straight records with the same lineup, and the result is a sound that feels developed and continuous despite running the gamut of mood, in true Men fashion. Having this lineup stability has allowed the band to deepen and finesse the sounds they were exploring on 2017's "Drift" and produce tracks that have a unique and distinct voice. The album is simply the sound of a band that has a deep and unjaded passion for songwriting and creation, working at the peak of their collaborative connection.
February 14 street date. New York band The Men have always been genre-morphic and unpredictable, but on their eighth album "Mercy" they have truly done something new as a band. For the first time since forming, they have now created three straight records with the same lineup, and the result is a sound that feels developed and continuous despite running the gamut of mood, in true Men fashion. Having this lineup stability has allowed the band to deepen and finesse the sounds they were exploring on 2017's "Drift" and produce tracks that have a unique and distinct voice. The album is simply the sound of a band that has a deep and unjaded passion for songwriting and creation, working at the peak of their collaborative connection.
February 14 street date. Limited blue and purple splatter vinyl edition. New York band The Men have always been genre-morphic and unpredictable, but on their eighth album "Mercy" they have truly done something new as a band. For the first time since forming, they have now created three straight records with the same lineup, and the result is a sound that feels developed and continuous despite running the gamut of mood, in true Men fashion. Having this lineup stability has allowed the band to deepen and finesse the sounds they were exploring on 2017's "Drift" and produce tracks that have a unique and distinct voice. The album is simply the sound of a band that has a deep and unjaded passion for songwriting and creation, working at the peak of their collaborative connection.
January 24 street date. Among the most sampled groups of the 60s and 70s by a slew of top rap and hip-hop artists of the 90s and beyond, the legendary New Orleans band and Grammy Lifetime Achievement awardees The Meters created an instantly recognizable sound through almost a decade of recording, initially for the Josie label and then for Reprise and Warner Brothers. Group members guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr., drummer Joseph 'Zigaboo' Modeliste and keyboardist/singer Art Neville formed the core of the band, later augmented by Art's younger brother, percussionist/singer Cyril who joined The Meters in 1975. With a superb, informative and extensive essay by renowned UK writer Charles Waring that includes quotes from Nocentelli, Porter and Cyril Neville from interviews conducted for the liner notes, first class mastering by Nick Robbins and stellar artwork by Roger Williams, this wonderful 116-track, 6-CD SoulMusic Records' box set showcases The Meters' entire recorded output for Josie Records (1968-1971), Reprise and Warners Brothers (1972-77). In addition to their eight full albums, this luxurious package (with a 40-page booklet) includes non-album singles, bonus material, single edits and a rare 1977 disco mix of ‘Disco Is The Thing Today’, available for the first time on CD.
January 31 street date (CD) / February 14 (LP). Haviah Mighty's 2019 Polaris Prize winning album "13th Floor" now available via FAB! Raised in a musical household in Brampton, Ontario, Mighty started singing at the age of 4, rapping at 11, and producing at 15. Well-known for being one of the three MCs who make up The Sorority - a hip-hop group born during an all-female cypher on International Women's Day in 2016 - Mighty is making equally large waves as a solo artist. Haviah has been releasing music independently since 2009, but it was her project, "Flower City" (2017), that propelled her solo career into further success. This past September, "13th Floor" made history as the first hip hop artist and the first black woman to ever receive the Polaris Prize. Garnering overwhelming praise from the likes of Pitchfork, Billboard, Hot New Hip Hop, and Lyrical Lemonade to name a few, Haviah continues to carve out spaces that boldly defy gendered expectations for women in hip hop.
February 14 (LP) / January 31 (CD). Haviah Mighty's 2019 Polaris Prize winning album "13th Floor" now available via FAB! Raised in a musical household in Brampton, Ontario, Mighty started singing at the age of 4, rapping at 11, and producing at 15. Well-known for being one of the three MCs who make up The Sorority - a hip-hop group born during an all-female cypher on International Women's Day in 2016 - Mighty is making equally large waves as a solo artist. Haviah has been releasing music independently since 2009, but it was her project, "Flower City" (2017), that propelled her solo career into further success. This past September, "13th Floor" made history as the first hip hop artist and the first black woman to ever receive the Polaris Prize. Garnering overwhelming praise from the likes of Pitchfork, Billboard, Hot New Hip Hop, and Lyrical Lemonade to name a few, Haviah continues to carve out spaces that boldly defy gendered expectations for women in hip hop.
January 24 street date. In Okay Kaya songs, her world looks a lot like ours - Netflix, jetlag, vegan peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, lonely bowls of ramen, diet trends. But unlike ours, each of these vibrates and shimmers with deeper, darker meaning, with existential dread and desire for understanding. This is Sade for nihilists. As she transforms feelings, defeats, and victories into songs, the lyrics often involve pools of sweat, oceans, and other forms of wetness. But Okay Kaya's world is not one of renewal and rebirth - it's not water at all, actually. "It's more like bile," Kaya says, "It's what comes out in the purge." In these songs, Kaya swims through her melancholy and anxiety - not as a way of cleansing herself, but as an understanding of their depths.
January 24 street date. Limited coke bottle clear vinyl edition. In Okay Kaya songs, her world looks a lot like ours - Netflix, jetlag, vegan peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, lonely bowls of ramen, diet trends. But unlike ours, each of these vibrates and shimmers with deeper, darker meaning, with existential dread and desire for understanding. This is Sade for nihilists. As she transforms feelings, defeats, and victories into songs, the lyrics often involve pools of sweat, oceans, and other forms of wetness. But Okay Kaya's world is not one of renewal and rebirth - it's not water at all, actually. "It's more like bile," Kaya says, "It's what comes out in the purge." In these songs, Kaya swims through her melancholy and anxiety - not as a way of cleansing herself, but as an understanding of their depths.
Please note: new street date is February 7. Now available for the first time on vinyl since its original release in 1999 on Rawkus Records, Trescadecaphobia brings you the CLASSIC LP from Pharoahe Monch "Internal Affairs". Featuring production from DJ Scratch, Diamond D, and The Alchemist with verses from Canibus, M.O.P., Busta Rhymes, Common, and Talib Kweli.
January 17 street date. The Professionals = Beats by Madlib. Raps by Oh No. Real. Rap. Shit. Madlib is a highly regarded and influential hip-hop producer and occasional rapper, who has left his distinct and stylized sound on classic tracks and critically beloved albums by the likes of MF DOOM, J Dilla , Talib Kweli, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and more. Madlib's collaborations with rapper Freddie Gibbs ("Piñata" and this year's "Bandana") are some of the most acclaimed hip-hop records of the past decade, and his various DJ mix compilations ("Madlib Medicine Show", "Beat Konducta") have earned high praise from a variety of journalistic sources. Oh No is a rapper and producer who has left his mark across a wide swath of releases. His 2006 concept album "Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms" (which exclusively sampled the works of musical theatre composer Galt MacDermot) was highly acclaimed upon its release, as well as his various crate-digging DJ mix projects. He has produced tracks for the likes of Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Aloe Blacc, Talib Kweli, and Prodigy, while contributing guest verses to tracks by Czarface, Apathy, Murs, Little Brother, and more. The album also features Adub, Elzhi, and Chino XL.The first pressing of the LP comes housed in a die-cut, embossed jacket.
January 17 street date. The Professionals = Beats by Madlib. Raps by Oh No. Real. Rap. Shit. Madlib is a highly regarded and influential hip-hop producer and occasional rapper, who has left his distinct and stylized sound on classic tracks and critically beloved albums by the likes of MF DOOM, J Dilla , Talib Kweli, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and more. Madlib's collaborations with rapper Freddie Gibbs ("Piñata" and this year's "Bandana") are some of the most acclaimed hip-hop records of the past decade, and his various DJ mix compilations ("Madlib Medicine Show", "Beat Konducta") have earned high praise from a variety of journalistic sources. Oh No is a rapper and producer who has left his mark across a wide swath of releases. His 2006 concept album "Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms" (which exclusively sampled the works of musical theatre composer Galt MacDermot) was highly acclaimed upon its release, as well as his various crate-digging DJ mix projects. He has produced tracks for the likes of Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Aloe Blacc, Talib Kweli, and Prodigy, while contributing guest verses to tracks by Czarface, Apathy, Murs, Little Brother, and more. The album also features Adub, Elzhi, and Chino XL.The first pressing of the LP comes housed in a die-cut, embossed jacket.
February 7 street date. With their new album "All or Nothing", Shopping take a big leap into a vibrant and punchy production style that is closer to pop than anything they've ever done. Their previous album "The Official Body" was named by Pitchfork as one of the "Best Rock Albums of 2018," with an 8.1 rating. "All or Nothing," produced and mixed by Nick Sylvester (Deerhoof), is a true expansion of the band's sound, adding synths and odd rhythms to their most accessible melodies and lyrics yet. While a few songs on the album nod to their angular late 70s punk beginnings, this is much more of a radio-ready pop record than you might expect.
February 7 street date. With their new album "All or Nothing", Shopping take a big leap into a vibrant and punchy production style that is closer to pop than anything they've ever done. Their previous album "The Official Body" was named by Pitchfork as one of the "Best Rock Albums of 2018," with an 8.1 rating. "All or Nothing," produced and mixed by Nick Sylvester (Deerhoof), is a true expansion of the band's sound, adding synths and odd rhythms to their most accessible melodies and lyrics yet. While a few songs on the album nod to their angular late 70s punk beginnings, this is much more of a radio-ready pop record than you might expect.
January 31 street date. That was certainly the case with his new album, aloha, his third studio album. Recorded at Paris’s iconic Studio Ferber, the entire project was an exercise in letting go, in ceding control, in surrendering to fate. While SON LITTLE (the stage name of songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Livingston) still plays nearly every instrument on the album himself, he put his songs in the hands of an outside producer for the first time here, collaborating with French studio wizard Renaud Letang (Feist, Manu Chao) to create his boldest, most self-assured statement yet. Equal parts vintage and modern, the collection blends classic soul, old-school R&B, and adventurous indie sensibilities into a timeless swirl fueled by gritty instrumental virtuosity and raw, raspy vocals. It’s an ambitious work of vision and reflection, to be sure, but more than that, it’s an ecstatic testament to the freedom that comes from torching the map and trusting the currents of life to carry you where you belong.
January 31 street date. That was certainly the case with his new album, aloha, his third studio album. Recorded at Paris’s iconic Studio Ferber, the entire project was an exercise in letting go, in ceding control, in surrendering to fate. While SON LITTLE (the stage name of songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Livingston) still plays nearly every instrument on the album himself, he put his songs in the hands of an outside producer for the first time here, collaborating with French studio wizard Renaud Letang (Feist, Manu Chao) to create his boldest, most self-assured statement yet. Equal parts vintage and modern, the collection blends classic soul, old-school R&B, and adventurous indie sensibilities into a timeless swirl fueled by gritty instrumental virtuosity and raw, raspy vocals. It’s an ambitious work of vision and reflection, to be sure, but more than that, it’s an ecstatic testament to the freedom that comes from torching the map and trusting the currents of life to carry you where you belong.
January 31 street date. That was certainly the case with his new album, aloha, his third studio album. Recorded at Paris’s iconic Studio Ferber, the entire project was an exercise in letting go, in ceding control, in surrendering to fate. While SON LITTLE (the stage name of songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Livingston) still plays nearly every instrument on the album himself, he put his songs in the hands of an outside producer for the first time here, collaborating with French studio wizard Renaud Letang (Feist, Manu Chao) to create his boldest, most self-assured statement yet. Equal parts vintage and modern, the collection blends classic soul, old-school R&B, and adventurous indie sensibilities into a timeless swirl fueled by gritty instrumental virtuosity and raw, raspy vocals. It’s an ambitious work of vision and reflection, to be sure, but more than that, it’s an ecstatic testament to the freedom that comes from torching the map and trusting the currents of life to carry you where you belong.
February 7 street date. The ultimate garage rock monsta is back on vinyl! Seldom has a group ever been better named. The youthful aggression in their music, coupled with singer Gerry Roslie's ‘80 razorblades-a-day’ vocal attack and a selection of overwhelmingly brilliant riffs that underpinned some of the most wildly recorded music ever to be committed to tape, should have made the Sonics one of the biggest groups the world has ever known or heard. Instead they went on to become celebrated by generation after generation of collectors, and other young people with an urge to rock 'n' roll. The overwhelming importance of tracks like ‘The Witch’, ‘Psycho’ and ‘Boss Hoss’ has provided a template for countless groups who've come up in their wake, and who have achieved a level of commercial success that they could never have achieved without the inspiration.
January 31 street date. These recordings were made by SQÜRL to provide the score to the documentary film "Living The Light" by Claire Pijman. The subject of Claire's film is Robby Müller, the unparalleled Dutch cinematographer and poet of light whose work includes: "Paris Texas", "Dead Man", "Breaking The Waves", and at least 70 other remarkable films. He also produced many still photographs, like these luminous Polaroids on the jacket of this vinyl recording. "As SQÜRL approached creating music for Claire's film, we attempted to be guided by the beautiful and illuminated elements of Robby's spirit. Just before recording, SQÜRL borrowed an unusual vintage Japanese electric guitar from the wonderful Brooklyn-based Dutch luthier, Flip Scipio. We used it for all the guitar parts, its tonal qualities also somehow channeling the spirit of Robby" - Jim Jarmusch.
January 31 street date. Limited golden hour vinyl edition. These recordings were made by SQÜRL to provide the score to the documentary film "Living The Light" by Claire Pijman. The subject of Claire's film is Robby Müller, the unparalleled Dutch cinematographer and poet of light whose work includes: "Paris Texas", "Dead Man", "Breaking The Waves", and at least 70 other remarkable films. He also produced many still photographs, like these luminous Polaroids on the jacket of this vinyl recording. "As SQÜRL approached creating music for Claire's film, we attempted to be guided by the beautiful and illuminated elements of Robby's spirit. Just before recording, SQÜRL borrowed an unusual vintage Japanese electric guitar from the wonderful Brooklyn-based Dutch luthier, Flip Scipio. We used it for all the guitar parts, its tonal qualities also somehow channeling the spirit of Robby" - Jim Jarmusch.
January 24 street date. Stella was born beside the sea and raised by a Canadian nanny who waterskied topless. The Athens-based artist is ready to share "The Break", her international debut, following her self-titled 2015 debut and 2017's "Works For You"; albums that brought her critical momentum, buzz and airplay, making her one of Greece's most popular indie stars. Self-produced, and recorded primarily at her home studio, "The Break" brings together all the playfulness and spontaneity that characterizes her music: non-standard pop deviations whose shimmering feel-good surfaces are anchored by a powerful undertow of melancholy.
January 24 street date. Stella was born beside the sea and raised by a Canadian nanny who waterskied topless. The Athens-based artist is ready to share "The Break", her international debut, following her self-titled 2015 debut and 2017's "Works For You"; albums that brought her critical momentum, buzz and airplay, making her one of Greece's most popular indie stars. Self-produced, and recorded primarily at her home studio, "The Break" brings together all the playfulness and spontaneity that characterizes her music: non-standard pop deviations whose shimmering feel-good surfaces are anchored by a powerful undertow of melancholy.
February 7 street date. CHRISTOPHER PAUL STELLING is a guitar virtuoso, a folk singer- songwriter and a touring troubadour. His new album Best of Luck was produced by Grammy award winning musician-producer, Ben Harper. The album’s title, Best Of Luck, mirrored perfectly the emotional landscape in which it was created. “Depending on how you say it, it can either be a blessing or a dismissal,” Stelling says. “And that was exactly the point I was coming to with myself, my career as an artist, as a friend and as a person.” Harper and Stelling met a few years back when Harper invited Stelling to open a series of shows. “Ben gave me a true gift back then,” Stelling says. “I’d been on the road for a long time and he put me onstage in front of his fans. He took me to the Beacon, The Ryman, Massey Hall, all these legendary rooms. Just to see that what I could do would even translate in spaces like that was revelatory.” When Harper talks about his admiration for Stelling,. “A guy that can play any instrument from any country and play it with real feeling. He crosses genres but manages to respect them; he is a folk singer with an unusual soulfulness. He understands where this music comes from and why it’s remains so essential. Of all the record’s I have produced, this is one I’m most proud of.”
February 7 street date. CHRISTOPHER PAUL STELLING is a guitar virtuoso, a folk singer- songwriter and a touring troubadour. His new album Best of Luck was produced by Grammy award winning musician-producer, Ben Harper. The album’s title, Best Of Luck, mirrored perfectly the emotional landscape in which it was created. “Depending on how you say it, it can either be a blessing or a dismissal,” Stelling says. “And that was exactly the point I was coming to with myself, my career as an artist, as a friend and as a person.” Harper and Stelling met a few years back when Harper invited Stelling to open a series of shows. “Ben gave me a true gift back then,” Stelling says. “I’d been on the road for a long time and he put me onstage in front of his fans. He took me to the Beacon, The Ryman, Massey Hall, all these legendary rooms. Just to see that what I could do would even translate in spaces like that was revelatory.” When Harper talks about his admiration for Stelling,. “A guy that can play any instrument from any country and play it with real feeling. He crosses genres but manages to respect them; he is a folk singer with an unusual soulfulness. He understands where this music comes from and why it’s remains so essential. Of all the record’s I have produced, this is one I’m most proud of.”
January 31 street date. A person whose words are so potent that they cause the people and beings around them to vibrate is said to have a “silver tongue.” It’s apt, then, that Mackenzie Scott—who has spent the 2010s making boundary pushing pop music under her TORRES moniker—has chosen to call her fourth album, and first release on Merge, just that. Recorded at O’Deer in Brooklyn, New York, Silver Tongue is a full-scale realization of the world Scott has created over TORRES’ last few albums. Even when singing in more subdued tones, Scott’s voice is fervent, her lyrics stirring and unyielding as she draws from both the divine and the everyday. It’s also the first TORRES record produced solely by Scott. After having shared production duties on her first three albums, the latter two alongside PJ Harvey collaborator Rob Ellis, she found the process liberating: “I made exactly the record I want, and it feels very ‘me.’” Silver Tongue fastidiously chronicles the impulses that make up desire— from the dreamy first blushes of infatuation through the slightly terrifying wonder that accompanies connection with another. In between, Scott wrestles with the highs and lows of what “being in love” might mean over heady guitars and swirling synths.
Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7" single. The vinyl 7" was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette. With this release Merge also forged a relationship with Touch and Go Records of Chicago, who have done an admirable job manufacturing and distributing the bulk of Merge's full-length releases since then. Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC. In 2004 Merge Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 15 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge. Thanks for listening!
January 31 street date. A person whose words are so potent that they cause the people and beings around them to vibrate is said to have a “silver tongue.” It’s apt, then, that Mackenzie Scott—who has spent the 2010s making boundary pushing pop music under her TORRES moniker—has chosen to call her fourth album, and first release on Merge, just that. Recorded at O’Deer in Brooklyn, New York, Silver Tongue is a full-scale realization of the world Scott has created over TORRES’ last few albums. Even when singing in more subdued tones, Scott’s voice is fervent, her lyrics stirring and unyielding as she draws from both the divine and the everyday. It’s also the first TORRES record produced solely by Scott. After having shared production duties on her first three albums, the latter two alongside PJ Harvey collaborator Rob Ellis, she found the process liberating: “I made exactly the record I want, and it feels very ‘me.’” Silver Tongue fastidiously chronicles the impulses that make up desire— from the dreamy first blushes of infatuation through the slightly terrifying wonder that accompanies connection with another. In between, Scott wrestles with the highs and lows of what “being in love” might mean over heady guitars and swirling synths.
Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7" single. The vinyl 7" was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette. With this release Merge also forged a relationship with Touch and Go Records of Chicago, who have done an admirable job manufacturing and distributing the bulk of Merge's full-length releases since then. Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC. In 2004 Merge Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 15 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge. Thanks for listening!
January 31 street date. A person whose words are so potent that they cause the people and beings around them to vibrate is said to have a “silver tongue.” It’s apt, then, that Mackenzie Scott—who has spent the 2010s making boundary pushing pop music under her TORRES moniker—has chosen to call her fourth album, and first release on Merge, just that. Recorded at O’Deer in Brooklyn, New York, Silver Tongue is a full-scale realization of the world Scott has created over TORRES’ last few albums. Even when singing in more subdued tones, Scott’s voice is fervent, her lyrics stirring and unyielding as she draws from both the divine and the everyday. It’s also the first TORRES record produced solely by Scott. After having shared production duties on her first three albums, the latter two alongside PJ Harvey collaborator Rob Ellis, she found the process liberating: “I made exactly the record I want, and it feels very ‘me.’” Silver Tongue fastidiously chronicles the impulses that make up desire— from the dreamy first blushes of infatuation through the slightly terrifying wonder that accompanies connection with another. In between, Scott wrestles with the highs and lows of what “being in love” might mean over heady guitars and swirling synths.
Merge Records was started in the summer of 1989, by Laura Ballance & Mac McCaughan, the same summer they formed the band Superchunk in Chapel Hill, NC. The first couple releases were cassettes (remember those?), by WWAX and Bricks, followed by the first Superchunk (then known only as "Chunk") 7" single. The vinyl 7" was the format of choice for the first 3 years of the label, with cash borrowed from friends to finance projects (including singles from Erectus Monotone, Angels of Epistemology, and more Superchunk) and bedrooms serving as Merge HQ until 1992, when the first Merge full-length release, Tossing Seeds by Superchunk, was released on CD, LP, and cassette. With this release Merge also forged a relationship with Touch and Go Records of Chicago, who have done an admirable job manufacturing and distributing the bulk of Merge's full-length releases since then. Since '92 Merge moved from one charming-yet-run-down office to another until 2001, when we finally made the move from Chapel Hill down the road to a fine old building all our own in historic Downtown Durham, NC. In 2004 Merge Records is celebrating its 15th birthday, and while our roster has changed, rotated, permutated and expanded over the last 15 years, the quality we look for in records as fans is still there in the music we put out on Merge. Thanks for listening!
January 17 street date. With the majority of tracks mixed and mastered by Iain Cook of Aerogramme, ‘Killed My Parents And Hit The Road’ encompasses The Twilight Sad's bare, unfeigned use of melancholy with rousing, epic intensity, never straying too far from hitting sentimental nerves. Throughout the record, melodies stagger between feedback-laden instrumentals and rich, seemingly effortless acoustic ballads, each accented by Graham's strong Scottish tones, creating a collection of songs that are as intriguing as they are engufing. Alongside their own tracks, the band have chosen to cover songs by Joy Division (‘Twenty Four Hours’), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (‘Modern Romance’) and The Smiths (‘Half A Person’), providing greater scope into the tracks' pensive and wistful subjects, whilst retaining the stirring and engaging qualities of the originals.
February 7 street date. Many in the English-speaking world first heard of Jacques Brel through Scott Walker's championing, yet when Scott launched his post-Walker Brothers solo career with his recording of Brel's ‘Jackie’ in 1967, Brel had been an enormous star in France for years. That lofty status was remarkable, given Brel's lyrical obsessions with doomed romance, loneliness, prostitution and death. It was American songwriter Mort Shuman who, by remaining as faithful as he could to Brel's original words, transformed several key chansons into versions English-speaking audiences could relate to. Scott, however, was introduced to Brel's songs by his chanson-loving German girlfriend, who would translate them for him. He was immediately smitten. Meanwhile, a demo disc of Shuman's translations had reached Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who in due course passed the disc to Scott. Brel's impassioned narrative-based compositions had a profound impact on Scott, shaping the creation of his own increasingly meditative and dramatic songs. His first three solo albums would each feature Brel songs. This new Ace compilation comprises Scott's interpretations of those nine Brel songs, followed by Brel's own French language originals, plus Brel's version of ‘Seul’, a song Scott performed on his TV series but of which made no studio recording.
January 17 street date (to be confirmed). White vinyl edition! Years before Beavis and Butt-head headbanged "Thunder Kiss '65" and "More Human than Human" into the eternal rock video canon, there was primordial White Zombie - a quintessential, diabolically loud byproduct of Manhattan's underground rock scene, born of artschool rendezvous and squalid apartment circumstance. "It Came from N.Y.C." is the most exhaustive attempt so far to document the band's wondrously ugly birth. Get reintroduced to White Zombie as New York noise-rock, a grotesque creation that clawed and threatened its way to crossover metal glory. The accompanying 108-page book painstakingly documents White Zombie's punishing progression through scores of unpublished photos, period discography, a T-shirtography, and tales from the terrifying early years that stitch together the sordid story of a band whose true power eclipsed its mainstream heyday.
January 31 street date. Often considered a secondary or transitional format, Wild Nothing has always used the EP to further explore new ideas and influences. "Laughing Gas" is no exception. On the third EP from Wild Nothing, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jack Tatum delves deeper into the territory where he thrives: namely, the synth and sophisti-pop of the 1980s. Working within a more mechanical and synthetic framework than his previous releases, Wild Nothing continues to delicately toe the line between the organic and the unnatural. These are still pop songs, but there's an underlying sense of uneasiness that threads the music together. Recorded with the help of Jorge Elbrecht, these five songs were originally imagined alongside last year's "Indigo" and were written and tracked simultaneously with the album.
January 24 street date. Wire exhibit little inclination to look back - rather they remain resolutely focused on producing music which is smart, vital and defiantly modern. Mind Hive is the group's first newly recorded material since 2017's Silver/Lead. That album garnered rave reviews and career best sales. Yet, if Silver/Lead set the bar pretty high, Mind Hive seems to have no problem vaulting over it. Mind Hive arrives at a time when Wire are being cited as an influence by yet another generation of bands. A career spanning feature documentary called People in a Film is due for release late 2020. Quite how a group that has been operating for such a long period is still able to produce such exciting and essential work is difficult to understand. And yet here we are…
January 24 street date. Wire exhibit little inclination to look back - rather they remain resolutely focused on producing music which is smart, vital and defiantly modern. Mind Hive is the group's first newly recorded material since 2017's Silver/Lead. That album garnered rave reviews and career best sales. Yet, if Silver/Lead set the bar pretty high, Mind Hive seems to have no problem vaulting over it. Mind Hive arrives at a time when Wire are being cited as an influence by yet another generation of bands. A career spanning feature documentary called People in a Film is due for release late 2020. Quite how a group that has been operating for such a long period is still able to produce such exciting and essential work is difficult to understand. And yet here we are…
February 14 street date. If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that The Wonder Years put their entire souls into each body of work they release. Nearly three years ago, some of their most popular songs like “There, There” and “Don’t Let Me Cave In” were taken to crushing new heights on the first edition of the groundbreaking Philly band’s first acoustic EP, Burst & Decay. And they were only just getting started. Produced and engineered by Ace Enders (The Early November), Burst & Decay (Volume II), out February 14 on Hopeless Records, truly takes this stripped-back TWY experience to an entirely new level. The new EP features stunning string arrangements from Little Kruta String Quartet and guest vocals on “We Look Like Lightning” from Alex Maniak of the band Shortly.
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