December 1 street date. The title of the previous Atmosphere album, "So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously", evokes the multiversal storytelling that has recently vaulted into the mainstream consciousness. Now with their latest effort, the irrepressible "Talk Talk" EP, Slug and Ant dart across space-time to grab hold of the timeline where they became titans of the electro-rap that was foundational to their youths. Evoking artists like Kraftwerk and Egyptian Lover, Atmosphere makes decades old visions of the future seem new once again. The genesis of the "Talk Talk" EP was in recording a track of the same name for "So Many Other Realities". The "Talk Talk" song exists alongside electro classics, at once vaguely alien and deeply human. Enamored with its outcome, Slug and Ant returned for a longer exploration of the sound, to mesmeric results. For all its well-documented roots in disco and R&B, rap's connection to the electronic music of the 1970s and 80s is a core part of its DNA. The "Talk Talk" EP is one of the clearest articulations of this truth to emerge in many years, a testament to the communal power of programmed sound.
December 1 street date. Limited edition gold double vinyl LP pressing. "City of Evil" is the third studio album by Avenged Sevenfold, originally released in 2005. Co-produced by Andrew Murdock, "City of Evil" contains a more traditional heavy metal and hard rock sound than Avenged Sevenfold's previous two albums, which showcased a predominantly metalcore sound. The album is also notable for the absence of screaming vocals. M. Shadows worked for months before the album's release with vocal coach Ron Anderson, whose clients have included Axl Rose and Chris Cornell, to achieve a sound that had "grit while still having the tone". In order to increase stamina and strength on the pedals, The Rev would sit for hours practicing until he could get up to 210 beats per minute. The album contains some of Avenged Sevenfold's most popular and famous songs, including "Bat Country", which is arguably their most successful to date, being one of their two singles certified Gold by the RIAA.
December 1 street date. Limited edition box set commemorating the 15th anniversary of "The Wrong Side of Heaven", volumes 1 and 2. The deluxe box set contains 6 LPs housed in double gatefold jackets. Vol. 1 is pressed on silver metallic vinyl and vol. 2 is pressed on gold metallic vinyl. Also included is the "'Purgatory: Tales From The Pit" live album, previously available in limited release. The package also contains 6 bonus tracks, a decal sheet, and album art unique to this package. Limited to 6000 copies.
December 1 street date. Khruangbin's series of live LPs traces just one small slice of the band's flight plan through the years: it's a taste of some of their most beloved cities, stages and nights. Each release comes with a limited-edition unique album cover exclusive for the recording's home turf, just a little something extra for the fans that bring a little something extra. Across five releases, this series ignites both sides of Khruangbin's magic: the warm, prismatic feeling of their albums and the bewitching energy of their performances. Closing out this collection, "Live At Sydney Opera House" is a double LP of front-to-back Khruangbin. Here, career-spanning songs like "A Calf Born in Winter", "Maria También", "So We Won't Forget", "Shida" and "Friday Morning" arrive in their full interplanetary glory, recorded at one of the most celebrated venues on earth, the Sydney Opera House.
December 1 street date. Since its initial launch in 2018, Mt. Joy's self-titled debut album has become a timeless classic in the indie folk-rock genre. Mt. Joy earned platinum and gold certifications, selling over 600k records and amassing over 710M streams globally. We are thrilled to offer a brand new pressing of their debut album featuring three tracks never before available on vinyl, reimagined album art and an etched picture disc. Extra tracks: Jenny Jenkins (acoustic), Silver Lining (acoustic), Don't Let It Bring You Down.
December 1 street date. Nobody has ever done this: Fat Mike curated an intimate evening around a campfire with good friends sharing great songs along with their backstories. It was all recorded live in one take and is now released on Bottles To The Ground. These good friends included Ceschi and Sam King of Codefendants, Chuck of Mad Caddies, Stacey Dee of Bad Cop Bad Cop, and many others who will be familiar to fans of punk rock or Fat Wreck Chords - and of course Fat Mike.
Please note new street date: December 1. The iconic Tommy Boy Music label presents "... And You Don't Stop", celebrating hip hop's 50th anniversary. The compilation features some of Tommy Boy's greatest hits, from the iconic Naughty By Nature, de la Soul, Digital Underground, Queen Latifah and Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force along with unreleased tracks from G.L.O.B.E & Whiz Kid, Sweet Trio, and more. The 6LP collection is packaged in a custom printed jacket inserted into a hard cover box with gold foil stamping.
December 1 street date. A brand new album of Rick White tunes is on its way! Following his 2021 "Where It's Fine" LP and 2022's amazing tribute to The Sadies, "De-Evolution" takes a welcome detour into more classic fuzzy Elevator To Hell and early Eric's Trip territory. Featuring seven new intense heavy psychedelic tunes, it's another trip into a world Rick knows best. Limited coloured vinyl pressing.
December 8 street date. "The Beautiful Dark Of Life" is the ninth studio album from Atreyu, and their most ambitious project ever. Unfurled throughout the year as a series of three EPs, culminating in a surprise album release, Atreyu are taking their audience on a journey through "the seasons of life" and the rollercoaster of human existence. With songs that speak openly and honestly about anxiety, depression, self-belief, love, and identity, "The Beautiful Dark Of Life" represents Atreyu's most universal and important songwriting to date. Through the expression of deeply personal feelings and emotions, Atreyu are giving a voice to a global audience dealing with the very same issues that the band are laying bare, and who are seeking solace, empathy, escapism and empowerment through music. With sonics that touch every corner of the heavy music sphere - from metal to punk and alternative, via 1980s classic rock and with shades of industrial, hip-hop and unashamed pop - "The Beautiful Dark Of Life" is an album that showcases the very best of Atreyu and every influence that guides them, speaking more than ever to a generation of music fans who care little for the traditional constraints of genre.
December 8 street date. Big Thief present the remastered reissue of their 2016 debut album, "Masterpiece", arriving for the first time on 4AD. The 12 track album is filled with characters and visceral narratives, songs that pivot in the space of a few words. Adrianne Lenker's voice and guitar playing speak of rich emotional territory with grace and insight. In her words, the record tracks "the masterpiece of existence, which is always folding into itself, people attempting to connect, to both shake themselves awake and to shake off the numbness of certain points in their life. The interpretations might be impressionistic or surrealistic, but they're grounded in simple things". Containing much-loved songs such as ‘Paul’, ‘Real Love’, and ‘Masterpiece’, the album was recorded in July 2015 at an old house that they turned into a studio on Lake Champlain, with producer Andrew Sarlo and engineer James Krivchenia (who would go on to become a full-time Big Thief member).
December 8 street date. Big Thief present the remastered reissue of their 2016 debut album, "Masterpiece", arriving for the first time on 4AD. The 12 track album is filled with characters and visceral narratives, songs that pivot in the space of a few words. Adrianne Lenker's voice and guitar playing speak of rich emotional territory with grace and insight. In her words, the record tracks "the masterpiece of existence, which is always folding into itself, people attempting to connect, to both shake themselves awake and to shake off the numbness of certain points in their life. The interpretations might be impressionistic or surrealistic, but they're grounded in simple things". Containing much-loved songs such as ‘Paul’, ‘Real Love’, and ‘Masterpiece’, the album was recorded in July 2015 at an old house that they turned into a studio on Lake Champlain, with producer Andrew Sarlo and engineer James Krivchenia (who would go on to become a full-time Big Thief member).
December 8 street date. Big Thief present the remastered reissue of their 2016 debut album, "Masterpiece", arriving for the first time on 4AD. The 12 track album is filled with characters and visceral narratives, songs that pivot in the space of a few words. Adrianne Lenker's voice and guitar playing speak of rich emotional territory with grace and insight. In her words, the record tracks "the masterpiece of existence, which is always folding into itself, people attempting to connect, to both shake themselves awake and to shake off the numbness of certain points in their life. The interpretations might be impressionistic or surrealistic, but they're grounded in simple things". Containing much-loved songs such as ‘Paul’, ‘Real Love’, and ‘Masterpiece’, the album was recorded in July 2015 at an old house that they turned into a studio on Lake Champlain, with producer Andrew Sarlo and engineer James Krivchenia (who would go on to become a full-time Big Thief member). Please note that the eco-vinyl will be on an entirely random colour, out of our control, and the mock-up does not reflect the final product.
December 8 street date. Originally released October 26, 2018, the "boygenius" EP marked Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus' debut as a trio. In the half-decade since, a lot has happened: a debut LP, magazine covers, a world tour, along with sold-out gigs at MSG and the Hollywood Bowl. And that's not even getting into the three iconic solo albums that dropped in the interim, "Little Oblivions", "Punisher", and "Home Video". Today, though, we celebrate these six songs, which were recorded at Los Angeles' storied Sound City studios. Pitchfork named the EP "Best New Music", calling it "a blueprint for how to do a super-group right" (8.3/10). Now, "boygenius" returns to us in a limited edition yellow vinyl revisionist history pressing with a brand new gatefold sleeve with lyrics.
December 8 street date. On March 28-30, 2022, Car Seat Headrest played three consecutive sold out nights at New York's Brooklyn Steel. An air of celebration, community and showmanship was present, made all the more palpable as the shows were far from a certainty - they took place amidst a year which saw the band having to postpone or cancel a large swath of their North American tour dates due to ongoing health issues. The three night residency is captured on "Faces From The Masquerade" - a double album's worth of live performances that finds Car Seat Headrest at their most playful, exuberant and precision honed. The title alludes to the by now familiar, custom-made gas mask worn by frontman Will Toledo at shows, complete with an expressive LED display for eyes. In addition to the group's four core members - Toledo, guitarist/backing vocalist Ethan Ives, bassist Seth Dalby and drummer Andrew Katz - they were joined on the tour by keyboard player Ben Roth.
December 8 street date. Back in print titles from the pioneering shoegaze/alt-rock band Hum. The band members oversaw every step of the remastering, lacquer cutting, and manufacturing stages while working with original designer Andy Mueller/Ohio Girl in updating the artwork. Hum's fourth album, "Downward Is Heavenward", was originally issued by RCA in 1997.
December 8 street date. Back in print titles from the pioneering shoegaze/alt-rock band Hum. The band members oversaw every step of the remastering, lacquer cutting, and manufacturing stages while working with original designer Andy Mueller/Ohio Girl in updating the artwork. Hum's fourth album, "Downward Is Heavenward", was originally issued by RCA in 1997.
December 8 street date. Back in print titles from the pioneering shoegaze/alt-rock band Hum. The band members oversaw every step of the remastering, lacquer cutting, and manufacturing stages while working with original designer Andy Mueller/Ohio Girl in updating the artwork. Hum's second album, "Electra 2000", was originally released in 1993 and has been unavailable for a long time.
December 8 street date. Back in print titles from the pioneering shoegaze/alt-rock band Hum. The band members oversaw every step of the remastering, lacquer cutting, and manufacturing stages while working with original designer Andy Mueller/Ohio Girl in updating the artwork. Hum's second album, "Electra 2000", was originally released in 1993 and has been unavailable for a long time.
December 8 street date. Back in print titles from the pioneering shoegaze/alt-rock band Hum. The band members oversaw every step of the remastering, lacquer cutting, and manufacturing stages while working with original designer Andy Mueller/Ohio Girl in updating the artwork. Hum's third album, "You'd Prefer An Astronaut", was originally issued by RCA in 1995.
December 8 street date. Back in print titles from the pioneering shoegaze/alt-rock band Hum. The band members oversaw every step of the remastering, lacquer cutting, and manufacturing stages while working with original designer Andy Mueller/Ohio Girl in updating the artwork. Hum's third album, "You'd Prefer An Astronaut", was originally issued by RCA in 1995.
December 8 street date. Drawing from and amplifying upon Rancid's entire body of work, 2003's "Indestructible" is a testament to the durability of the human spirit, and to the positive power that music can have in our lives. Perhaps their most personal album to date, on "Indestructible" Rancid takes us along on an unforgettable musical journey. Whether retelling true stories from their lives or presenting a worldview born of dues paid and tours made, "Indestructible" is irresistibly tuneful throughout. On this, the group's sixth disk, styles range from the long awaited return of Rancid's patented brand of ska on "Red Hot Moon" to the super intense Discharge inspired hardcore strains of "Out Of Control". Like every Rancid album, this one has a few twists and turns and more than enough musical surprises to keep the mix fresh and exciting, but "Indestructible" also marked a return to the band's roots. New repressing on red & black galaxy vinyl to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album.
Please note new street date: December 15. 25th anniversary edition. English indie rock group Black Box Recorder formed in London in 1997 and featured Sarah Nixey, Luke Haines (of The Auteurs), and John Moore (of The Jesus and Mary Chain). Their debut album, "England Made Me", was released on Chrysalis Records in 1998. The album was named after the eponymous Graham Greene novel and fuses indie rock and easy-listening pop stylings with lyrics that explore life and the experience of growing up in England. Pitchfork's Michael Sandlin described the sound of the album as "mildly morose but slightly tongue-in-cheek Sylvia Plath-meets-Paul McCartney pop sensibility". "England Made Me" remains a high point in the band's catalogue with standout tracks including 'Kidnapping An Heiress', 'Girl Singing In The Wreckage', and the single 'Child Psychology', which was recently back in the spotlight with a viral moment on social media after being championed by Billie Eilish.
December 15 street date. Children Of Bodom was a Finnish melodic death metal band, formed in 1993 as Inearthed. The final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Alexi Laiho (lead guitar, lead vocals), Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henkka Seppälä (bass), Janne Wirman (keyboard), and Daniel Freyberg (rhythm guitar). The band released ten studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD. They are one of Finland's best selling artists of all time, with more than 250,000 records sold there alone. In 2019, Children Of Bodom held their last concert in Helsinki named "A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom", before disbanding the band. Laiho and Freyberg carried on as Bodom After Midnight in 2020. Laiho, who was one of the founding members of Children Of Bodom as well as the only main songwriter, died on December 29, 2020.
December 15 street date. Children Of Bodom was a Finnish melodic death metal band, formed in 1993 as Inearthed. The final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Alexi Laiho (lead guitar, lead vocals), Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henkka Seppälä (bass), Janne Wirman (keyboard), and Daniel Freyberg (rhythm guitar). The band released ten studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD. They are one of Finland's best selling artists of all time, with more than 250,000 records sold there alone. In 2019, Children Of Bodom held their last concert in Helsinki named "A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom", before disbanding the band. Laiho and Freyberg carried on as Bodom After Midnight in 2020. Laiho, who was one of the founding members of Children Of Bodom as well as the only main songwriter, died on December 29, 2020.
December 15 street date. Limited canary yellow vinyl edition. In the summer of 2015, Mac DeMarco released "Some Other Ones", a collection of original instrumental recordings DeMarco deemed his "BBQ soundtrack" as a free digital download exclusively on Bandcamp. It was recorded in just 5 days at his home in Far Rockaway, Queens, about a year after the massive success of his third album, "Salad Days", and just weeks before the release of mini-LP "Another One". Originally released in conjunction with a barbecue DeMarco hosted to promote "Another One" and collect food bank donations, "Some Other Ones" soon gained cult status, now regarded amongst his fans as a key entry in his beloved catalogue. Now, almost 10 years later, and following the success of his recent full-length instrumental album "Five Easy Hot Dogs", "Some Other Ones" is finally getting the full release treatment.
December 15 street date. First time on vinyl! Remastered and refreshed edition of the definitive compilation of The Vaselines' early material from the 1980s and 1990s, pressed on limited edition crystal clear vinyl. The Vaselines have long been celebrated by musicians and music enthusiasts across genres and across the globe, including superfan Kurt Cobain. Emerging in the mid-80s under the wing of The Pastels' Stephen McRobbie, The Vaselines came to define the sly wit and irresistible pop hooks of the era's Scottish indie scene. "The Way Of The Vaselines" is an opportunity for those already familiar with the Scottish band's brief career to delve deeper into their body of work, while those new to their music can experience firsthand why so many hold them in such high regard. "The Way Of The Vaselines" compiles the band's two EPs ("Son Of A Gun" and "Dying For It") and their sole LP release ("Dum-Dum").
December 22 street date. Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled album was the band's 4th studio album and the last to feature their drummer The Rev. "Avenged Sevenfold" has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide and has been streamed over 750 million times and continues to be one of their largest and most popular albums. The album peaked at No. 4 on The Billboard 200, was awarded best album by Kerrang in 2008, was featured on Kerrang's "666 albums you must hear before you die" and was certified gold in 2008.
December 22 street date. "Nightmare" was Avenged Sevenfold's 5th studio album and the first to not feature their drummer The Rev, although parts written by The Rev were used as well as some vocal recordings. "Nightmare" has sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide and has been streamed over 800 million times and continues to be one of their most popular albums. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and is RIAA certified gold.
January 12 street date. Featuring the singles ‘Desire Lines’ and ‘Hypocrite’, "Split" is the second full studio album from English rock band, Lush. Produced by Mike Hedges - famed for his work on The Cure's "Seventeen Seconds" and Siouxsie & The Banshees' "A Kiss in the Dreamhouse" - and mixed by Alan Moulder, "Split" sees the band hit a poppier sound whilst retaining their almost pitch-black feel. "Split sounds so luxurious and so powerful, the essential sound of Lush... Grounded and aloft - fiery, poppy, druggy, and alone - (Pitchfork). With demand high, the band have been working with renowned engineer/producer Kevin Vanbergen to help them remaster their catalogue, starting with their studio albums. Using the original ½" production tapes for source material, Kevin has painstakingly worked on them to create brand new, stunning 24-bit masters that perfectly capture the thrill of the originals.
January 12 street date. Lush's final studio album "Lovelife", landed whilst Britpop was in full swing (Jarvis Cocker even duets with Miki on the track 'Ciao!'), managing to fit in whilst sticking to the rules they set themselves with prior albums. Produced by Pete Bartlett (Therapy?, Kitchens Of Distinction), it features three of the band's biggest singles 'Single Girl', 'Ladykillers', '500 (Shake Baby Shake)'. Lush dealt Britpop "the feminist counterpoint it sorely needed" (Pitchfork). With demand high, the band have been working with renowned engineer/producer Kevin Vanbergen to help them remaster their catalogue, starting with the 3 studio albums. Using the original 1/2" production tapes for source material, Kevin has painstakingly worked on them to create brand new, stunning 24-bit masters that perfectly capture the thrill of the originals.
January 12 street date. With a few EPs and a mini-album ("Scar") having set the scene, "Spooky" is Lush's 1990 debut studio album. A key text for British indie music at the turn of a decade, it was produced by label mate Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) and features the singles ‘Nothing Natural’, ‘For Love’, and ‘Superblast!’. "(Lush) set a template for the kind of wistful musings that shoegaze became known for. Their incantations are only frightening in how wonderful they are - (Pitchfork, #27 of 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of all Time). With demand high, the band have been working with renowned engineer/producer Kevin Vanbergen to help them remaster their catalogue, starting with their studio albums. Using the original ½" production tapes for source material, Kevin has painstakingly worked on them to create brand new, stunning 24-bit masters that perfectly capture the thrill of the originals.
January 19 street date. "plastic death" - the second album by glass beach - is a follow-up record almost five years in the making. The band's self- titled 2019 debut has over the years grown a cult fanbase for its unflinching depiction of queer life as mediated through social media, its oversized ambition, and its scrappy yet adventurous production. And while it took some time to arrive, "plastic death" sounds like the logical expansion of all the things that made their first album so special. Frontperson and primary songwriter J McClendon is joined by lead guitarist Layne Smith, bassist Jonas Newhouse and drummer William White to create something adventurous on each song. Trumpet, trombone, violin, and even marimba dance and bloom alongside the band's own creative and dextrous instrumentation - a stunning, transformative creation that pulls from indie rock, jazz, prog, hardcore, metal, experimental, and beyond. "plastic death" is a complete, uncompromising, playful work of art; every corner and crevice of the record's 13 tracks, each arrangement and timbre and texture, is alive with intention and possibility.
January 19 street date. "plastic death" - the second album by glass beach - is a follow-up record almost five years in the making. The band's self- titled 2019 debut has over the years grown a cult fanbase for its unflinching depiction of queer life as mediated through social media, its oversized ambition, and its scrappy yet adventurous production. And while it took some time to arrive, "plastic death" sounds like the logical expansion of all the things that made their first album so special. Frontperson and primary songwriter J McClendon is joined by lead guitarist Layne Smith, bassist Jonas Newhouse and drummer William White to create something adventurous on each song. Trumpet, trombone, violin, and even marimba dance and bloom alongside the band's own creative and dextrous instrumentation - a stunning, transformative creation that pulls from indie rock, jazz, prog, hardcore, metal, experimental, and beyond. "plastic death" is a complete, uncompromising, playful work of art; every corner and crevice of the record's 13 tracks, each arrangement and timbre and texture, is alive with intention and possibility.
January 19 street date. "plastic death" - the second album by glass beach - is a follow-up record almost five years in the making. The band's self- titled 2019 debut has over the years grown a cult fanbase for its unflinching depiction of queer life as mediated through social media, its oversized ambition, and its scrappy yet adventurous production. And while it took some time to arrive, "plastic death" sounds like the logical expansion of all the things that made their first album so special. Frontperson and primary songwriter J McClendon is joined by lead guitarist Layne Smith, bassist Jonas Newhouse and drummer William White to create something adventurous on each song. Trumpet, trombone, violin, and even marimba dance and bloom alongside the band's own creative and dextrous instrumentation - a stunning, transformative creation that pulls from indie rock, jazz, prog, hardcore, metal, experimental, and beyond. "plastic death" is a complete, uncompromising, playful work of art; every corner and crevice of the record's 13 tracks, each arrangement and timbre and texture, is alive with intention and possibility.
January 19 street date. Their self-titled album, "Neck Deep", encompasses everything Neck Deep have excelled at across their career, enhanced and dialed to eleven. From the bouncing bombast of "Dumbstruck, Dumbf**k" and the ripping intensity of "Sort Yourself Out" to the poetic introspection of "They Don't Mean To (But They Do)", it's an album that boasts a song for almost any occasion (including, in recent single "Take Me With You", the impending alien invasion). In the little over a decade since Neck Deep formed in the Barlow brothers' spare room in Wrexham, Wales, a lot has changed. From the scrappy, naively hopeful beginnings that define the starting of so many teenage bands, the pop-punks have gone on to be one of British Rock music's most successful global exports in recent memory: top 5 records in both the US and UK, global touring, viral hits and over a billion plays, just some of the fruits of ten years spent mastering their craft. Eschewing a keen list of collaborators and producers eager to work with one of rock's hottest properties and choosing, instead, to write and record in their own warehouse space, mere miles from where they grew up.
January 19 street date. Their self-titled album, "Neck Deep", encompasses everything Neck Deep have excelled at across their career, enhanced and dialed to eleven. From the bouncing bombast of "Dumbstruck, Dumbf**k" and the ripping intensity of "Sort Yourself Out" to the poetic introspection of "They Don't Mean To (But They Do)", it's an album that boasts a song for almost any occasion (including, in recent single "Take Me With You", the impending alien invasion). In the little over a decade since Neck Deep formed in the Barlow brothers' spare room in Wrexham, Wales, a lot has changed. From the scrappy, naively hopeful beginnings that define the starting of so many teenage bands, the pop-punks have gone on to be one of British Rock music's most successful global exports in recent memory: top 5 records in both the US and UK, global touring, viral hits and over a billion plays, just some of the fruits of ten years spent mastering their craft. Eschewing a keen list of collaborators and producers eager to work with one of rock's hottest properties and choosing, instead, to write and record in their own warehouse space, mere miles from where they grew up.
January 19 street date. Their self-titled album, "Neck Deep", encompasses everything Neck Deep have excelled at across their career, enhanced and dialed to eleven. From the bouncing bombast of "Dumbstruck, Dumbf**k" and the ripping intensity of "Sort Yourself Out" to the poetic introspection of "They Don't Mean To (But They Do)", it's an album that boasts a song for almost any occasion (including, in recent single "Take Me With You", the impending alien invasion). In the little over a decade since Neck Deep formed in the Barlow brothers' spare room in Wrexham, Wales, a lot has changed. From the scrappy, naively hopeful beginnings that define the starting of so many teenage bands, the pop-punks have gone on to be one of British Rock music's most successful global exports in recent memory: top 5 records in both the US and UK, global touring, viral hits and over a billion plays, just some of the fruits of ten years spent mastering their craft. Eschewing a keen list of collaborators and producers eager to work with one of rock's hottest properties and choosing, instead, to write and record in their own warehouse space, mere miles from where they grew up.
January 19 street date. Sub Pop debut and third album by French psychedelic rock powerhouse Slift. "Ilion" is a towering work of rock music, a steamrolling record that starts at the highest peak and never lets up. If that sounds overwhelming, trust that this Toulouse trio have you in good hands. "Ilion" feels massive and oceanic, merging the furious intensity of metal and the wigged-out guitar heroics of psych rock with post-rock's epic sense of scale. Slift's utter ferocity is way more than a tempest in a teacup. It reaches outwards for miles and creates new zeniths within unforeseen horizons of rock. Nothing in Slift's catalogue could prepare you for "Ilion", a huge and melodically dense record that at once recalls Godspeed! You Black Emperor's perpetually uplifting surge, the passionate burn of post-hardcore legends …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Led Zep's psychotic blues-rock mysticism, and the psychedelic swirl of Swedish greats Goat.
January 19 street date. Sub Pop debut and third album by French psychedelic rock powerhouse Slift. "Ilion" is a towering work of rock music, a steamrolling record that starts at the highest peak and never lets up. If that sounds overwhelming, trust that this Toulouse trio have you in good hands. "Ilion" feels massive and oceanic, merging the furious intensity of metal and the wigged-out guitar heroics of psych rock with post-rock's epic sense of scale. Slift's utter ferocity is way more than a tempest in a teacup. It reaches outwards for miles and creates new zeniths within unforeseen horizons of rock. Nothing in Slift's catalogue could prepare you for "Ilion", a huge and melodically dense record that at once recalls Godspeed! You Black Emperor's perpetually uplifting surge, the passionate burn of post-hardcore legends …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Led Zep's psychotic blues-rock mysticism, and the psychedelic swirl of Swedish greats Goat.
January 26 street date. Baltimore-based 4-piece Future Islands present their seventh album, "People Who Aren't There Anymore", via 4AD. Following 2020's "As Long As You Are", the 12 track record heralds a new chapter for the band, who despite having formed nearly two decades ago, continue to challenge themselves and each other. Where they've pursued ever-higher energy anthems in the past, they've turned inward this time, and unlocked a new level of ferocity, delivering some of their most inspiring and heartbreaking tracks by doing the opposite: taking their time, making each breath, each syllable, each cymbal crash count. The result is a powerful, defining statement from a group of musicians that have made the best album of their career.
People Who Aren’t There Anymore was produced by Future Islands and Steve Wright, and mixed by Steve Wright and Chris Coady (who returns to working with the band for the first time since 2014’s Singles).
January 26 street date. Baltimore-based 4-piece Future Islands present their seventh album, "People Who Aren't There Anymore", via 4AD. Following 2020's "As Long As You Are", the 12 track record heralds a new chapter for the band, who despite having formed nearly two decades ago, continue to challenge themselves and each other. Where they've pursued ever-higher energy anthems in the past, they've turned inward this time, and unlocked a new level of ferocity, delivering some of their most inspiring and heartbreaking tracks by doing the opposite: taking their time, making each breath, each syllable, each cymbal crash count. The result is a powerful, defining statement from a group of musicians that have made the best album of their career.People Who Aren’t There Anymore was produced by Future Islands and Steve Wright, and mixed by Steve Wright and Chris Coady (who returns to working with the band for the first time since 2014’s Singles).
January 26 street date. Baltimore-based 4-piece Future Islands present their seventh album, "People Who Aren't There Anymore", via 4AD. Following 2020's "As Long As You Are", the 12 track record heralds a new chapter for the band, who despite having formed nearly two decades ago, continue to challenge themselves and each other. Where they've pursued ever-higher energy anthems in the past, they've turned inward this time, and unlocked a new level of ferocity, delivering some of their most inspiring and heartbreaking tracks by doing the opposite: taking their time, making each breath, each syllable, each cymbal crash count. The result is a powerful, defining statement from a group of musicians that have made the best album of their career.
January 26 street date. Gruff Rhys presents his new album "Sadness Sets Me Free" via Rough Trade Records. The 10 track follow up to 2021's "Seeking New Gods" (his first UK top 10 solo record) is incredibly the 25th album he has released in his 35 year career individually, collaboratively, and as a member of various bands. In La Frette Studios, a recording facility installed in a 19th-century house on the outskirts of Paris, Gruff and his road-hardened group tracked "Sadness Sets Me Free" in just three days. Additional strings, orchestration, and backing vocals from Kate Stables (This Is The Kit) were added along the way, before the record was mixed in Marseille and Cardiff. What finally emerged from these intense bouts of cross-continental activity was Gruff Rhys' most accomplished and beautiful record to date. One of Britain's most beloved and successful singer-songwriters, he has always been willing to follow an opportunity, wherever it may lead him.
January 26 street date. Gruff Rhys presents his new album "Sadness Sets Me Free" via Rough Trade Records. The 10 track follow up to 2021's "Seeking New Gods" (his first UK top 10 solo record) is incredibly the 25th album he has released in his 35 year career individually, collaboratively, and as a member of various bands. In La Frette Studios, a recording facility installed in a 19th-century house on the outskirts of Paris, Gruff and his road-hardened group tracked "Sadness Sets Me Free" in just three days. Additional strings, orchestration, and backing vocals from Kate Stables (This Is The Kit) were added along the way, before the record was mixed in Marseille and Cardiff. What finally emerged from these intense bouts of cross-continental activity was Gruff Rhys' most accomplished and beautiful record to date. One of Britain's most beloved and successful singer-songwriters, he has always been willing to follow an opportunity, wherever it may lead him.
January 26 street date. Gruff Rhys presents his new album "Sadness Sets Me Free" via Rough Trade Records. The 10 track follow up to 2021's "Seeking New Gods" (his first UK top 10 solo record) is incredibly the 25th album he has released in his 35 year career individually, collaboratively, and as a member of various bands. In La Frette Studios, a recording facility installed in a 19th-century house on the outskirts of Paris, Gruff and his road-hardened group tracked "Sadness Sets Me Free" in just three days. Additional strings, orchestration, and backing vocals from Kate Stables (This Is The Kit) were added along the way, before the record was mixed in Marseille and Cardiff. What finally emerged from these intense bouts of cross-continental activity was Gruff Rhys' most accomplished and beautiful record to date. One of Britain's most beloved and successful singer-songwriters, he has always been willing to follow an opportunity, wherever it may lead him.
January 26 street date. The Smile is comprised of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead, along with Tom Skinner from Sons Of Kemet. "Wall Of Eyes" is the second studio album from the trio, following 2022's "A Light For Attracting Attention", and features production from Sam Petts-Davies (Radiohead, Frank Ocean). It was recorded in Oxford and at Abbey Road Studios, and features string arrangements by the London Contemporary Orchestra.
January 26 street date. The Smile is comprised of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead, along with Tom Skinner from Sons Of Kemet. "Wall Of Eyes" is the second studio album from the trio, following 2022's "A Light For Attracting Attention", and features production from Sam Petts-Davies (Radiohead, Frank Ocean). It was recorded in Oxford and at Abbey Road Studios, and features string arrangements by the London Contemporary Orchestra.
January 26 street date. The Smile is comprised of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead, along with Tom Skinner from Sons Of Kemet. "Wall Of Eyes" is the second studio album from the trio, following 2022's "A Light For Attracting Attention", and features production from Sam Petts-Davies (Radiohead, Frank Ocean). It was recorded in Oxford and at Abbey Road Studios, and features string arrangements by the London Contemporary Orchestra.
Please note new street date: October 28 street date. "Common Courtesy" is the fifth album from A Day to Remember and is reissued on both CD and double LP vinyl for the first time since 2016. The newly packaged vinyl includes updated cover art and pressed on lemon and clear coloured vinyl with diecut album packaging. Since its initial release in 2013, "Common Courtesy" has gone on to amass over 500k in total consumption and includes some of the band's biggest hits including "Right Back At It Again" and "Sometimes You're The Hammer, Sometimes You're The Nail". Over the course of the past several years, each of A Day To Remember's releases have hit No. 1 on Billboard's Rock, Indie and/or Alternative charts, they've sold more than a million units, racked up over 400 million Spotify streams and 500 million YouTube views, garnered two gold-selling albums and singles (and one silver album in the UK) and sold out entire continental tours, amassing a global fan-base whose members number in the millions.
July 29 street date. This summer, Merge will reissue A Giant Dog's first two full-lengths - 2012's "Fight" and 2013's "Bone" on limited edition coloured vinyl, reintroducing the world to the quintet Spoon's Britt Daniel calls "the greatest American rock and roll/punk band since I don't know when". Celebrating its tenth birthday in 2022 is A "Fight", the Texas group's hard-to-find debut album, remixed, remastered, and pressed on green vinyl just for the occasion. All the trademark tenets of AGD lore are on display at the jump: monstrously adorable album art and punny title, whip-smart songwriting dolled up in denim and leather, boiled down to the sweetest moments and blown out to the masses with bravado to spare. Upon the original release of "Fight", the local Austin Chronicle raved: "the raucous, low-rent squall quakes with affirmative abandon, while a just-right dose of pop girds the buzz and yowl".
September 16 street date. "I Care 4 U" is the first posthumous compilation album by the "princess of R&B", Aaliyah. Following her tragic and untimely passing, Blackground Records released a posthumous record including songs from her studio albums and previously unreleased tracks and demos, as well as hit singles and recordings that ultimately did not land on any previous albums. The compilation album was a commercial success and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum.
September 16 street date. "Ultimate Aaliyah" is the second and final compilation album by legendary R&B singer Aaliyah. Originally released by Blackground Records and only available on CD, the 2005 compilation features three discs of Aaliyah's greatest hits and material from soundtracks and featured work with labelmate Timbaland. This is the first time the compilation is available on vinyl.
November 26 street date. For her Christmas album, Lee Aaron and her band have put together a collection of tracks that showcase Aaron's unique vocal range of rockers, blues and jazz-oriented material. Thus, the album features established favorites like Darlene Love's "Baby Please Come Home," Slade's "'Merry Christmas Everybody'" and a raucous cover of Chuck Berry's "Run Run Rudolph." But also obscure tracks like The Eels' "Everything Is Gonna Be Cool This Christmas" and The Sonics' punky "Don't Believe In Christmas," Over The Rhine's blues-tinged "All I Ever Get For Christmas Is Blue," an accapella version of Joni Mitchell's "The Fiddle and the Drum," and a jazzy arrangement of Louis Armstrong's "Zat You Santa Claus." And to top it off, a rockin' cover of "It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas" by the Pet Shop Boys. "Making a Christmas album became a passion project, not only to keep my band family together this year, but we also wanted to make something as a gift for our fans to lift their spirits during these difficult times," explains Lee Aaron.
April 21 street date. "I've been focused on who I am in my music, but now I'm exploring where I am," Alfa Mist says. "I'm asking: how did I get here?". This is the journeying question that underpins Alfa's fifth album, "Variables". Traversing luscious, big band swing, head-nodding boom-bap rhythms, and yearning vocal melodies, the record is expansive, soulful and moving, in both body and spirit. On "Variables", his second release for ANTI-, Alfa achieves his most fully-realised, expressive musical work to date, coupling his keen ear for looping, memorably emotive piano melodies with intuitive grooves and a free-flowing jazz improvisation. Since the release of his first full-length project "Nocturne" in 2015, Alfa has established himself as one of the UK's most focused, in-demand and distinct musical voices. He has worked with the likes of Jordan Rakei and Tom Misch. His music spans everything from hip-hop beat-making to producing for artists such as rapper Loyle Carner, composing neo-classical works for the London Contemporary Orchestra, and reworking tracks from composer Ólafur Arnalds and pioneering jazz label Blue Note.
April 21 street date. "I've been focused on who I am in my music, but now I'm exploring where I am," Alfa Mist says. "I'm asking: how did I get here?". This is the journeying question that underpins Alfa's fifth album, "Variables". Traversing luscious, big band swing, head-nodding boom-bap rhythms, and yearning vocal melodies, the record is expansive, soulful and moving, in both body and spirit. On "Variables", his second release for ANTI-, Alfa achieves his most fully-realised, expressive musical work to date, coupling his keen ear for looping, memorably emotive piano melodies with intuitive grooves and a free-flowing jazz improvisation. Since the release of his first full-length project "Nocturne" in 2015, Alfa has established himself as one of the UK's most focused, in-demand and distinct musical voices. He has worked with the likes of Jordan Rakei and Tom Misch. His music spans everything from hip-hop beat-making to producing for artists such as rapper Loyle Carner, composing neo-classical works for the London Contemporary Orchestra, and reworking tracks from composer Ólafur Arnalds and pioneering jazz label Blue Note.
February 24 street date. Atlanta based post-punk group Algiers present their 4th album, "Shook". At the same time notably joyous and celebratory, the record was born when bandmates Franklin James Fisher and Ryan Mahan found themselves at home for several months, reeling from growing pressures and burnout as touring musicians. This triggered an intense period of beatmaking, reconnecting as friends over hours immersed in episodes of "Rhythm Roulette", and descending deep into alt-rap YouTube rabbit holes. A revisit of DJ Grand Wizard Theodore's 1970s punk-infused New York City rap masterpiece ‘Subway Theme’ then emerged as a spiritual moodboard for what was to be the cross-pollination of urban and counter-culture styles on "Shook". The sprawling 17-track double LP is Algiers' first new music since 2020's "There Is No Year" and features an array of guests spanning icons like Rage Against The Machine's Zack De La Rocha to 2021 Polaris prize winner Backxwash and Future Islands' frontman Samuel T. Herring. Each contribution deftly reshapes and recontextualized the notion of being shook from a variety of perspectives, occupying shifting roles as oracles and narrators.
February 24 street date. Atlanta based post-punk group Algiers present their 4th album, "Shook". At the same time notably joyous and celebratory, the record was born when bandmates Franklin James Fisher and Ryan Mahan found themselves at home for several months, reeling from growing pressures and burnout as touring musicians. This triggered an intense period of beatmaking, reconnecting as friends over hours immersed in episodes of "Rhythm Roulette", and descending deep into alt-rap YouTube rabbit holes. A revisit of DJ Grand Wizard Theodore's 1970s punk-infused New York City rap masterpiece ‘Subway Theme’ then emerged as a spiritual moodboard for what was to be the cross-pollination of urban and counter-culture styles on "Shook". The sprawling 17-track double LP is Algiers' first new music since 2020's "There Is No Year" and features an array of guests spanning icons like Rage Against The Machine's Zack De La Rocha to 2021 Polaris prize winner Backxwash and Future Islands' frontman Samuel T. Herring. Each contribution deftly reshapes and recontextualized the notion of being shook from a variety of perspectives, occupying shifting roles as oracles and narrators.
February 24 street date. Atlanta based post-punk group Algiers present their 4th album, "Shook". At the same time notably joyous and celebratory, the record was born when bandmates Franklin James Fisher and Ryan Mahan found themselves at home for several months, reeling from growing pressures and burnout as touring musicians. This triggered an intense period of beatmaking, reconnecting as friends over hours immersed in episodes of "Rhythm Roulette", and descending deep into alt-rap YouTube rabbit holes. A revisit of DJ Grand Wizard Theodore's 1970s punk-infused New York City rap masterpiece ‘Subway Theme’ then emerged as a spiritual moodboard for what was to be the cross-pollination of urban and counter-culture styles on "Shook". The sprawling 17-track double LP is Algiers' first new music since 2020's "There Is No Year" and features an array of guests spanning icons like Rage Against The Machine's Zack De La Rocha to 2021 Polaris prize winner Backxwash and Future Islands' frontman Samuel T. Herring. Each contribution deftly reshapes and recontextualized the notion of being shook from a variety of perspectives, occupying shifting roles as oracles and narrators.
April 21 street date. Reissued on vinyl for the first time since 2015 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of "Mass Nerder"! The overly-caffeinated nerd quartet we know as ALL first caught the pop-punk genre in a stranglehold in 1988, after years of empathizing with their fellow geeks as The Descendents. Years later, "Mass Nerder" brings you sixteen searing cuts that never dip below 210 beats per minute. Produced by Bill and Stephen at their very own Blasting Room studio in Fort Collins, CO, and featuring Milo on backing vocals, "Mass Nerder" is the house blend for dweebs and cool guys alike and is not available in decaf.
Available now. Toronto-based French/American Jazz singer Laura Anglade is making a name for herself in the jazz world. Continuing the tradition of the great ladies of jazz - Laura's singing is reminiscent of many of the great vocal stylists of the 20th century including Anita O'Day, Shirley Horn, and Blossom Dearie, but her voice is uniquely her own. Accompanied by guitarist Sam Kirmayer (and accordionist Benjamin Rosenblum on two tracks), their new recording "Venez donc chez moi" is an homage of sorts, and a nod to Laura's beloved France. It features jazz versions of French classics made famous by Maurice Chevalier, Boris Vian, Edith Piaf, and Jacques Brel to name a few. She digs emotionally and eloquently into a standard, her story-telling abilities portray a soul beyond her years.
September 8 street date. Anjimile Chithambo, better known as Anjimile, presents his second album and 4AD debut "The King". Deeply steeped in the confusion, grief, and rage of being Black in America, the title-track pushes back against the tired adage, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", hissing, "what don't kill you almost killed you// What don't fill you//pains you// drains you". Following his 2020 breakthrough "Giver Taker", Anjimile continues exploring what it means to be a Black trans person in America. Drawing influences ranging from religion, Phillip Glass, and lived experiences, the album is a grand step forward. Nearly every sound you hear on "The King" comes from two instruments: an acoustic guitar and Anjimile's own voice. Other than a few beautiful contributions from Justine Bowe, Brad Allen Williams, Sam Gendel, and James Krivchenia (Big Thief), the album is the result of a year in LA working intimately with Grammy and Juno winner Shawn Everett.
September 8 street date. Anjimile Chithambo, better known as Anjimile, presents his second album and 4AD debut "The King". Deeply steeped in the confusion, grief, and rage of being Black in America, the title-track pushes back against the tired adage, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", hissing, "what don't kill you almost killed you// What don't fill you//pains you// drains you". Following his 2020 breakthrough "Giver Taker", Anjimile continues exploring what it means to be a Black trans person in America. Drawing influences ranging from religion, Phillip Glass, and lived experiences, the album is a grand step forward. Nearly every sound you hear on "The King" comes from two instruments: an acoustic guitar and Anjimile's own voice. Other than a few beautiful contributions from Justine Bowe, Brad Allen Williams, Sam Gendel, and James Krivchenia (Big Thief), the album is the result of a year in LA working intimately with Grammy and Juno winner Shawn Everett.
September 8 street date. Anjimile Chithambo, better known as Anjimile, presents his second album and 4AD debut "The King". Deeply steeped in the confusion, grief, and rage of being Black in America, the title-track pushes back against the tired adage, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", hissing, "what don't kill you almost killed you// What don't fill you//pains you// drains you". Following his 2020 breakthrough "Giver Taker", Anjimile continues exploring what it means to be a Black trans person in America. Drawing influences ranging from religion, Phillip Glass, and lived experiences, the album is a grand step forward. Nearly every sound you hear on "The King" comes from two instruments: an acoustic guitar and Anjimile's own voice. Other than a few beautiful contributions from Justine Bowe, Brad Allen Williams, Sam Gendel, and James Krivchenia (Big Thief), the album is the result of a year in LA working intimately with Grammy and Juno winner Shawn Everett.
August 5 street date. Art Moore make vivid, heartbreaking short stories. Each song on the newly formed band's self-titled debut album is its own individual universe of bittersweet feeling: a brief snapshot of a moment in time that captures the fragility and occasional impossibility of human connection. These songs are deft character studies, zeroing in on shy beginners, jilted friends and friendly exes, chronicling minute moments - road trips, casual dates, games of truth or dare - with rich detail and subtle wit. Featuring the inimitable songwriting of beloved Oakland luminary Taylor Vick of Boy Scouts set in sharp relief against lush production from Ezra Furman collaborators Sam Durkes and Trevor Brooks, it's a quietly wondrous record - a set of songs that sketch out the struggle and beauty of coping with everyday life. These are songs about tiny, unspoken feelings rendered on a grand scale, moments that often get brushed aside given the weight that they should be.
August 5 street date. Art Moore make vivid, heartbreaking short stories. Each song on the newly formed band's self-titled debut album is its own individual universe of bittersweet feeling: a brief snapshot of a moment in time that captures the fragility and occasional impossibility of human connection. These songs are deft character studies, zeroing in on shy beginners, jilted friends and friendly exes, chronicling minute moments - road trips, casual dates, games of truth or dare - with rich detail and subtle wit. Featuring the inimitable songwriting of beloved Oakland luminary Taylor Vick of Boy Scouts set in sharp relief against lush production from Ezra Furman collaborators Sam Durkes and Trevor Brooks, it's a quietly wondrous record - a set of songs that sketch out the struggle and beauty of coping with everyday life. These are songs about tiny, unspoken feelings rendered on a grand scale, moments that often get brushed aside given the weight that they should be.
February 26 street date. Julien Baker will release her third studio album, "Little Oblivions", on February 26 via Matador Records. Her first full length since 2017's "Turn Out The Lights", "Little Oblivions" was recorded in Memphis, TN between December 2019 and January 2020. The record weaves together unflinching autobiography with assimilated experience and hard won observations from the past few years, taking Baker's capacity for storytelling to new heights. It also marks a sonic shift, with the songwriter's intimate piano and guitar arrangements newly enriched by bass, drums, keyboards, banjo, and mandolin with nearly all of the instruments performed by Baker. Please note: limited edition yellow vinyl is now sold out.
February 26 street date. Julien Baker will release her third studio album, "Little Oblivions", on February 26 via Matador Records. Her first full length since 2017's "Turn Out The Lights", "Little Oblivions" was recorded in Memphis, TN between December 2019 and January 2020. The record weaves together unflinching autobiography with assimilated experience and hard won observations from the past few years, taking Baker's capacity for storytelling to new heights. It also marks a sonic shift, with the songwriter's intimate piano and guitar arrangements newly enriched by bass, drums, keyboards, banjo, and mandolin with nearly all of the instruments performed by Baker. Please note: limited edition yellow vinyl is now sold out.
Please note new street date: December 10. 25th anniversary edition of Bardo Pond's long out-of-print second album and label debut, "Amanita" - newly remastered 2xLP reissue limited to 100 copies for Canada on purple vinyl. Formed in 1991, the Philadelphia-based quintet have spent some thirty years mapping guitar music's outer limits dialing into extremes of noise, chaos, and harmony in free-form compositions that now unfurl across 12 full-length records and a near-limitless body of EPs, cassettes, and CD-Rs. Recorded by the lineup of John Gibbons (guitar), Michael Gibbons (guitar), Isobel Sollenberger (voice, flute), Clint Takeda (bass), and Joe Culver (drums), "Amanita" is the place where the band's spontaneous collective creativity blazed into maturity. Even within the heady subcultural micro-verse of 90s underground zoner-music, the Fishtown-basement-dwelling quintet's vision of "psychedelia" was singular in its heaviness.
May 28 street date. After decades on the road and the never-ending hustle of life as an artist, Lou Barlow has tapped into a new confidence in the chaos. On his new solo album, "Reason To Live", he has come to an understanding of that swirl rather than trying to contain it. As a long-time indie legend, Barlow has found a life akin to a middle-class musician. And yet rather than settle into a comfortable malaise or yearn for the open road, Barlow's strengthened urgency finds a way to merge the two instincts. "Reason To Live" is shambolic and grand yet intimate and doting, warmly acoustic and crackling with grit. By folding the many facets of his life into one package, "Reason To Live" radiates with a renewed balance and calm.
May 28 street date. After decades on the road and the never-ending hustle of life as an artist, Lou Barlow has tapped into a new confidence in the chaos. On his new solo album, "Reason To Live", he has come to an understanding of that swirl rather than trying to contain it. As a long-time indie legend, Barlow has found a life akin to a middle-class musician. And yet rather than settle into a comfortable malaise or yearn for the open road, Barlow's strengthened urgency finds a way to merge the two instincts. "Reason To Live" is shambolic and grand yet intimate and doting, warmly acoustic and crackling with grit. By folding the many facets of his life into one package, "Reason To Live" radiates with a renewed balance and calm.
May 28 street date. After decades on the road and the never-ending hustle of life as an artist, Lou Barlow has tapped into a new confidence in the chaos. On his new solo album, "Reason To Live", he has come to an understanding of that swirl rather than trying to contain it. As a long-time indie legend, Barlow has found a life akin to a middle-class musician. And yet rather than settle into a comfortable malaise or yearn for the open road, Barlow's strengthened urgency finds a way to merge the two instincts. "Reason To Live" is shambolic and grand yet intimate and doting, warmly acoustic and crackling with grit. By folding the many facets of his life into one package, "Reason To Live" radiates with a renewed balance and calm.
LP and CD in stock now. 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
November 19 street date. Inspired by a love of artists such as Bill Evans, Lester Young, Chet Baker and Vince Guaraldi, Dustin Payseur reimagines some of his greatest hits from the Beach Fossils catalog alongside a group of formally trained jazz musicians. A rich and mellow mix of piano, saxophone, upright bass and brushed drums explore the contours of familiar songs, soaring Payseur's melancholic harmonies to new heights.
May 6 street date. "A Bit of Previous" is the ninth studio album by Belle and Sebastian and their first full-length in seven years. So what is a "A Bit of Previous"? It's a bit of everything, and a lot of what makes Belle and Sebastian so special and enduring. It's a band with humour, irreverence, lyrical exactitude and musical bravado tackling the insight, experience and responsibility that comes with getting older. It's a classic Belle and Sebastian album full of melodies that won’t leave your head, and lyrics will that make you smile, ponder and reflect. "A Bit of Previous" was self-produced and recorded by Belle and Sebastian (with contributions from Brian McNeill, Matt Wiggins, Kevin Burleigh and Shawn Everett) in their native Glasgow, and their most hands-on effort since "The Boy With The Arab Strap". The result is one the most diverse and thrilling entries in the band's catalogue. "A Bit of Previous" is Belle and Sebastian once again asserting themselves as an infallible source of energy and fun.
May 6 street date. "A Bit of Previous" is the ninth studio album by Belle and Sebastian and their first full-length in seven years. So what is a "A Bit of Previous"? It's a bit of everything, and a lot of what makes Belle and Sebastian so special and enduring. It's a band with humour, irreverence, lyrical exactitude and musical bravado tackling the insight, experience and responsibility that comes with getting older. It's a classic Belle and Sebastian album full of melodies that won’t leave your head, and lyrics will that make you smile, ponder and reflect. "A Bit of Previous" was self-produced and recorded by Belle and Sebastian (with contributions from Brian McNeill, Matt Wiggins, Kevin Burleigh and Shawn Everett) in their native Glasgow, and their most hands-on effort since "The Boy With The Arab Strap". The result is one the most diverse and thrilling entries in the band's catalogue. "A Bit of Previous" is Belle and Sebastian once again asserting themselves as an infallible source of energy and fun.
January 13 street date. Celebrated Glasgow collective Belle and Sebastian present their surprise album, "Late Developers", just announced January 9th. Recorded in tandem with the acclaimed "A Bit of Previous", the album features 12 new songs that carry on the reflective and celebratory spirit of its predecessor, while also pushing the band into the world of contemporary pop unlike ever before. It is beyond remarkable and inspiring that Belle and Sebastian, 26 years into their career, can make music that is not only immediate and effective, but two back-to-back albums that feel like they're at the top of their game. "Late Developers" arrives on standard black and limited edition orange gatefold vinyl, as well as on CD. All in stock and available to ship.
January 13 street date. Celebrated Glasgow collective Belle and Sebastian present their surprise album, "Late Developers", just announced January 9th. Recorded in tandem with the acclaimed "A Bit of Previous", the album features 12 new songs that carry on the reflective and celebratory spirit of its predecessor, while also pushing the band into the world of contemporary pop unlike ever before. It is beyond remarkable and inspiring that Belle and Sebastian, 26 years into their career, can make music that is not only immediate and effective, but two back-to-back albums that feel like they're at the top of their game. "Late Developers" arrives on standard black and limited edition orange gatefold vinyl, as well as on CD. All in stock and available to ship.
January 13 street date. Celebrated Glasgow collective Belle and Sebastian present their surprise album, "Late Developers", just announced January 9th. Recorded in tandem with the acclaimed "A Bit of Previous", the album features 12 new songs that carry on the reflective and celebratory spirit of its predecessor, while also pushing the band into the world of contemporary pop unlike ever before. It is beyond remarkable and inspiring that Belle and Sebastian, 26 years into their career, can make music that is not only immediate and effective, but two back-to-back albums that feel like they're at the top of their game. "Late Developers" arrives on standard black and limited edition orange gatefold vinyl, as well as on CD. All in stock and available to ship.
December 11 street date. "What To Look For In Summer" is a live double album gathering choice selections from Belle And Sebastian's 2019 world tour. Neither a retrospective nor a back-door greatest-hits, "What To Look For In Summer" is the sound of a band that's always moving forward, a picture of Belle and Sebastian in 2019 that gives equal weight to early days ("My Wandering Days Are Over", "Seeing Other People") and recent years.
April 15 street date (LP) / CD available now. Chuck Berry, the songwriter and guitarist now known worldwide as the Father of Rock & Roll, came from humble beginnings. After an evening in 1996 spent reminiscing about his storied career with his longtime friend Joe Edwards, owner of St. Louis restaurant and venue Blueberry Hill, Berry fulfilled the dream of music lovers everywhere; he started a live residency that spanned 209 shows at the 340-person capacity club. The club became a modern-day Mecca for rock fans, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the legend perform up close and personal. "Live From Blueberry Hill" compiles some of Berry's greatest hits from this epic run of shows played alongside his fantastic band - including his son Charles Berry Jr. and daughter Ingrid Berry.
April 15 street date (LP) / CD available now. Chuck Berry, the songwriter and guitarist now known worldwide as the Father of Rock & Roll, came from humble beginnings. After an evening in 1996 spent reminiscing about his storied career with his longtime friend Joe Edwards, owner of St. Louis restaurant and venue Blueberry Hill, Berry fulfilled the dream of music lovers everywhere; he started a live residency that spanned 209 shows at the 340-person capacity club. The club became a modern-day Mecca for rock fans, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the legend perform up close and personal. "Live From Blueberry Hill" compiles some of Berry's greatest hits from this epic run of shows played alongside his fantastic band - including his son Charles Berry Jr. and daughter Ingrid Berry.
January 29 street date. "The Besnard Lakes Are The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings" is the group's sixth album and the first on Flemish Eye. After 2016's "A Coliseum Complex Museum" - which saw Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas attempting shorter, less sprawling songs - the Besnards and their label decided it was time to go their separate ways; with that decision came a question of whether to even continue the project at all. What use is a band with an instinct for long, tectonic tunes - rock songs with chthonic heft and ethereal grace, 5 or 10 or 18 minutes long? How do you sell that in an age of bite-sized streaming? How do you make it relevant? Despite all its grandeur, "...The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings" honours the very essence of punk rock: the notion that a band need only be relevant to itself. At last the Besnard Lakes have crafted a continuous long-form suite: nine tracks that could be listened together as one, overflowing with melody and harmony, drone and dazzle, the group's own unique weather. In late 2020, as the world burns, there might be nothing less trendy than an hour-long psych-rock epic by a band of Canadian grandmasters. Then again, there might be nothing we need more.
January 29 street date. "The Besnard Lakes Are The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings" is the group's sixth album and the first on Flemish Eye. After 2016's "A Coliseum Complex Museum" - which saw Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas attempting shorter, less sprawling songs - the Besnards and their label decided it was time to go their separate ways; with that decision came a question of whether to even continue the project at all. What use is a band with an instinct for long, tectonic tunes - rock songs with chthonic heft and ethereal grace, 5 or 10 or 18 minutes long? How do you sell that in an age of bite-sized streaming? How do you make it relevant? Despite all its grandeur, "...The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings" honours the very essence of punk rock: the notion that a band need only be relevant to itself. At last the Besnard Lakes have crafted a continuous long-form suite: nine tracks that could be listened together as one, overflowing with melody and harmony, drone and dazzle, the group's own unique weather. In late 2020, as the world burns, there might be nothing less trendy than an hour-long psych-rock epic by a band of Canadian grandmasters. Then again, there might be nothing we need more.
October 21 street date. After teasing out two psychedelic transmissions, The Besnard Lakes have announced a new limited edition 12" EP - "The Besnard Lakes are the Prayers for the Death of Fame". With some of the material composed during the songwriting for the band's epic 2021 double LP, this companion EP acts as a spiritual sister to that masterwork. For some, the EP format implies a shorter, perhaps less-developed idea. The Besnard Lakes embrace the medium with a triptych that sprawls languorously across 28 minutes of cosmic majesty, culminating with the empyrean ‘Silver Shadows’.
Please note new street date: July 7. Kicking off Matador's Revisionist History Series for 2023, we're celebrating the 30th anniversary of Bettie Serveert's debut album, "Palomine". Heralded in the four-star review by Rolling Stone as "untamed and free as pop gets", this 1993 classic is seeing its first pressing since its original Matador release. "Looking back on recording the "Palomie" album, we were as green as grass", say the band's Carol van Dyk and Peter Visser, "but we loved music and most of all, we loved playing our own songs". "Palomine" arrives on limited edition orange vinyl, accompanied by an orange "brain-tag" 7", which was also included with the original pressing.
August 27 street date. Ever since childhood, learning to play various instruments in a suburban Cincinnati basement alongside his brother Bryce, Aaron Dessner has consistently sought an emotional outlet and deep human connection through music - be it as a primary songwriter in The National, a founder and architect of beloved collaboration-driven music festivals, or collaborator on two critically acclaimed and chart-topping Taylor Swift albums recorded in complete pandemic-era isolation, among many other projects. On Big Red Machine's "How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?," the second album from Dessner's ever-morphing project with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, many of Dessner's previous collaborators and friends show up, continuing the reciprocal exchange of ideas that has come to define his creative community. Songs feature guest vocals and writing contributions from artist friends including Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold, Ben Howard and This Is The Kit, Naeem, Sharon Van Etten, Lisa Hannigan, and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Nova "This is all music I generated, but it is interesting to hear how different people relate to it, or how different voices collide with it," Dessner says. "That's what makes it special. With everyone that's on this record, there's an openness, a creative generosity and an emotional quality that connects it all together".
August 27 street date. Ever since childhood, learning to play various instruments in a suburban Cincinnati basement alongside his brother Bryce, Aaron Dessner has consistently sought an emotional outlet and deep human connection through music - be it as a primary songwriter in The National, a founder and architect of beloved collaboration-driven music festivals, or collaborator on two critically acclaimed and chart-topping Taylor Swift albums recorded in complete pandemic-era isolation, among many other projects. On Big Red Machine's "How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?," the second album from Dessner's ever-morphing project with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, many of Dessner's previous collaborators and friends show up, continuing the reciprocal exchange of ideas that has come to define his creative community. Songs feature guest vocals and writing contributions from artist friends including Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold, Ben Howard and This Is The Kit, Naeem, Sharon Van Etten, Lisa Hannigan, and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Nova "This is all music I generated, but it is interesting to hear how different people relate to it, or how different voices collide with it," Dessner says. "That's what makes it special. With everyone that's on this record, there's an openness, a creative generosity and an emotional quality that connects it all together".
August 27 street date. Ever since childhood, learning to play various instruments in a suburban Cincinnati basement alongside his brother Bryce, Aaron Dessner has consistently sought an emotional outlet and deep human connection through music - be it as a primary songwriter in The National, a founder and architect of beloved collaboration-driven music festivals, or collaborator on two critically acclaimed and chart-topping Taylor Swift albums recorded in complete pandemic-era isolation, among many other projects. On Big Red Machine's "How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?," the second album from Dessner's ever-morphing project with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, many of Dessner's previous collaborators and friends show up, continuing the reciprocal exchange of ideas that has come to define his creative community. Songs feature guest vocals and writing contributions from artist friends including Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold, Ben Howard and This Is The Kit, Naeem, Sharon Van Etten, Lisa Hannigan, and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Nova "This is all music I generated, but it is interesting to hear how different people relate to it, or how different voices collide with it," Dessner says. "That's what makes it special. With everyone that's on this record, there's an openness, a creative generosity and an emotional quality that connects it all together".
October 28 street date. Blessed's sophomore full-length, "Circuitous", cements and expands on their status as a band's band: a patient, eclectic career outfit guided by the intense pursuit of an internally-dictated creative agenda. The group has sharpened their strengths, bringing an ever-growing depth of songwriting and artistic evolution to their craft. Composed from hours of jam material and hundreds of demos, "Circuitous" comprises eight tracks that sprawl and thrash and burst and fall. The record finds the band digging deeper into their vast collective catalog of influences, taking notes from groups as diverse as Mount Kimbie, Shabazz Palaces, Liquid Liquid, and Unwound. The result is a sweeping, hyperreal, industrial art-rock tragedy, rendered in walls of noise, controlled drums, meandering ambience, and staccato syncopation, while touching on topics like agoraphobia, isolation, grief, the hyper-control of capital and the numbness it breeds. Circuitous was mixed by John Congleton (Swans, St. Vincent, Wye Oak) and mastered by Greg Obis (Alabaster Deplume, Cloud Nothings, Stuck).
October 28 street date. Blessed's sophomore full-length, "Circuitous", cements and expands on their status as a band's band: a patient, eclectic career outfit guided by the intense pursuit of an internally-dictated creative agenda. The group has sharpened their strengths, bringing an ever-growing depth of songwriting and artistic evolution to their craft. Composed from hours of jam material and hundreds of demos, "Circuitous" comprises eight tracks that sprawl and thrash and burst and fall. The record finds the band digging deeper into their vast collective catalog of influences, taking notes from groups as diverse as Mount Kimbie, Shabazz Palaces, Liquid Liquid, and Unwound. The result is a sweeping, hyperreal, industrial art-rock tragedy, rendered in walls of noise, controlled drums, meandering ambience, and staccato syncopation, while touching on topics like agoraphobia, isolation, grief, the hyper-control of capital and the numbness it breeds. Circuitous was mixed by John Congleton (Swans, St. Vincent, Wye Oak) and mastered by Greg Obis (Alabaster Deplume, Cloud Nothings, Stuck).
Please note street date is July 31. (Legendary Montreal-based wildman of rock and roll and R & B has worked with Jon Spencer, King Khan, the 5678’s and Deke Dickerson!!) For nearly twenty years, Bloodshot Bill has shouted, snorted, cooed and crooned his way through the wild shadowland of primitive rock and roll, touring the world and collaborated with heavyweights like Jon Spencer, King Khan, the 5678’s and Deke Dickerson. Seventeen albums and over two dozen singles later, this unstoppable Montrealeño has not slowed his manic touring and recording schedule one whit. He’s a seminal punk, a true wildman who blazes his own path to honky tonk hell with a bottomless repertoire of desperate rock and roll and insatiable R&B. That means he knows a lotta songs—not that he doesn’t wear pants. But on the right night, who knows! This spring, Bloodshot Bill will release his eighteenth album, Get Loose Or Get Lost, his second for Memphis’ Goner Records. He will be touring everywhere, continuing his twenty-year rampage with a new record and a new slew of shows—do not miss it!
Please note street date is July 31. (Legendary Montreal-based wildman of rock and roll and R & B has worked with Jon Spencer, King Khan, the 5678’s and Deke Dickerson!!) For nearly twenty years, Bloodshot Bill has shouted, snorted, cooed and crooned his way through the wild shadowland of primitive rock and roll, touring the world and collaborated with heavyweights like Jon Spencer, King Khan, the 5678’s and Deke Dickerson. Seventeen albums and over two dozen singles later, this unstoppable Montrealeño has not slowed his manic touring and recording schedule one whit. He’s a seminal punk, a true wildman who blazes his own path to honky tonk hell with a bottomless repertoire of desperate rock and roll and insatiable R&B. That means he knows a lotta songs—not that he doesn’t wear pants. But on the right night, who knows! This spring, Bloodshot Bill will release his eighteenth album, Get Loose Or Get Lost, his second for Memphis’ Goner Records. He will be touring everywhere, continuing his twenty-year rampage with a new record and a new slew of shows—do not miss it!
March 25 street date. Last June marked the ten year anniversary of the worldwide release of Bon Iver's highly acclaimed sophomore release "Bon Iver, Bon Iver". To commemorate the occasion, the band and Jagjaguwar will release a limited edition reissue of the influential album. This edition features five songs from Bon Iver's beautiful AIR Studios session, which captures the grand spirit of "Bon Iver, Bon Iver" and distills it into sharper focus, as Justin Vernon and Sean Carey perform the songs as a duo, on grand pianos and vocals only. The physical release of "Bon Iver, Bon Iver (10th anniversary edition)" features a blind embossed version of the original cover art and an intimate personal essay from long-time fan Phoebe Bridgers recalling how the "massive, sprawling, unbelievably complex" album brings about both yearning for yesterday, contentment for the present, and collective hope for the future. The album's iconic cover art has been reimagined to a minimal white-on-white, with a white LP to match.
Please note new street date: August 14. In an emotional musical journey, Booker T explores new takes on the songs that make up the fabric of his musical identity. Largely mirroring the chapter titles from his forthcoming memoir "Time Is Tight", "Note By Note" serves as a musical companion. Stax staples like "Cause I Love You" and "These Arms Of Mine" are woven into defining musical moments from Booker's journey after Stax, when he produced and recorded with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana. Booker T & The MG's fans will enjoy a new ending to the song "Time Is Tight", a Romanesque coda that has been played live yet never recorded. The album culminates with new original music, highlighting the soaring guitar and vocals of Booker's son and collaborator Teddy Jones. Booker T is a 4 time Grammy Award winner (including the Lifetime Achievement Award), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, and arguably the most famous Hammond B3 player in history.
Please note new street date: August 14. Orange vinyl pressing of this late 2019 release. In an emotional musical journey, Booker T explores new takes on the songs that make up the fabric of his musical identity. Largely mirroring the chapter titles from his forthcoming memoir "Time Is Tight", "Note By Note" serves as a musical companion. Stax staples like "Cause I Love You" and "These Arms Of Mine" are woven into defining musical moments from Booker's journey after Stax, when he produced and recorded with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana. Booker T & The MG's fans will enjoy a new ending to the song "Time Is Tight", a Romanesque coda that has been played live yet never recorded. The album culminates with new original music, highlighting the soaring guitar and vocals of Booker's son and collaborator Teddy Jones. Booker T is a 4 time Grammy Award winner (including the Lifetime Achievement Award), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, and arguably the most famous Hammond B3 player in history.
December 23 street date. Le très attendu deuxième album de Gab Bouchard «Grafignes» promet d'approfondir encore plus tout ce qui a fait la grandeur du premier disque (1,5 M + de streams sur toutes les plateformes), mélangeant country, pop, influences des années 70, gros riffs, refrains qui font chanter, et beaucoup de piano qui montre Gab Bouchard à son meilleur. / The hotly anticipated second album "Grafignes" promises to delve even more deeply into everything that made the first record (1,5 M + streams on all platforms) great, mixing country, pop, 70s influences, big riffs, sing-along choruses, and a lot of piano playing that shows Gab Bouchard at his best.
April 28 street date. Over the past decade, Montreal's Braids - musicians Taylor Smith, Raphaelle Standell-Preston, and Austin Tufts - have devoted themselves to exploring their art, together, making for one of the more daring and fluid catalogues in contemporary experimental pop. JUNO Award winners and twice-shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, Braids see their story as a series of actions and reactions, a collective expression that swings like a pendulum between process-driven precision and open-hearted freeness. For their fifth full-length, "Euphoric Recall", the band embraced the latter, intuitively pursuing the playful joy and spontaneity they'd been craving in the absence of live performances - the "kinetic and exciting" (The New York Times) energy that's become their superpower across over 500 shows played worldwide. Organic and electronic elements weave in and out, shading a rich universe without crowding it. Self-produced and for the first time composing and arranging string parts, the band welcomed the guiding flourishes of an ensemble on cello, viola, and violins. The sound is lush and sprawling yet captured with in-the-room clarity; it grooves viscerally, freer, and wholly anew.
April 28 street date. Over the past decade, Montreal's Braids - musicians Taylor Smith, Raphaelle Standell-Preston, and Austin Tufts - have devoted themselves to exploring their art, together, making for one of the more daring and fluid catalogues in contemporary experimental pop. JUNO Award winners and twice-shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, Braids see their story as a series of actions and reactions, a collective expression that swings like a pendulum between process-driven precision and open-hearted freeness. For their fifth full-length, "Euphoric Recall", the band embraced the latter, intuitively pursuing the playful joy and spontaneity they'd been craving in the absence of live performances - the "kinetic and exciting" (The New York Times) energy that's become their superpower across over 500 shows played worldwide. Organic and electronic elements weave in and out, shading a rich universe without crowding it. Self-produced and for the first time composing and arranging string parts, the band welcomed the guiding flourishes of an ensemble on cello, viola, and violins. The sound is lush and sprawling yet captured with in-the-room clarity; it grooves viscerally, freer, and wholly anew.
June 18 street date. Limited 10th anniversary edition of the album that put them on the map, Braids'’ debut LP "Native Speaker". Original designer Marc Rimmer re-worked the LP packaging with a high gloss record cover and a brand new lyric sleeve complemented by eye-popping coloured vinyl. An astonishingly accomplished debut from a young band, "Native Speaker" laid out some of Braids' core interests, including a meticulous attention to sonic detail and a rhythmic curiosity. As their later discography would reveal, this debut also set the course for a great deal of growth, change, and an ever-evolving sonic identity. Meticulously produced by the band, Native Speaker emerges as an extremely potent concoction of playful, lavishly orchestrated, and deeply cinematic pieces - all without a sample in sight. The album oscillates between textural density and heavenly spaciousness to construct an unforgettable pop tune.
November 10 street date. Bright Eyes' "A Christmas Album" begins with a piano, flute, ambient noise, and musical saw-driven version of "Away In A Manger", helping weed out casual Christmas music enjoyers, but all too tempting for the most devout of Conor Oberst's disciples, who originally learned that the warmth of the holiday season is trumped only by its potential for melancholy back in 2002 with the original Saddle Creek release. Oberst and a small army of friends at his house proceed to jamboree through Christmas classics like "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and "Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem". Holiday cheer, when delivered with Oberst's trademark tremble, sounds more like a lament than it does hymns of ecclesiastical joy. But the spirited listener will find that the fragile, homespun, and somewhat blinkered vibe that permeates the album sets itself apart from the bog-standard, less sonically humble offerings of the holidays, and, both strangely and satisfyingly, is probably more aligned with the true spirit of the season.
May 27 street date. It's the desire to celebrate their sonic bounty that first got Conor Oberst and the band excited about the idea of comprehensive reissues. This wouldn't be a Bright Eyes project if a moment devoted to appreciating the past weren't turned into an opportunity to connect with the future. That's where the nine companion EPs come in. Or as Oberst puts it, "the supplemental reading" for the primary reissues: one six-track EP per reissued album, each featuring five reworked songs from that album. "My thing was they had to sound different from the originals, we had to mess with them in a substantial way". Plus one cover that felt "of the era" in which that particular albums was made - a song that meant something to the band at the time.
May 27 street date (CD)/July 15 street date (LP). It's the desire to celebrate their sonic bounty that first got Conor Oberst and the band excited about the idea of comprehensive reissues. Originally released in 1998, "A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997" is, well, a collection of Bright Eyes songs written and recorded between 1995-1997.
Please note new street date: November 25. "The first three are innocent in a way, because we didn't have an audience when we were making them," Conor Oberst says. "But from "Lifted" on, I was definitely aware of an audience. "Lifted" was well-received right away, and then everything happened with "Wide Awake" and "Digital Ash"." Those two albums came out simultaneously. And their lead singles - "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)," from the austere, remote "Digital Ash", and "Lua," from the warm, folky "Wide Awake" - debuted in the top two slots on the Billboard Hot 100. "First Day of My Life," also from "Wide Awake", would later be voted the Number One love song of all time by NPR Music's reader's poll. Bright Eyes had officially broken through. It was a heady, exciting time, but also fraught and tense, both because of the band's careening new fame, and because of the state of the world.
Please note new street date: November 25. "The first three are innocent in a way, because we didn't have an audience when we were making them," Conor Oberst says. "But from "Lifted" on, I was definitely aware of an audience. "Lifted" was well-received right away, and then everything happened with "Wide Awake" and "Digital Ash"." Those two albums came out simultaneously. And their lead singles - "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)," from the austere, remote "Digital Ash", and "Lua," from the warm, folky "Wide Awake" - debuted in the top two slots on the Billboard Hot 100. "First Day of My Life," also from "Wide Awake", would later be voted the Number One love song of all time by NPR Music's reader's poll. Bright Eyes had officially broken through. It was a heady, exciting time, but also fraught and tense, both because of the band's careening new fame, and because of the state of the world.
Please note new street date: November 25. "The first three are innocent in a way, because we didn't have an audience when we were making them," Conor Oberst says. "But from "Lifted" on, I was definitely aware of an audience". These days, Oberst is still amusing himself by messing with the extremes Bright Eyes baked into this era's releases, extremes that reflected the polar, with-us-or-against-us, fractious feel of the times. The reworked "Digital Ash" tracks, originally so clean and elegant, are, on the companion EP, full of "harmonica and mandolins - folky vibes," Oberst says.
August 21 street date. Sometimes it feels like you hear a Bright Eyes song with your whole body. From Conor Oberst's early recordings in an Omaha basement in 1995 all the way up to 2020, Bright Eyes' music tries to unravel the impossible tangles of dissent: personal and political, external and internal. It's a study of the beauty in unsteadiness in all its forms - in a voice, beliefs, love, identity, and what fills up the spaces in-between. And in so many ways, it's just about searching for a way through. 2020 is full of significant anniversaries for Bright Eyes. "Fevers And Mirrors" was released 20 years ago this May, while "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn" and "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning" both turned 15 in January. And while 2020 is a year of milestones for the band, it's also the year Bright Eyes returns, newly signed to Dead Oceans. Amidst the current overwhelming uncertainty and upheaval of global and personal worlds, Bright Eyes reunited under the moniker as both an escape from, and a confrontation of, trying times. Getting the band back together felt right, and necessary, and the friendship at the core of the band has been a longtime pillar of Bright Eyes' output. For Bright Eyes, this long-awaited re-emergence feels like coming home.
August 21 street date. Sometimes it feels like you hear a Bright Eyes song with your whole body. From Conor Oberst's early recordings in an Omaha basement in 1995 all the way up to 2020, Bright Eyes' music tries to unravel the impossible tangles of dissent: personal and political, external and internal. It's a study of the beauty in unsteadiness in all its forms - in a voice, beliefs, love, identity, and what fills up the spaces in-between. And in so many ways, it's just about searching for a way through. 2020 is full of significant anniversaries for Bright Eyes. "Fevers And Mirrors" was released 20 years ago this May, while "Digital Ash in a Digital Urn" and "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning" both turned 15 in January. And while 2020 is a year of milestones for the band, it's also the year Bright Eyes returns, newly signed to Dead Oceans. Amidst the current overwhelming uncertainty and upheaval of global and personal worlds, Bright Eyes reunited under the moniker as both an escape from, and a confrontation of, trying times. Getting the band back together felt right, and necessary, and the friendship at the core of the band has been a longtime pillar of Bright Eyes' output. For Bright Eyes, this long-awaited re-emergence feels like coming home.
Please note new street date: November 25. "The first three are innocent in a way, because we didn't have an audience when we were making them," Conor Oberst says. "But from "Lifted" on, I was definitely aware of an audience. "Lifted" was well-received right away, and then everything happened with "Wide Awake" and "Digital Ash"." Those two albums came out simultaneously. And their lead singles - "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)," from the austere, remote "Digital Ash", and "Lua," from the warm, folky "Wide Awake" - debuted in the top two slots on the Billboard Hot 100. "First Day of My Life," also from "Wide Awake", would later be voted the Number One love song of all time by NPR Music's reader's poll. Bright Eyes had officially broken through. It was a heady, exciting time, but also fraught and tense, both because of the band's careening new fame, and because of the state of the world.
Please note new street date: November 25. "The first three are innocent in a way, because we didn't have an audience when we were making them," Conor Oberst says. "But from "Lifted" on, I was definitely aware of an audience. "Lifted" was well-received right away, and then everything happened with "Wide Awake" and "Digital Ash"." Those two albums came out simultaneously. And their lead singles - "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)," from the austere, remote "Digital Ash", and "Lua," from the warm, folky "Wide Awake" - debuted in the top two slots on the Billboard Hot 100. "First Day of My Life," also from "Wide Awake", would later be voted the Number One love song of all time by NPR Music's reader's poll. Bright Eyes had officially broken through. It was a heady, exciting time, but also fraught and tense, both because of the band's careening new fame, and because of the state of the world.
Please note new street date: November 25. "The first three are innocent in a way, because we didn't have an audience when we were making them," Conor Oberst says. "But from "Lifted" on, I was definitely aware of an audience". These days, Oberst is still amusing himself by messing with the extremes Bright Eyes baked into this era's releases, extremes that reflected the polar, with-us-or-against-us, fractious feel of the times. The analogue sweetness of the "Wide Awake" songs have been put through a detached nihilism filter.
May 27 street date (CD)/July 15 street date (LP). It's the desire to celebrate their sonic bounty that first got Conor Oberst and the band excited about the idea of comprehensive reissues. Originally released in 1998, "Letting Off The Happiness" is the debut album from Bright Eyes.
Please note new street date: November 25. "The first three are innocent in a way, because we didn't have an audience when we were making them," Conor Oberst says. "But from "Lifted" on, I was definitely aware of an audience. "Lifted" was well-received right away, and then everything happened with "Wide Awake" and "Digital Ash"." Those two albums came out simultaneously. And their lead singles - "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)," from the austere, remote "Digital Ash", and "Lua," from the warm, folky "Wide Awake" - debuted in the top two slots on the Billboard Hot 100. "First Day of My Life," also from "Wide Awake", would later be voted the Number One love song of all time by NPR Music's reader's poll. Bright Eyes had officially broken through. It was a heady, exciting time, but also fraught and tense, both because of the band's careening new fame, and because of the state of the world.
Please note new street date: November 25. "The first three are innocent in a way, because we didn't have an audience when we were making them," Conor Oberst says. "But from "Lifted" on, I was definitely aware of an audience. "Lifted" was well-received right away, and then everything happened with "Wide Awake" and "Digital Ash"." Those two albums came out simultaneously. And their lead singles - "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)," from the austere, remote "Digital Ash", and "Lua," from the warm, folky "Wide Awake" - debuted in the top two slots on the Billboard Hot 100. "First Day of My Life," also from "Wide Awake", would later be voted the Number One love song of all time by NPR Music's reader's poll. Bright Eyes had officially broken through. It was a heady, exciting time, but also fraught and tense, both because of the band's careening new fame, and because of the state of the world.
Please note new street date: November 25. "The first three are innocent in a way, because we didn't have an audience when we were making them," Conor Oberst says. "But from "Lifted" on, I was definitely aware of an audience". These days, Oberst is still amusing himself by messing with the extremes Bright Eyes baked into this era's releases, extremes that reflected the polar, with-us-or-against-us, fractious feel of the times.
Please note new street date: April 1 (CD) / May 6 (LP). Introducing "The Garden": a STRINGS ALBUM and a RETROSPECTIVE from a room in Montreal with the windows open, and the wind moving, and the leaves changing, and a spring-coloured secret on the tip of Basia Bulat's tongue. The band made it in a pandemic. Bulat and her old friend Mark Lawson, with whom she recorded the Polaris- and Juno-nominated album "Tall Tall Shadow". Bulat and her husband, Legal Vertigo's Andy Woods. Bulat and her friends Ben Whiteley, Zou Zou Robidoux, Jen Thiessen, John Corban, and Tomo Newton, four fifths of whom form a string quartet, because did we mention this is a STRINGS ALBUM? Not a greatest hits but a re-configuration: a chance to record anew some songs that Bulat didn't fully understand when she originally composed them, five or ten or fifteen years ago. "The Garden" gathers fourteen string arrangements by three different arrangers (Owen Pallett, Paul Frith, and Zou Zou Robidoux), revisiting material from all five of Bulat's studio albums.
Please note new street date: May 6 (LP) / April 1 (CD). Introducing "The Garden": a STRINGS ALBUM and a RETROSPECTIVE from a room in Montreal with the windows open, and the wind moving, and the leaves changing, and a spring-coloured secret on the tip of Basia Bulat's tongue. The band made it in a pandemic. Bulat and her old friend Mark Lawson, with whom she recorded the Polaris- and Juno-nominated album "Tall Tall Shadow". Bulat and her husband, Legal Vertigo's Andy Woods. Bulat and her friends Ben Whiteley, Zou Zou Robidoux, Jen Thiessen, John Corban, and Tomo Newton, four fifths of whom form a string quartet, because did we mention this is a STRINGS ALBUM? Not a greatest hits but a re-configuration: a chance to record anew some songs that Bulat didn't fully understand when she originally composed them, five or ten or fifteen years ago. "The Garden" gathers fourteen string arrangements by three different arrangers (Owen Pallett, Paul Frith, and Zou Zou Robidoux), revisiting material from all five of Bulat's studio albums.
November 18 street date. 20th Anniversary Edition of the Grammy Award Winning album by the King of Rock ‘n’ Soul - the great Solomon Burke. Newly mastered and includes the bonus track “I Need A Holiday”. The newly packaged booklet includes exclusive photos from the recording session and new liner notes. Recorded live in the studio in a raw, organic style by Joe Henry, the album features new compositions by writers and artists including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Nick Lowe, Brian Wilson, Joe Henry and Dan Penn, all of whom credit Solomon with deeply influencing their work. None of these songs have ever been released commercially before now, and Solomon makes each of them his own with his dynamic delivery.
April 8 street date. Calexico occupy their signature sound on the new album, "El Mirador"; riding the continental divide between dream pop, Mexican folk, and Americana. If any band understands how to expand their sound without losing the brilliant essence of the band, it's Calexico. Their songs run the gamut from retro-tinged alt-rock, to sentimental folk to southwestern tracks with an impressive display of vision and expertly honed skills. With vocals that intertwine English and Spanish, "El Mirador" embraces the musical heritage of the southwest, and features guest artists from all musical genres including Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), who drops backing vocals on "Harness the Wind", Jairo Zavala of Depedro is featured vocalist on "Cumbia Peninsula", and Gaby Moreno and Mexican Institute Of Sound are featured on "Cumbia Del Polvo".
April 8 street date. Calexico occupy their signature sound on the new album, "El Mirador"; riding the continental divide between dream pop, Mexican folk, and Americana. If any band understands how to expand their sound without losing the brilliant essence of the band, it's Calexico. Their songs run the gamut from retro-tinged alt-rock, to sentimental folk to southwestern tracks with an impressive display of vision and expertly honed skills. With vocals that intertwine English and Spanish, "El Mirador" embraces the musical heritage of the southwest, and features guest artists from all musical genres including Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), who drops backing vocals on "Harness the Wind", Jairo Zavala of Depedro is featured vocalist on "Cumbia Peninsula", and Gaby Moreno and Mexican Institute Of Sound are featured on "Cumbia Del Polvo".
October 29 street date. Now on vinyl! / CD available now. Calexico's "Seasonal Shift" is less of a Christmas album and more of a cross cultural seasonal celebration. The themes are based around that familiar end of year feeling, of reflection, of ceremony and of recognition of the year gone by and changes it brought for better and for worse. It contains a few cover songs including classics by John Lennon and Tom Petty, a few more special guests and a whole load of good will. It's heartfelt but fun, and earnest but celebratory. It features Calexico in an assortment of guises, referencing Portuguese Fado and old Mexican folk songs, from the stripped back two-man skeleton to the full party of international collaborators including artists like Bombino, Gaby Moreno, Gisela João, Nick Urata (DeVotchKa) and Camilo Lara.
May 1 street date. Making A Door Less Open, the new album from Car Seat Headrest and the first set of brand-new songs since 2016’s Teens Of Denial, is set for release May 1 on Matador Records. Created over the course of four years, Making a Door Less Open is the result of a fruitful “collaboration” between Car Seat Headrest, led by Will Toledo, and 1 Trait Danger, a CSH electronic side project consisting of drummer Andrew Katz and Toledo’s alternative persona, “Trait.” To realize this, the band recorded the album twice: once live with guitars, drums and bass, and once in a MIDI environment using purely synthesized sounds. During the mixing process, the two approaches were gradually combined using elements of each, with additional overdubs. In this way, Making A Door Less Open sees Toledo embarking on new and imaginative roads to songwriting and recording, placing emphasis on the individual songs, each with its own “special energy,” rather than attempting to draw a coherent storyteller narrative through the album as he has in the past, resulting in his most dynamic and open-ended work to date. Car Seat Headrest will embark on a North American tour this summer, including two nights at Toronto's Danforth Music Hall (June 3rd and 4th) and two night's at The Commodore Ballroom (July 9th and 10th) Comprised of Will Toledo, Andrew Katz (drums), Ethan Ives (guitar) and Seth Dalby (bass), Car Seat Headrest has either released 11 or three albums to date, depending on the way you look at it. A prolific songwriter, Toledo took his moniker from making early recordings in the private environment of his family’s car, releasing a dozen self-recorded and produced albums on Bandcamp and building a tight-knit following. Toledo has since gone from an empty five-seater to selling out tours and filling festival main stages.
May 1 street date. Making A Door Less Open, the new album from Car Seat Headrest and the first set of brand-new songs since 2016’s Teens Of Denial, is set for release May 1 on Matador Records. Created over the course of four years, Making a Door Less Open is the result of a fruitful “collaboration” between Car Seat Headrest, led by Will Toledo, and 1 Trait Danger, a CSH electronic side project consisting of drummer Andrew Katz and Toledo’s alternative persona, “Trait.” To realize this, the band recorded the album twice: once live with guitars, drums and bass, and once in a MIDI environment using purely synthesized sounds. During the mixing process, the two approaches were gradually combined using elements of each, with additional overdubs. In this way, Making A Door Less Open sees Toledo embarking on new and imaginative roads to songwriting and recording, placing emphasis on the individual songs, each with its own “special energy,” rather than attempting to draw a coherent storyteller narrative through the album as he has in the past, resulting in his most dynamic and open-ended work to date. Car Seat Headrest will embark on a North American tour this summer, including two nights at Toronto's Danforth Music Hall (June 3rd and 4th) and two night's at The Commodore Ballroom (July 9th and 10th) Comprised of Will Toledo, Andrew Katz (drums), Ethan Ives (guitar) and Seth Dalby (bass), Car Seat Headrest has either released 11 or three albums to date, depending on the way you look at it. A prolific songwriter, Toledo took his moniker from making early recordings in the private environment of his family’s car, releasing a dozen self-recorded and produced albums on Bandcamp and building a tight-knit following. Toledo has since gone from an empty five-seater to selling out tours and filling festival main stages.
May 19 street date. Limited pink vinyl edition of "Our Love", the fifth studio album from Caribou. Originally released in 2014, "Our Love" is formed around a mixture of digital pop production, hip hop-inspired beats, muted house basslines, and a love of shuffling garage that can be traced all the way back to the time of "Start Breaking My Heart" - all of which are, of course, filtered through Dan's own unique perspective. The warm analog sounds of classic soul should not be overlooked either, for they weave themselves most intensely into the record's DNA. It's not all downbeat of course; while some thoughts linger on mortality, loss, and letting go, there is always an element of celebration. "Our Love" isn't the sound of isolated creation but the sound of Dan at his most connected - with love for his listeners, his collaborators, and those closest to him.
April 23 street date. For nearly two decades, Hayes Carll has been making consistently great singer-songwriter records, influenced by the back-porch songcraft of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. While off the road in Nashville for his longest stretch in years, Carll had the chance to revisit some of his best material - which he reimagines on a new acoustic album, "Alone Together Sessions". The collection includes duets with his wife Alison Moorer and Ray Wylie Hubbard. "Alone Together Sessions" is a loose, soulful, and ruff hewn collection of some of Carll's finest performances to date.
October 29 street date. Country singer/songwriter Hayes Carll returns with his eighth album "You Get It All", produced by Allison Moorer and Kenny Greenberg. Carll's talent for storytelling and creating compelling lyrical narratives shines through as brightly as ever, and "You Get It All" exemplifies his ability to span a wide range of musical styles while staying true to himself. Featuring songs co-written by Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark, and Sean McConnell, "You Get It All" is both heartbreaking and lighthearted, a combination that Carll has honed on his records throughout his entire career. "I like to tug at heartstrings, find commonality with others, reflect on my own life, and sometimes I do it in a lighthearted way," says Carll. "A lot of musical styles found their way onto this record, but my first and most formative influences came from country music. This is a country singer-songwriter record. It's just unapologetically me".
October 29 street date. Country singer/songwriter Hayes Carll returns with his eighth album "You Get It All", produced by Allison Moorer and Kenny Greenberg. Carll's talent for storytelling and creating compelling lyrical narratives shines through as brightly as ever, and "You Get It All" exemplifies his ability to span a wide range of musical styles while staying true to himself. Featuring songs co-written by Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark, and Sean McConnell, "You Get It All" is both heartbreaking and lighthearted, a combination that Carll has honed on his records throughout his entire career. "I like to tug at heartstrings, find commonality with others, reflect on my own life, and sometimes I do it in a lighthearted way," says Carll. "A lot of musical styles found their way onto this record, but my first and most formative influences came from country music. This is a country singer-songwriter record. It's just unapologetically me".
March 17 street date. The Cash Box Kings keep real-deal Chicago blues alive and kicking with smart, contemporary songwriting, tough vocals, world-class harmonica and razor-sharp guitar. Living Blues magazine has called them "one of the best blues bands in the land". The Cash Box Kings have played major festivals all over the world, including the Chicago Blues Festival (over 10 times), the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the Edmonton Blues Festival. "Oscar's Motel" was recorded in Chicago and features nine new original Cash Box Kings songs updating the classic juke-joint sound for the modern day. The band also breathes new life into Muddy Waters' "Please Have Mercy" and Sonny Boy Williamson's "Pontiac Blues". Chicago blues diva Deitra Farr and Memphis blues great John Nemeth guest.
March 17 street date. The Cash Box Kings keep real-deal Chicago blues alive and kicking with smart, contemporary songwriting, tough vocals, world-class harmonica and razor-sharp guitar. Living Blues magazine has called them "one of the best blues bands in the land". The Cash Box Kings have played major festivals all over the world, including the Chicago Blues Festival (over 10 times), the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the Edmonton Blues Festival. "Oscar's Motel" was recorded in Chicago and features nine new original Cash Box Kings songs updating the classic juke-joint sound for the modern day. The band also breathes new life into Muddy Waters' "Please Have Mercy" and Sonny Boy Williamson's "Pontiac Blues". Chicago blues diva Deitra Farr and Memphis blues great John Nemeth guest.
Available now. Recorded in 1985, "The Spirit Of Christmas" finds Ray Charles performing a variety of holiday favourites with vocal assistance from the Raelettes and an appearance by jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. The ten tracks mix standards and originals, including "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and the ballad "That Spirit of Christmas," which was featured in the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". "The Spirit Of Christmas" is perfect background music for any holiday celebration.
Available now. Recorded in 1985, "The Spirit Of Christmas" finds Ray Charles performing a variety of holiday favourites with vocal assistance from the Raelettes and an appearance by jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. The ten tracks mix standards and originals, including "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and the ballad "That Spirit of Christmas," which was featured in the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". "The Spirit Of Christmas" is perfect background music for any holiday celebration.
March 24 street date. London-based artist Lucinda Chua presents her debut solo album, "YIAN". The title means swallow in Chinese, and is part of "Siew Yian," the name given to Chua by her parents to preserve a connection with Chinese heritage. Just as the migratory songbird lives between places, so does Chua; she's lived in the in-between of the English, Malaysian and Chinese cultures that make up her heritage. Yet in the absence of Mandarin as a mother tongue, music became a way to express the parts of herself that couldn’t be described in words; "YIAN" emerged as a way to heal. After collaborating with FKA Twigs (along with playing in her live band), and releasing 2 acclaimed EP's, Lucinda Chua has reinvented her identity through her artistic craft by respecting the past, yet building upon it in search for a feeling of freedom.
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