Archive for the ‘CLASSIC ALBUMS’ Category

BAMBARA – ” Serafina “

Posted: November 14, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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One thing you won’t be able to avoid on Bambara’s “Stray” is death. It’s everywhere and inescapable, abstract and personified  – perhaps the key to the whole record. Death, however, won’t be the first thing that strikes you about the group’s fourth – and greatest – album to date. That instead will be its pulverising soundscape; by turns, vast, atmospheric, cool, broiling and at times – on stand out tracks like “Sing Me To The Street” and “Serafina” – simply overwhelming

Bambara are twin brothers Reid and Blaze Bateh, singer/guitarist and drummer respectively, and bassist William Brookshire – have been evolving their midnight-black noise into something more subtle and expansive ever since the release of their 2013 debut Dreamviolence. That process greatly accelerated on 2018’s Shadow On Everything, their first on New York’s Wharf Cat Records and  a huge stride forward for the band both lyrically and sonically.

The album was rapturously received by the press, listeners and their peers. NPR called it a “mesmerising…western, gothic opus,” Bandcamp called the “horror-house rampage” “one of the year’s most gripping listens,” and Alexis Marshall of Daughters named it his “favorite record of 2018.”  Shadow also garnered much acclaim on the this side of the Atlantic. Influential British 6Music DJ Steve Lamacq, dubbed them the best band of 2019’s SXSW, and Joe Talbot of the UK band IDLES said, “The best thing I heard last year was easily Bambara and their album Shadow On Everything.”  The question was, though, how to follow it?

To start, the band did what they always do: they locked themselves in their windowless Brooklyn basement to write. Decisions were made early on to try and experiment with new instrumentation and song structures, even if the resulting compositions would force the band to adapt their storied live set, known for its tenacity and technical prowess. Throughout the songwriting process, the band pulled from their deep well of creative references, drawing on the likes of Leonard Cohen, Ennio Morricone, Sade, classic French noir L’Ascenseur Pour L’Echafraud, as well as Southern Gothic stalwarts Flannery O’Connor and Harry Crews.

Once the building blocks were set in place, they met with producer Drew Vandenberg, who mixed Shadow On Everything, in Athens, GA to record the foundation of Stray. After recruiting friends Adam Markiewicz (The Dreebs) on violin, Sean Smith (Klavenauts) on trumpet and a crucial blend of backing vocals by Drew Citron (Public Practice) and Anina Ivry-Block (Palberta), Bambara convened in a remote cabin in rural Georgia, where Reid laid down his vocals.

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The finished product represents both the band’s most experimental and accessible work to date. The addition of Citron and Ivory-Block’s vocals create a hauntingly beautiful contrast to Bateh’s commanding  baritone on tracks like “Sing Me to the Street”, “Death Croons” and “Stay Cruel,” while the Dick Dale inspired guitar riffs on “Serafina” and “Heat Lightning” and the call-and-response choruses throughout the album showcase Bambara’s ability to write songs that immediately demand repeat listens.

While the music itself is evocative and propulsive, a fever dream all of its own, the lyrical content pushes the record even further into its own darkly thrilling realm. If the songs on Shadow On Everything were like chapters in a novel, then this time they’re short stories. Short stories connected by death and its effect on the characters in contact with it. “Death is what you make it” runs a lyric in “Sweat,” a line which may very well be the thread  that ties these stories together.

PINK FLOYD – ” The Later Years: 1987-2019 ” Box Set

Posted: November 14, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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When one mentions Pink Floyd, a reverence fills the air. This is particularly true when any of their original content is being prepared for a Deluxe release. And for Pink Floyd, much of their catalog has been explored to their cores and released in multiple deluxe packages. So, is there room for one more?

On November 29th, (and just in time for Christmas gift-giving), this massive 15-disc package called “The Later Years: 1987-2019″. Confirmed earlier this year by Aubrey Powell (co-owner of Hipgnosis, the oft-used album design company started with the late great Storm Thorgerson), this box set will definitely arrive for Pink Floyd fans and hard-core completists. The years indicate music created after the departure of Roger Waters and would likely include unused and previously unavailable studio and live materials. These treasures would work from A Momentary Lapse of Reason through 2014’sThe Endless River. A Delicate Sound of Thunder representing the tour for A Momentary Lapse of Reason, andPulse representing the tour for The Division Bell are both likely to be explored in this box set.

For now, the content is speculative. But there is a product shot that brings a lot of hope. Stay tuned for information from ALL fronts once the news is released for actual disc content. A Momentary Lapse of Reason is rumored to have a 5.1 Surround mix available for this box. As with The Early Years, a wealth of extras will accompany the pricey box.

In a side note, Powell also revealed that the 5.1 SACD for Animals would see release sometime early 2020.

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NIRVANA – ” Unplugged in New York ” 25th Anniversary Reissue

Posted: November 14, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Named one of the 10 best live albums of all time by Rolling Stone, Nirvana’s “Unplugged in New York” will be reissued on 2LP vinyl in celebration of the 25th anniversary of its 1994 release.Expanded to include 5 rehearsal performances previously only available on DVD, the anniversary release also features an exclusive gatefold jacket including anniversary silver foil detail on the front and back cover.180gm black vinyl.

The performance which became the most enduring image of indie rock’s founding idol. Featuring unique acoustic renditions of their legendary hits as well as the captivating cover of Bowie’s Man Who Sold The World. It features an acoustic performance taped at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18th, 1993 for the television series MTV Unplugged. The show was directed by Beth McCarthy and first aired on the cable television network MTV on December 14th, 1993. As opposed to traditional practice on the television series, Nirvana played a setlist composed of mainly lesser-known material and cover versions of songs by The Vaselines, David Bowie, Meat Puppets (during which they were joined by two members of the group onstage), and Lead Belly.

When you get your own MTV Unplugged session, it is seen by many bands and artists as a career highlight: an intimate moment in time where you can lay yourself bare for your fans to see, often cementing yourself as one of the greats. The likes of Lauryn Hill, Oasis and Eric Clapton are just a few of the names that have graced the MTV stage as part of their Unplugged sessions.

One of the most iconic MTV Unplugged sets came in 1993 when Seattle grunge gods Nirvana took to the stage to unequivocally write their names in the history books. Backed by a youthful Dave Grohl on drums and bassist Krist Novoselic, the spotlight shone on enigmatic frontman Kurt Cobain. The producers behind the show always wanted artists to play their biggest hits, however Nirvana had different ideas. Their set was packed full of B-sides and covers, swapping out the more obvious crowd pleasers for something more against the grain.

Kicking things off with ‘About A Girl’, it becomes quite clear that this was going to be something special, and a whole world away from the heavy, melodic assault that they were renowned for.

The anthemic ‘Come As You Are’ drew a raucous cheer from the assembled crowd, as Cobain nonchalantly recited the lyrics. Their cover of The Vaselines’ ‘Jesus Don’t Want Me For A Sunbeam’ saw Novoselic swapping his bass for an accordion, while Grohl’s ability to play the bass and percussion at the same time continued to wow the crowd.

A cover of David Bowie’s ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ is an obvious highlight, with many people often preferring this version to the original. A couple of B-side gems follow this, with ‘Pennyroyal Tea’ and ‘Dumb’ being stripped down to their bare bones. The band return to their best selling album ‘Nevermind’ for the next few tracks, with folky renditions of ‘Polly’, ‘On A Plain’ and ‘Something In The Way’, satisfying the crowds lust for their more popular cuts.

As the set draws to a close, Nirvana call upon their friends Cris and Curt Kirkwood from the band Meat Puppets. With the Kirkwood brothers joining them onstage, they rip through three of their band’s songs: ‘Plateau’, ‘Oh, Me’ and ‘Lake Of Fire’, each shifted from their punky roots to be delivered as folky lullabies that the crowd lap up.

The final two songs on the album are the ones you get the most goosebumps from. The eerily chilling delivery of ‘All Apologies’ hits you right in the heart as soon as Cobain squawks the opening impassioned lines.

However, it’s the last song, a cover of a traditional folk song that the group renamed ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night?’ that equally amazes and unsettles you. As Cobain wails “my girl, my girl, don’t lie to me,” pain etched all over his voice, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up instantly. Little did we know that, just a few months later, Cobain would take his own life at his home in Seattle.

The original album was released posthumously in 1994, almost a year after it was recorded and quickly went on to become one of the best-selling records in the MTV Unplugged series, a huge testament to a band who stepped far away from their comfort zone and created a piece of art that has stood the test of time.

Words: Mike Wood

BEAUTIFUL DUDES – ” Radio “

Posted: November 14, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Upon your first listen of “Radio”, it feels like a party album. I’m reminded of White Reaper or Diarrhea Planet. It is full of big riffs and choruses that demand that you sing along to. But as you dig into it, you realize there is way more lurking behind the surface. Tom Bevitori had started Beautiful Dudes ten years ago in his hometown of Nevada City, CA before heading off to Portland to taste some success; including this gem by Denver. Bevitori was dealt with a lifetime’s full of bad news over the course of a short-term – a bitter divorce, Crohn’s Disease diagnosis and substance abuse.

Bevitori went up and resurrected his hometown band – Robbie Landsburg, Art Echternacht and Zach Peach. During the course of their first album cycle, Bevitori relapsed. During his recovery, he really dug into his feelings. Opener, The Shape I’m In is this cathartic piece of rock ‘n’ roll. Crank it up, let it out and let yourself heal. That’s followed by Lose My Head; a tune that sounds like it is full of bravado but Bevitori again exposes the reality behind addiction.

This is a great album; made better cause it seems like Bevitori is in a good place now.

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RATBOYS – ” Alien with a Sleep Mask On “

Posted: November 14, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Ratboys, the Chicago based band, that is built on the duo of Julia Steiner and Dave Fagan have become one of my favorites over the last couple of years. Their unique tales sung to their own brand of indie make them an easy band to reach for. New album “Printer’s Devil” is out on 2/28/20 via the fine folks of Topshelf Records.

Upheaval and change are themes spread throughout the songs on Printer’s Devil, the latest Ratboys LP, out February 28th, 2020 via Topshelf Records. But all the while, singer-songwriter Julia Steiner embraces moments of uncertainty as a necessary part of growing. Steiner recalls a David Byrne lyric, “I’m lost, but I’m not afraid” as inspiration for the transformative outlook, considering the line a personal mantra while writing Ratboys’ third full-length record. “There’s definitely a lot of uncertainty about what’s next, but I like to think that, in the midst of creating a lot of vulnerability for ourselves, we’re confident and becoming more self-assured.”

This is the official music video for “Alien with a Sleep Mask On” from the album ‘Printer’s Devil’ by Ratboys

TROPICAL FUCK STORM – ” Braindrops “

Posted: November 13, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Tropical Fuck Storm

“It’s a love song, but it’s about killing an immortal Nazi witch… so, I don’t know.”

Gareth “Gaz” Liddiard is sketching out a broad roadmap to “Maria 63,” the closing song on Tropical Fuck Storm’s sophomore album Braindrops. The “Maria” in question is Maria Orsic, an immortal Nazi witch who communicated with aliens via telepathy and was absolutely, positively real—at least to some far-right conspiracy circles. “She got plans for space propulsions engines from aliens telepathically, and she gave them to Hitler,” he says over the phone from his home in Victoria. “In the end, she was spirited away to Aldebaran, a planet a few light years away.”

On “Maria 63,” things turn out a bit differently: In disguise as her own daughter, Orsic flees to Argentina with the rest of the disgraced Nazis, and spends her years in exile until she’s assassinated by a Mossad agent posing as an interviewer; the violent conclusion is contrasted with repeated allusions to “Ave Maria,” that universal signifier for purity and devotion. It all adds up to what Liddiard declares, with pride, “the most convoluted love song in history.”

This devious sort of mindfuckery lays at the heart of Tropical Fuck Storm (or TFS for short), the psych-rock project Liddiard co-founded alongside his partner Fiona Kitschin in 2017 after their old beloved band, the chameleonic art-rock outfit the Drones, went on hiatus. With drummer Lauren Hammel (of Collingwood extreme-metal outfit High Tension) and guitarist Erica Dunn (who also slings riffs for the indie-punk outfits Palm Springs and Mod Con) in the ranks, Tropical Fuck Storm technically qualify as a supergroup. To that end, elements of their collective back catalog crop up on both Braindropsand its 2018’s predecessor, A Laughing Death In Meatspace: Hammel’s militant drumming, Dunn’s bristling, post-punk-inflected fretwork, Liddiard’s sardonic drawl, Kitschin’s piercing alto. But TFS’ was a chimera incubated in the dystopia of the here and now: a group reaction to all the environmental destruction (a subject Liddiard and Kitschin are very familiar with as survivors of the 2017-2018 brush-fire season, the worst in Australia’s history), inept bureaucrats, and fascist insurgencies plaguing the globe.

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“The first album is more political crap going on, more didactic shit,” he explains. “With this, I wanted to make an apolitical album—which is impossible. I structured most of the songs about being love songs. Whether they’re reliable or unreliable as a narrator, I don’t know. In the end, they end up being political and weird.”

That so many of their romps center around obscure conspiracy theories (consider the aformenetioned “Maria 63,” orA Laughing Death In Meatspace’s “Shellfish Toxin,” which is all about how the CIA gave fighter pilots decoy coins laced with a lethal shellfish toxin so that they could commit suicide if they were captured—allegedly) only buttresses their thesis further: in a post-internet, post-truth world, who’s to say what’s real and what isn’t?

“I find there’s a parallel with dadaism,” Liddiard explains. “That was all between the wars back in the early 20th century, and shit at that time was getting really ridiculous. The real world was so outrageously crazy, so satirizing it didn’t work. How can you parody Hitler? How can you parody Donald Trump? You can’t out-stupid stupid. Now we’re back at the same juncture, I guess, so it’s more of a dada thing. Instead of pointing out something going wrong, you just ape the shit out of it. We’re just dealing with the weird and ridiculous.”

released August 23rd, 2019

BATHS – ” Wistful (Fata Morgana) “

Posted: November 13, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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For the better part of a decade, Baths‘ elegiac dance floor anthems have embodied F. Scott Fitzgerald’s adage about how first rate minds are those that can hold two opposing ideas in their head at the same time. His latest “Wistful (Fata Morgana)” masters this propulsive duality, balancing strobe light-ready BPMS with emotional pathos. It’s the sort of song a celestial deity would want play at the club after a crushing breakup. The mysterious nexus between loneliness and euphoria.

If the best pop music (and art) contains contradictions, the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born Will Wiesenfeld has mastered the art of combining profound sadness with sweaty catharsis. With his seraphic voice, he meditates on “cloudy harbor vapor,” a breeze forlornly running fingers through your hair, and the melancholy of having empty conversations with the wind. His loved one is “still out on a boat somewhere,” inevitably fated to never return. The only solace is the melody, the beat, and the song itself that allows you to drift off into the infinite distance.

released November 13th, 2019

Written, produced, & performed by Will Wiesenfeld

RECORD STORE DAY – Black Friday 2019

Posted: November 13, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Record Store Day, the annual event celebrating independent music retailers, has announced special releases for Black Friday 2019.

Though separate from the traditional Record Store Day — which takes place in April — the Black Friday releases follow a similar theme of rare material usually available in limited quantities and almost exclusively on vinyl. This marks the ninth year organizers have unveiled Black Friday releases.

“Since 2010, the organizers of April’s worldwide celebration of the record store, Record Store Day, have worked to shift the perception of Black Friday as a mass-produced, low-as-you-can-go event,” declared the announcement’s press release. Organizers went on to note that Record Store Day Black Friday concentrates instead on “a list of special releases that highlight how great gifts from a record store can be, and celebrating the kick-off of the holiday rush at independently owned neighborhood businesses.”

Alice Cooper 'Billion Dollar Babies (Live)' LP + 7"

Alice Cooper, Billion Dollar Babies Live
Originally released on a deluxe edition of Alice Cooper’s bestselling 1973 album, this concert from Houston, Texas features live versions of “No More Mr. Nice Guy” and “I’m Eighteen” plus a bonus 7″ featuring versions of “School’s Out” and “Under My Wheels” that were not on that aforementioned bonus disc. (6000 copies)

Alice Cooper, ‘Dragontown’

In 2001, Alice Cooper unleashed the 15th solo album of his career, ‘Dragontown.’ The release saw the singer embracing a heavier, more industrial-metal sound, while still maintaining the dramatic flair that made him a shock-rock legend. For Record Store Day Black Friday, ‘Dragontown’ will be made available as a limited-edition double LP on colored vinyl.

Bad Company, ‘Live at Red Rocks’

This live album captures Bad Company during a performance at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2016. The performance, which features Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes on guitar, was originally released as a CD/DVD set exclusive to Walmart stores. Here it receives a vinyl limited edition reissue for Record Store Day Black Friday, with only 1,500 copies available.

Cheap Trick, “Gimme Some Truth”

In a 2018 interview, Cheap Trick singer Robin Zander told UCR about his band’s cover of “Gimme Some Truth,” calling it a “great version” of the John Lennon classic. Here the track finally sees the light of day, featured on the A-Side of this limited-edition red vinyl 7” single. The B-Side is a live rendition of the holiday song “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day,” featuring a guest appearance by the song’s writer, ELO and Wizzard member Roy Wood.
Cheap Trick 'Are You Ready? Live 12/31/1979' 2xLP

Cheap Trick, ‘Are You Ready or Not? – Live 12/31/79’

Recorded on New Year’s Eve 1979, ‘Are You Ready or Not?’ finds Cheap Trick delivering an electrifying performance at the Forum in Los Angeles. The recording, released here for the first time ever, features mixes taken from the original multi-track masters. Classic songs like “I Want You to Want Me,” “Surrender” and “Dream Police” are featured in this double LP set, along with the band’s rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” as they welcomed the dawn of the ’80s.

Devo, Devo Live 
Back in the ’80s, Warner Bros. Records pressed up a special series of “Music Show” albums sent to radio stations for one-time-only airings. Rhino will now release the first-ever commercial vinyl edition of Devo’s WB Music Show as Devo Live. (The set, excerpted on the DEV-O Live EP in 1981, was pressed on CD in 1999 by Rhino Handmade.) (4500 copies)

The Doors, Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970
The group’s last ex-U.S. performance with the original line-up was first released in 2018, and now receives a debut release on vinyl. (11,000 copies)

Aretha Franklin, The Atlantic Singles Collection 1968
A sequel to last year’s singles box set, this volume replicates the four original singles The Queen Of Soul released 51 years ago, including “Sweet, Sweet Baby (Since You’ve Been Gone)” and “Think” – all in their original mono versions. (3000 copies)

Geddy Lee, My Favourite Headache
Available for the first time on vinyl, the sole solo album by Rush’s iconic bassist, first released in 2000. This pressing includes bonus instrumental versions of singles “Home On The Strange” and the title track, plus a special poster and download code. (5000 copies)

Dr John 'Babylon' LP

Dr John – Babylon

Get On Down reissue this unique record for Record Store Day Black Friday, which has not been repressed on vinyl in over 40 years. In keeping with the album’s hallucinogenic sound, it is presented on trippy splatter coloured vinyl,  After the release of debut record Gris-Gris, Dr. John found himself in a strange and awkward position. The US was deep into the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of Martin Luther KingJr. and Bobby Kennedy were fresh in the public memory. Much like Sly and The Family Stone’s There’s A Riot Goin’ On, Dr. John’s follow-up album Babylon would be a reflection of the chaotic and tumultuous time that he was living in. He and band dove deeper into the voodoo-inflected psychedelic rock and R&B of Gris-Gris, while touching upon elements of free jazz and Captain Beefheart-style avant garde. As with his debut record, production was handled by the legendary Harold Battiste, and much of the same session personnel who performed on it returned for Babylon, including Plas Johnson on saxophone, Alvin Robinson on guitar, and backing vocals from Jessie Hill, Shirley Goodman, and Tami Lynn. Babylon stands out as one of Dr. John’s most overtly political albums, and is a singularly murky and darkly entrancing record in his discography. A psychedelic swamp of apocalyptic lyrical content, drunk, disorienting experimentation, and a fascinating entry into Dr. John’s catalogue well-worthy of his expansive legacy.

The Hold Steady 'Four On Ten' 10"

The Hold Steady Four on Ten

The Hold Steady Four on Ten is the final four songs from the digital singles released throughout the last two years that has never been on a physical format.

Nick Lowe & Wilco 'Cruel To Be Kind' 7"

Nick Lowe and Wilco – ‘Cruel to Be Kind’

Nick Lowe’s ‘Cruel to Be Kind’ was first released as a single in 1979 and, thanks to the hook-laden chorus and Lowe’s signature turn of phrase, has never left our ears since.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the power pop gem, Yep Roc is releasing a limited edition 45 single of ‘Cruel to Be Kind’ for Black Friday 2019. The A-side features the classic single and the B-side contains Nick Lowe & Wilco performing the track together in 2012.

The Nick Lowe & Wilco cover of ‘Cruel to Be Kind’ has never been previously available in any physical format. The 45 single arrives on green vinyl and contains a digital download for both songs. was first released as a single in 1979 and, thanks to the hook-laden chorus and Lowe’s signature turn of phrase, has never left our ears since.

The Monkees, Christmas Party Plus!

Last year’s Christmas Party was a fine epilogue to The Monkees’ story, featuring newly-recorded songs written by Andy Partridge and Rivers Cuomo and posthumous performances by Davy Jones (not to mention Peter Tork’s final work with the group before his passing last February). This double 7″ EP, pressed on green and red vinyl, includes two versions of the Partridge-penned “Unwrap You At Christmas” (a radio mix and the former XTC mastermind’s original demo, featuring vocals from his daughter Holly); a Spanish carol, “Riu Chiu,” performed on The Monkees TV show; and the original mix of the 1976 holiday single “Christmas Is My Time Of Year.” (5000 copies)

Pretenders, UK Singles 1979-1981

To commemorate 40 years since the Pretenders’ debut single, a cover of The Kinks’ “Stop Your Sobbing,” this box set assembles the band’s first eight singles as originally issued in England. Includes the hits “Brass In Pocket,” “Talk Of The Town” and “Message Of Love” plus non-album B-sides and a recreation of a rare 1981 flexidisc. (3500 copies)

Pearl Jam 'MTV Unplugged 3/16/92' LP

Pearl Jam –  MTV Unplugged

Previously Unreleased On Vinyl: Three days after completing their first American tour, Pearl Jam headed to New York to strip back songs from debut album Ten, well on its way to becoming one of 1992’s top rock albums. For the first time on vinyl, relive all seven songs featured in the MTV Unplugged broadcast, includingJeremy, Even Flow, Alive, Black and State Of Love and Trust.

Lou Reed 'The Raven' 3xLP

Lou Reed, The Raven

The debut vinyl issue (on three LPs) of what turned out to be Reed’s final solo rock album, a star-studded interpretation of the works of Edgar Allen Poe. Includes cameos by Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Willem Dafoe and Steve Buscemi. (5000 copies)

Lou Reed’s 2003 album, and 19th solo album The Raven, is a concept album, recounting the short stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe. The album which features guest vocals from Laurie Anderson and David Bowie (amongst others) also includes different versions of two classic Lou Reed tracks – Perfect Day (originally released on his breakthrough album Transformer) and The Bed(originally released on his third studio album Berlin). This is the first time The Raven has been on vinyl.

U2 'Three' 12"

U2, ‘Three’

Originally released in 1979, ‘Three’ was the first commercial effort from U2. At the time, it was exclusively available in Ireland and quickly sold out the 1,000 copies of its initial run. As the name implies, the release featured three tracks: “Out of Control,” “Stories for Boys” and “Boy-Girl.” The former two would appear on the band’s 1980 debut album ‘Boy.’ All songs have been remastered for this special Record Store Day Black Friday reissue. Only 7000 copies will be released, each with an individual number.

PURR – ” Like New “

Posted: November 12, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Purr began in 2017 as the second project from New York City born, raised and forever-based songwriting partners Eliza Barry Callahan and Jack Staffen. Today they announce the debut album “Like New”, produced by Jonathan Rado (Weyes Blood, Father John Misty, Whitney, The Lemon Twigs) which will be released on February 21st, 2020 via ANTI-Records.

The duo – who had previously captured attention releasing deft, stripped down, warm-toned pysch-pop under their names, Jack and Eliza – shifted to what naturally felt like their next musical gear. If Jack and Eliza showcased the songwriting prowess of a promising young duo (they are both still in their early twenties), then Purr lets Callahan’s and Staffen’s work bloom in the fertile ground of a fully realized soundscape. Purr builds upon an ageless, classic sound that at once looks at the past while leaning into their own, individual future – with Staffen’s and Callahan’s vocals humming at the center.

Like New was written in the band’s basement studio in downtown Manhattan, a repurposed storage space beneath a restaurant in the building where Callahan once lived as a young child—thanks to the goodwill of the very last kind landlord in New York City. In the territory of a New York City upbringing, Callahan sites her late close friend and old next-door neighbor, whom she met on the sidewalk when she was eight, the jazz guitarist Jim Hall, as her primary influence in music and life.

While the is band heavily rooted in New York City, the album was recorded at Rado’s East Los Angeles studio with and takes on a distinctly west coast feel which glows with a sunny warmth, whirrs with breeziness and is at times a little noir too. As Callahan and Staffen were working on the album opener “Hard to Realize,” they couldn’t stop hearing tubular bells in the full swell of the chorus. They rented a set from a nearby drum shop, only to learn upon their delivery that they were the exact bells used in the soundtrack for the 1933 classic, King Kong. As Hollywood ghosts swirl through Like New, Callahan and Staffen’s voices knit together forging at times what can eerily sound like one voice.

Callahan and Staffen write: “We wrote the songs that make up this album at the outset of a transitional and particularly uncertain moment in our lives. That early twenties tide change. New patterns took hold as we tried to hang onto old ones. The songs each have their own stories — but at the time they were collectively written, we were dealing with a push and pull between dependence on and independence from people we love, and coming to terms with our own self-expectations. We were resisting and (sometimes) accepting of the inevitable changes in our relationships and friendships, a moment, a specific and strange time in our lives…and, of course, in this… world. That thread was just naturally pulled through the songs.

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releases February 21st, 2020

FRANCES QUINLAN – ” Rare Thing “

Posted: November 12, 2019 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Frances Quinlan has one of the most instantly recognizable voices in indie rock. As the lead singer of Philadelphia band Hop Along, she’s been at the front of two of this decade’s best rock albums, 2014’s Painted Shut and 2018’s Bark Your Head Off, Dog. Hop Along originally began as Quinlan’s solo project, but this week she’s announcing her first-ever solo album under her own name, Likewise (out January. 31st, 2020, on Saddle Creek Records). The first single, “Rare Thing,” is a real stunner and surely a harbinger of things to come. “Rare Thing” ropes in a host of new instruments that we maybe haven’t heard previously on a Hop Along release—synths, jammy keyboards, a harp, bouncy electro-beats. The song was written after a dream Quinlan had about her then-infant niece, per a press release, but it could really be about anybody’s journey to letting new love in.

Frances Quinlan – Rare Thing from the album “Likewise” out January 31, 2020

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