Strictly Discs

Strictly Discs

November 19, 2020

NEW THIS WEEK AT THE SHOP:

  
Another week in the books, gang. Here we go again with a brief yet expansive rundown of this week's new releases at Strictly Discs. Too much great stuff this week! ANTHONY MOORE isn't exactly a household name, but the pianist and composer played a critical role in the 70s UK jazz and progressive rock underground with groups like Henry Cow and Slapp Happy. In 1976, he recorded a pop album for Virgin called 'Out', which Richard Branson didn't end up digging for some reason, dooming it to an obscure existence as a promo-only mega rarity. Not quite sure what he was thinking, as a cursory listen cements this record as a prog-pop gem along the lines of Eno's 'Taking Tiger Mountain' and Fripp's 'Exposure'. Drag City, ever the catcher in the record biz rye, has seen to it that this album gets its first ever proper release, with its wonderful intended cover art. We've also got new releases from art-rockers who certainly carry on the Moore tradition, with a lovely new record from JACK NAME, and a 2LP set compiling a year's worth of EPs from daring pop deconstructionists DIRTY PROJECTORS.


  
Ascendant UK keyboardist KAMAAL WILLIAMS delivers his first proper LP since the breakup of his power duo Yussef Kamaal, and it is an absolute masterclass in wiggly funk that leans ever so slightly towards house. Same is true of 'Blastin Off', the latest album from west coast producer BUSCRATES, whose instrumentals blending samples and keys drop into a boogie wonderland. Detroit producer 14KT hits us with elegant, funky soul on 'For My Sanity'. 


  
Seattle ambient musician N CHAMBERS has made a slew of great records as Panabrite, and is perhaps best known for his cult pseudo-archival release as Jurgen Muller. In 2020, he's on a whole nother level with a knockout new 2LP called 'Facets', which complicates his typically serene sound palette with all kinds of subtle textures, flavors, and sound-shapes, and is easily the best abstract electronic record we've had around here in....weeks! We also welcome a banging debut album of electro-trap from Denver producer GILA, and the sneaky boys of AUTECHRE have one-upped their new album from just two weeks ago with a second installment called 'Plus'. 


  
A new live album from NICK CAVE finds the tireless bard performing recent and older songs solo at the piano, recorded early in lockdown at the Alexandra Palace in London. PINK FLOYD revisit their 1988 album 'The Delicate Sound of Thunder' with a new mix, additional tracks, and live footage on the bonus edition. BRIAN ENO and JAH WOBBLE's lone collaboration, the sparklingly dark 1995 album 'Spinner'. 


  
Ripping contemporary jazz is here from TE'AMIR and PROFESSOR H on 'Circle', the sons of the late great Chicago jazz legend Phil Cohran continue his legacy with their group HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE, and we get the final installment of chronic-laced instrumentals from the dearly departed RAS G, 'Raw Fruit Vol 5&6'. 


  
Some phenomenal comps come through this week, starting with the latest from the mysterious LIGHT SOUNDS DARK label, who tend to release LPs of deeply-dug electronic oddities with little explanation of what, who, or why, like a mixtape from a trusted weirdo. 'Copernicus Was My Grandad, Kepler was my Uncle' mines the fertile lands of 1980s DIY industrial/dark ambient cassettes. On 'This Is A Smoking Area', the PAINTED PONY label assembles a crew of bedroom chillwave and broken beat producers known more on the Soundcloud/Youtube level, for a rousing session of earworms. The mighty THIRD MAN Records continues to shine a light on the great state of Michigan with 'Southeast of Saturn', an impressively deep dive into the Mitten's 1990s spacerock and fuzz pop scenes. MBV and Ride fans, take note of this one, it hasn't come off the table here at the shop this week. 


  
A good way to know someone has a signature sound is if you put on their record blind and a person nearby goes, "hey, is this TERJE RYPDAL?". That happened not once but twice in the span of listening to the Norwegian guitarist's phenomenal new LP 'Conspiracy' at the shop today. No slouches themselves are LEO KOTTKE and MIKE GORDON, who have a new collab LP in the building called 'Noon', and we're also quite pleased to finally have some LP copies of 2018's incredible archive release of WARREN SAMPSON's 'Traveller'. The Minneapolis musician released just one album private press style back in 1987, before fleeing the scene. Tangentially new age, this album of elegantly drifting guitar and synth sounds more like something out of the Mesozoic.


  
Better late than never, we've got a grip of the latest AESOP ROCK and FELT albums, plus a great new record of roaring afro-beat from the Twin Cities group GHOST FUNK ORCHESTRA.


  
Live albums! So hot right now, in this era of....oh you know the rest. This week we welcome some big ones from KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD, 'Live Drugs' from THE WAR ON DRUGS, and a beautiful live companion release from SYLVAN ESSO. 


  
 
Five, count em, five out of print albums from THE DRIVE BY TRUCKERS are back in stock this week while they last. We've got 'The Dirty South', 'Decoration Day', 'A Blessing And A Curse', 
Brighter Than Creations Dark', and 'The Fine Print'. 

  
Three never before on vinyl albums are in from songsmith JOHN HIATT. Get them while they are hot. 


  
A trio of gems from the BOB MARLEY catalog get the audiophile treatment, with half-speed remasters of 'Natty Dread', 'Rastaman Vibration' and 'Kaya'. 

  
Two fresh editions of the Blue Note Tone Poet series are here. Experience DUKE PEARSON's 
'The Phantom' and ART BLAKEY's 'Roots and Herbs' like you've never heard them before, plus we've got a fresh edition of the free jazz rarity 'The Flam' from tenor saxophonist FRANK LOWE.


  
Each week brings us exciting new jazz records from groups all over the globe, a trend that I hope continues! This week we've got a cracking one from Russian quartet MEKBUDA, moody future shocks from the New Zealand based CLEAR PATH ENSEMBLE, and a funky one from Hungarian unit JAZZBOIS. 


  
  
An overwhelming haul of classic hip-hop returns to LP this week. We've got the breakout 'Below the Heavens' from BLU & EXILE back, a new pressing of THE ROOTS and JOHN LEGEND's 'Wake Up!', a fresh pressing of DANGERDOOM's 'The Mouse and the Mask', Killa CAM'RON's 'Purple Haze 2', an underrated classic from THE GROUCH, and lastly, one of the greatest golden era rap albums ever, 'Dah Shinin' by SMIF N WESSUN. 


  
  
Even more classics back in print this week include MARY J BLIGE's 'My Life', COLDPLAY's 'Parachutes' (on yellow vinyl, natch), KD LANG's 'Watershed', and the first ever vinyl release of RILO KILEY's self titled 1999 debut. We save the heaviest for last with two limited edition reissues of early bombs from the mighty BORIS: 'Absolutego' and 'Amplifier Worship' are in on colored vinyl. 



USED VINYL ALERT:

Heading downstairs for this week's edition of the Used Vinyl Alert, we're pleased to bring you a great spread of classic jazz and country. A big run of Elvis LPs are here, plus crooners Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Bond Soundtracks, soul compilations from the 70s, Japan, LL Cool J, what else do you need?

Oh right, the jazz. How about deep pulls from James Moody, Art Farmer, Herbie Mann, Bill Evans, Oliver Nelson, Yusef Lateef, Lester Young, Tony Williams, John Lurie, Ron Carter, Ran Blake, John Coltrane, Lee Konitz, Mike Mainieri, Gabor Szabo, Max Roach and Bud Powell.

Classic and deep country is in from Jerry Jeff Walker, Emmylou Harris, Randy Travis, Merle Haggard, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Webb Pierce, Rusty Kershaw, Johnny Paycheck, Delbert McClinton, Hank Williams, Buck Owens, and many more such rustlers.

A colorful spread of Beatles catalog is here, as well as several Lennon solo joints. More classics are in from JJ Cale, Bruce Springsteen, Moby Grape, Jimi Hendrix, Little Feat, Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Lyle Lovett, Yes, Badfinger, Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, Ozzy, Van Halen, and so many more. 






STRICTLY DISCS T-SHIRT TO BENEFIT SHOP:

After Record Store Day was postponed in April, the custom clothing company Bonfire out of Richmond, VA contacted us wanting to design a limited edition Strictly Discs shirt highlighting our current message of safety & hope during these unprecedented times. Back by popular demand, you can now order this design once again.

Bonfire’s mission is To Strengthen & Inspire Communities. Well, we are humbled by our community that believes, like we do, that music is essential. 

The related t-shirts/hoodies for adults/children will be delivered directly to your door. 

  

For our campaign Bonfire is donating proceeds back to us as they too are fans of Strictly Discs. Now that’s rad.

Purchases help ensure Strictly Discs survives this crisis and continues to be your music resource. We are humbled by our community who believes, like we do, that music is essential. 

Our staff thanks you all for your ongoing support. Stay safe & have #hope. 




BLACK FRIDAY RECORD STORE DAY IS NOVEMBER 27:

Strictly Discs will be the place to be this Post-Thanksgiving-Shopping-Melee-Day, also known as Black Friday.

And that's because certain indie stores across the country will be the place to get special releases created just for you, for giving and getting this holiday season, and they're scheduled for release on Black Friday, November 27, 2020.  

Now, this is not Record Store Day, Jr., but it is brought to you by the powers-that-be at Record Store Day. This is a group of special releases you can only find at certain independent record stores nationwide. The magic of these pieces (many uber-limited) is that every one of them is something someone will really LOVE to get, and you'll really ENJOY giving.  And you may have the added nice feeling of supporting a local, independently owned (Strictly Discs, Independently Owned since 1988) business during the holidays.




BILLBOARD MAGAZINE'S BIWEEKLY FEATURE ON STRICTLY DISCS:

As part of Billboard’s efforts to best cover the coronavirus pandemic and its impacts on the music industry, Chris Eggertsen has been speaking with Angie every other week to chronicle the experience of an independent record store throughout the crisis.  Here is a link to the stories in the series so far:







SELL US YOUR CDS & LPS:

Yes, we are still buying! Call Ron to schedule (608.213.3610).




Ron, Ryan, Angie, Marty, Evan, Matt, Will, Ed, Jack, Eric & Dave

        
back to top