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Strictly Discs

April 29, 2021

NEW THIS WEEK AT THE SHOP:

  
- the spirit of Record Store Day is strong this week, as we welcome an absolutely massive slate of new releases to the shop, starting with the sophomore album from FLOCK OF DIMES, the solo project of Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner. 'Head of Roses' progresses her atmospheric pop a great deal, five years on from her first record which more or less took up permanent residence in my car stereo when it came out. These songs whisper and wane in a slightly less jumpy way compared to her debut, with lots of songs that allow her gorgeous, unique voice to multiply and entrance. Loser Edition vinyl here which we believe to be peach colored.
- NYC art-pop unit CRUMB return with a lovely album that delivers big on expectations from their lovely debut. 'Ice Melt' is full of cool, vampy tunes from an array of unusual influences. A year that's brought us great new genre-free albums from Khruangbin and Altin Gun has another entry. Limited purple vinyl on this one.
- a phenomenal new record is in from Creole R&B queen DAWN RICHARD who, with 'Second Line' becomes likely the only artist out there to have releases on both Bad Boy Entertainment and Merge Records. Big NoLa influences on this cool, cool record of introspective bangers.



 
 
- UK rockers ROYAL BLOOD turn 'tward the dancefloor on a hotly-anticipated new record called 'Typhoons', hitting the rack on limited color vinyl
- dynamic Atlanta indie-rockers MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA return with 'The Million Masks Of God', in on 'pink shimmer' colored wax
- new records in from British songwriter GIRL IN RED a guitar melodists TEENAGE FANCLUB


 
 
- a year after departing the ranks of British folk revival heroes Incredible String Band, guitarist and singer Clive Palmer surreptitiously made the scene again with a new group called C.O.B., or Clive's Original Band. Their 1970 UK-only debut, 'Spirit Of Love', remains to this day, for my dough, the best acid-folk album ever recorded. Mostly in trio form, the band weaves song-spells of haunting, ancient-sounding folk music that leans forward into a cosmic modern blues as it draws from old traditions. The LP remains impossibly rare, and has never been released on vinyl in the United States until now. You need a copy!
- equally as revelatory is the 1984 self-titled album from ALI FARKA TOURE, commonly known as 'The Red Album' due to its original cover. The Malian guitarist and singer strikes a similar balance between craftsmanship and esoteric style as John Lee Hooker did in his heyday. Red vinyl here.
- back print on limited gold vinyl, CAN's triumphant fifth studio album 'Future Days' which was at the time of its release and still remains their most organic achievement, sounding more like a murmuring rainforest than anything resembling a rock band. 
- also back in print, the classic dark-jazz masterpiece from German group BOHREN UND DER CLUB OF GORE, 2000's 'Sunset Mission'. If you avoided this group, as I did, because of their name: fear not! This is gorgeous, swirling noir jazz straight out of the Twin Peaks dreamscape.



  
- Canadian musician JOSEPH SHABASON has lent his talents to lots of great records over the years (that's his sax on Destroyer's 'Kaputt', for one) and now turns out a delightful new solo album called 'The Fellowship', which touches lightly on new age, pop, and jazz in sublime and stately arrangements. In house on sky blue vinyl.
- back in print, the iconic modern ambient statement piece from HUERCO S, 'For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)', a master-class in drifting loops that calls to mind a rougher-edged Wolfgang Voigt. Pitchfork raised some eyebrows putting this on their list of the 50 greatest ambient albums ever, shortly after it was released. Five years on, I'm still endorsing that decision.
- a new record from Brooklyn synthesist FATEN KANAAN called 'A Mythology of Circles' summons a gently hypnotic, melodic stillness.


  
- Aussie songwriter JULIA STONE teams up with collaborators Thomas Bartlett and St. Vincent for a new record of bright pop drawing comparisons to Talking Heads and Lorde. 'Sixty Summers' is in on limited gold vinyl. 
- 'Be Calm Young Lovers' is the first album in nearly a decade from beloved Carolina folkies BOWERBIRDS
- Swedish symphonic pop genius LONEY DEAR returns with a lovely new record called 'A Lantern and a Bell'


  
- few modern producers do detail like the UK's LEON VYNEHALL, who crossed over to a wider audience with his cinematic 2018 album 'Nothing Is Still'. On 'Rare, Forever', he returns to the Ninja Tune label with a bang, delivering a slightly more club-ready record of nighttime leftfield deep house perfection. We have a couple of very cool enamel pins to give away with this record. They have a snake on em. 
- 'Dreem Static' is the first we've heard from a very promising London producer named QUAID, hitting the sweet spot between nocturnal electro-wave, Miami-style trunk-popping bass, and Thundercat's love of funk
- with an unassuming style, DJ PYTHON put the full dance world on notice with the release of 'Dulce Compania' several years back. Tastefully combining the persistent, pulsating rhythm of reggaeton with blissed out IDM, this record playfully announced a new sound that still resonates as one of the most potent records of the new century. Back in print on blue and white vinyl.


  
- ageless wonder MARIANNE FAITHFULL returns with 'She Walks In Beauty', a new album of poetry set to the music of Warren Ellis, and featuring guests like Nick Cave and Brian Eno. Just a couple guys that Marianne knows. Lovely CD and vinyl editions on these.
- longtime Irish avant-chamber group FOVEA HEX are led by Mellow Candle vocalist Clodagh Simonds on a new LP called 'Salt Garden'
- the vaults of original synth punker ALAN VEGA are finally open, revealing a first volume of unheard music from the Suicide frontman, called 'Mutator'. Coldly sinister but very human.


 
 
- new heavy biz is in from DROPKICK MURPHYS, French metal kings GOJIRA, a new EP from System of a Down frontman SERJ TANKIAN, and HAIL THE SUN 



 
 
- a new picture disc single from ROBERT GLASPER features guest spots from H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello
- UK underground soul heroes ANDREW ASHONG and KAIDI TATHAM unite for a crackling new mini-album, 'Sankofa Season'
- modern avant-jazz from the Finnish duo of TIMO LASSY & TEPPO MAKYNEN 
- the avant-garde sound artist CARL STONE has the most fun confounding the boundaries of the songform on 'Stolen Car'


  
 
- back in stock, a pair of stellar albums from the South African pianist ABDULLAH IBRAHIM that span a mindblowing fifty (!!) years. 'African Piano' captures a rapturous 1969 live performance, while 2019's 'Balance' finds a master still inventing. 
- organ-led souljazz back in print from CHESTER THOMPSON on 1971's 'Powerhouse' black jazz
- a pair of timeless soul slabs from the legendary BOBBY WOMACK are back in print, 'The Poet' and 'The Poet II'


  
- a new Studio One comp 'Rocksteady Got Soul' includes timeless tunes from Alton Ellis, John Holt, Ken Parker and more, while two comps celebrate bygone golden eras of the NYC club scene: LARRY LEVAN's three-LP comp of remixes for the West End label, and a comp of classics from 90s house label NU GROOVE



 
 
- a new two-song EP is in from EDDIE VEDDER, plus we have a new edition of the massive CHRIS CORNELL box set. The 'Quake' Soundtrack from NINE INCH NAILS is finally here, as well as a new live release from PINK FLOYD, 'Live at Knebworth 1990'



 
 
- new hip hop is in from BURNA BOY, YA TSEEN, LIL TECCA and LIL BABY, whose album 'My Turn' is expanded to a deluxe triple vinyl on limited 'black ice' vinyl



 
 
- PJ HARVEY's '04 album 'Uh Huh Her' gets its first ever vinyl repress, along with a new LP of demos. UK DIY heroes PORRIDGE RADIO see their first cassette get a limited vinyl reissue, 'Rice, Pasta & Other Fillers'. Swooning, symphonic synth poppers SWEET TRIP see their 2009 opus 'You Will Never Know Why' finally get a vinyl release, plus we get a lovely new LP edition of the 2000 indie-twang classic from BEACHWOOD SPARKS


  
- UK multi-instrumentalist WARREN HAMPSHIRE is mainly known for his collabs with Greg Foat, but he steps out ably on his own with 'The Language of Birds', a poignant record of instrumentals recalling Green World-Eno and Bo Hansson. Balearic dons SEAHAWKS return with a new record of vibrations called 'Secrets of the Deep', and British organist RORY MORE turns in a record of classic sunset jazz on 'Through The Dappled Dell'






USED VINYL ALERT:

This week's crop of over 600 fresh used records includes some super nice early pressings from fave names like Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty, the Beatles, Frank Zappa, Leonard Cohen, the Grateful Dead, Steely Dan, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis, The Band, plus classics from Tommy James and the Shondells, the Allman Brothers, America, Vanilla Fudge, Boston, the Electric Prunes, Santana, Styx, the Police, Billy Joel, Erasure, and Talking Heads.

Cool folk LPs are in from Vassar Clements, David Ackles, John Renbourn, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Leo Kottke, and John Fahey, plus some early blues comps and LPs from Leadbelly and BB King. Great jazz this week, including records from Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Grant Green, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, Herbie Mann, Hadley Caliman, Kenny Barron, Roland Kirk, Sonny Stitt, Bobby Hutcherson, Lou Donaldson, and Keith Jarrett.

Soul is in from War, Rufus, Stevie Wonder, Debarge, Donny Hathaway, the Isleys, Marvin Gaye, Joe Tex, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and the Drifters. Legendary vocalists like Roberta Flack, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, and Billie Holiday are all here as well. We round out with a cool selection of latin and bossa nova LPs, some great classical choices, a freshly stocked 3 for $5 bin, and so much more!








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:

Billboard Article #16 November 16th

Billboard Article #17 December 14th

Billboard Article #18 December 23rd

Billboard Article #19 February 5th

Billboard Article #20 February 23rd

Billboard Article #21 March 12th

Billboard Article #22 April 1st

Billboard Article #23 April 19th






RECORD STORE DAY DROPS 2021 & WISHLISTS x2:

RECORD STORE DAY 2021 DROPS ARE JUNE 12 & JULY 17:

Our plan for the days are still to be determined but as always our primary goal for the day will be to get you the records you are seeking as safely as possible. Thank you for your support. Stay strong & have #hope.

WISHLISTS FOR BOTH DAYS CAN BE MADE HERE (deadline for BOTH DATES was 5PM Wednesday April 14th).




SELL US YOUR CDS & LPS:

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




Ron, Ryan, Angie, Marty, Evan, Matt, Ed, Jack, Eric, Steve & Ben

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