More often than not, this newsletter kicks off with a long-awaited new release from a superstar artist or a band that's a household name. This may not be the case with Montreal folk singer MYRIAM GENDRON, and likely won't be in the future, since she appears, refreshingly, to eschew every last trapping of the music publicity world. Matter of fact, when we first heard her debut LP seven or so years ago, we assumed it was long-lost recordings from a bygone artist, so utterly devoid was it of any evidence of modernity. After some patient years of waiting, we have a new record from her, 'Ma Delire - Songs of Love, Lost and Found', and it arrives in much the same fashion. Whereas her debut was resolutely solo, short and sweet, this new double LP runs a much more sprawling length, and features a band that includes the abstract guitar ingenuity of Bill Nace, as Gendron weaves a mournful skein of original compositions, covers of John Jacob Niles, and other traditional pieces like "Shenandoah" and "Waly Waly". There was a time when KURT VILE was not yet a superstar; just a weirdo forklift operator writing incredibly catchy guitar pop. Oddly enough, his major label debut 'Watch My Moves' is his first album in awhile that truly echoes the humble genius of his early sounds. Sir Vile's latest is in on limited emerald green vinyl. While we wait for the vinyl pressing of their surprise new record (said to be coming later this summer) we welcome a new print of the 2019 self-titled album from DUSTER. The one with the cat on it! After a few years, this one has settled into the canon alongside the slowcore institution's earlier records.
This week brings the vinyl release of songwriter GRACIE ABRAMS' debut album, 'This Is What It Feels Like', arriving as she completes a run of tour dates opening for Olivia Rodrigo. Throwback soul songwriter LEDISI turns to the Simone songbook on a stunning LP, 'Ledisi Sings Nina'. NICKI MINAJ's debut album 'Pink Friday' turns ten years old this week with a lovely pink vinyl edition, and we've finally seen copies of the latest album from the elusive folk singer ANAIS MITCHELL begin to turn up.
There are literally a dozen LOW albums with a legitimate claim to being the band's best. Some days, particularly *this day* seeing as we have a big ol' stack of em in stock for the first time in forever, it's their 2001 opus 'Things We Lost In The Fire', which includes their live-set staples 'Dinosaur Act' and 'Sunflower'. The woody, spooky folk of MIDLAKE's classic 'Trials of Van Occupanther' has aged like a fine wine, and gets an anniversary reissue on gold wax, while the Philly poppy hippies in DR. DOG celebrate ten years of their breakout album 'Be The Void' on color wax as well.
Allow us to take you to funkytown this week with a 50th anniversary cut of FUNKADELIC's mighty 'Maggot Brain'. The vinyl is cut from fresh analogue remasters, the iconic artwork is looking crisp as hell, the wax is blue and red splatter, and the bonus disc includes an epic live recording of the title track, plus a dub mix from Detroit's own Ectomorph. Long overdue, and following news that some new music of theirs will be released later this year, we have the all-time classic comp from SAADA BONAIRE back in stock. What do you get when two German singing supermodels, dub legend Dennis Bovell, and a band of Turkish funksters get together? An uncanny blend of femme synth pop, reggae, and Balearic blooze, that's what. Afro-funk legend BUARI sees his 1975 debut, a classic session blessed by the drumming of Bernard Purdie, come back in print, and we have a killer new set of rare 'Spanish Gipsy Soul Funk' from the 1970s on the NAINO, NAINO compilation.
PLOSIVSis the name of a new band featuring San Diego legends like Rob Crow (Pinback, Thingy) and John Reis (Drive Like Jehu, RFTC, Hot Snakes) and their debut LP sounds almost exactly like you'd dream a band with those two would sound like; melodic and powerful. I suppose if you are regularly dreaming about Rob and Speedo, you might have already heard this one, but if not, come snag a copy this week, along with a pair of reissues of some killer out of print ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT albums, 'Group Sounds' and 'Live From Camp X-Ray'. Billie Joe Armstrong and some of his fellow Green Day utility infielders moonlight as THE UPSIDE-DOWNERS on a 10" of covers called 'Rockin at Golden Bull'.
In addition to inventing nearly everything about techno, KRAFTWERK also began pioneering the 'techno remix' as early as the late 80s. Fitting then, to have a collection of other artists remixing them, as on this 3 LP neon yellow pressing of 'Remixes', which features work from Underground Resistance, Francois K, Hot Chip, and William Orbit. IDM innovator μ-ZIQ returns alongside MRS JYNX on a lovely album of dreamy, soul-searching acid called 'Secret Garden'. Site-specific ambient minimalism abounds on ANDREW PEKLER & GIUSEPPE IELASI' new collab 'Palimpsests'. BRAINWALTZERA, the long running techno project that's so good people just assume its Aphex Twin, returns with a massive new record called 'Itsame', which may be a Mario reference? Or not? So many mysteries with this person. South Korean producer MOGWAAcontinues to achieve sultry, Ibizan perfection on a new mini album called 'Del Mar', while Glasgow's DIP FRISO turns in some very heady dubwise cutups on 'Crocodile Or Real?'
Tech-metal mastery live in the stu comes from ARCHITECTS on 'For Those That Wish To Exist at Abbey Road', in on color vinyl. Canadian black metallers SPECTRAL WOUND see their 2018 classic 'Infernal Decadence' come back to vinyl, alongside atmospheric doom from CREMATION LILY on 'Dreams Drenched In Static'. West-coast post hardcore legends THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES return to the public, and havent lost a single step on 'Duct Tape & Shivering Crows'.
Progressive legends RUSH celebrate 40 years of 'Moving Pictures' with expanded 2CD and 5LP sets. We've got some nice slipmats to give away with these. NIK TURNER recruits some of his fellow Hawkwind mates and Gilli Smyth from Gong on his new album, 'Space Fusion Odyssey', plus we've got new vinyl editions of old classics from MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP
and KANSAS. Rock chalk!
The soundtrack to Todd Haynes' recent VELVET UNDERGROUND hits vinyl this week, offering some rare VU tracks, plus hard to hear tunes from The Theatre of Eternal Music and The Primitives, Lou Reed' first band with John Cale. All-timer private press zoner 'Montgomery Chapel' by THE SEARCH PARTY is back in print, and we welcome a fresh pressing of the legendary soft rock masterpiece from BATTEAUX.
Some 90s jazz gems are rescued from 90s digital mastering purgatory this week. 'Blue Light Til Dawn', jazz vocalist CASSANDRA WILSON's 1993 debut for Blue Note gets a nice new 180 gram remastered vinyl edition this week, alongside THE GERI ALLEN TRIO's 'Twenty-One', featuring spirited playing from drummer Tony Williams. South African legend MIRIAM MAKEBA dipped her toes in pop, funk, and reggae on the 1970 album 'Keep Me In Mind', also back in print on vinyl this week.
A trio of private press new age delights return to LP this week. Head directly to the stratosphere with 'Glide', PETER DAVISON's timeless 1981 session of flute and synth. Bowed guitar meets gentle kosmische prog on BARRY CLEVELAND's 1986 album 'Stones Of Precious Water', where he's joined by Kat and Bob from Emerald Web. Entirely new to this somewhat seasoned new age head is the 1980 album from CARL ERDMANN. 'Bizzarrophytes' is described online as "the best American private sitar record ever". Hard to argue there!
Last up, the rarest grooves from around the globe! The funky, jazzy city pop masterpiece 'Dancing Shadows' by TADAO INOUE gets anexquisite pressing. Hypnotic Cape Jazz is rescued from obscurity on PAT MATSHIKIZA and KIPPIE MOKETSI's '75 classic 'Tshona!'
The ridiculously slick, and even more ridiculously rare 1978 disco-jazz album 'Peaceful' by AL JOHNSON gets a repress, and we've got a lovingly compiled set of early Spanish surf rock and rockabilly in store called SABOR SURF.
USED VINYL ALERT:
If you make it to the shop without blowing away, you'll definitely get blown away when you lay eyes on this week's used vinyl new arrivals. We've got stunning jazz, a deep run of early blues, folk, country and bluegrass, primo dance and hip hop, heady reggae and dancehall, and a whole lot more.
Jazz titles include artists like Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, AK Salim, Milt Jackson, Charles McPherson, Dexter Gordon, Willie Bobo, Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Thelonious Monk, Ray Charles, Vince Guaraldi, and more. Lots of great vocal records from Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London, and Frank Sinatra, plus some very primo exotica records from Martin Denny, Esquivel, Cal Tjader, plus a few belly dance LPs.
Rock and folk classics are in from Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Rush, the Beatles, Steely Dan, Dire Straits, and Talk Talk. Soul is in from Rufus Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Janet Jackson, Mandrill, Stevie Wonder, and Otis Redding. Country LPs include a deep run of rare Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Webb Pierce, Ernest Tubb, Dolly Parton, George Strait, and Patsy Cline. Blues comes in from Lightning Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Dawkins, and Magic Slim, plus a very cool and deep selection of early folk, traditional, and bluegrass records.
A slew of dancehall 12"s are joined by LPs from Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer and the Mighty Diamonds. The 12"s continue with a couple dozen classic and obscure 80s/90s hip-hop singles, plus dance jams of all kinds: Miami bass, NYC deep house, DC gogo, house, techno, breakbeat, electro, and more!
BEST OF MADISON:
Madison Magazine's BEST OF MADISON voting isOPEN NOW& we would be honored to receive your vote for Best Record Store.
RECORD STORE DAY:
Launched in 2007 with the humble idea to recognize independent record stores, Record Store Day (RSD) has blossomed into a global phenomenon. The list of RSD vinyland CD exclusives continues to expand, asmore labels continue to throw open their catalogs to an appreciative audience that grows each year.
Beyond the day-long frenzy, RSD exists to offer proof of the lively role record stores play in the community and a chance for folks on both sides of the counter to offer gratitude for each other. It's a capsule-sized snapshot of what this whole record world is about. Whether youre a hardcore type who times their arrival for a spot at the front of the line or somebody who waits until the afternoon for a more leisurely experience, we hope youll join us.
SAVE THE DATE V.2:Record Store Day Drop Date is June 18th:
June 18th is designated as a Record Store Day Drop Date; it will serve as a street date safety netfor titles that are part of the Record Store Day celebrationthat don't make it in time forApril 23.
Here is Strictly Discs' plan for the day:
1. We OPEN at 8AM for RSD shopping
2. Line to form westbound on Monroe Street
3. While in line, you will be handed a menu of all RSD titles
4. We will pull your requests & you will check out outside
5. The shop will open for normalbrowsing at approximately10 (when the RSD line is gone)
6. RSD titles will be located upstairs
STRICTLY DISCS IS HIRING:
VINYL PRICING SPECIALIST AND/OR SHOP CLERK:
Required skills:
Excellent customer service skills; retail experience with ability to anticipate customer needs
Extreme Computer proficiency
A passion for music, anda broad, deep base of recorded music history
Knowledge of Goldmine standards &experience grading and pricing records
Knowledge of stereo equipment/functionality
Availability to work weekends
Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds repeatedly
To apply, submit letter of interest & resume to angie@strictlydiscs.com
SELL US YOUR CDS & LPS:
Yes, we are still buying! Call Ron to schedule (608.213.3610).
