Oooh wee, not sure you're ready for this week's rundown. One of the most fruitful hauls of a year full of records is upon us, bringing great cheer for all. We start with a beloved spirit guide for a beleaguered 21st century, a soothing voice remind us to take and savor each moment as it comes. I'm talking about WEYES BLOOD, the seemingly centuries-old anima that resides inside the mild-mannered thirtysomething Natalie Mering, who returns with her new album '...And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow'. Like it's title and cover art might indicate, she carries on the heraldically dreamy sonics that made her last album a breakthrough hit on this one, but adds even broader instrumentation and string/wind arrangement, with guests like Mary Lattimore, Meg Duffy, and Jonathan Rado in tow on songs that absolutely soar, but at a low enough altitude to hop on. We've got ample copies of the Loser edition here on purple vinyl. Modern bluegrass powerhouse BILLY STRINGS does it again, with an emotionally and musically charged record called 'me/and/dad' that he recorded with his father, on their first ever visit into a recording studio together. Their efforts here on a collection of traditionals, folk classics, and spirituals portray a super-human connection; we've got three different colored limited editions of this one while they last. Fans of guitarist and arranger JEFF PARKER know that he's been mining away at a fairly singular groove now for many fruitful decades, and he's only recently starting to get his proper due. This week we get another incredible entry in his discography, the sprawling double live album 'Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy', culled from a series of low-key sessions (I mean, Mondays? That's like the least jazzy day of the week) at a small LA club in quartet formation. The sound field on this album is incredible, the grooves hang in the roomsound like a thick fog; this one's delivered by the label Eremite, an imprint well-known for their appreciation of production detail, and I'm told that the liner notes are off the charts. Quite a pairing here, this PANDA BEAR & SONIC BOOM album, which brings together two artists whose sound is so iconic, most in the music world don't even know their government names. PB comes to us of course from Animal Collective, whereas SB is one of the founding fellows in Spacemen 3; a collab between the two promises uncharted vistas in psychedelic pop, and 'Reset' more than delivers. Best Panda Bear record since 'Person Pitch', in the house on yellow wax. Tender UK folkie SOHN returns with 'Trust', and Black Pumas guitarist ADRIAN QUESADA is back with another album of swirling funk instrumentals called 'Jaguar Sound'.

An excellent compilation provides a vital companion to VIVIEN GOLDMAN's new book 'Revenge of the She-Punks', charting a smart path through 4 decades of feminist punk history. KING GIZZARD have another new album with a title that sounds like an evil greek god's grocery list: 'Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava'. NEIL YOUNG and CRAZY HORSE went back in the studio (do they ever leave?) for a new jammer called 'World Record'. The first two albums from singer-songwriter MASON JENNINGS are both released for the first time on vinyl. Relive THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE with a new live set from the family archives: 'Los Angeles Forum April 26 1969'. Experimental Krautrockers won over critics and cheapskates alike with their 1973 album 'The Faust Tapes', which Virgin originally sold for 49p, the price of a single 45; its a tour de force of odd pop ballads and sound collage, and remains the peak of their vast catalog.

Ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gnaht ym tup i. You know what I'm talking about? If not, refresh yourself with MISSY ELLIOTT's 2002 banger "Work It" from 'Under Construction', which remains one of the most fun and funky R&B records ever to lay flat, and is back in print this week. Since his tragic passing, PHIFE DAWG's collaborator Rasta Root has seen to the release of the last album he had yet to fully complete, the live and kicking 'Forever', with guests like Q-Tip, Busta, and Redman. Legendary west coast rapper MAC DRE's essential collection 'The Best of Mac Dre' is back on wax, alongside a limited color vinyl reissue of BADBADNOTGOOD's jazz-rap classic 'IV'. DOLLY PARTON delivers a new hits collection called 'Diamonds & Rhinestones', and we've a new one from songwriter DERMOT KENNEDY called 'Sonder'.

Hows this for a crop of reissues? Unless you are some kind of record collecting superhero, there's no way you don't need at least one of these. NIRVANA's swansong and artistic peak 'In Utero', ARTHUR RUSSELL's collection of unheard folk songs, 'Love Is Overtaking Me', the synthy post-punk triumph of THE THE's 'Soul Mining', IAN DURY's iconically funny new wave classic 'New Boots And Panties!!', LIARS motorik noise rock thumper 'Drums Not Dead', and TV ON THE RADIO's cathartic indie gem 'Dear Science'. All here!

Restless euro wanderer CARLA DAL FORNO sharpens her singular sound of Young Marble Giants/Marine Girls worship ever further with her latest and greatest album 'Come Around', another perfect session of tense yet vibrant pop austerity. Australian ambient producer LAILA SAKINI delivers an exquisite set of hopeful piano pieces on 'Paloma', while Norwegian/New Jerseyite OKAY KAYA delivers cerebral dance pop on 'SAP'. Synthesist and Stars of the Lid associate CHRISTINA VANTZOU is counting her records and making every one count: 'No.5' is her latest, a sweeping set of compositions suffused with strings, piano, wind and light. The archival label Freedom To Spend has done some incredible work bringing unknown American ambient music to light, one of the highlights being their 2019 reissue of ERNEST HOOD's folk/synth/field recording opus 'Neighborhoods'. The reclusive Washington Stater recorded a great deal more material through the 70s and 80s, such as the nearly-lost, never released album we have now: 'Back To The Woodlands', in stock on green wax. Fans of the Huercovian strain of offbeat, irresistible ambient electronics may recognize the name MISTER WATER WET from his release on the West Mineral label; he now lands on the equally heady Soda Gong imprint with 'Top Natural Drum', a killer selection of organically rhythmic sound.

Known better as Caribou, producer Dan Snaith has kept his DAPHNI alias around a long time for his more dance floor-oriented excursions into vocal house. A surprise double pack from him called 'Cherry' is crammed full of bangers that showcase his range and eye for detail. Speaking of detail, you may notice something is missing from these reissues of early ANDY STOTT classics 'Passed Me By' and 'We Stay Together': their unforgettable cover art! Not sure what's up there, but you still get the incredible tunes. Sasu Ripatti aka Vladislav Delay aka Luomo aka Uusitalo returns under the name RIPATTI DELUXE with a record of fleet, flittering, and juked-up techno called 'Speed Demon'. Armenian producer HAGOP TCHAPARIAN brings lofi beats and field recordings together for 'Bolts' on Fourtet's label Text, and the always reliable Livity Sound label has a great new disc of glacially heavy downtempo from EUSEBEIA.

Welcome to the 90's Corner, I'm your host, The Oldest Millennial. Many do it, but it really isn't possible to give a true accounting for the wild world of 90s lofi indie without mentioning the lengthily-monikered San Francisco band THINKING FELLERS UNION LOCAL 282. Melodic guitar interplay, odd tunings, whimsical subject matter, and enough casual, aloof brilliance to make Steve Malkmus seem like a stuck-up jock by comparison? TFUL's got it all, and there's no better place to hear it than their '94 Matador album 'Strangers From The Universe', which is back in print this week alongside an EP, 'Admonishing The Bishops', from the same era. You really never, ever see albums from these guys in the wild. I've been looking for a copy of 'Strangers' since I first started crawling into record stores, to no avail. Well, now you can walk in like a normal person and cop this one. We've also got my personal favorite LUNGFISH album 'Indivisible', the explosive art-core perfection of JAWBOX's 'For Your Own Special Sweetheart', rustic math rockers JUNE of 44 reworking old songs on 'Revisionist', and a lovely reissue of CERBERUS SHOAL's '96 album '...And Farewell To High Tide', which found the Maine-based emo post-rockers straying very far from shore.

OLD AND NEW DREAMS, the stellar combo of Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell, recorded two late 70s albums that are utterly unmissable. The first one is back in print this week, alongside some potent duos: PEE WEE RUSSELL and COLEMAN HAWKINS' 'Jazz Reunion' returns, along with PETER BROTZMANN & HAMID DRAKE's 'Solid And Spirit'. Deft Chicago percussionist JEREMY CUNNINGHAM returns with 'A Better Ghost'. BITCHIN BAJAS have always carried the banner for Sun Ra proudly into the 21st century, but now they prove it with an entire album of covers and tributes called 'Switched On Ra'. Havent heard this yet but there literally isn't a BBs album that isnt a classic so its definitely going to rule. 'Bouquet' is an obscure but gorgeous cassette-only release in the mystical catalog of ROBBIE BASHO that now lands on vinyl for the first time. He's singing on this one!

Metal time! Beelzebub blesses us big time with some reissues of rare, out of print regional US metal from the 80s: MANILLA ROAD's 'Deluge', WARLORD's 'Deliver Us', and THE OBSESSED's 'Lunar Womb', which features legendary singer Wino fronting a rhythm section that would go on to be in Kyuss and Goatsnake. Ahead of their thunderous appearance at the Sylvee in a few weeks, we have a reissue of AMON AMARTH's 'Twilight Of the Thunder God', plus a pair of color vinyl reissues from MUNICIPAL WASTE: 'Slime and Punishment' & 'The Fatal Feast'. Numero keeps it really, really real with a 3LP set compiling all known works of the legendary Midwest hardcore band CURRENT on 'Yesterday's Tomorrow Is Not Today'.

Jumping right into this week's Used Vinyl Alert, hip hop heads should be on high alert, as you'll find names like Tyler The Creator, Drake, Kanye West, Pharcyde, Little Simz, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, MF Doom, Mac Miller, Anderson Paak, Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Quest, Czarface, Aaliyah, & Nipsey Hussle, among many others. Continuing on the contemporary front, we also have LPs from Floating Points, Gorillaz, Justin Timberlake, Haim, Yaeji, Kings Of Leon, Mitski, & lots more.

80s & 90s alternative / indie original pressings are here as well this week; Sonic Youth, The Smiths, The Slits, Babes In Toyland, Halo Benders, Beat Happening, & Foo Fighters, among a gang of others. Freak folk/psych of the aughts is here too, with names like Fursaxa, MV & EE, & Feathers. Classic rock / pop / new wave is here as well; David Bowie, The Beatles, Tom Petty, Tom Waits, John Cale, Van Morrison, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Velvet Underground, Rotary Connection, Jimi Hendrix, Beach Boys, Blondie, & many more.

A diverse palette of jazz is in from the likes of Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery, Dollar Brand, & Mongo Santamaria. Soul classics are here from The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, along with country staples from Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Emmylou Harris, & Johnny Cash. We cap off this week's alert with a nice stack of blues from Muddy Waters, Professor Longhair, Howlin Wolf, & Sonny Boy Williamson.

Black Friday Record Store Day is November 25th

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