So many great new records in the shop this week, we have no idea where to start! Why not with a reissue of a classic record that's been on our mind lately, since we have a rather rare original downstairs making everyone freak out. DOROTHY ASHBY's 1970 album 'The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby' stands apart in her incredible discography; in addition to the harp, Ashby plays the koto on this LP and does a significant amount of singing with soulful orchestral arrangements, joined by a cracking band with lots of kalimba, vibraphone, flute, and guitar. This record has a wide awake and liberating spirit that's definitely a precursor to what groups like Earth Wind & Fire and The Emotions would do later in the decade, and of course Outkast, Janelle Monae, and Solange much later on. The Verve by Request series delivers a much needed audiophile edition of this gem this week. We've also got a primo remaster of the MILES DAVIS QUINTET's 'Workin', the first-ever reprinting of ARCHIE SHEPP's freewheeling 1973 slab 'Kwanza', and a pristine edition of 'By Myself', the singular solo LP from cellist ABDUL WADUD, in which he greatly expands the possibilities of his instrument.

This week's D-section brings plenty of action. DAFT PUNK revisit their era-defining album 'Random Access Memories' on its tenth anniversary, sprucing up the cover art and adding a third LP with nine new unreleased tracks. Not sure who's pulling the strings, but DR. TEETH AND THE ELECTRIC MAYHEM have finally released a studio album. That's the Muppet band, with Animal on drums! DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN revisit their 2010 classic 'Option Paralysis' on gold and black vinyl, and we've got the DROPKICK MURPHYS latest Woody Guthrie-inspired album, 'Okemah Rising'.

Banjo maestro BELA FLECK teams up with bassist EDGAR MEYER and tabla player ZAKIR HUSSEIN for a new album called 'As We Speak' that's every bit as assured as their last collab: grooving, cerebral ragas reign. ROXY GORDON, Choctaw and Assiniboine and Texan, was a poet and singer beloved by Townes Van Zandt, Leonard Cohen and Terry Allen. A quick listen to his lone 1988 LP, 'Crazy Horse Never Died' gives you an idea why; Gordon creates an atmosphere that's part countrified fever dream, part punk snarl, with lyricism that makes your hair stand on end. KACEY MUSGRAVES revisits her breakout album 'Golden Hour' with a "Cloud Nine" edition on beautiful blue vinyl with gold dust, and we have new editions of all three of the GRATEFUL DEAD 'From the Vault' series.

Chicago musician Joshua Abrams has expanded his group NATURAL INFORMATION SOCIETY to the point that its taken on a kind of planetary weight, so it's fitting that the ensemble's latest album is called 'Since Time Is Gravity'. AACM legend Ari Brown assumes leadership duties on these sessions with his towering sax, joined by other guests like Ben Lamar Gay, Hamid Drake, Josh Berman, for a record that sounds like a rollicking yet meditative caravan across the great plains. Indonesian folk duo SUARASAMA see their 2013 album 'Timeline' land on vinyl for the first time, two vast LPs to get lost in. Finnish composer LAU NAU returns with an incredibly sweeping new set of Buchla synthscapes on '5 x 4', and we have a wonderful collection of unheard material from the pioneering female composers and life partners RUTH ANDERSON and ANNEA LOCKWOOD. 'Tete-A-Tete's centerpiece track is "Conversations", featuring manipulated recordings of the couple's earliest phone calls together as they fell in love. 

Before they were singing to throngs of thousands about strawberry jam and their girls, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE were a pair of unknown, sock-headed Maryland noise artists called Avey Tare and Panda Bear, making possibly the most indescribable music on offer in the year 2000. 'Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished' retains its peculiar magic all these years later, a bizarro world Elton John album covered in glammy stardust and chewing gum. Few make rococo dream pop as resplendently as BENOIT PIOULARD, and 'Eidetic', his latest full length might just be his best yet. COASTLINES, the Japanese duo with an uncanny knack for classic Italian-style balearic funk, return with a lovely second album, and we've got an incredible set of ponderous, mood-lifting ambient sketches from WEDNESDAY KNUDSEN.

Synthy songwriter JOJI sees his latest album, 'Smithereens', finally come out on vinyl this week. London techno brotherhood OVERMONO have worked up tons of buzz over the years with several crucial EPs, and at last grace us with a jam-packed full length of euphoric club tunes. Best known as the bassist from legendary French space disco groups like Voyage and Arpadys, SAUVEUR MALLIA also stayed busy releasing instrumental albums for the library music label Tele Music. A pair of his greatest were both released in 1979 as SPATIAL & CO, and they are back in print this week.

New records from significant veterans in the electronic/dance world this week include the latest collection from RP BOO, the man who invented footwork all the way back in late 90s Chicago. Guitarist JOHN FRUSCIANTE returns to his true love, deeply heady acid techno, on '.I:'. Dark ambient pioneer THOMAS KONER adds some welcome rhythm to his glacial tones on 'Motus', and the reclusive German producer OVAL turns in his most opulent record to date, the restless and elegant 'Romantiq'.

English anarcho-punks RUDIMENTARY PENI returned to action in the late 1980s with 'Cacophony', a truly one of a kind album of artsy, deranged death-rock genius inspired by HP Lovecraft that gets a very faithful new edition this week. Story goes that Jack White saw upstart Londoners ISLAND OF LOVE play one set and signed them to Third Man immediately. Like all good stories involving Mr. White I believe this one completely! Their debut is a super fun slab of taut DIY rock with a major debt to Dinosaur Jr. JAMES ELLIS FORD has made his name as an engineer and studio musician with groups like Depeche Mode and Bloc Party. Warp Records is releasing his first solo album, so you know there's gotta be something interesting going on with 'The Hum', and you'd be right! Dutch post-punkers IGUANA DEATH CULT make quite a splash with 'Echo Palace', a new album that nicks just enough from the Minutemen/Gang of Four playbook.

The Nigerian fuzz-rock combo OFEGE recorded their debut album, 1973's 'Try And Love', when they were still in high school. They would grow to become one of Nigeria's most beloved bands, and only saw their music celebrated outside of West Africa earlier this century. Blazed up, laid back, and with a touch of rawness that's to be expected of 16 year olds, 'Try And Love' remains one of the greatest records to come out of the psychedelic movement on any continent. We've also got loads of deep Brazilian jazz this week from GRUPO UM, the SAMBRASA TRIO, and a lovely album of bossa nova Fab Four covers by OS SAMBEATLES. 

This week's Used Vinyl drop this week sees the bins with lots of artists that don't typically make appearances in the basement. We've got a great selection of limited edition pressings from Maneskin, Beyonce, Charlie XCX, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Lizzo, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Harry Styles, Meghan Trainor, Halsey, Kehlani, and The White Stripes/Jack White.

We've also got a healthy dose of rock from the likes of The Zombies, Motorhead, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Neil Young, Black Sabbath, Tom Waits, Elvis, David Bowie, Sade, Joan Jett, Ry Cooder, The Kinks, Meat Loaf, Steely Dan, Bruce Springsteen, and ZZ Top.

There are fantastic jazz titles from Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Wilder, Zoot Sims, Dexter Gordon, Coleman Hawkins, Quincy Jones, Don Shirley, Pat Metheny, Roy Ayers, Thad Jones, Jimmy McGriff, Shirley Scott, Ben Webster, Jean Luc Ponty, Count Basie, and Charles Lloyd.

We've also got a great clutch of choice electronic and experimental records that come from a deep digger's curated collection.

Rounding things out for the week we've got plenty of folk, soul, international, soundtracks, blues, and classical with what we've highlighted above.

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