Greetings newsletter-lings! Looks like some cold stuff heading our way so how about some hot records? Colombian R&B futurista KALI UCHIS made one of 2023's best albums, and she's following it up ultra-quick with 'Orquideas', her second Spanish-only record. For this one, she's strapped herself to the orchid, the national flower of Colombia, a suitably succulent plant that shares her beauty, delicateness, and hardy hybridity. Where 'Red Moon In Venus' had a languorously nocturnal feel, 'Orquideas' is a bright, sparkling banger, upping the tempo while maintaining her trademark dreamy glow. Big guests from the many worlds of Latin pop like Peso Pluma, El Alfa, JT, Karol G and Rauw Alejandro keep this one exciting, too. We've got the alternate artwork version on silver vinyl, sporting what could easily be one of 2024's best album covers. Speaking of, you've got to see the cover of 'Intiha', the latest collaboration between Pakistani vocalist ALI SETHI & NICOLAS JAAR. Through his intricate and entrancing digital-glyph art, Indian illustrator Somnath Bhatt has emerged as one of the leading visionaries of a new generation; he introduced Sethi and Jaar to eachother, and that's his glitched-out hand adorning the cover. 'Intiha' is the most immediately engaging record Jaar has had a hand in since his breakout 'Space Is Only Noise'; building densely decorated sonic beds for Sethi's modern ghazals to flock and soar over. If these two records are any indication of where modern music is going in '24, we're in for a treat. Beat-driven crooner SAMPHA has dazzled with his last two albums, and this week we go back to the 2013 EP that first broke him to a wider audience. According to discogs reviews, every single copy of the repress done last year was warped, so Young Turks has redone 'Dual' on limited indie-only clear orange wax, and its looking super flat to these eyes. British folk-rocker MARIKA HACKMAN jumped on our radar with her 2017 album for Sub Pop, 'I Am Not Your Man'. It's been awhile since that one came out, a whole pandemic happened and presumably a lot of other stuff in Hackman's life. She's back with 'Big Sigh', another phenomenally relatable record of driving and/or tender pop anthems that relay all the things she's had on her plate.

KATE BUSH REISSUES ARE HERE! Do I need to say more? Name a Kate Bush album (that isn't 'The Kick Inside'): it's here. All those messages in a bottle paid off. Or maybe it was the quadrillion streams of 'Running Up That Hill'. Whatever it was, Kate and her own label Fish People have delivered the entire catalog. Each of these come on beautiful and unusually colored vinyl, and are pressed a the Dutch plant Record Industry, from fresh lacquers cut from the 2018 remasters. We're lucky to see one or two of these albums come around secondhand, and they usually leave the same day, so pack up your Moleskine, wrap up in your finest mink stole, and hop on the Vespa to scoot down here and claim your pick of the whole litter.

'Lionheart', from 1978, is in on "Dirty Pink". 'Never For Ever', from 1980, is in on "Blade Bullett Grey". 'The Dreaming', from 1982, is in on "Smokey Brown". 'Hounds Of Love', from 1985, is in on "Raspberry Beret". 'The Sensual World', from 1989, is in on "Ash Grey". 'The Red Shoes', from 1993, is in on "Dracula Red". 'Aerial', from 2005, is in on "Goldy Locks". 'Director's Cut', from 2011, is in on "Hazy Red", and '50 Words For Snow', from 2011 as well, is in on 'Snowy White'.

The Numero Groupies head down Miami way for a fresh volume of Eccentric Soul, this time focusing on THE SAADIA LABEL, which released just a dozen 45s in the early 70s that have become some of the rarest slabs in the game. Gospelized funk and soul abounds on these electrifying tunes. The legendary Spanish disc jockey GLADYS PALMERA is who I'd turn to for tips on the best Latin records; across the decades she has collected over 50,000 albums for her radio broadcasts and DJ sets, and she's highlighted 12 scorchers on 'Loca Ilusion: Exciting Latin Sounds Compiled By Gladys Palmera'. We also welcome a pair of Fania flames this week: RAY BARRETTO's 'Que Viva la Musica' and JOE BATAAN's 'Gypsy Woman'.

With nine albums to his name, KID CUDI isn't so young anymore, but he still manages to go 'Insano' on a new 21 track album that features Travis Scott, Lils Wayne and Yachty, Pharrell, Young Thug and more. The plush R&B of VICTORIA MONET's 'Jaguar II' is finally in stock on vinyl, and we've got a pair of cool color vinyl reissues from CZARFACE: 'Czar Noir' and 'First Weapon Drawn'.

This week brings fresh reissues of late-period classics from a pair of bands that continue to grow in stature, influence, and popularity many decades after ceasing to exist. If I had my druthers (and believe me I don't), I'd fire up a time machine and convince THE GRATEFUL DEAD and THE COCTEAU TWINS to do a package tour. Just imagine the crossover appeal! (Not to mention the parking lot, or the overall aroma of the crowd) Anyway, where was I...oh right, the reissues. 'Terrapin Station' and 'In the Dark' are back in stock from the Dead, while Robin Guthrie himself has remastered 'Milk & Kisses' and 'Four Calendar Café' for vinyl. The latter is at last restored to its natural home on 4AD, but nothing could apparently be done about the appallingly dorky Times New Roman font on its cover. Again with the time machine, I suppose.

You don't see a 75 DOLLAR BILL every day; the far-reaching NYC guitar/percussion ensemble makes some seriously unique, intoxicatingly polyrhythmic minimalism. 'Power Failures', a digital-only album from 2020, finally gets a vinyl issue this week. Forty years ago, a gang of DC boys ducked their heads into an Arlington basement and made history. Ok that sounds pretty cliche for sure, but seriously, it's hard to imagine where hardcore punk and underground music as a whole would be if not for MINOR THREAT. A new 7" from Dischord celebrates this historic session with the three-song 'Out Of Step Outtakes'. Beloved folk voices JOAN SHELLEY and MYRIAM GENDRON team up to take on a pair of songs to make babies sleep on 'Lullabies from the Archive of American Folk Song', and we've got a rambunctious new art-punk record from ABSTRACT CONCRETE, the new project from political punk percussion legend Charles Hayward of This Heat.

A pair of delightful albums from Irish ambient artist GARETH QUINN REDMOND arrive to settle in the snow: 'Ar Ais Aris' and 'Umcheol'. Russian expat Pavel Milyakov (better known as Buttechno) pairs up with vocalist Perila as PMXPER, a phenomenally gauzy album of genreless wordsound. WALLY BADAROU's extremely chill CD only relaxation album 'Colors Of Silence' gets its first ever vinyl edition from Be With, and we have a lovely reissue of a 80s Japanese rarity; D-DAY's 'Grape Iris' ingeniously blends synth pop, bossa nova and jazz-rock like nothing else.

Two blizzards in one week won't stop our used vinyl from pouring in! This week! Heavy hitters have arrived from the Grateful Dead, The Smiths, Roxy Music, Yes, The Ramones, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel, Wham, The Doors, Queen, the Eagles, Bobby Dylan, Rolling Stones, Neil Young, 10cc, Ozzy Ozbourne, Tracy Chapman, Joni Mitchell, Yes, Kiss, Rainbow, Kansas, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Debbie Gibson, Bon Jovi, Great White, Warren Zevon, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Talking Heads, and U2.

Jazz is in from some nice names including some heavy slabs by Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Vince Guaraldi, Freddie Hubbard, Kitaro, Keith Jarrett, George Benson, and the illustrious praise worthy Kenny Burrell! We've got your hip hop needs covered with releases by Boogie Down Productions, Kid n Play, Kanye West, and the Master Tone Loc!

Some smoking soul is in from Sly Stone, the Brothers Johnson, and an ULTRA RARE appearance from SPICE!. The Blues are represented this week by Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Rushing, And Bessie Jones. Country comes through from the likes of Waylon Jennings, Emmy Lou Harris, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and several more.

We finish out strong this week with some crucial reggae releases by Burning Spear, Culture, and Peter Tosh.

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