JAZZ POP-UP - MARCH 3RD NOON-4PM - We will have thousands of fresh & prime used Jazz LPs & CDs plus bargain Jazz LPs & CDs - none of which have been for sale anywhere else until now.
Our warehouse is located at 4253 Argosy Court. Please park only in our front parking lot or on the street (NOT in the trucking company's back lot).
NEW THIS WEEK AT THE SHOP:
A week of thrilling musical treasures kicks off with two must-hear records from the modern day frontiers of jazz and folk-rock. At the height of a globe-trotting 2018 spent celebrating the release of two explosive records, Makaya McCraven also dropped a digital-only mixtape collecting the results of two magical nights in London from the previous winter. 'Where We Come From' is in that special class of live albums where you pinch yourself for not being there, but eventually it feels like you're there anyway, and it's now available on CD and LP. These fluidly mixed recordings come from a live-improv beatmaking summit at the London club Total Refreshment, where McCraven was joined by UK musicians Theon Cross, Nubya Garcia, Soweto Kinch, Joe Armon-Jones, and the untouchable Kamaal Williams on keys, and together they plot a rhythmic odyssey thats cosmic in scope.
After years spent lending her remarkable guitar talents to the records and live bands of acts like the War on Drugs, William Tyler, Kevin Morby, and Weyes Blood, at last we get a proper document of Meg Duffy as bandleader with the latest album from her project Hand Habits. 'Placeholder' was recorded here in Wisconsin at the Boniverian brain-trust of April Base by Brad Cook, and it's a gorgeous record of languid, personal folk-rock that Duffy spikes her guitar into with precision, careful not to disturb the glowing pre-dawn aura that reigns from start to finish.
Attempting to settle the issue of which Tom Petty hits collection is the truly definitive one, we now have the 38-track 'The Best of Everything' from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Irish folk rocker Hozier makes a very strong attempt to prove 'Take Me To Church' wasn't his one hit wonder with a long-marinating second album called 'Wasteland, Baby!'. One of a kind New Jersey solo popcrafter Delicate Steve is back with 'Til I Burn Up', and we have a new album from Twin Cities Everly Brothers-channeling Cactus Blossoms, in stock on CD and limited clear vinyl.
21 Savage has been in the news for some entirely ridiculous reasons in the past few weeks, slightly overshadowing the release of his monstrous new record 'I Am I Was', which we now have in stock on vinyl. Here's hoping this is the beginning of a better year for him. UK rapper Little Simz has released what many are calling the first great rap album of the year with the fierce, unapologetic 'Grey Area'.
The week also brings new records from Potty Mouth, a promising upstart band called Weezer, another addictive slab of MGMT-esque pop from Aussies Pond, and a stunning new album from the deeply old school Indiana soul unit Durand Jones and the Indications, in the house on CD and limited orange vinyl.
A newly-formed Spanish duo called Lost Epcot delivers the week's most refreshing new electronic album with 'Aslant Sand', an artfully crafted suite of songs that recall turn of the century IDM, while maintaining a vaporous, futuristic drift. If it was late enough in your evening, you could swap this record for Autechre's 'Amber' and very few would notice the difference. The Fabric venue/label/mix series retools with a new series called Fabric Presents, and their first guest is none other than Bonobo, who turns in an excellent mix of unreleased originals and colorful deep house. New trance-revival is here from Nite Fleit on Planet Euphorique, and we've got a fresh EP from the techno duo of Shanti Celeste and Hodge.
A nice crop of archival and compilation releases cover some institutional dance sounds this week. The Dekmantel label pays homage to their Dutch forebearers Djax-Up-Beats with the first volume of 'Djax-Re-Up'. Djax was one of the first European labels to unify the continental underground dance world with techno pioneers from Chicago and Detroit, and this set provides a deep introduction to the freewheeling fruits of that partnership. A new compilation called 'Trax: The Foundations of House' collects the best 12" tracks from the Chicago label that launched the house music craze, such as 'Baby Wants To Ride' and 'No Way Back', and delivers them cut loud on heavy double vinyl. We've also got reissues of an incredible Italian techno record from 1991 called Open Spaces, produced by none other than Franco Falsini of prog heroes Sensations Fix, and a new copy of the Italo-electro staple 'The MBO Theme' from Klein & MBO.
Ambient delights old and new come to us in many forms this week. First, we have the 20th anniversary of Ryuichi Sakamoto's 'BTTB' or Back To The Basics', his 1998 opus that portrays the Japanese composer's seamless blending of pop, experimentation, and classical piano like no other record of his does with such economy and grace. This version has added material and new liner notes from the one and only Haruki Murakami. Speaking of grace, few records drift as elegantly and leave such a lasting impression as David Sylvian's 'Brilliant Trees', his 1984 art-rock fever dream masterpiece recorded with luminaries like Holger Czukay, Jon Hassell and the aforementioned Sakamoto. 'Brilliant Trees' pairs perfectly with 'Wind', the once-extremely rare 1986 debut from Italian composer Gigi Masin, which we now have back in print on LP. Leyland Kirby aka The Caretaker aka a jillion other aliases reissues his 2008 album 'Bleaklow' as The Stranger. If you're looking for a side of Kirby that's a couple shades away from his Alzheimers-fixated Caretaker project, this would be the one. Lastly, we've got a great new album from the micro-ambient composer Akira Rabelais; 'CXVI' sounds like the last thing you'd hear before Earth finally becomes completely uninhabited.
More sweet reissues come to us from Jungle Brothers, with their pioneering rap album 'Straight Out the Jungle', a fresh LP print of Andy Bey's album 'Shades of Bey', hailed by critics as one of the best jazz albums of the 1990s, and we have two incredible looking reissues from the Folkways label: Mary Lou Williams' 1964 self titled album also known as Black Christ of the Andes, and Lucinda Williams 2nd album 'Happy Woman Blues', both of these are rendered in the old school Folkways style, with tip-on sleeves and wraparound screened artwork.
Some stunners from the realms of tropical pop are here to thaw your mind and move your behind. Phillipi & Rodrigo are a new Brazilian duo, and their debut album 'Paciencia' sounds like Stereolab and a batucada ensemble jamming on the beach in Rio. UK duo Earthboogie turn in some cosmic-leaning tribal dance daydreams with 'Human Call'. Lastly, we get a repress of the fantastic 2015 debut from the French duo Domenique Dumont. For my money, 'Comme Ca' is one of the best pop albums released this century so far!
Boogie time! More classics in store, some well-loved, some never heard. Logg was the one-off collaboration between DJ legend Larry Levan and disco arranger Leroy Burgess and their lone LP is still considered the pinnacle of the disco sound as it entered the 1980s. The Numero Group adds a discovery of their own with an LP of unreleased music from the California boogie group New World Music. California spacy soul-funk group see their 1978 album 'Spaceark Is' repressed. Last up, we have a white vinyl repress of the one and only Tom Tom Club's debut album. What are you gonna do when you get out of jail? I'm gonna have some fun.
Last year we had a couple copies of the incredible album 'Siki' from the Japanese jazz trio known as Singu, and they were gone in less than a day. Snag a copy of this dreamy rhythmic fusion delight once again while you can. The ECM label brings a new disc from a trio of heavy hitters: David Torn, Tim Berne, and Ches Smith. A new compilation called 'Modern Jazz Dance Classics' transcends it's somewhat underwhelming name with an incredible selection of contemporary jazz artists from the UK, USA, Japan, France, Italy and Finland previously unavailable or hard to find on vinyl.
Lastly we cover some more nuggets of global beat, with new vinyl releases from Zara McFarlane with Dennis Bovell, a reissue of Thr Bongolian's 'Outer Bongolia', electrified Portuguese funana from Pedrinho, and some blazing 80s South African disco from Tata.
USED VINYL ALERT:
Heading downstairs for the Used Vinyl Alert, it is with great respect for our week-in, week-out selection of hot stuff that I say that this week may have the best crop of records we've seen so far this year! Plenty of seldom seen rarities and collector fodder are here, but on top of that, it's just a very enjoyably deep spread of unusual, interesting and great records across all the genres we specialize in. So lets read on!
First up, we've got all manner of rare and obscure blues rock, hard rock, psych and what-have-you from names like Dog Soldier, Womb, Budgie, Willow, Balderdash, the Fugs, Blues Magoos, Passing Clouds, the Electric Prunes, The Hook, Golden Earring, Fever Tree, the United States of America, and the Damnation of Adam Blessing. On top of that, we have all kinds of classic and rare slabs from our most frequently requested names: the Beatles, Queen, the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, T Rex, the Kinks, Prince, Brian Eno, Tom Waits, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, the Travelin Wilburys, Gene Clark, Tim Buckley, the Beau Brummels, Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, Leonard Cohen, Alice Cooper, Richard Thompson, Frank Zappa, the Velvet Underground, and the Hollies!
Loads of quality jazz is here from Joe Houston, Jimmy Smith, Moe Koffman, Charlie Shavers, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Galt McDermot, Archie Whitewater, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, and Herbie Hancock, plus vocalists like Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone, soul and funk like Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, Sade, Funkadelic, and Johnny Guitar Watson, and hiphop from Ice T, Salt n Pepa, Migos, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Travis Scott, Souls of Mischief, and Cam'Ron!
80s underground, new wave, and punk is here from Green on Red, Kate Bush, He Said, Talking Heads, the Cure, Depeche Mode, Talk Talk, Band of Susans, XTC, Devo, REM, the Specials, Husker Du, the Descendents, Circle Jerks, the Celibate Rifles, and the Violent Femmes. These are joined by more recent LPs from Of Montreal, Sigur Ros, Flaming Lips, Amy Winehouse, Ryan Bingham, Nirvana, Father John Misty, Bill Callahan, Bitchin Bajas, Alice in Chains, and Radiohead.
Our selection of folk covers a lot of ground this week, with some household names joined by a bunch of deeper obscurities. Check out LPs from Bill Monroe, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, John Fahey, Mickey Newbury, Phil Ochs, Josh White, John Prine, Odetta, Dock Boggs, Bela Fleck, John Hartford, Robbie Basho, Vassar Clements, Ramblin Jack Elliott, Sleepy John Estes, Koerner Ray and Glover, David Mallett, Art Thieme, Pick Temple, and Tut Taylor.
Lastly, we have a slew of modern composition LPs for the daring among you, including Harry Partch and John Cage, plus electronic LPs from Giorgio Moroder and Ruth White, and a massive influx of classical LPs and boxsets from all eras!
USED CD ALERT:
Time to fire February into space and no longer speak of it. New month, but we still remain on our bowl skip. Leading off, we have the unimpeachable 2-cd, 1-dvd Fela compilation, which captures the best of the Afro-funk godhead as well as the incredible “Music is the Weapon” documentary. Stunning footage of life in Lagos and endlessly rewatchable – take it from somebody who lives those words. Look for a trio of albums from Mazzy Star, all of which have matured gracefully and continue to sound fresh long after release date. We have a pair of double-disc works from Warren Zevon: the career-spanning “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” and “Preludes,” showcasing early, stripped-down takes off his first two records along with an engaging disc of talk interspersed with songs. In addition, stay on your toes for multiple titles from Bowie, Dylan, The Avett Brothers, Pink Floyd and Otis Redding. Singer-songwriters are represented via works from Courtney Barnett, Carole King, Patti Smith, Robert Ellis and The Flatlanders. There’s but a handful of jazz titles this week, but they’re all quality including “Juju” from Wayne Shorter, “Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane” and “Dexter’s Calling” from Dexter Gordon, but that’s not all. We also have three Mosiac box sets: Charles Mingus “The Complete Candid Recordings,” Cecil Taylor “Complete Recordings with Buell Neidlinger,” and the doomed pianist Herbie Nichols entire Blue Note output. Each box is extra crispy.
ENTER TO WIN JENNY LEWIS PRIZE PACK:
Jenny Lewis' new album On The Line is out on March 22nd and she'll be supporting the release with a big show in Madison at The Sylvee on 3/27! Stop in the shop or visit our website to pre-order an indie-exclusive blue vinyl version and get entered to win two tickets to the show + a $50 gift card to Brasserie V ! We'll pick a winner on 3/15.
NEXT STRICTLY DISCS MUSIC TRIVIA IS MARCH 19:
Join us Tuesday, March 19th for Music Trivia at the High Noon Saloon.
Test your music knowledge monthly at High Noon!
Registration starts 5:30 | First question at 6:00 PM FREE | 21+
New prizes to the winning team each month and a cumulative prize for the top team of the year includes a golden ticket to every show at High Noon Saloon the next year!
March 19 | April 2 | May 14 | June 18 | July 16 | August 13 | September 17 | October 15 | November 12 | December 17
STRICTLY DISCS IS HIRING:
Retail Clerk & Vinyl Pricing Clerk:
Required skills:
Excellent customer service skills; ability to anticipate customer needs
Computer proficient
A passion for music, and a broad, deep base of musical knowledge
Knowledge of Goldmine standards & experience grading and pricing records
Knowledge of stereo equipment/functionality
Availability to work nights and weekends
Ability to stand for long periods of time & ability to lift and carry 50 pounds
To apply, submit letter of interest & resume to angie@strictlydiscs.com
SELL US YOUR CDS & LPS:
OTHERS TALK BACK:
This isn't the spot to lay down odds on the third race. OTB is where Others Talk Back and give you the lowdown on what they've been feeling lately. This one's for the customers.
Adia Victoria – “Silences” This is only Ms. Victoria’s second album and she has made quite a leap in the quality of her music. Her first album in 2016 had a southern gothic feel to it. Her take on gothic had a very idiosyncratic stamp on it – it was unlike any contemporary artist. “ Silences” still has a sturdy foot in the gothic, but she has added an expanded palate of songwriting and sounds that really bring everything more sharply in focus. The sound has a more contemporary feel to it that brings the listener immediately into her musical world. Ms. Victoria is still a very unique artist but her music now touches universal emotions that are nothing if not compelling. Ms. Victoria is still only in her twenties and “Silences” is just her second album. But “Silences” definitely shows a performer with an incredibly large amount of promise for the future. - Ted
Better Oblivion Community Center – “Better Oblivion Community Center” This album is collaboration between Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers. Mr. Oberst has been making music for over thirty years. You may remember him in Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos. Ms. Bridgers put her first album out just two years ago, but has such a commanding musical presence that you would think that she is a veteran with a number of albums under her belt. Their debut album is a collaboration that really works. Unlike most musical collaborations, this a fully integrated project, both lyrically and musically. And both artists have written some of their best songs of his long career and her short career. “Better Oblivion Community Center “really has the potential to be regarded as one of the best albums of the year. - Ted
Ron, Ryan, Angie, Marty, Evan, Matt, Michael, Ben, Will, Ed, Isaac, Larry & Sean
