January 9, 2020

NEW THIS WEEK AT THE SHOP: 

 

 

 

 

UK pop singer GEORGIA traces an arc somewhere between Chvrches and Carly Rae Jepsen on 'Seeking Thrills', while we get a jam-packed remix album of FEVER RAY's 'Plunge'. The best remix records typically come courtesy of artists who have every modern producer at their disposal, but take great care in selecting the true offbeat weirdos to reimagine their work, and that's the case here with names like DJ Marfox, Tzusing, and Bjork in the mix. We've finally tracked down some LP copies of the great 2019 album from KLEIN called 'Lifetime', which made numerous year end lists with its unnerving, oddly soothing melange of modern classical space, minimalist grime dread, and vocal cut-ups. Veteran psych-techno producer STELLAR OM SOURCE releases her first new tracks in several years on 'I See Through You', spiraling cosmicity recorded with mixing assistance from good homie of the store Aaron from Peaking Lights. 

  

As we continue to celebrate the second or third (or fourth? who knows) career renaissance of TRENT REZNOR, we've got freshly repackaged copies of NINE INCH NAILS' 2005 behemoth 'With Teeth' on vinyl, and an unbelievably detailed vinyl box set edition of Reznor's 'Bird Box' soundtrack with ATTICUS ROSS: a 4LP set of music that, over time spent recording in hotel rooms on tour with NIN, became more than just a soundtrack. 

 

 

It's been years since we've seen copies of CHRIS BELL's iconic solo album 'I Am the Cosmos' floating around. Back in print on vinyl in a much more definitive and restored edition, this album captures a fleeting moment in a troubled musician's life. Recorded in the mid-70s after Bell left Big Star and before his sudden death, few people heard these songs until a CD release in 1992 revealed a hidden, staggering genius of folk-rock desolation. You'd be forgiven for not knowing that MANFRED MANN briefly reconfigured itself as a fusion-leaning jazz rock unit in 1969 with 'Chapter Three', a refreshingly polished yet free-form set of tunes that sound more than a little like classic Soft Machine of the era. We've also got fresh, standard LP represses of two classics from THE REPLACEMENTS: 'Don't Tell A Soul' and 'Pleased To Meet Me'. 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

USED VINYL ALERT

Heading downstairs for this week's Used Vinyl Alert, we have matched the week's healthy crop of new releases with *more than the usual amount* of fresh used LPs in the new arrivals bin.  

Lots of A material from the big names this week, including dozens of collectible, rare or otherwise obscure Beatles records, a handful of rare Stones including some cool boots, minty early copies from Pink Floyd, David Bowie, CSNY, the Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Tom Petty, Van Morrison, plus even more from the Beach Boys, Leonard Cohen, Argent, Beau Brummels, Orphan, Spencer Davis Group, Mountain, Eagles, Vanilla Fudge, Springsteen, Dave Clark Five, Frank Zappa, Harry Nilsson, Elvis Costello, the Dead Kennedys, the Stooges, Captain Beefheart, Davie Allan and the Arrows, and so many more!

The jazz selections are extremely strong this week, including a couple of very rare Coltrane and Monk LPs, plus heat from Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Lester Young, Gary Burton, Gene Ammons, Bennie Maupin, Dexter Gordon, Gil Scott Heron, Donald Byrd, Charles Mingus, Jaco Pastorius, Mal Waldron, and Joe Henderson. 

Some seldom seen soul and funk pressings are in from Instant Funk, the Sylvers, Freddie Scott, Ike & Tina Turner, James Brown, Bill Withers, Newcleus, The Time, Johnnie Taylor, Jackie Wilson, Barry White, the Supremes, and 9th Creation, plus some interesting one-offs from the worlds of reggae, folk, and blues.

Contemporary releases are here from the Flaming Lips, Twin Shadow, Radiohead, Sleater Kinney, Banks, Deerhoof, and Liars, plus hiphop from Black Milk, J Rocc, Notorious BIG and Jay Z, electronics from Pierre Henry, Amon Tobin, Kraftwerk, Bjork and Daft Punk, and a slew of cult soundtracks, weird novelty records, and Disney thangs.

USED CD ALERT:

New quantities is what was promised, new quantities is what you got. We've been geeking out over here on the healthy influx of titles from the rough-edged stable of Fat Possum artists. There's a couple from top attraction RL Burnside, but the real excitement is found in the more unheralded figures. We're talking Charles Caldwell, Asie Caldwell, Robert Balfour and Othar Turner. Raucous, spooked, unrelenting - this is some visceral material. Grab it, along with the batch of rough n' rugged gospel also arriving this week. Save for the sanctified subject matter, it sounds better suited for the juke than the pulpit. The gem of the whole lot is Reverend Charlie Jackson's "God's Got It," but there's more beyond to explore, including the Numero compilation "Downriver Revival." In more trad blues, check out strong work from John Lee Hooker, Son House, Lightning Hopkins and Bobby "Blue" Bland. We haven't ignored the rock side of town, with plenty good 'uns from Rodriguez, The Wipers (the tough 3CD set!), Modern Lovers and Nick Drake. Let's wrap things up with jazz courtesy of Herbie Mann's mindbending "Memphis Underground," Grover Washington's "Inner City Blues," and unimpeachable standards from Miles, Trane and Horace Silver. The racks have been stacked as well, so don't forget to hit the walls.

STRICTLY DISCS CUSTOMER TOP 10S: 

Ron, Ryan, Angie, Marty, Evan, Matt, Ben, Ed, Isaac, Larry, Mark, Jack, Eric & Mike