NEW THIS WEEK AT THE SHOP:

 

 

This week brings big new albums from some of the pop fringe's gloomiest (if not doomiest) voices, starting with 21st century digital discontent from GRIMES, who confronts, while seeming to revel in our societal malaise on her latest album, 'Miss Anthropocene', which is a much less blistering, significantly more dreamy affair than her 2015 breakout 'Art Angels'. Aussie slouchpop savant COURTNEY BARNETT examines her already vast catalog on a new 'Unplugged' album, and we get a potent new record from the still-mysterious KING KRULE, the young songwriter who has had big expectations from the UK music press since his early teens. On 'Man Alive', he delivers his strongest work yet, a blurting, roaring processional of an album that tempers his potent anguish with more cerebral moments of reflections of fatherhood. The week's most startling release, hands down, comes from CINDY LEE, the evolving solo project of Pat Flegel from the defunct band Women, and their LP 'What's Tonight To Eternity'. I've spent all week listening to this record, a shambolic collection of chaotic and poignant pop dirges that wobble as if they could achieve clarity or be consumed by static at any moment. Flegel's sound is singular; a kind of revisionist girl group vocal pop cast in glinting noise, or as I heard someone else describe them: "like the Supremes in a wind tunnel".  

 

 

One of modern pop's most tender, sensuous voices returns with the latest album from AGNES OBEL, and we welcome the re-emergence of 2010s good feeling superstars BEST COAST with their first new record in some time, 'Always Tomorrow'. That's the spirit guys. Pop star SELENA GOMEZ appears to have survived into adulthood without going insane, and celebrates that rare achievement with a new LP called 'Rare', and we have the debut album from the harmonizin youths of PURR.

 

 

  

  

  

  

 

 

A solid week for gems from the UK post-industrial blueberry bog, as we welcome reissues of the first two albums from eldritch dub-muckers BOURBONESE QUALK. 'Hope' and 'Laughing Afternoon' are two challenging, yet rewarding excursions recommended to fans of Dead Can Dance or early 23 Skidoo. Obscure synth-spazz DIY brilliance is back in print from MR CONCEPT, and we have the near-mythical 1987 album of tenuous fourth world from O YUKI CONJUGATE, called 'Into Dark Water'. 

 

USED VINYL ALERT

Heading downstairs for this week's edition of the Used Vinyl Alert, we pull back the curtain (well, technically it's a sheet) on another crop of sweet ones.

USED CD ALERT:

This week the pickings are not as voluminous as some Fridays but brother, the quality is still there, particularly if overdriven guitars find purchase in your household. Look for early White Stripes, Detroit Cobras, King Gizzard, Ted Leo and “Ultraglide in Black,” the revved-up album of caffeinated soul covers by the Dirtbombs. This is one of those longtime store favorites. In the quiet corner, there’s multiple offerings from both Steve Gunn and Camera Obscura, Love’s immortal “Forever Changes,” and a pair from Americana firecracker Caitlin Rose. We still got some old standbys from warhorses like Tom Waits, Led Zep [the killer 3-cd “How the West Was Won] and Smooth Bobby Dylan. There’s still ace stuff from last week including the remnants of a jazz deluge and ace singer/songwriters like Fleet Foxes, Elliot Smith and Sleater-Kinney. The roads are clear, the weather should be less oppressive and you need to occupy yourself before Wilder-Fury II on Saturday night.

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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.

Puss N Boots - “Sister”  The band is made up of Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson (primarily known as a jazz singer) and Catherine Popper (who has played and sang in various alt-country bands).  Each member has a powerful and distinctive voice on their own, but they manage to blend them together in a very pleasing manner. This is only their second album; after all they have to juggle three busy schedules to record and to tour.  “Sister” is a collection of both originals and covers. The choice of covers strikes me as a bit inspiring. They tackle songs from the likes of Paul Westerberg, Dolly Parton, Tom Petty and Concrete Blonde. The three singers burrow in each song, find the gold inside and then make each cover into a unique group effort.  Plus their originals are as unique and as pithy as the covers. The band travels a folk, alt-country and low-keyed indie rock aesthetic on “Sister” that makes both their own songs and the covers shine. One could say that Puss N Boots is a band that can take each member's considerable individual talents and with their musical skills make this album a true collaborative and collective album. - Ted

Shopping - “All Or Nothing” This English/Scottish post-punk band releases its fourth album in only seven years.  Their obvious starting point is the distinctive music of late seventies and early eighties British post-punk. The band is, however, not a tribute act. They simply have too much talent for that. Instead they use that angular post-punk sound as a starting point for their own rather idiosyncratic and impressive compositions.  And on “All Or Nothing” they widen their sound with elements of krautrock, eighties electronic pop, disco and new wave. This is an album that moves both your mind and your feet. While your brain is engaged with the musical and emotional heft of the songs, it is simply impossible to sit still when listening to this album.. The disparate elements make for a rather kinetic sound which ultimately means it is quite simply a very danceable album.  “All Or Nothing” is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of this still quite young year. - Ted

STRICTLY DISCS IS HIRING:

VINYL PRICING SPECIALIST:

Required skills:

Excellent customer service skills; ability to anticipate customer needs

Computer proficient

A passion for music, and a broad, deep base of recorded music history

Knowledge of Goldmine standards & experience grading and pricing records

Knowledge of stereo equipment/functionality

Availability to work nights and weekends

Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds repeatedly

To apply, submit letter of interest & resume to angie@strictlydiscs.com