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Katy Kirby
Blue Raspberry [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Crystal Clear LP]
Vinyl: $25.98 PREORDER
Blue Raspberry is Katy Kirby’s follow up to her renowned debut album Cool Dry Place, which came out in February 2021. Singer/songwriter Katy Kirby introduced her warm, articulate vocals, perceptive lyrics, and playful adult-alternative style on her debut album as she toured tirelessly supporting bands like Waxahatchee, Andy Shauf, Julia Jacklin and Alex G.
That record was a tried-and-true folk collection, perfectly displaying the chops of a young songwriter and emanating the warm feel of a band in a room; Blue Raspberry, made with the same band and producers (Logan Chung and Alberto Sewald) , hits the gas and enters completely new territory as we see Katy truly step into her own as a songwriting force. She fearlessly leans far into baroque piano pop on tracks like ‘Redemption Arc’ and the title track ‘Blue Raspberry’, and lyrically she explores themes of loss and queer love. Very few are able to capture the same emo- tional, theatrical magic of artists like Fiona Apple, Tom Waits and Joanna Newsom but Katy pulls it off on this record; standout ‘Drop Dead’.
For the first time ever, BTS’ highly successful mini album Love Yourself 轉 'Tear' is now available on vinyl! Featuring the group’s hit songs “FAKE LOVE” and “The Truth Untold (feat. Steve Aoki),” Love Yourself 轉 'Tear' landed on the top of the charts across the globe upon its original release in 2018. Contents of this vinyl album package include a 12” Vinyl, Outer Sleeve, Booklet, Hologram Photo Card Set (incl. 7ea), Post Card and Sticker Set (incl. 2ea). Product Dimensions: 316 x 316 x 6 mm.
Sarah Shook & The Disarmers
Revelations [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Translucent Orange & Black Swirl LP]
Vinyl: $23.98 PREORDER
In 2022, Shook was remarkably productive. They released two albums: debut solo indie rock record Cruel Liars under the moniker Mightmare (Kill Rock Stars) and a third Disarmers full-length called Nightroamer (Thirty Tigers). Compared to every Disarmers record before that, which captured the in-the-room energy of the band with live recorded songs, the latter LP was instead more of a product of the studio with meticulous tracking sessions and an outside producer. While that effort was well-received, Shook believed the songs on Revelations deserved a more direct approach. “Since the Disarmers started in 2015, our strength has always been in our live performance,” says Shook. “To me, an album should capture the essence of a band. With this new set of songs that are all super special to me, I didn't trust anybody else to capture the songs and decide how to best serve each song.” Shook, who honed their production skills with their Mightmare LP and Izzy Ryder’s debut record, confidently took the reins during a blistering recording session, capturing 10 songs in two days.
For Shook, it was paramount the recordings match the band’s tangible live ferocity because these songs boast their most immediate lyrics yet. “All of my writing is autobiographical, and I write everything based on my observations and experiences,” says Shook. “But there was something about Revelations that felt more personal to me. I unlocked this level of honesty with myself and an ability to be more objective about the things I struggle with daily.” Take the title track, which finds Shook singing about the precariousness of navigating mental health under capitalism. Over a rollicking, twang-hued arrangement, they sing, “Black cloud followin' me around, little storm in my head / Some days I levitate off the ground, some days I can't get outta bed.” The track doesn’t preach or romanticize. Instead, it’s galvanizing and relatable.
These are lived-in stories about real people with real dreams, atmospheric pasts, and inescapable problems. “I think of myself as a collector: I just go around and collect experiences and observations,” says Shook. “I'm still adjusting to writing songs as a sober person but a lot of the themes are just about being a working person and navigating mental health and relationships with other people going through the same things.” Lead single “Backsliders” comes directly from Shook’s life when they were a bartender at a Chapel Hill dive called The Cave. The song is a deceptively breezy romp about workplace romantic entanglements with Shook singing, “Love you like a breath when I ain't workin' myself to death / cause I'm longin' for the ghost of a friend.” On one hand, it captures the closeness that only service workers can experience on the job but on the other, it plainly states how easy it is to fall into bad habits when dealing with any type of loss.
Throughout the LP, there are cathartic, snarling kiss-offs to villainous men (“Motherfucker”) but also moments of tenderness and ecstasy. Shook describes closer “Criminal” as their “gay cowboy song”, the torturous longing of the lyrics is anchored by shimmering guitar leads from Blake Tallent and bastioned by drummer Jack Foster’s hypnotic rhythms. River sings, “If lovin' you will always be a crime I'll always be a criminal.” It’s a triumphant line that highlights Shook’s emotional sturdiness. “That line got me thinking about how we as queer people have been persecuted, and how we so often have to keep all kinds of things under wraps because of the law because of social taboo,” says Shook. “I wanted “Criminal” to portray these feelings of longing and desire that two gay people can have for each other. They're complicated feelings because human beings are complicated. Gay love is every bit as complicated as straight love.”
Revelations is the most assured Sarah Shook and the Disarmers record yet because it so pointedly captures the gamut of the human experience: anger, sadness, confusion, love, and acceptance. It’s a document of Shook at the top of their game and a reflection of their own journey not just as a writer but as a person. “I’m a firm believer that if you are an artist, and you want to make better art, a big part of that isn't just exercising your musical skills, it’s growing as a human being,” says Shook. “So every time I make a record, I want to be able to listen to it and look back on who I was then. I want to see this arc and this evolution. That's really fucking important to me.”
Paul McCartney And Wings
Band on the Run: 50th Anniversary [Half Speed Master LP]
Vinyl: $35.98 PREORDER
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1973 album, Band On The Run, this special edition was cut at half-speed on 180g vinyl using a high-resolution transfer of the original master tapes by Miles Showell at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. This tracklist mirrors the U.S. release which includes the song, “Helen Wheels.” Also included is a reproduction of the Linda McCartney Polaroid poster.
Sir Rod Stewart and Jools Holland with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra present the exquisite Swing Fever - a 13-track sparkling salute to the timeless songs of the big band years, reignited by two giants of their craft.
For the first time, Britain's new partners in swing have united on record to share their peerless dexterity on a tribute to such truly great songs as 'Ain't Misbehavin’, 'Frankie And Johnny’, 'Sentimental Journey' and 'Lullaby Of Broadway’.
A decade after its initial release of only 300 copies, Tipper's Forward Escape is being offered once more in vinyl format to the legions of fans who sought this vaunted platter for their collection since. Blissfully naive the pressing would be so well received, the 300 copies Tipper self-funded was intended more a physical nod to the album artwork from Android Jones than as the highly sought after and rare collectible these became later. This 2024 'redux' adds a bonus track (Gratis) and updated mixes of each track to separate it from the original release, and the artwork has also received a re-working from the original artist (thus preserving the valuation of those 300 rare copies that have received mythical status in the reselling market over time).
Marking 40 years of The Jesus And Mary Chain, ‘Glasgow Eyes’ was recorded at Mogwai’s Castle of Doom studio in Glasgow, where Jim and William continued the creative process that resulted in their previous album, 2017’s ‘Damage and Joy’, becoming their highest charting album in over twenty years. What emerged is a record that finds one of the UK’s most influential groups embracing a productive second chapter, their maelstrom of melody, feedback and controlled chaos now informed more audibly by their love for Suicide and Kraftwerk and a fresh appreciation of the less disciplined attitudes found in jazz. Jim Reid says, “But don’t expect ‘the Mary Chain goes jazz.’ People should expect a Jesus and Mary Chain record, and that’s certainly what ‘Glasgow Eyes’ is. Our creative approach is remarkably the same as it was in 1984, just hit the studio and see what happens. We went in with a bunch of songs and let it take its course. There are no rules, you just do whatever it takes. And there’s a telepathy there - we are those weird not-quite twins that finish each other’s sentences.” ‘Glasgow Eyes’ not only extends The Jesus and Mary Chain's story, but feels simultaneously like a return to roots. From the incendiary ‘Psychocandy’ debut and its classic ‘Just Like Honey’ onwards, the Reid brothers steadily became the misfits who made good without compromise.
The Vaccines
Pink-Up Full Of Pink Carnations [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Translucent Pink LP]
Vinyl: $23.98 PREORDER
Torchbearers for British guitar music, The Vaccines - Justin Young (lead vocals, guitars), Árni Árnason (bass, vocals), Timothy Lanham (guitars, keys, vocals) and Yoann Intonti (drums) - are back with their sixth studio album Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations. The title comes from a misremembered lyric from Don McClean's "American Pie," a song that for Young fittingly evokes the death of innocence and the American Dream. After he moved to Los Angeles - a city the band has grown up being captivated by - he was forced to wrestle with the disillusionment that comes when expectations, dreams, and reality don't quite meet. Yet, though Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations is an album about reconciling with loss, it's also filled with gratitude for the people and places we once loved.
"Pink carnations symbolise gratitude and tell a person they’ll never be forgotten," says Young. "So whether it's the loss of a lover, or a friend, or even just a dream, the record is a reminder that they’ll live on in whatever capacity the mind allows them to. And it's a reminder to keep on dreaming.”
Produced by Andrew Wells (Halsey, Phoebe Bridgers) with Mixing from Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, The Flaming Lips), Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations is an immediately anthemic addition to the band's discography. With a mammoth five UK Top 5 albums – including a Number 1 with 2012’s Come of Age – and a fierce live reputation forged through arena-filling headline shows and unforgettable slots at Glastonbury and Reading/Leeds, The Vaccines continue to be a vital band in the British rock canon.
Live Forever is the second solo mixtape by American singer/rapper Lil Peep. It was first released on December 2, 2015, two months after his first mixtape, Lil Peep; Part One. The mixtape was preceded by two singles: "Flannel" and “Haunt U”, and three additional singles were issued posthumously. The mixtape was later re-released on the seventh anniversary of the mixtape's release in 2022. Now available for the first time on vinyl, CD, and cassette
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Nicki Minaj releases her new album Pink Friday 2 on December 8, 2023. Electric Blue LP.
Neil Young
Before and After [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Clear LP]
On Before And After, Young chooses favorites from his playbook like a trip into his music history and performs them mostly alone on a solo acoustic journey. Each of the songs blend into each other and morph with mesmerizing clarity into a continuous flow of music creating a 48-minute pure and intimate listening experience. The 13-track album spans Neil’s career, from Neil’s early Buffalo Springfield contribution, "Burned" (1966) to the recent "Don't Forget Love"(2021) and includes the previously unreleased song “If You Got Love”.
As Neil put it on his NYA site:
Songs from my life, recently recorded, create a music montage with no beginnings or endings. The feeling is captured, not in pieces, but as a whole piece. Only for listening.
Big Big Love is the first single from the eponymous album that is a mantra for embracing humanity with kindness. The single will be released in conjunction with the Michael Franti & Spearhead tour date celebrating a return to Red Rocks on June 2. Franti announced the US Big Big Love tour on January 31 which launched May 13 and runs through August 20.
Michael Franti is a globally recognized musician, humanitarian, activist, and award-winning filmmaker revered for his high-energy live shows, inspiring music, devotion to health and wellness, worldwide philanthropic efforts and the power of optimism. Throughout his multi-decade career, Franti has earned three Billboard No. 1's with triumphantly hopeful hits "Sound of Sunshine," "Say Hey (I Love You)," and "I Got You," as well as sic Top 30 Hot AC singles, 10 Top 25 AAA singles and three Billboard Top 5 Rock Albums.
Michael Franti & Spearhead continue to foster their community both on and off stage with a wish granting non-profit, Do It For The Love, founded by Franti and his wife, Sara. Do It For The Love brings those with life threatening illnesses, veterans, and children with severe challenges to concerts worldwide, fulfilling over 3,300 wishes and touching the lives of over 12,000 people to date. Franti also owns SOULSHINE Bali, a 32-room top-rated boutique retreat hotel located in Ubud, Bali.
Coming off the success of “Area Codes,” Kaliii returns with the release of her EP, Toxic Chocolate: Area Codes Edition. The original “Area Codes” peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, #5 on the Hot Rap Songs, and #10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. Toxic Chocolate spawned hits like “UonU (Feat. Yung Bleu)“ and “Standards.” performances.
Stephen Marley is one of the most respected artists in reggae and pop, with eight GRAMMY® Awards from his career as a solo artist, as a producer and as a member of his family band, Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers.
His brand-new album, Old Soul, is his fifth, and is releasing on UMe in partnership with the Marley Family, Tuff Gong and Ghetto Youth International. It’s Stephen stretching himself as a singer and songwriter, bringing along some special guests in a wide range of material beyond the reggae category.
Among its 14 tracks is the title song, released as a single on Stephen’s fortuitous birthday, 4/20 – which also got a lyric video on Father’s Day Weekend – plus “Winding Roads,” a collaboration with Jack Johnson and the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir; a new version of his father’s song, “I Shot the Sheriff,” with Eric Clapton, who made the song globally famous, on guitar; two songs with his brothers; and unique covers of the traditional pop songs, “Georgia On My Mind” and “These Foolish Things,” both transformed into modern ska singalongs.
2-disc package in a 7-inch sleeve, containing the Atom Heart Mother album on CD and a Blu-ray disc featuring newly discovered film of the performance from over 50 years ago. Originally only released in Japan in 2021, the set contains some unique memorabilia – a special photo book containing many rare, never-seen-before photos, reproductions of the pamphlet, the poster, the concert ticket, and the flier distributed at the event.
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NEW THIS WEEK AT THE SHOP:
With the year starting to wrap up, you're probably starting to wonder "Hey, where are the Strictly Discs staff top tens? Are those guys OK?" First off, thanks for your concern, and second: have no fear, we are hard at work getting them all dolled up for you and ready to unveil next week, so stay tuned. I must say its the most impressive, wide-ranging selection of titles we've ever chosen. There aren't too many brand new releases hitting the floor this late in the year, but boy oh boy, are there some long-awaited reissues, starting off with a real big one. Longtime fans of the band HUM know just how hard it's been to track down a legit vinyl copy of their 1995 classic 'You'd Prefer An Astronaut'. Personally, I do a double take every time I see a zebra. The Champaign-Urbana quartet got swept up in the ever-Nevermind major label signing boom and delivered a doozy with 'YPAA', a prototypical slab of melodic spacerock imbued with the the heavy fuzz and post-hardcore riffiness that's come to define the term "midwest emo". The album had modest initial success, but nothing like the lasting critical acclaim that has continued to accrue at its hooves, which makes finding originals nearly impossible. The fellas themselves have fixed this with an incredible new remastered edition that expands it to 2 LPs at 45 rpm for maximum punch, with a dope gatefold. Sticking with the melodic Illinois indie theme, the Numero Group continues their slowcore anthropology with 'Dream Backwards' an immense 3 LP set summing the entire output of the postrock trio C-CLAMP, who also began life in Champaign before moving to Chicago. Bass-forward songwriting, distortionless guitar, and gently complex rhythms generate a lot of warmth in this band's catalog which, as always with these Numero sets, somehow still sounds fresh and necessary today. We're big fans of the humble and talented Chicago musician JAMES ELKINGTON around here; type of dude to stop in the store with a casual "oh yeah, I'm playing with Jeff Tweedy tonight". His production and playing is all over a lot of our recent faves (Steve Gunn, Joan Shelley, Itasca, etc), and now he delivers 'Me Neither', an extended collection of guitar explorations that is some of his most rewarding work yet, full of heady instrumental studies that stimulate the mind without overwhelming it. Heartfelt singer-songwriter JOANNA STERNBERG put out one of 2023's best albums, the instantly out-of-print 'I've Got Me', which gets a new color press just in time for year-end list season.Speaking of records we've never, ever had in stock before, let's dial up a big name in that category: FIONA APPLE. The mere mention of her name is to give this store-stocker an anxious shudder. Fiona Apple albums? On vinyl? You kiddin me pal? Anyhoo, that's all behind us as of this week, as we welcome her entire catalog back to the waxen realm. We got 'Tidal': her debut, with the single "Criminal" that stood out as something no 18-year old should reasonably be able to create, and won her Grammys and MTV Music Awards which she shrugged off in the coolest, absolutely most 90s-ish way possible. We got 'When The Pawn...' her much-anticipated sophomore album which featured slower, sadder, sultrier songs written entirely on her own, and baffled some critics right out of the gate with its world record-length full title. It's been truncated for this version, perhaps reflecting an older, wiser Apple who no longer wishes to rub everyone the wrong way. We got 'Extraordinary Machine', her third album after a long hiatus in the early 00s that expanded her sound and thrilled fans. And we got 'The Idler Wheel...', which emerged in 2012 after an even longer hiatus, and introduced us to the raw, playful, unfiltered Fiona we came to love even more on her lockdown-era bedroom rocker 'Fetch The Bolt Cutters'. That one's still in stock, as well, which means the full catalog is here at last.When you've lived as much, reinvented and returned, and rocked stages as long as NEIL YOUNG has, what even *is* an "old one"? The singular hero takes a trip through his catalog on a new acoustic album called, 'Before and After', selecting his personal favorites to revisit and reinterpret. That's his faves, not fan faves: no Cinnamon Girl or Sample and Hold on here (ok maybe that second one is just me). We're looking forward to hearing this one in full during a listening event today (Friday) at 5pm, where we will be giving away some cool lithographs, bandanas, tshirts and even a hoodie. Looking for some other folk-rock and country gems to file next to your Neil? Try SANDY DENNY's 'Early Home Recordings', GRAM PARSONS and THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS' 'Sleepless Nights', and an Early DOLLY PARTON collection called 'Early Dolly'.Its been five years since the BOYGENIUS debut EP hit the racks and the time has just flown by. Revisit the initial spark from this elite firm of Baker, Bridgers & Dacus, LLC, with a new yellow vinyl version, now in a gatefold with printed lyrics. Folk-rock odysseyans BIG THIEF revisit their early gem 'Masterpiece', pressed on the ever-appealingly named "eco mix" color vinyl. CAR SEAT HEADREST commemorate a big bank of NYC shows with a new live album, 'Faces From The Masquerade', and the recent classic from MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA, 'The Million Masks of God' returns in a deluxe edition available in two different colors.It's been ten years since DJ RASHAD poured up 'Double Cup', an album that singularly defined its genre (footwork) in a rare way, like 'Kind Of Blue' did for cool jazz, or 'Kill 'Em All' did for speed metal. Frenetic drum patterns, ingenious sampling, and a relentless swagger make it the standard against which everything else is compared. A ten year anniversary edition bathes this nugget in gold: gold vinyl, gold artwork, lest you forget just how priceless it is. The American new age composer JOANNA BROUK has come to be posthumously recognized as one of the greatest contributors and expanders of that genre; here 1981 cassette 'Sounds of The Sea' is on vinyl for the first time. The Manchester label AFICIONADO, run by venerated record heads Jason Boardman and Moonboots, has long been a reliable outpost for the deepest and dopest Balearic dance cuts. A new comp celebrates 25 years of the label with 2LPs worth of rare bangers. Brazilian trickster gods OS MUTANTES belong in the psych pop trinity alongside the Beatles and 13th Floor Elevators. Their essential greatest hits comp, 'Everything Is Possible!' is back in print on yellow wax.The Studio One / Soul Jazz reissue juggernaut laces us with two essentials this week. Stone-cold rocksteady gems from JACKIE MITTOO AND THE SOUL BROTHERS on 'Last Train To Skaville', and a new vinyl edition of volume 2 of STUDIO ONE ROOTS, with deep cuts from Cedric Brooks, Count Ossie, and more. Before he went there, LEE SCRATCH PERRY recorded one last album called 'Heaven', and its here on vinyl now. Not as celebrated, but just as potently-laced with reggaefied soulful funk is the sophomore album from CYMANDE. If you love their self titled debut, you also need 'Second Time Round'.New hip-hop is in, including APOLLO BROWN & PLANET ASIA's 'Sardines' on green. Detroit rhymer BOLDY JAMES teams up with young producer CHANHAYS on 'Prisoner Of Circumstance'. I mean real young, kid looks like he's about 10! A bunch of color vinyl represses are in from DENZEL CURRY including his banger 'Unlocked' with KENNY BEATS, and there is a new EP from Rhymesayers rap explainer GRIEVES with 'The Collections of Mr. Nice Guy'.Post-metalcore giants BRING ME THE HORIZON embraced electronics and Deftones vibes on 'Sempiternal', which gets a ten year picture disc version, alongside a new album from ATREYU, 'The Beautiful Dark of Life' in on red, yellow and teal swirl vinyl. Enjoying your Khanate reissues? Go back one more step with 'Towers' from BURNING WITCH, a classic slab of 90s doom metal featuring future members of Goatsnake and SunnO))), plus a terrifying vocalist named "Edgy". And you thought you were edgy? If you feel like quitting booze for the holidays (widely recommended by doctors, therapists, and your mom), what better way to celebrate than with the early straight-edge anthems by SS DECONTROL on 'The Kids Will Have Their Say'?The Verve Acoustic Sounds and Verve By Requests series go absolutely hambone this week with new editions of COLEMAN HAWKINS and BEN WEBSTER's classic 'Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster', MELVIN JACKSON's 'Funky Skull', JUNIOR MANCE's 'Junior', and MAX ROACH's 'Moon Faced And Starry Eyed'.More jazz! COLIN STETSON is back with another invigorating session called 'When We Were That What Wept For The Sea'. Cool down with new copies of BILL EVANS' 'Conversations With Myself' and GETZ / GILBERTO's '#2', and enjoy the vibrant cover versions from a quartet led by Japanese keyboardist, arranger and style god T. HONDA on 'Whats Goin On'. -
USED VINYL ALERT
The cold ones continue in the Used Vinyl Alert! Lots of great albums from our most trusted names this week, like Bob Dylan, the Who, Steely Dan, the Kinks, Iron Butterfly, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Queen, AC/DC, Brian Eno, Grateful Dead, the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Allman Brothers, Nazz, Kiss, the Beach Boys, Man, Harry Nilsson, Bob Weir, George Harrison, Mott the Hoople, the Eagles, John Lennon, ZZ Top, Elvis Presley, the Monkees, Alice Cooper, Genesis, Cheap Trick, Billy Joel, Dire Straits, Huey Lewis, Joe Walsh, and Jimmy Buffett.
Hey ladies! Some of the greatest are in this week: Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Janis Joplin, Kate Bush, Doja Cat, the Pretenders, Summer Walker, Hatchie, Aurora, and Stevie Nicks.
Lots of quality jazz LPs in from Erroll Garner, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dexter Gordon, Red Garland, Sonny Fortune, Donald Byrd, Jimmy Forrest, Return to Forever, Ahmad Jamal, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, Vince Guaraldi, MJQ, Sonny Rollins, and Art Tatum.
Classic country is in from Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris, The Dillards, Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, and Reba McEntire. Soul galore from The Temptations, Vanity 6, Aretha Franklin, Kool and the Gang, Chic, Tony! Toni! Toné!, The Supremes, Ike and Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, the Impressions, Lou Rawls, Donna Summer, Mandre, Diana Ross, Sly and the family Stone, Otis Redding, and Childish Gambino. Plenty more soundtracks and musicals, classical and avant-garde as well. -
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