BRENDAN BENSON – Dear Life LP (Third Man) color vinyl
“Dear Life” is the seventh solo album by Brendan Benson & his first record in seven years. He
branches out some on this one, adding drum machine & synth programming to his power pop
arsenal.
CASSOWARY – CASSOWARY LP (Fat Possum)
Debut album from CASSOWARY, the project of the L.A. based multi-instrumentalist & Earl Sweatshirt collaborator Miles Shannon. Smooth, warm & sunny R&B with hints of hip hop & jazz. Fans of BLOOD ORANGE, TORO Y MOI, D’angelo etc… will dig.
CIRITH UNGOL – Forever Black LP (Metal Blade) ice-blue/black vinyl
We are pleased to report that the first album since 1991 by underground metal legends CIRITH
UNGOL is pretty damn good. Singer Tim Baker’s vocals were always bonkers & a highlight of the band’s sound & he sounds great here. Fans of the band, classic NWOBHM like JUDAS PRIEST & ANGEL WITCH, PENTAGRAM & ST. VITUS will want to check this out.
DANZIG – Sings Elvis LP (Cleopatra)
We’ve been hearing about it for years & folks, it’s finally here: a Danzig record of Elvis
covers. If you’ve been following his work over the past few years then this won’t be a surprise for you. The recordings are somewhat lo-fi & even shambolic at times but it works. You know you want it…
DJ HANK – THE TRAFFIC CONTROL E.P. (Sophomore Lounge)
This is the debut release from the Chicago via North Carolina producer/bike messenger DJ HANK. DJ HANK got his start in the punk scene & he eventually started hanging out at footwork events in Chicago & started hanging out with the Teklife crew. DJ HANK’s music will appeal to fans of DJ RASHAD, DJ SPINN etc… with complex drum programming, repetitive samples & heavy bass. Footwork fans will love this. RECOMMENDED.
HAZEL ENGLISH – Wake UP! LP (Polyvinyl) red vinyl
It’s hard to believe that “Wake Up!” is the only the first album by Hazel English as we’ve been
OBSESSED with her videos for a few years now. The Sydney born/California based musician got a lot of mileage out of two EPs & now she’s finally given us a proper album. This one is not surprisingly more hi-fi than the EPs with a bit more of a 60s garage sound to it. Hazel English is a great lyricist & songwriter & this album should certainly help her reach a wider audience. Fans of artists like BEST COAST, Angel Olsen, DIIV & WILD NOTHING will approve. RECOMMENDED.
SWEVEN – The Eternal Resonance LP (Van) color vinyl
The 2014 album “Sweven” by the Swedish progressive death metal band MORBUS CHRON is one of our favorite metal records of the past decade & we were gutted when we heard that they split up. Thankfully MORBUS CHRON founding member Robert Andersson has formed a new band that picks up where MORBUS CHRON left off. This is slightly more melodic & less in the death metal zone than M.C. & a slightly more “prog” but we think fans of that band will like this a lot. Those of you that appreciate that vibe of Swedes like TRIBULATION & KATATONIA & even ALCEST will dig this.
RECOMMENDED.
LUCINDA WILLIAMS – Good Souls Better Angels LP/CD (Thirty Tigers) indie only
The legendary Lucinda Williams returns with a new album for 2020. Working with a similar team
as the classic “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road”, Williams proves once again that she’s one of the
finest songwriters around. This limited edition vinyl version comes with a download with 5 bonus
tracks.
Other important new releases
ALEXISONFIRE – Season of the Flood 10” (Dine Alone)
ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI – Worn Copy LP (Mexican Summer)
ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI – Doldrums LP (Mexican Summer)
ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI – House Arrest LP (Mexican Summer)
ELLINGTON/MINGUS/ROACH – Money Jungle LP (Blue Note) Tone Poet Series
KATATONIA – City Burials LP (Peaceville)
LEE MORGAN – The Cooker LP (Blue Note) Tone Poet Series
THE USED – Heartwork LP (Big Notes)