VINYL:
AA Bondy – American Hearts
Their latest (2008) release, now available on vinyl.
Amon Duul II – Yeti
"Yeti" was the second album by Amon Duul II and is quite a musical achievement. This is a double LP set and contains some of Amon Duul's most impressive work – delivering their thick, full-fledged, multi-layered sound with dense instrumentation and a certain epic vastness. This is Krautrock in the full depth of its power: huge, towering, dark and completely devoid of any happy optimism, but still bound full of energy. An essential bit of the psych/prog era. Released with the original artwork.
Beastie Boys – Ill Communication
Deluxe reissue features the original album remastered and a bonus disc of 12 rarities, live tracks and B-sides.
David Bowie – Man Who Sold The World
David Bowie – Pinups
High-end Simply Vinyl label pressings.
The Clash – The Clash
The Clash – Give 'Em Enough Rope
High-end Simply Vinyl label pressings.
The Dead Weather – Horehound
The latest musical adventure by Jack White epitomizes the alt-rock ethic: do the music you love, do it yourself, and do it fast. The Dead Weather brings together lead singer Alison Mosshart (half of the London-based lo-fi post-punk duo The Kills), Queens Of The Stone Age guitarist Dean Fertita, The Raconteurs' bassist Jack Lawrence, and White on drums and vocals.
Iggy & The Stooges – More Power
Digitally remastered collection of rare studio recordings from the Raw Power era.
Son Volt – American Central Dust
Now available on vinyl.
CDs:
Beastie Boys – Ill Communication
Deluxe reissue features eco-friendly packaging with the original album remastered and a bonus disc of 12 rarities, live tracks and B-sides.
David Bowie – VH1 Storytellers
The CD/DVD features Bowie's original televised performance of eight songs, plus an additional four songs that had been taped, but were not featured during the original air date.
Clutch – Strange Cousins From The West
The first new studio release in over two years — features eleven brand new songs.
CunninLynguists – Strange Journey Volume One
New album from the hip-hop stars features appearances by Slug of Atmosphere, Killer Mike, Khujo of Goodie Mob and Fishscales of Nappy Roots.
Dandy Warhols – Dandy Warhols Are Sound
Think of this CD as the director's cut of "Welcome To The Monkey House."
Daughtry – Leave This Town
New album features the single “No Surprise.”
The Dead Weather – Horehound
The latest musical adventure by Jack White epitomizes the alt-rock ethic: do the music you love, do it yourself, and do it fast. The Dead Weather brings together lead singer Alison Mosshart (half of the London-based lo-fi post-punk duo The Kills), Queens Of The Stone Age guitarist Dean Fertita, The Raconteurs' bassist Jack Lawrence, and White on drums and vocals.
Chico DeBarge – Addiction: Reality Music
Sultry R&B crooner’s new album is filled with the passion and intensity that encompasses Chico's sensual delivery and style. "Addiction…" is infused with rich melodic and soulful production and features guest appearances from Joe and Talib Kweli.
Discovery – Discovery
Discovery is the recording project of Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend) and Wes Miles (Ra Ra Riot). Guest vocals from Ezra Koening (Vampire Weekend) and Angel Deradoorian (Dirty Projectors). Elements of European electronic dance music skittering in double time over steady R&B. "Cascades of synths that belong on a My Bloody Valentine record and electronic flurries that sound like a flock of robins chirping incessantly on a spring morning." — Pitchfork. Did they really write that, fer chrissakes?!!?
Iggy & The Stooges – More Power
Digitally remastered collection of rare studio recordings from the Raw Power era.
Jethro Tull – Living in the Past CD w/DVD
Recorded primarily at Hammersmith Apollo in Nov. 2001, 21 songs total.
Joe – Signature
Ricki Lee Jones – Pirates (Mofi issue)
New numbered, limited edition mini-LP-style packaging! Mobile Fidelity used the Original 1/4" Analog Tapes to master this classic 1981 Album "Rickie Lee Jones' Pirates arrives like a cloudburst in the desert of Eighties formula pop music and recycled heavy-metal rock." So wrote Stephen Holden in Rolling Stone in his five-star review of the eclectic artist's sophomore record- a 1981 set that continues to defy eras and styles. Accompanied by an all-star lineup that includes trumpeter Randy Brecker, Steely Dan icon Donald Fagen, session pro Victor Feldman, and legendary jazz arranger Ralph Burns, the singer-songwriter achieves a musical nirvana that encompasses post-bop, coffeehouse folk, bohemian pop, romantic soul, beat poetry, and Broadway showtunes. Albums with this kind of stylistic magnitude, close-up intimacy, and emotional intensity come around only once or so every decade.
"Rickie Lee Jones is a real punk. She don't need no haircut." — Record store employee (co-worker), circa 1982
Judas Priest – Judas Priest: A Touch Of Evil Live
Features renditions of such Priest gems as “Riding On The Wind,” “Beyond The Realms Of Death,” “Dissident Aggressor,” “A Touch Of Evil,” “Eat Me Alive,” and the set-closing “Painkiller.” Also of note are the first live album appearances of standouts from Priest’s critically acclaimed 2008 concept double disc, "Nostradamus (Death And Prophecy)".
Rolling Stones – Bridges To Babylon
Rolling Stones – Steel Wheels
Rolling Stones – Voodoo Lounge
Latest batch of Rolling Stones remasters.
Twista – Category F
New release features guest appearances from Kanye West, R. Kelly, Busta Rhymes, Lil Boosie, and others. Featured producers on the album include Kanye.
The Wood Brothers – Up Above My Head
Independently released CD of classic cover songs. On "Up Above My Head", the Woods give reverence to a wide range of genres as filtered through their gentle, slightly lazy, but clearly appreciative groove. From folk songs like "Little Liza Jane" to a unique, old-timey take on the Beatles' "Fixin' a Hole," Oliver and Chris make each track sound like good Wood.
Young MC – Stone Cold Rhymin'
20th Anniversary edition comes with six additional tracks not on the original LP.
Neil Young – After The Gold Rush
Neil Young – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young – Harvest
Neil Young – Neil Young
Remastered reissues.
DVDs:
Cheap Trick – Every Trick In The Book
The video contains 17 tracks from 1977s "I Want You To Want Me" to two songs from the LP "Busted".
Michael Jackson – Live in Japan
Rolling Stones – Biggest Bang 4xDVD
The last original studio album that the Stones released was A Bigger Bang back in 2005. Two years later, the band put out a four-disc concert DVD collection which was, essentially, a documentary of several shows from their 2005-2006 A Bigger Bang Tour.
This article appears in Jul 8-14, 2009.