Music Releases 09-09-22
Revealer is full of confessions, intimations, and hard truths. It's a warts-and-all self-portrait of a young artist who is full of doubt and uncertainty, yet bursting with exciting ideas about music and life; who has numerous GRAMMY nominations but still feels like she has far to go; who turns those misgivings into songs that are confident in their idiosyncrasies. It's a rumination on music as a vehicle for revelations, what's gained and what's lost when you put words to your innermost feelings.
Parkway Drive
Darker Still [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Clear with Red Smoke LP]
ON SALE $31.98 Vinyl: $24.17 Buy
In the kitchen of the Byron Bay home of Winston McCall stands a refrigerator, adorned on one side by a quote from Tom Waits: “I want beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.”
This, the PARKWAY DRIVE vocalist says, is a pretty good summation of him-self. It holds true, too, as one of the guiding principles behind Darker Still, the seventh full-length album to be born of this picturesque and serene corner of north-eastern NSW, Australia, and the defining musical statement to date from one of modern metal’s most revered bands.
Darker Still, McCall says, is the vision he and his bandmates – guitarists Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick, bassist Jia O’Connor and drummer Ben Gordon – have held in their mind’s eye since a misfit group of friends first convened in their parents’ basements and backyards in 2003. The journey to reach this moment has seen Parkway evolve from metal underdogs to festival-headlining behemoth, off the back of close to 20 gruelling years, six critically and commercially acclaimed studio albums (all of which achieving Gold status in their home nation), three documentaries, one live album, and many, many thousands of shows.
While Darker Still remains irrefutably PARKWAY DRIVE, it finds the band sonically standing shoulder to shoulder with rock and metal’s greats – Metallica, Pantera, Machine Head, Guns N’ Roses – as much as it does their metalcore contemporaries. “I wanted a classic guitar tone for this record,” explains Ling, who credits much of his inspiration to the connection his riffs have with a crowd in a live setting.
Emerging from the darkness of the past few years, this is the true face of PARKWAY DRIVE: redefined and resolute, focused in mind and defiant in spirit.
Charley Crockett will release his latest album The Man From Waco on September 9th via Son of Davy/Thirty Tigers. Crockett wrote or co-wrote all 14 songs on the album, and in many ways The Man From Waco is the purest distillation of his artistry to date. What started as a demo session with producer Bruce Robison at Robison’s studio The Bunker outside Austin, TX turned into the first album Crockett has ever made with his band The Blue Drifters backing him from start to finish. Mostly first takes with only a handful of overdubs, The Man From Waco finds Crockett refining his singular “Gulf & Western” sound which continues to captivate an ever-growing legion of fans.
“I just wanted an honest partnership: do it at your place, live to tape, everybody in the room,” Crockett says of the recording experience, and Robison was happy to accommodate. “The magic is in the performances on that tape. That’s what Bruce wanted to do, that’s what I wanted to do. When we were done, I said ‘these are masters, not demos.’”
There’s a loose narrative thread that ties the album together, but at the center of The Man From Waco is Crockett, who continues to trust his instincts and carve out his own singular space. Eschewing the ever-growing siren song of major labels and GRAMMY-winning producers, Crockett is forging ahead as a mostly DIY artist, calling his own shots and giving himself the space to strive for greatness on his own terms.
“Everybody was telling me: ‘go right, go right, go right,’” says Crockett. “I went left. I had to hold on to what has gotten me this far.”
The Man From Waco will be in a record store near you on September 9th on CD, Vinyl, and an indie record store exclusive edition featuring alternate album artwork.
Live recording from the soundboard during the Alive II tour at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, IA, on November 29, 1977. Features “Let Me Go, Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “Beth,” and more performed by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss.
The Paranoyds
Talk Talk Talk [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Violet LP]
ON SALE $21.98 Vinyl: $18.24 Buy
The Paranoyds are Southern California DIY rock royalty. Fueled by the fiery energy of their live shows paired with raw lyricism and subtle societal commentary, The Paranoyds are unafraid and unapologetically in perpetual pursuit of a good time. The four-piece is made up of Laila Hashemi (keyboardist-vocals), Lexi Funston (guitars/vocals), Staz Lindes (bass/vocals) and David Ruiz (drums, vocals) who together masterfully blend light-hearted playfulness with sharp sincerity over fuzzy guitar, dreamy vocals and punchy, punky rock-n-roll.
Talk, Talk, Talk, the sophomore album from The Paranoyds gives the band space to expand, evolve and above all, have fun. Over 11 tracks, the band experiments with sounds that span an eclectic array of genres–from jazz, to lo-fi punk-rock, to groovy R&B–that melt together showcasing the innovative range of The Paranoyds.
To coincide with the band celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, Roxy Music’s career-encompassing collection from 2001 is available for the first time on vinyl. Containing all of their classic singles including “More Than This,” “Jealous Guy,” “Love Is the Drug,” “Virginia Plain,” and classic album cuts, it’s a definitive testament to one of the most influential and daring artist catalogs of all time. This beautifully presented 2 LP set includes enhanced artwork and full song lyrics.
Patient Number 9 is Ozzy Osbourne’s 13th solo studio album and a continuation from 2020’s top 5 release Ordinary Man, once again produced by Andrew Watt. This 13-track project running nearly over an hour long has the most legendary guests ever on an Ozzy Osbourne release. Three tracks alone – “Patient Number 9”, “Degradation Rules”, and “One Of Those Days” – feature Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) respectively, not to mention Josh Homme (Queens of The Stone Age), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Zakk Wylde (Ozzy’s longstanding guitarist from the late 80’s) as well as the late Taylor Hawkins.
Trampled By Turtles
Stars And Satellites: 10 Year Anniversary [Limited Edition Red LP + Bonus Orange Flexi Disc]
ON SALE $24.98 Vinyl: $22.49 Buy
Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Julian Lennon releases two powerful new original tracks, “Freedom” and “Every Little Moment.” “Freedom” is a soulful, ethereal track intensified by Lennon's distinctive vocals that provokes an emotional and meditative journey. “Every Little Moment,” is a driving rock track, that not only confronts the wars within, but the ongoing battles we face on the outside. Lennon will continue to release singles, leading into a much anticipated studio album with BMG.
Fun Machine: The Sequel is Lake Street Dive’s second set of distinctive cover songs. While 2012’s Fun Machine paid homage to their classic R&B, soul, and jazz roots, Fun Machine: The Sequel expands the aperture a wider, featuring selections ranging from R&B and pop favorites like Dionne Warwick’s “Anyone Who Had A Heart,” and The Pointer Sisters’ funky “Automatic,” to works by introspective singer-songwriters such as The Cranberries’ gorgeous “Linger,” Carole King’s classic “So Far Away,” Bonnie Raitt’s era-defining “Nick Of Time,” and Shania Twain’s pop-country anthem, “You’re Still The One.”
Multiplatinum artist & EGOT winner John Legend announces his highly anticipated 8th studio album, Legend, out September 9 via Republic Records. The double album features Saweetie, Rick Ross, Muni Long, Jazmine Sullivan, Rapsody, Ledisi, Jhene Aiko, Ty Dolla $ign and more. Executive produced by Legend and Ryan Tedder, this vibrant project is suffused with an unapologetic spirit of sensuality and joy, informed by the vulnerability of pain, praise and healing.
Global entertainer Kane Brown’s highly-anticipated third studio album, Different Man, is set to be released September 9th. The album will feature a total of seventeen songs, including his current hit single “Like I Love Country Music,” his co-produced track, “Whiskey Sour,” his #1 hit, “One Mississippi,” “Leave You Alone,” and the new single, “Grand.” Additionally, the album will include twelve more yet to be revealed songs.
Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4 will include key music covering various classic eras and styles as featured in "Stranger Things 4." The soundtrack album is conceptualized and produced by The Duffer Brothers and Nora Felder (Grammy and Emmy nominee Nora Felder has served as music supervisor for "Stranger Things" since the show's inception and was nominated for a Music Supervision Grammy the first year the category was recognized by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences). The compilation album is produced by The Duffer Brothers and 2x Grammy nominee Timothy J. Smith.
The fifth studio project from the Tedeschi Trucks band, is the most ambitious and, at the same time, intimate record that America's best rock'n'roll big band has ever made: a genuinely epic undertaking in four episodes and 24 songs inspired by classical literature but emotionally driven by the immediate drama, isolation and mourning of the pandemic era.
The fifth studio project from the Tedeschi Trucks band, is the most ambitious and, at the same time, intimate record that America's best rock'n'roll big band has ever made: a genuinely epic undertaking in four episodes and 24 songs inspired by classical literature but emotionally driven by the immediate drama, isolation and mourning of the pandemic era.
The fifth studio project from the Tedeschi Trucks band, is the most ambitious and, at the same time, intimate record that America's best rock'n'roll big band has ever made: a genuinely epic undertaking in four episodes and 24 songs inspired by classical literature but emotionally driven by the immediate drama, isolation and mourning of the pandemic era.
The fifth studio project from the Tedeschi Trucks band, is the most ambitious and, at the same time, intimate record that America's best rock'n'roll big band has ever made: a genuinely epic undertaking in four episodes and 24 songs inspired by classical literature but emotionally driven by the immediate drama, isolation and mourning of the pandemic era.
Delta Spirit has been making music for nearly 17 years and with five albums under their belt they are set to release their follow up record to 2020’s What Is There. One Is One was recorded in southern Vermont and mixed in Texas by Matt Pence (Jason Isbell, Nikki Lane, Paul Cauthen). The album has a distinctly anthemic quality with songs like “Villians” “One Is One” and “What’s Done is Done” inducing goosebumps upon the first listen. Other tracks like “Lottery”, “Ghost of Caddo” and “Thoughts on Seneca” are more quiet in sound and song structure but deliver heavy lyrical messages that capture the listeners attention. One Is One is made for the headphones and the live concert experience.
Born Aaron Livingston, GRAMMY Award winning Son Little unleashes his album Like Neptune never sounding stronger or more confident than now, showcasing his original vision of r&b, informed by his love for hip-hop imbued with tinges of funk, pop, and psychedelia. While Little’s collaborations with The Roots and RJD2 had already helped him make a name for himself by that point in his adopted hometown of Philadelphia, critics on both sides of the pond were quick to recognize the unique power of Little’s solo recordings, which stripped the past for parts that could be reconstituted into something wholly new and original. NPR hailed Little’s “impeccably crafted songs” as “honest and unpretentious,” while The Independent proclaimed him “a formidable talent,” and Vice declared that he was “dissolving the barrier between R&B and rock ‘n’ roll one tearjerker at a time.”
The original motion picture soundtrack to Where The Crawdads Sing features the music of Academy Award-winning composer Mychael Danna and includes the original song, “Carolina,” written and performed by Taylor Swift.
First time on colored vinyl. Déjà Vu is the first album by the rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the second by the trio configuration of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Released in March of 1970 by Atlantic Records, it topped the pop album chart for one week and generated three Top 40 singles: "Teach Your Children," "Our House," and "Woodstock." Without a doubt - Essential.
Daniel Johnston
Welcome To My World [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Translucent Pink/Coke Bottle 2LP]
"Welcome To My World" is a collection of some of Daniel's most-beloved songs and is now available on vinyl for the very first time. These are the songs that built the legend...a must-have for the legion of devoted Daniel Johnston Fans as well as the perfect introduction for new listeners. The LP includes previously unheard sonic surprises.
Stray From The Path
Euthanasia [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Opaque Light Pink LP]
The Special Goodness’ Land Air Sea has existed in many versions, from makeshift CD-R copies to a limited pressing on the small NOS label, and, eventually, an official release by Epitaph Records in 2004. But the power pop gem from Pat Wilson of Weezer and drummer Atom Willard (Rocket From the Crypt, Plosivs, Against Me!) has never existed on vinyl. Not until now.
- Land Air Sea drops on high-quality red-colored wax from Hello Records in partnership with Epitaph, featuring all-new artwork and limited to only 1,000 copies.
High Vis were formed in 2016 from the ashes of some of the UK’s best hardcore bands. Gild-toothed frontman Graham Sayle’s anguished lyrics about life in working class Britain were familiar to fans of Tremors’ full-throttle thrash, but alongside his former bandmate Edward ‘Ski’ Harper and veterans of Dirty Money, DiE and The Smear, High Vis sought to transform that energy and intensity into something entirely new.
Like scene-mates Chubby and the Gang did by pulling in unlikely source material from classic doo-wop or Micromoon have by combining everything from psychedelia and metal into their high potency mix, High Vis’ 2019 debut album, No Sense No Feeling showed the band were never going to be constrained by any sense of genre rules or regulations. Its claustrophobic rattle bore traces of Joy Division, Bauhaus, Crisis, The Cure and Gang Of Four lurking in the shadows. 2020’s synth-driven EP, Society Exists, was further evidence of the band’s restless creative MO.
High Vis’ second album Blending sees them open their view finder wider than ever before. Alongside longstanding favourites such as Fugazi and Echo and The Bunnymen; Ride and even Flock Of Seagulls were shared reference points as the band worked on the album together
The Deer have built a devoted audience for their uninhibited, cosmic indie folk the old-fashioned way: playing their hearts out, night after night. In addition to extensive headlining, they’ve shared stages with the likes of Big Thief and The Head and The Heart. Their label debut Do No Harm, released in 2019, marked a set of career breakthroughs, topping the KUTX chart and earning a nomination for the Austin Music Awards’ Album of the Year. When live music took global pause, The Deer had momentum to sort.
The five musicians took the energy reserved for tour and brought it into the studio, a pressure cooker not only for creativity but newly, for existential reflection. The result is two full albums, the first of which, The Beautiful Undead, will be released September 9, 2022, on tastemaking indie Keeled Scales. It’s an uninhibited collection of cosmic indie-folk reflecting upon what it means to lose your sense of purpose. The Deer, amidst turbulent assessment, transformed a paralyzing void into an empowering surrender of ego—a rollicking submission to the immense unpredictability of existing. It's a free-spirited album fueled by hard-earned revelation.
The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, the planet is getting warmer, and human extinction looms likely. The Deer handle their devastated call for change with an artful subtlety, an infectious sense of play, and a projection of internal learning onto the external world. Their genius is in creating palpable, emotional urgency not with boisterousness, but fact. Throughout The Beautiful Undead, The Deer radiate an intensity fit for the times, but not at the cost of dancing.
My Boy, the third solo record from New Zealand singer/songwriter Marlon Williams, announces an artist emerging anew. Gone is the solemn, country-indebted crooner with the velvet voice – in his place comes a playful, shapeshifting creature.
Following the release of his second album, 2018’s Make Way For Love, Williams’ toured the world, playing major festivals and collaborating with Lorde, Yo-Yo Ma and Florence Welch. He also forged a fledgling acting career with roles in films The True History of the Kelly Gang and Netflix series Sweet Tooth, as well as a cameo in Oscar winning film A Star Is Born. My Boy parlays this flush of worldly experience into a vivid record as spirited and kinetic as the unfolding life of its performer. “I’ve always explored different character elements in my music,” says Williams. “And the more I get into acting, the more tricks I’m learning about representation and presentation. To get braver and bolder with exploring shifting contexts and new ways of doing things.”
As the pandemic paused global travel, Williams found himself at home in New Zealand, reconnecting with family and friends. Soon new demos and lyrical themes emerged: of self-identity and escapism; tribalism and a gnarled family tree; and ruminations on the role of masculinity and mateship.
Co-produced with Tom Healy and recorded at Roundhead Studios in New Zealand, My Boy finds Williams’ leading a new band through a set of genre-hopping tunes: from the cheery sway of ‘My Boy’ and chugging ‘80s noir sheen of ‘Thinking Of Nina’, to the charging synth of ‘River Rival’, and the sultry pop jam ‘Don’t Go Back.’ All this sonic and emotional whiplash is intentional, and ultimately My Boy sees Williams having fun, even while interrogating the behaviors of himself and those around him.
BRELAND will release his highly-anticipated debut album Cross Country on September 9th. Named for the boundary-pushing, genre-bending style that defines all his output, Cross Country firmly establishes BRELAND as a vital new force shaping the future of country music.
Expanding on the songwriting chops and star-making appeal first revealed on his breakthrough certified Platinum hit single “My Truck” — as well as its remix with Sam Hunt — Cross Country takes its title from an autobiographical, acoustic-guitar-fueled track showcasing BRELAND’s intricately detailed storytelling and warm yet commanding voice. Along with the title track “Cross Country (feat. Mickey Guyton),” BRELAND’s debut album also offers up previously released singles like “Throw It Back (feat. Keith Urban)” and “Praise The Lord (feat. Thomas Rhett).”
Roadrunner Records / FRKST band Highly Suspect have announced details of their anxiously awaited fourth full-length album, The Midnight Demon Club, which will arrive on September 9th. The three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated band have also shared two new tracks: “Natural Born Killer” and “Pink Lullabye”
Regarding the LP, lead vocalist and guitarist Johnny Stevens a.k.a. “Terrible Johnny” shared, “Life comes at you fast. We are constantly reminded of this, and perhaps no greater occurrence will spark the imagination more than the death of a loved one. In my experience, it’s during these moments of processing great loss that the mind is completely focused on ‘what if’s’ as we try and escape what is. The Midnight Demon Club is about becoming the best version of yourself after tragedy, so it’s a second chance on life with a happier mindset. The Midnight Demon Club is all about having fun and keeping it moving. Because as we all know, this life is way too short.”
Stevens also remarked on lead single “Natural Born Killer” explaining, “I’m always fighting for my place out here in this world. And there are two mindsets one could have - rollover and mope about the hard shit or just be a motherfucking life beast and smash all your challenges at hand. And if you’re really a badass, have fun doing it. That’s the flow. That’s the essence of being a natural born killer.”
The Midnight Demon Club finds Highly Suspect at a turning point. Produced by Highly Suspect and WZRD BLD, the 12-track offering teems with truth barely contained in fits of metallic exorcism and hip-hop-induced beat-craft. Stoned musings about a world on the brink of destruction ride over gorgeously uneasy orchestration and vocal transmissions that drip with sadness, longing, rage, and confidence all at once.
Beloved at home in Japan and worldwide, Fueled By Ramen band ONE OK ROCK have announced details of their anxiously awaited new full-length album, Luxury Disease. Produced by Rob Cavallo (Linking Park, My Chemical Romance), Luxury Disease finds ONE OK ROCK confounding expectations, piling element on element, and putting forth one of the year’s most ambitious rock records. 2021 saw the release of ONE OK ROCK’s singles “Wonder,” “Broken Heart of Gold,” and “Renegades,” the latter of which they co-wrote with international superstar Ed Sheeran. ONE OK ROCK’s widely acclaimed 2019 album EYE OF THE STORM established the band as a global force, featuring the singles “Stand Out Fit In,” “Wasted Nights,” and “Change.” Comprised of vocalist Taka, guitarist Toru, drummer Tomoya, and bassist Ryota, ONE OK ROCK is among Japan’s most popular and beloved rock outfits, with each of their last six releases debuting in the nation’s Top 5, including the #1 blockbusters, 35xxxv, AMBITIONS, and EYE OF THE STORM.
Monsta X - The Dreaming album - MONSTA X once again connected to the world with the language of music through their second full-length English album [The Dreaming], released in 2021.
The Dreaming, filled with songs with dynamic sound, is MONSTA X's second full-length album in English, sending a message to the listener to expand their imagination, as the album title suggests.
MONSTA X / DREAMING VINYL LP
Armor For Sleep
The Rain Museum [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Hot Pink LP]
ON SALE $24.98 Vinyl: $22.49 Buy