This is what arrived this week.
Calexico- "Carried To Dust" CD+LP (1/4 Stick)
Brand new album which see's a return to more of their classic south west sound.
Alexi Murdoch- "Time Without Consequence" CD (Zero Summer)
Absolutely recommended if you dig Nick Drake. Alexi writes beautifully crafted minimalist folk in the vein of jolly ole' Saint Nick.
Clutch- "Full Fathom Five" DVD+CD (Weathermaker)
Brand new live DVD/CD recorded at different locales in 07/08.
Dave Hillyard & The Rocksteady 7- "Playtime" CD (Hellcat)
This hasn't been in the store in years. Primo rocksteady & ska with a big splash of jazz to, all brought front and center by a wicked horn section. Recommended.
Portastatic- "Some Small History" CDx2 (Merge)
Single, rarities, compilation tracks etc.
Broken West- "Now Or Heaven" CD (Merge)
It was in a backyard of their L.A. neighborhood that Ross Flournoy, Danny Iead, Rob McCorkindale, Brian Whelan and friend/writing partner Adam Vine developed Now or Heaven, The Broken West’s second full-length album. A sense of home, symbolized by that small strip of grass, provided the necessary amount of comfort and inspiration after a long tour in support of their acclaimed debut, I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On.
With Now or Heaven, The Broken West have captured a pathos that at once sparkles and is simultaneously depraved, altogether L.A. While many bands’ second albums end up being about the road, Now or Heaven originates from home, the longing to get there and all that comes from being there. The perspective generated from the time spent on the road and the distance traveled led to a new, unnamable development. (Merge Press Release)
V/A- "We Can Fly" CDx5 box set (Psychic Circle)
We can fly, and fly we will -- fueled by this massive collection of British psyche rarities -- 5CDs of worth of killer tunes compiled by Bevis Frond for his Psychic Circle label! It's full of obscurities that could have blown up huge with a twist of fate at the time, and it's a very appealingly tuneful set of nuggets, too -- with strong harmonies, flanged out guitars, heavy drums & organ tones, trippy lyricism and soaring sounds galore! Very nice stuff, and it comes with a thick booklet, with notes and discographies for each track. Includes "Model Village" by Penny Peeps., "Try To Keep It A Secret" by The Loot, "Mazy" by Peep Show, "Mr Carpenter" by The Fox, "Love, Hate, Revenge" by Episode 6, "Trick Or Two" by Shy Limbs, "Stoned Out Of It" by John Fitch & The Associates, "Fuzzy Patterns" by Tages, "Gearden Of Men" by Moonshine, "Painting On Wood" by Magicians, "Amelia Jane" by Made In Sheffield, "House Of Delight'" by Callan & John, "Hey Conductor" by The League, "Do You Dream?" by Circus, "The Rich Man" by Human Instinct, "City Life" by Gibsons, "Smokeless Zone" by Danny McCulloch and many more. 128 tracks on 5CDs!!!
The Melvins- "Nude With Boots" CD (Ipecac)
Restock of their newest CD.
Great Lake Swimmers- "Ongiara" CVD (Nettwerk)
Back in stock.
Rick White- "Memoreaper" LP (Blue Fog)
2nd solo album from leader of Eric's Trip/Elevator. Psyche folk rock as only he can do it. Contains bonus CD of album.
Tortoise- "Standards 1" LP (Thrill Jockey)
Back in stock on LP. Beautifully packaged.
Fiery Furnaces- "Remember" LPx3 (Thrill Jockey)
Brand new live album in a sweet 3xLP package.
Soft Canyon- "Broken Spirit, I Will Mend Your Wings" LP (Alien8)
1st time in stock on LP. Released a couple of years ago, Soft Canyon features members of Tricky Woo & The Local Rabbits. Gentle, creative psyche/pop.
Less Than Jake- "Goodbye, Blue & White" LP (No Idea Records)
Back in stock on LP.
Less Than Jake- "Greased" LP (No Idea Records)
Back in stock on LP.
Less Than Jake- "Losers, Kings & Things" LP (No Idea Records)
Back in stock on LP.
Mum- "Yesterday Was Dramatic....." LPx2 (Fat Cat)
Thanks to the serendipitous folk over at Morr, this seminal 1st album from Mum has been recovered from the litigation ghetto and finally brought back to life for all those (and there are many) who have been hunting for it high and low over the last 5 years. Recorded in a "sweaty little room with carpenters banging nails around us", 'Yesterday Was Dramatic...' is undoubtedly Mum, just more brittle than we're accustomed too. With a sound that is sometimes more electronic then their later clockwork tundra's, Mum open with 'I'm 9 Today', wherein slow-motion electronica works itself into a healthy lather through some creaky bleeps and analogue shenanigans. Similarly, 'Small Memory', with it's brittle beats and propulsive urgency, bares little resemblance to the folky sound of last album 'Summer Made Good', yet somehow manages to retain that special something that makes their work so alluring. More overtly recognisable on the autumnal rustlings of 'Awake On A Train' or the rimy rhythms of 'Sunday Night Just Keeps On Rolling', and, of course, teh absolutely classic "Ballad of Broken Birdie.." 'Yesterday Was Dramatic...' will appeal to those who are and aren't familiar with Mum's previous work, and consummately proves why they are so fondly embraced by many. Gorgeous.
Of Montreal- "Satanic Panic In The Attic" LP (Polyvinyl)
Back in stock on colored LP. Includes free download.
Sunset Rubdown- "Random Spirit Lover" LPx2 (Jagjaguwar)
Now enter Sunset Rubdown's third full-length record, "Random Spirit Lover", featuring twelve songs that bleed in and out of each other, mixing portents with theatrics, confusions with conversions. The dark glamour of the music beneath the half-baked revelations in rhyme creates a tone of high drama, blown-out and overt, but the stage is wild and the roles aren't clear, so the sincerity of the work and the spontaneity of the recordings can't help but shine through the formality of structure. In short, listening to "Random Spirit Lover" is like watching schoolchildren in a dress rehearsal for the annual Easter play. And though they aren't old enough to know the occasion is anything more than pastel-painted eggs and edible bunnies, they wear the fake beards with confidence and style.
"Random Spirit Lover" was recorded in early 2007 at Breakglass Studios in Montreal with Jace Lasek (also of The Besnard Lakes) and Dave Smith. A prolific and talented musician, Krug is also a member of Frog Eyes and Wolf Parade, and, in the fall of 2006, he collaborated with Dan Bejar of Destroyer and Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes to form Swan Lake, recording their first album for Jagjaguwar called "Beast Moans". Jordan Robson-Cramer is currently the brain behind Magic Weapon as well as a member of Miracle Fortress, and Michael Doerksen produces his own solo work under the name of Deep Sleepover.
Toshack Highway- "Syd's Eyes" 7" (Black Mountain Music)
Adam Franklin (Swervedriver) releases this stop gap 7" until the next Toshack Highway full length. Adam's solo cd "Bolts Of Melody" is also in stock, and it's mighty fine.
Pink Floyd- "Echoes" LPx4 box set (Capitol)
4xLP anthology from these UK icons. Look for the albums Meddle & Animals to be re-released soon on LP.
Judas Priest- "Nostradamus" LPx3 CDx2 + Book (CBS)
The brand new concept album. A box set that contains 3 LP's, 2 CD's & a 48 page hardbound book. Limited.
Jello Biafra- "Machine Gun In The Clown's Hand" Lpx3 (Alternative Tentacles)
Spoken word LP from 2002. This three-disc spoken word album features material recorded during Jello Biafra's live performances in 2000-2002. It expands on his comments on the war on terrorism offered in The Big Ka-Boom, Pt. 1 and provides remarks on other topics including California's energy crisis, Florida's voting problems, and Joey Ramone. It's not particularly mystifying that this album lasts for over three hours, since Biafra has plenty of strong opinions and sometimes seems like he could continue talking indefinitely.
Michael Franti & Spearhead- "All Rebel Rockers" LPx2 (Anti)
Brand new on double LP in gatefold sleeve. Includes free download. CD in stock as well.
Bob Dylan- "S/T" LP 180 gram (Sundazed)
Restock.
Bob Dylan- "The Free Wheelin' Bob Dylan" LP 180 gram (Sundazed)
Restock.
Bob Dylan- "Bringing It All Back Home" LP 180 gram (Sundazed)
Restock.
Bob Dylan- "The Times They Are A Changein'" LP 180 gram (Sundazed)
Restock.
Bob Dylan- "Highway 61 Revisted" LP 180 gram (Sundazed)
Restock.
Social Distortion- "Mommy's Little Monster" CD (Time bomb)
Restock.
Social Distortion- "Prison Bound" CD (Time bomb)
Restock.
Social Distortion- "Live @ The Roxy" CD (Time bomb)
Restock.
Social Distortion- "Mainliner" CD (Time bomb)
Restock.
Social Distortion- "Sex, Love & Rock'N'Roll" CD (Time bomb)
Restock.
68 Comeback- "A Bridge Too Fuckin Far" LPx2 (Sympathy)
Another Sympathy for the Record Industry effort from Monsieur Jeffrey Evans' post Gibson Bros. outfit, 68 Comeback, 1998's A Bridge Too Fuckin' Far is a double-album tribute to the memory of the group's late guitarist, Jack Taylor. Divided into four segments (Love's Sting, Dance Tyme, Mynd's Game, and Vintage Denim), the loosely conceptual album covers a lot of territory and leaves a whole mess of banged up Fenders in its wake. This time around Evans is joined in his rock & roll debauchery by the likes of Jack and Greg Oblivian of the Crypt-approved Oblivians. In addition to a fresh round of original numbers, the group takes on, and happily tears up, classics by Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Fats Domino. 68 Comeback's version of Cash's "Get Rhythm" is a stripped-down shuffle with hiccupping vocals, while their ocean-of-static-and-reverb rework of Orbison's "Evergreen" leaves only traces of the original's delicate beauty intact, but it still conveys the right mood and is, by 68 Comeback standards, sorta pretty. Again lined with energetic prose courtesy of Evans, the record's inside notes touch on staples like Sun Records, not selling out versus never being given the chance to sell out, and Evans' outrage over a certain ex-bandmate having stolen his girlfriend (no names are named, but many have guessed that the bandmate in question is Evans' ex-Gibson Bros. comrade/alt-rock sex symbol Jon Spencer). As with outfits like the Oblivians and even the Stooges, what makes 68 Comeback a great band isn't so much their technical prowess (or sometimes apparent lack thereof), it is the sheer intensity, sincerity, and sense of urgency with which they rough-up their guitars and drums and assault the microphone in a seemingly possessed attempt to spread the message that is rock & roll. Welcome to the new church, kids, and don't forget to tip the bartender. (AMG)
Brian Wilson- "Smile" LPx2 (Capitol)
Crazy Beach Boy Brian Wilson finishes his unfinished 1967 recording 37 years later. Double LP in heavy weight gatefold sleeve with embossed cover.
Elliott Smith- "S/T" LP (KRS)
Back in stock on LP.
Elliott Smith- "Either/Or" LP (KRS)
Back in stock on LP.
Elliott Smith- "From A Basement On A Hill" LPx2 (Anti)
Back in stock on LP.
Elliott Smith- "XO" LP (Plain)
Back in stock on LP.
Elliott Smith- "Figure 8" LPx2 (Plain)
Back in stock on LP.
Black Keys- "Magic Potion" LP 180 gram (Nonesuch)
Restock on LP.
Chad Vangaalen- "Softairplane" CD (Flemish Eye)
Chad's brand new album hot off the presses. LP to follow very soon.
King Khan & The Shrines- "The Supreme Genius Of...." LPx2 + CD (Vice)
This smokin' soul/garage band will no doubt make my top 10 this year with this awesome album. Genius indeed!
The Sadies- "New Seasons" CD+LP 180 gram (Yep Roc)
Restock.
Chad VanGaalen- "Skelliconnection" LPx2 (Flemish Eye)
Limited edition double LP with 11 vinyl only bonus tracks. This will go fast.
Chad VanGaalen- "Infiniheart" LPx2 (Flemish Eye)
Back in on LP & CD.
Misfits- "Collection 1" LP+CD (Caroline)
Restock.
Misfits- "Collection 2" LP+CD (Caroline)
Restock.
Beirut- "The Flying Club Cup" CD+LP (Ba Da Bing)
Back in stock.
Black Keys- "Thickfreakness" LP (Fat Possum)
Restock.
Black Keys- "Rubber Factory" LP+CD (Fat Possum)
Restock.
Band Of Horses- "Cease To Begin" LP + Download (Sub Pop)
Back in stock.
Ray Lamontagne- "Trouble" CD (BMG)
Restock. Ray's 1st album of soulful singing and songwriting. painfully introspective at points and joyous at others. A true class act.
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings- "Naturally" LP+CD (Daptone)
Restock. Modern day Detroit soul with a huge retro sound. Amazing stuff.
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings- "100 Days, 100 Nights" LP+CD (Daptone)
Restock. Modern day Detroit soul with a huge retro sound. Amazing stuff. This is her latest one.
Sun Kil Moon- "Ghosts Of The Great Highway" CDx2 (Caldo Verde)
Deluxe reissue features a 6 song bonus disc. Rolling Stone says "Turns despair into elemental beauty".
Tricky- "Knowle West Boy" CD+LP + free download (Domino)
'Knowle West Boy' is the eighth studio album by maverick artist Tricky. Named after his place of birth (Knowle West), the album is a personal rediscovery of sounds and influences.Mixing hip hop, punk, reggae and rock with his own inimitable style, results in a broad yet intense record. Includes the single 'Council Estate'.
Th' Legendary Shack Shakers- "Swampblood" CD+LP 180 gram (Yep Roc)
Restock. One of the best live pseudo rockabilly swamp rock bands you'll ever see, and their albums almost live up to the live show.
Six Organs Of Admittance- "Dark Noontide" LP (Holy Mountain)
Limited edition vinyl issue. The fourth album from Ben Chasny and one of his most complete, 'Dark Noontide' sees the guitarist exploring the Eastern themes approached in his earlier work and also delving further into the dark drone and unsettling ambience of his debut. Indeed, sidestepping some of the more upbeat solo-guitar moments of 'Dust & Chimes', Chasny manages to create an opium fuelled moonlit Middle Eastern haven in the comfort of your front room; you can almost smell the burning rose oil somewhere behind you as your eyes cloud from the heavy substances. Taking as usual the guitar as his instrument of choice, Chasny fleshes the tracks out with flute, tabla and occasionally his voice to come out with a deeply varied work and one of the finest records ever to emerge from the scene. If you've only managed to come across Chasny's Drag City albums before then you simply need to grab hold of this record as soon as you can, it takes you places other albums just can't reach.
US Bombs- "The World" CD (Hellcat)
Restock.
Tiger Army- "III: Ghost Tigers" LP (Hellcat)
Restock on LP.
Joy Division- "Closer" LP 180 gram (Rhino)
Restock on LP.
Joy Division- "Unknown Pleasures" LP 180 gram (Rhino)
Restock on LP.
Cathedral- "The Carnival Bizarre" CD+DVD (Earache)
Newly reissued with lots of cool videos & live footage.
Norah Jones- "Come Away With Me" LP 200 gram (Classic)
1st time on collectable vinyl.
Radiohead- "In Rainbows" LP (Capitol)
Restock.
Velvet Underground & Nico- "S/T" LP 180 gram (4 Men With Beards)
Back in stock. Gatefold sleeve.
The Verve- "Forth" LPx2 (EMI)
Limited edition 2xLP version of the new album, their 1st in eleven years. Led by singer Richard Ashcroft.
Opeth- "Deliverance" LPx2 180 gram (Koch)
Fancy double LP edition of their 2002 release. Following up a nearly ubiquitous critical smash such as 2000's Blackwater Park might seem like a daunting proposition for most bands, but Sweden's Opeth has made a career out of proving it is not just any other band, wowing observers with its boundless creativity and seemingly effortless brilliance. With producer (and Porcupine Tree leader) Steve Wilson once again on hand to assist in Opeth's quest to remain true to its origins while progressing ever forward, the band's sixth volume, Deliverance offers no great departure by established standards, but rather continues exploring the possibilities of this very fruitful relationship.
Coldplay- "Parachutes" LP 180 gram (EMI)
Restock.
Matthew Sweet- "Sunshine Lies" LPx2+CD (Shout Factory)
It’s been an odd, low-profile decade for Matthew Sweet. Sweet spent the ‘90s as a successful alt-rocker, releasing five albums, two of which—Girlfriend and 100% Fun—went on to become minor classics. But after 1999’s In Reverse, he sort of dropped off the radar. Which isn’t to say he hasn’t been around. There was 2002’s Japan-only album Kimi Ga Suki*Raifu and 2004’s collaboration with Van Dyke Parks, Living Things. There was also the Thorns, the Crosby, Stills, and Nash-inspired (some would say aping) collaboration with fellow ‘90s singer-songwriters Shawn Mullins and Pete Droge. And let’s not forget his long-standing work with pal Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles and their 2006 album of ‘60s tunes, Under the Covers. So Sweet has stayed in the music business, but Sunshine Lies feels like the first proper Matthew Sweet album since In Reverse. This is Matthew back in full power-pop mode, with all-out rockers, delicate pop tunes, and a tender ballad or two. The double LP set comes with a bonus cd inside.
Against Me- "Searching For A Former Clarity" LPx2 (Fat Wreck)
Back in stock.
Buddy Guy- "Skin Deep" CD (Silvertone)
Buddy Guy returns with Skin Deep, his first album since 2005. Guy wrote or co-wrote seven of the 12 songs on the album and is joined by guests (Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Eric Clapton, and Robert Randolph) on five of them.
John Hiatt- "Bring The Family" CD (A&M)
From 1987. John re-established himself with this terrific album that made alot of best of lists that year. His band included Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe & Jim Gordon.
Mott The Hoople- "All The Young Dudes" CD (CBS)
Reissue that's been remastered and now includes a ton of bonus material. This album originally came out in 1972 and was produced by David Bowie. Still the best version of Sweet Jane out there.
The Kinks- "Singles Collection" CD (Sanctuary)
Restock.
The Kinks- "Face To Face" CD (Sanctuary)
Restock.
The Kinks- "Something Else By The Kinks" CD (Sanctuary)
Restock.
Rocket From The Crypt- "R.I.P." CD+DVD (Vagrant)
Their final performance.
Wendy O.Williams & The Plasmatics- "10 Years Of Revolutionary Rock'n'Roll" DVD (MVD)
Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics, as rock writer John Levy said in a recent interview on VH1, "were a phenomenon". From 1978-1988 "The Queen of Punk", "The High Priestess of Metal", "The Dominatrix of Decibels", and "Queen of Shock Rock", assaulted the conformist culture of the status quo to radicalize and transform mass culture and music in ways that are still being played out today. From the banning in London, the arrests in Cleveland and Milwaukee, the death defying videos and live shows, to Wendy's Grammy nomination as "Best Female Rock Vocalist of the Year", this historic DVD with over 3 hours of material, much of it previously unreleased footage, spans the full jaw-dropping 10 years;the triumphs, the challenges, and the forces that tried to shut it all down.
Over 3 hours long, including a 2 hour documentary, with unreleased clips, footage and interviews, plus 1 hour of additional bonus video/film footage, much never released to the public, and more!!!
The Warlocks- "Surgery" CD (Birdman)
Eleven electric tales moving from space-marooned heavy blues to angelic, opiated dream haze—all propelled via the crud-fuzz of White Light/White Heat Velvets and Jesus and Mary Chain and the sprawling, melted constructions of Spacemen 3 and Red Krayola. Highly recommended.
Napalm Death- "Scum" CD+DVD (Earache)
Reissue with DVD concert footage, as well as extra goodies.
A Place To Bury Strangers- "S/T" CD (Killer Pimp)
From NYC. A cool blast of dense Jesus & Mary Chain style brain goo. I feel like such a dope for missing these guys when they played here with Holy Fuck!
Beck- "Modern Guilt" LP 180 gram (Interscope)
John Coltrane- "A Love Supreme" LP 180 gram (Impulse)
Detroit Cobras- "Life, Love & Leaving" LP (Sympathy)
Detroit Cobras- "Mink, Rat or Rabbit" LP (Sympathy)
Farflung- "A Wound in Eternity" CD (Meteor City)
Godspeed You Black Emperor - "Yanqui U.X.O." LPx2 (Constellation)
Golden Hands Before God- "Here" LP (Pop Echo)
Lamb Of God- "Killadelphia" LPx2 (Legacy)
Leadbelly- "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" LP Colored Vinyl (Cleopatra)
MGMT- "Oracular Spectacular" LP (Columbia)
My Morning Jacket- "Evil Urges" LPx2+CD (Badman)
Neutral Milk Hotel- "On Avery Island" LP (Merge)
Palace Brothers- "There Is No One What Will Take Care Of You" LP (Drag City)
Pink Mountaintops- "The Pink Mountaintops" LP (Scratch)
Reagan Youth- "A Collection Of Pop Classics Vol. 1-4" CD (New Red Archives)
Reagan Youth- "Vol. 1" LP (New Red Archives)
Sleep- "Sleep" CD (Tupelo)
Stereolab- "Chemical Chords" LPx2 (4AD)
Sufjan Stevens- "A Sun Came" CD (Asthmatic Kitty)
Sufjan Stevens- "Illinois" LPx2 (Asthmatic Kitty)
V/A- "Four Old Toxic Shock 7"s" CD (Dr. Strange)
V/A- "Mind Expansion Comp 2" CDx2 (Mind Expansion)
X-Ray Records
https://xrayrecords.ca/article.php?story=2008090815552343