New Release Round-Up 10-19-18

Jason Isbell - Live From The Ryman - Southeastern Records
Live From The Ryman was primarily recorded during the group's six sold out nights at Nashville's legendary Ryman Auditorium in 2017. The album features 13 live versions of songs from their last three critically acclaimed, award-winning studio albums - Southeasten (2013), Something More Than Free (2015), The Nashville Sound (2017). Available on Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Transparent Green Vinyl.

 

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Greta Van Fleet - Anthem Of The Peaceful Army - Republic
Modern Rock N’ Roll band Greta Van Fleet release highly anticipated new album, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army, via Lava Records. Album includes current single “When The Curtain Falls,” which is approaching top 5 airplay at Active Rock radio and is building at Alternative radio. They re-launched their nearly sold out headlining tour on 9/11 in Canada. Greta Van Fleet recently set a record as the first band in 15 years to hit #1 airplay at Active Rock radio with 2 consecutive singles!

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Disturbed - Evolution - Reprise
Evolution makes good on the promise of its title. Disturbed unwaveringly cling to the uncompromising spirit that solidified them as a history-making force, while boldly progressing at the same time. Reteaming with Immortalized producer Kevin Churko behind the board at the Hideout in Las Vegas, the musicians - David Draiman [vocals], Dan Donegan [guitar], Mike Wengren [drums], and John Moyer [bass] - retain their signature thunderous grooves and hypnotic heaviness as they further refine their ambitious melodies and penchant for progression, spanning the gamut of their potential.

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody: Soundtrack - Hollywood Records
Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music & their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Defying stereotypes and shattering convention, Freddie became one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band with their iconic songs and revolutionary sound through to Live Aid, becoming of the greatest performances in the history of rock music.

R.E.M. - The Best Of R.E.M. At The BBC [2LP] - Craft Recordings
R.E.M. grew up with the BBC, and this historic relationship is lovingly celebrated across an incredible collection that beautifully illustrates the career trajectory of one of modern music’s greatest bands. The collection—available as a super-deluxe edition 8-CD/1-DVD box set, as well as 2-CD, 2-LP and digital formats—comprises a treasure trove of rare and unreleased live and studio recordings culled from the BBC and band archives. This is a must-have collection for R.E.M. fans and an authoritative introduction for newcomers.

Buxton - Stay Out Late - New West Records
Stay Out Late is ultimately, the end result of understanding who we are, and more importantly, who we are not. This will be our 15th year as a band, and our 5th record overall. In the years preceding the making of this record, we all had to define what it meant for us to be happy making music. There are certain mechanisms and tropes we all fall into as a result. And as hard as we may try to emulate what we consider to be higher art, or rather, classic music; we always end up with a Buxton record. Sergio couldn't write for almost 2 years after 'Half A Native'. The answers to "why" had run dry. We all saw each other, hung out and everything was like normal. I can't really pinpoint the moment it all made sense again. The question had suddenly changed to "why not" and we were back in the studio making demos. There was a lurking sense that nobody would ever hear these songs, and that lead to a sort of creativity I'm not sure we'd really experienced before. All ideas were on the table, and more importantly they stayed on the table. There are a handful of truly great masterpieces and the attempt of achieving that is one of the most daunting and exhausting pursuits any artist can take on. In the van we're constantly educating ourselves and finding new and in many cases old points of inspiration. Whether it be Mark Hollis, HC McEntire, Mickey Newbury or rediscovering the genius of Bette Midler, we find ourselves at the mercy of our own limitations of expression. Yet somehow in our most vulnerable project, we're simultaneously the most comfortable in our skin as we've ever been. The core of this record is about being in it for the long haul, looking back, and being able to accept it all.  We can only hope that the listener can in some way share and make tangible the joy that went into making this record.

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Doe Paoro - Soft Power - Epitaph
Transforming pain into transcendence is the genius of many pop artists, but Doe Paoro brings an entirely new depth to that process. On her third album Soft Power, the L.A.-based singer/songwriter digs into her own frustration and anguish, and ultimately comes away with a newfound strength that’s profoundly inspiring. Soft Power thus bears a raw vitality that marks a major departure from Doe’s previous album. Naming Carole King among her inspirations, Doe notes that the new record’s more urgent feel comes partly from reconnecting with the instinctive approach of her earliest songwriting. Throughout the album, Doe infuses her songs with a rebellious spirit. A passionately charged track about misogyny, “Guilty” blends cascading guitar lines with sharply cutting lyrics (I know I’m not the first / that you made defend her word). “Over” brings classic girl-group harmonies and smoldering vocal work to speak to the song’s central question: Now that I’m older / does it get easier / to get over? Several songs also confront the notion of setting boundaries, with “Projector” centering on “the refusal to let someone else superimpose their story onto yours” and “Walk Through the Fire” emerging as a brutal testament to the fact that “self-examination is ultimately a solo job – and there’s no easy way to do it”. The result is an album that’s undeniably potent in its emotional impact. “One thing I’ve continued to find through writing songs is the ability to alchemize painful experiences into something that’s useful and healing”, says Doe. “For me that’s the highest purpose of music—both in terms of what it offers to me and what I wish to offer to others”. 

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Beta Radio - Ancient Transition - Nettwerk Records
North Carolinian duo Beta Radio's Ancient Transition - their debut on Nettwerk Records - captures the band's signature blend of organic sounds, delicate synths, and disarmingly beautiful harmonies. The album is a reflection on home and its many different meanings, the wholeness that comes with having a sense of home and the tumult that can come with lacking one.

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UPCOMING RELEASES

Oh Pep! - I Wasn't Only Thinking About You... - ATO Records
Oh Pep! have returned with their second full-length that takes their alt-folk to a whole new level of delicious pop. Chock full of memorable hooks, sing-along moments I Wasn't Only Thinking About You..., proves itself as a career-defining feat. The band gets its Oh from Olivia 'Liv' Hally (vocals, guitar) and its Pep! from Pepita Emmerichs (violin, mandolin), who met at secondary school in Victoria. Their harmonies are sweet, with lyrics that are thoughtful, deep, funny and poetic.

  

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Andrea Bocelli - Si - Decca
Andrea Bocelli has teamed up with some of the hottest musical stars on the planet for his forthcoming album Si reuniting with his friend Ed Sheeran after their chart-topping Perfect Symphony on a brand new song called Amo Soltanto Te (written by Ed with lyrics by Tiziano Ferro) and joining with pop sensation Dua Lipa on the single If Only . Crossover superstar Josh Groban and classical soprano Aida Garifullina also duet with Bocelli on the record, which is released on Sugar/Decca on 26th October. It is his first album of new material in 14 years 16 brand new songs which celebrate love, family, faith and hope. At the center of the new record is a spine-tingling duet between father-and-son, as 20 year-old Matteo Bocelli steps into the limelight to duet with Andrea on Fall On Me a beautifully poignant song which reflects the bond between parent and child. It will appear in the end credits of the hotly-anticipated new Disney film, The Nutcracker and The Four Realms, starring Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman, to be released on 2nd November. Andrea explains how his voice compares with Matteo's: Technically they are very different, but there is one thing that makes them most similar: the attitude. That characteristic way of expressing yourself through your voice. This makes Matteo and I very similar. But that is something that you cannot learn, that cannot be taught. That is something you are born with.

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Jessie J - This Christmas Day - Republic
Grammy-nominated vocalist Jessie J to release new holiday This Christmas Day via Lava Records / Republic Records on 10/26. The album will include her previously released holiday track “Man With The Bag” in addition to holiday classics “Let It Snow,” “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” and “Jingle Bell Rock”. The album features production by David Foster. Jessie J will embark on her first US headlining tour this October.

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For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.

New Release Round-Up 10-12-18

David Bowie - Loving The Alien (1983-1988) - Rhino
David Bowie: 4. Loving The Alien (1983-1988) is the fourth boxed set spanning his career from 1969 and the follow-up to the awarding winning and critically acclaimed David Bowie: 1. Five Years (1969 – 1973), David Bowie: 2. Who Can I Be Now? (1974 – 1976) and David Bowie: 3. A New Career In A New Town (1977 – 1982). David Bowie: 4. Loving The Alien (1983-1988) features material officially released by David Bowie between 1983 and 1988 including newly remastered studio albums ‘Let’s Dance’ (remaster overseen by Nile Rodgers), ‘Tonight’ (remaster overseen by Hugh Padgham) and ‘Never Let Me Down’, the live albums ‘Serious Moonlight’ from 1983 (previously unreleased) and ‘Glass Spider’ from 1987, and the exclusive new compilation ‘RE:CALL 4’ featuring single versions and edits, soundtrack music and non-album B-sides. Also included exclusively is a brand 2018 version of the 1987 album ‘Never Let Me Down’ co-produced and mixed by Mario McNulty. David had already discussed this in 2008 with Mario McNulty so ‘Never Let Me Down (2018)’ is a much darker album with additional production by Mario and new live drums by Sterling Campbell, new guitars by Reeve Gabrels and David Torn plus a string quartet. The album will also feature new artwork with photography from the original session by Greg Gorman. The album ‘Dance’ was scheduled for 1985 but was never released and never will be, however we have used the artwork for ‘Dance’ for this set for an album which contains 12 original extended remixes from across the three studio albums plus ‘Underground’.

Tom Morello - The Atlas Underground - Mom + Pop Music
Tom Morello is living proof of the transformative power of rock’n’roll. As the co-founder of Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave and Prophets Of Rage, and through collaborations with everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Johnny Cash, he has continually pushed the limits of what one man can do with six strings. But on his latest album The Atlas Underground, he’s transformed his sound into something even he could not have anticipated, blending Marshall stack riff-rock with the digital wizardry of EDM and hip-hop to create the most ambitious artistic effort of his storied career. The Atlas Underground includes collaborations with Marcus Mumford, Portugal. The Man, the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and GZA, Vic Mensa, K.Flay, Big Boi, Gary Clark Jr., Pretty Lights, Killer Mike and Whethan among others. “The riffs and the beats led the way, but the extraordinary talents of the collaborators set my creativity into uncharted territory,” says Morello of the project, which will be released by Mom + Pop Music.

Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Look Now - Concord Records
Recorded in Hollywood, New York City and Vancouver, British Columbia, 'Look Now' is beautiful in its simplicity, reflective in its lyrical vision, surrounded by melodies and orchestrations that are nothing short of heavenly. It's the first album Costello has made with The Imposters since the 2008 release of 'Momofuku' and his first new album since the acclaimed 2013 Roots collaboration, 'Wise Up Ghost'. 'Look Now' is an outstanding 12-strong addition to his song catalogue. Most of the titles were written solely by Elvis Costello although, 'Don't Look Now' and 'Photographs Can Lie' were co-written with Burt Bacharach, who makes a guest appearance, leading The Imposters from the piano for those two ballads. The album was co-produced by Elvis and Sebastian Krys - the Latin Grammy Producer of the Year for 2007 and 2015, whose love and understanding of music spans both hemispheres.

Atreyu - In Our Wake - Spinefarm
Following a short hiatus Atreyu returned firing on all cylinders with Long Live during 2015. It crashed the Top 30 of the Billboard Top 200 and earned widespread acclaim. The band sold out countless headline shows in addition to sharing the stage with everyone from Slipknot to Linkin Park. After a 2 year tour cycle for Long Live, Atreyu regrouped in Southern California for what would become offering number seven, In Our Wake, reuniting with producer John Feldmann who famously helmed Lead Sails Paper Anchor.

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Justin Courtney Pierre - In The Drink - Epitaph
It's been a couple of years since we heard from Justin Courtney Pierre. When we last left off, his celebrated rock band Motion City Soundtrack decided to take a hiatus following a victory lap in support of their sixth album, Panic Stations. This culminated with a Riot Fest performance and a sold-out, career-spanning show at The Metro in Chicago in September of 2016. In reality, what he's been doing lately hasn't been terribly exciting bio fodder: He's been in Minneapolis, mowing the lawn, cultivating tomatoes, taking care of his daughter and figuring out who he is if he isn't the guy fronting Motion City Soundtrack. “I guess the jumping off point for this album was that I wanted to see if I could just write everything myself and perform as much of it as I could,” Pierre says of the impetus for his first solo album, In The Drink. When it came to recording the songs, it made perfect sense to enlist longtime collaborator and Motion City Soundtrack guitarist Josh Cain to produce In The Drink. “Working with Josh on this album was super fun because we have been working together for 20 years and basically share a brain. But it didn't have the same dynamic of Motion City Soundtrack in the sense that at the end of the day I got to call all the shots,” Pierre says. Musically, In The Drink sees Pierre evoking his usual influences like Pavement, Superchunk, The Flaming Lips, Jawbox, Fugazi, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, more Jawbox, Tom Waits, The Carpenters and Eddie Money, but through his own unique perspective and sung via his instantly recognizable tenor. From the quirky, anthemic pop of “Anchor” or “I Don't Know Why She Ran Away” to more moody, darker material such as “Moonbeam” (which features guest vocals from Jenny Owen Youngs) and the experimental closer “Goodnight Hiroyuki,” the album is Pierre at his most unfiltered and the results are sublime (even if it sounds nothing like Sublime).

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John Hiatt - The Eclipse Sessions - New West Records
The Eclipse Sessions, John Hiatt’s newest album, offers up his strongest set of songs in years. Long celebrated as a skilled storyteller and keen observer of life’s twists and turns, Hiatt can get at the heart of a knotty emotion or a moment in time with just a sharp, incisive lyric or witty turn of phrase. The 11 tracks presented in The Eclipse Sessions, from the breezy opener “Cry to Me,” to the stark “Nothing in My Heart,” the lost-love lamentation “Aces Up Your Sleeve” to the rollicking “Poor Imitation of God,” demonstrate that the singer-songwriter, now 66, is only getting better with age, his guitar playing more rugged and rootsy, his words wiser and more wry. Hiatt goes all in with The Eclipse Sessions. There’s a grit to these songs—a craggy, perfectly-imperfect quality that colors every aspect of the performances, right down to Hiatt’s vocals, which are quite possibly his most raw and expressive to date. “They ain’t pretty, that’s for sure,” he says about the creaks and cracks that punctuate his phrases in songs like “Poor Imitation of God” and “One Stiff Breeze.” “But I don’t mind a bit. All the catches and the glitches and the gruffness, that sounds right to me. That sounds like who I am.” The Eclipse Sessions is the sound of an artist not only living in but also capturing the moment.

  

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Edie Brickell and New Bohemians - Rocket - Verve Forecast
Thirty years ago, Edie Brickell and New Bohemians exploded out of Dallas and became an international sensation with their double-platinum debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, featuring the Top Ten hit, “What I Am.” Now, the group returns with Rocket, their first new music in a dozen years—and as the title indicates, they remain a propulsive and unclassifiable force, a whirlwind of musical ideas and styles. Rocket is released via Verve Forecast.

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UPCOMING RELEASES

Jason Isbell - Live From The Ryman - Southeastern Records
Live From The Ryman was primarily recorded during the group's six sold out nights at Nashville's legendary Ryman Auditorium in 2017. The album features 13 live versions of songs from their last three critically acclaimed, award-winning studio albums - Southeasten (2013), Something More Than Free (2015), The Nashville Sound (2017). Available on Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Transparent Green Vinyl.

 

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Greta Van Fleet - Anthem Of The Peaceful Army - Republic
Modern Rock N’ Roll band Greta Van Fleet to release highly anticipated new album, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army, on 10/19 via Lava Records. Album includes current single “When The Curtain Falls,” which is approaching top 5 airplay at Active Rock radio and is building at Alternative radio. They will re-launch their nearly sold out headlining tour on 9/11 in Canada. Greta Van Fleet recently set a record as the first band in 15 years to hit #1 airplay at Active Rock radio with 2 consecutive singles!

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Buxton - Stay Out Late - New West Records
Stay Out Late is ultimately, the end result of understanding who we are, and more importantly, who we are not. This will be our 15th year as a band, and our 5th record overall. In the years preceding the making of this record, we all had to define what it meant for us to be happy making music. There are certain mechanisms and tropes we all fall into as a result. And as hard as we may try to emulate what we consider to be higher art, or rather, classic music; we always end up with a Buxton record. Sergio couldn't write for almost 2 years after 'Half A Native'. The answers to "why" had run dry. We all saw each other, hung out and everything was like normal. I can't really pinpoint the moment it all made sense again. The question had suddenly changed to "why not" and we were back in the studio making demos. There was a lurking sense that nobody would ever hear these songs, and that lead to a sort of creativity I'm not sure we'd really experienced before. All ideas were on the table, and more importantly they stayed on the table. There are a handful of truly great masterpieces and the attempt of achieving that is one of the most daunting and exhausting pursuits any artist can take on. In the van we're constantly educating ourselves and finding new and in many cases old points of inspiration. Whether it be Mark Hollis, HC McEntire, Mickey Newbury or rediscovering the genius of Bette Midler, we find ourselves at the mercy of our own limitations of expression. Yet somehow in our most vulnerable project, we're simultaneously the most comfortable in our skin as we've ever been. The core of this record is about being in it for the long haul, looking back, and being able to accept it all.  We can only hope that the listener can in some way share and make tangible the joy that went into making this record.

_________________________________________________________

Doe Paoro - Soft Power - Epitaph
Transforming pain into transcendence is the genius of many pop artists, but Doe Paoro brings an entirely new depth to that process. On her third album Soft Power, the L.A.-based singer/songwriter digs into her own frustration and anguish, and ultimately comes away with a newfound strength that’s profoundly inspiring. Soft Power thus bears a raw vitality that marks a major departure from Doe’s previous album. Naming Carole King among her inspirations, Doe notes that the new record’s more urgent feel comes partly from reconnecting with the instinctive approach of her earliest songwriting. Throughout the album, Doe infuses her songs with a rebellious spirit. A passionately charged track about misogyny, “Guilty” blends cascading guitar lines with sharply cutting lyrics (I know I’m not the first / that you made defend her word). “Over” brings classic girl-group harmonies and smoldering vocal work to speak to the song’s central question: Now that I’m older / does it get easier / to get over? Several songs also confront the notion of setting boundaries, with “Projector” centering on “the refusal to let someone else superimpose their story onto yours” and “Walk Through the Fire” emerging as a brutal testament to the fact that “self-examination is ultimately a solo job – and there’s no easy way to do it”. The result is an album that’s undeniably potent in its emotional impact. “One thing I’ve continued to find through writing songs is the ability to alchemize painful experiences into something that’s useful and healing”, says Doe. “For me that’s the highest purpose of music—both in terms of what it offers to me and what I wish to offer to others”. 

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Beta Radio - Ancient Transition - Nettwerk Records
North Carolinian duo Beta Radio's Ancient Transition - their debut on Nettwerk Records - captures the band's signature blend of organic sounds, delicate synths, and disarmingly beautiful harmonies. The album is a reflection on home and its many different meanings, the wholeness that comes with having a sense of home and the tumult that can come with lacking one.

_________________________________________________________

For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.