New Release Round-Up 06-21-19

The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger - Third Man Records
The Raconteurs – Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler – release their long-awaited new album, Help Us Stranger, which is the GRAMMY® Award-winning rock band’s third studio LP and first new album in more than a decade. HELP US STRANGER sees the mighty combo reassembled, stronger and perhaps even more vital than ever before as they continue to push rock 'n' roll forward into its future, bonding prodigious riffs, blues power, sinewy psychedelia, Detroit funk, and Nashville soul via Benson and White’s uncompromising songcraft and the band’s steadfast musical muscle. With HELP US STRANGER, The Raconteurs have returned right when they are needed most, unified and invigorated with boundless ambition, infinite energy and a collectivist spirit operating at the peak of its considerable powers, once again creating a sound and fury only possible when all four of its members come together.

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Prince - Originals - Warner Bros
This week, The Prince Estate, in partnership with Warner Bros. Records and TIDAL, will release Originals, a 15-track album featuring 14 previously unreleased recordings that illuminate the vital, behind-the-scenes role Prince played in other artists' careers. The tracks were selected collaboratively by Troy Carter, on behalf of The Prince Estate, and JAY-Z. By the mid-1980s, Prince was dominating the charts even as a writer/producer with songs he'd composed and recorded for others. In addition to releasing nine of his most commercially successful full-length albums, he also wrote and recorded endless reels of material for proteges The Time, Vanity 6, Sheila E., Apollonia 6, Jill Jones, the Family, and Mazarati. Occasionally, Prince's original demo recordings would be used as master takes on their albums, with only minor alterations to the instrumentation and a replacement of the vocal tracks. Other times, artists would rely on his demos to guide them through their own recording process, with Prince's initial take informing their final version of his song. The aggregate effect was a complete saturation and transformation of the pop music landscape, with Prince both leading and subverting mainstream culture.

Willie Nelson - Ride Me Back Home - Sony Legacy
Ride Me Back Home is another incredible addition to Willie Nelson's legendary catalog that finds him working once again with producer Buddy Cannon. Ride Me Back Home sits beside 2017's God's Problem Child and 2018's Last Man Standing as a trilogy of superior songcraft exploring ideas of mortality with wisdom, empathy and a winking love of life. Nelson and Cannon co-wrote a handful of songs but also call on their favorite songsmiths…great writers with great stories to tell: Sonny Throckmorton, Guy Clark, Mac Davis, Buzz Rabin. The result is a magical collection of tunes with emphasis on the lyric. Backed by an amazing band of Nashville gunslingers, Ride Me Back Home finds Willie Nelson making some of the most inspired work of his career.

Buddy & Julie Miller - Breakdown On 20th Ave. South - New West Records
Their first album together in nearly 10 years, Breakdown On 20th Ave. South is an album of Julie Miller songs produced by Buddy Miller. As a couple and individually, Buddy & Julie Miller have been nominated and received multiple awards including Grammys, Americana Awards, Dove Awards among others. Julie Millers songs have been recorded by a diverse range of artists including Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack, Levon Helm, Solomon Burke, and Miranda Lambert. Buddy Miller is known for his work as a guitarist, performing live and in the studio with artists such as Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris. Buddy's production credits include albums with Plant, Harris, Earle, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin and many more. Breakdown On 20th Ave. South is a first rate showcase for Julies finely crafted lyrics. There is a line from the track Spittin' on Fire that best illustrates Julies sharp edged word play: You're a dangerous little storm, one part cold and one part warm. The song War Child is a cry for help that usually goes unheard. A cry for help from thousands and thousands of children stolen from their families, forced to carry a gun at ages as young as 7 or 8. Never to see home again. Tracks like, I'm Gonna Make You Love Me and Everything Is Your Fault hint at the ups and downs of love. The entire album is tied together by Buddy's unfussy production style. Breakdown On 20th Ave. South is a treat for long time fans of Buddy & Julie and a delightful discovery for new listeners.

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Mannequin Pussy - Patience - Epitaph
The third full-length from Mannequin Pussy, Patience is an album fascinated with the physical experience of the body, its songs tracking the movements of mouths and hands and racing hearts, skin and spit and teeth and blood. Deeply attuned to the power of their own physicality, the Philadelphia-based band channels complex emotion in blistering riffs, thrashing rhythms, vocals that feel as immediate and untamed as a gut reaction. But throughout Patience, the Philadelphia-based band contrasts that raw vitality with intricate melodies and finely detailed arrangements, building a strange and potent tension that makes the album all the more cathartic. The follow-up to Romantic—a 2016 release praised by Pitchfork for “combin[ing] punk, shoegaze, death metal, and more, with the ferocious push-pull energy of a mosh pit”—Patience came to life at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. In creating the album, Mannequin Pussy worked with producer/engineer Will Yip (Quicksand, The Menzingers), shaping an explosive sound that never overshadows the subtlety of their songwriting. “In the past there’s been a chaotic feeling to the recording process, but working with Will put us in a different headspace,” says Dabice. “It helped us show our progression over the past few years and make a very crisp-sounding record, without losing the dirtiness of what Mannequin Pussy really is.”

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Marshall - Layers - Nettwerk Records
The idea for Layers began to percolate a couple years ago, as Marshall was finding success with his joyous pop-band Walk off the Earth, the YouTube overachievers–turned–Juno winners. Still, he’d always envisioned himself falling somewhere between the musically transcendent Bob Dylan and Bon Iver. An emotionally tumultuous album, Layers is the sound of Marshall evincing everything from toxic relationships past to present insecurities and is the next-level output of an artist without boundaries.

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Philip Bailey - Love Will Find A Way - Verve
For over 50 years, Earth Wind and Fire provided the soundtrack to the lives of many.  With award winning albums and chart-topping hits such as “September”, “Devotion”, “Reasons” and “Keep Your Head to the Sky” EWF have stood the test of time and continue to be a force in music. Philip Bailey, one of the lead singers, also experienced solo success with “Easy Lover” and “Walking on the Chinese Wall.” This new album, Love Will Find A Way, has Philip teamed up with some of today’s hottest, progressive Jazz artists such as Robert Glasper, Christian McBride, Kamasi Washington, Casey Benjamin, Chick Corea, Steve Gadd and more. The single, “Billy Jack”, was written by the legendary Curtis Mayfield and produced by both Robert Glasper and Philip Bailey.

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UPCOMING RELEASES 

Jade Jackson - Wilderness - Anti
Wilderness is a powerhouse of a record by Jade Jackson, a follow-up to her 2017 debut, Gilded. Her new work deals heavily with the in-betweens and stepping stones we dwell in and leap across while coming to terms with our sense of self, and how melancholy can be a powerful weapon to wield, especially in the form of a roots-rock or country song. Wilderness, like Gilded, was produced by Mike Ness, the SoCal punk rock legend who essentially plucked Jackson from obscurity several years ago and helped hone her craft and sound. Jackson calls Ness “a master of feel and rhythm” and credits him with showing her how to invoke more of those calling cards in her new work, in addition to those countless tools now in her arsenal that they developed together over time. As the pair’s master-pupil relationship continues to evolve, Jackson recognizes that Ness has become more open to her input while she herself has gotten more hands-on in the studio, a process that ultimately resulted in delivering the sound for which both parties were striving. “The message of ‘Wilderness’ is in how to get through tough situations—if you visualize yourself somewhere, all that good energy and intention can get you where you want to go.” – Jade Jackson

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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 06-14-19

Baroness - Gold & Grey - ABRAXAN HYMNS
"Our goal is, was, and will always be to write increasingly superior, more honest and compelling songs, and to develop a more unique and challenging sound. I’m sure we have just finished our best, most adventurous album to date. We dug incredibly deep, challenged ourselves and recorded a record I’m positive we could never again replicate. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to know Sebastian, Nick and Gina as both my bandmates and my friends. They have pushed me to become a better songwriter, musician and vocalist. We’re all extremely excited for this release, which includes quite a few 'firsts' for the band, and we’re thrilled to be back on tour to play these psychotic songs for our fans. Expect some surprises." - John Baizley

Madonna - Madame X - INTERSCOPE RECORDS
Influenced creatively by living in Lisbon, Portugal over the past several years, Madame X is a collection of 15 new songs that celebrate Madonna’s career-long affair with Latin music and culture as well as other global influences. Singing in Portuguese, Spanish and English, highlights on the album include “Medellín,” which was co-produced by Mirwais and captures the spirit of Maluma’s hometown, the anthemic song “I Rise,” the Jamaican dancehall vibes of “Future” featuring Quavo, and co-produced by Diplo, as well as the sonically innovative Mirwais produced “Dark Ballet.” Recorded over 18 months in Portugal, London, New York and Los Angeles, Madonna collaborated on Madame X with longtime producer Mirwais, as well as with producers Mike Dean and Diplo, among others.

Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars - SONY
Western Stars is the new album from Bruce Springsteen, and his first new studio album in five years. This collection of songs takes his music to a new place, drawing inspiration in part from the Southern California pop records of the late '60s and early '70s. The album was recorded primarily at Springsteen's home studio in New Jersey, with additional recording in California and New York. "This record is a return to my solo recordings featuring character driven songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestral arrangements," says Springsteen. "It's a jewel box of a record." The 13 tracks on Western Stars encompass a sweeping range of American themes, of highways and desert spaces, of isolation and community and the permanence of home and hope. Ron Aniello produced the album with Springsteen and plays bass, keyboard, and other instruments. Patti Scialfa provides vocals and contributes vocal arrangements on four tracks. The musical arrangements include strings, horns, pedal steel and contributions from more than 20 other players including Jon Brion (who plays celeste, Moog, and farfisa), as well as guest appearances by David Sancious, Charlie Giordano, and Soozie Tyrell. 

Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Servants Of The Sun - Silver Arrow Records
Servants Of The Sun bursts into the clear blue air with the funky upper atmosphere bubbling of vintage keyboards and driving rhythm. A gateway swings wide open to a universe that the Chris Robinson Brotherhood has been tirelessly constructing for eight years through extraordinary musicianship, endless touring and a roving, seemingly bottomless wizard’s chest of sonic delights. The band’s 8th studio effort since forming in 2011—spread out over six full length albums and two EPs—sets aside the studio explorations of their more recent work and turns inward to the heart of the Brotherhood’s universe. Of the origin concept for Servants, bandleader Chris Robinson explains: “I let my head go to a Saturday night at the Fillmore, and said, what’s the best set we could play?” And in following that guiding principle the CRB bottled their pure essence into 10 new songs, a distillation of their journey so far. In many ways they have come full circle in delivering their most direct, bare bones, rock n’ roll record since debut companion albums ‘Big Moon Ritual’ and ‘The Magic Door.’

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Los Coast - Samsara - New West Records
On their eagerly awaited debut album Samsara, the visionary Austin, TX combo Los Coast delivers a fresh blast of punchy psychedelic-pop-soul that effortlessly incorporates a wide range of genres. The band's seamlessly soulful songcraft incorporates the band's distinctive grooves along with the inventive compositions and commanding vocals of principal members Trey Privott (lead vocals, guitar) and John Courtney (guitar, keyboards, vocals). Even before Samsara had been recorded, Los Coast had already earned a reputation as one of America's most exciting and inventive young bands. With its lineup rounded out by Megan Hartman on bass, Damien Llanes on drums and Natalie Wright on keys, plus a varied assortment of guest players, Los Coast was already renowned for its rousing, expansive live sets. That same mix of energy and expertise is reflected on Samsara, which features such memorable, no-nonsense tunes as 'Simplify,' 'Monsters,' 'Graves' and the frantic, tongue-twisting '(Everything But) The Kitchen Sink.' The album delivers infectious hooks, ironic lyrical twists and explosive funk grooves in equal measure, providing an irresistible frame for Privott's soulful vocals and the band's explosive grooves.

   

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Bastille - Doom Days - Capitol
This week, Bastille release their new album Doom Days on Virgin Records. Made by Dan Smith with bandmates Kyle Simmons, Will Farquarson and Chris ‘Woody’ Wood, and producer Mark Crew, it sees the GRAMMY®-nominated, Brit-winning band stretch out and open up like never before. The new album consists of 11 tracks and features previously released Quarter Past Midnight with the euphoric new single Joy. Doom Days marks something of a shift in perception from its widely acclaimed predecessor, the new album captures the need to temporarily switch off and escape. It celebrates real human connections and urges us to keep searching for those moments of elation. Hailed by Rolling Stone as “Britpop’s new crown princes,” Bastille has sold over eight million adjusted albums and amassed more than 6.5 billion cumulative streams globally.

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Noah Kahan - Busyhead - Republic
In two short years, music quite literally carried 22-year-old singer, songwriter and artist Noah Kahan around the world—a long way from his native Strafford, VT (pop. 1,045) and the 133-acre tree farm where he resides. On the trip, the alternative troubadour notched an international hit in the form of “Hurt Somebody,” which charted at #1 on Australian national radio for three weeks, while also charting in the Top 40 at Hot AC stateside.

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Stan Getz - Getz At The Gate - Verve
“Getz At The Gate” is a previously unreleased 1961 live recording from the historic Village Gate in New York City. This release features an all-star, rarely heard quartet with pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist John Neves and drummer Roy Haynes (aka ‘The Boston Band’). Includes extensive liner notes by Boston jazz historian Bob Blumenthal.

   

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Calexico and Iron & Wine - Years to Burn - Sub Pop
Calexico and Iron & Wine first made an artistic connection with In the Reins, the 2005 EP that brought Sam Beam, Joey Burns and John Convertino together. The acclaimed collaboration introduced both acts to wider audiences and broadened Beam’s artistic horizons, but it was the shared experience of touring together in the tradition of Bob Dylan’s “Rolling Thunder Revue” that cemented their bond. Their roads diverged in the years that followed, but they kept in touch and cross-pollinated where they could. Although they often talked about rekindling their collaboration in the studio and on the stage, it wasn’t until last year that their schedules aligned. As on In the Reins, Beam took the lead on songwriting for Years to Burn, but Burns added one of his own in the end. They took differing approaches: Sam shared meticulous demos ahead of time and was ready with arrangement ideas and instrumental parts, while Joey came in with concepts and an eagerness to improvise. “Life is hard. Awesome. And scary as shit. But it can lift you up if you let it,” Sam offers. “These are the things Joey and I write about now. And the title can encapsulate a lot of things. ‘Years to Burn’ could mean you’re cocky, you’ve got it made. Or, our life is ours to burn, to be inspired. Or you’re burned by life, brutalized. It’s an ambiguous title, because life is complicated.”

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Roger Daltrey - The Who's 'Tommy' Orchestral - Polydor
Celebrating 50 Years Of The Who’s Tommy. The Who's 'Tommy' Orchestral. Performed by Roger Daltrey, with members of The Who band and the orchestra conducted by Keith Levenson with orchestration from David Campbell. Double Gatefold Heavyweight Black Vinyl recorded in Budapest and Bethel in upstate New York, the scene of the first Woodstock festival 50 years ago, was produced by Roger and Keith Levenson and features the core band of Simon Townshend – Vocals / Guitar, Frank Simes – Guitar, Scott Devours – Drums, Jon Button – Bass, and Loren Gold – keyboards, all of whom have played with The Who live. Keith Levenson conducted The Budapest Scoring Orchestra from new orchestrations by David Campbell.

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UPCOMING RELEASES 

Buddy & Julie Miller - Breakdown On 20th Ave. South - New West Records
Their first album together in nearly 10 years, Breakdown On 20th Ave. South is an album of Julie Miller songs produced by Buddy Miller. As a couple and individually, Buddy & Julie Miller have been nominated and received multiple awards including Grammys, Americana Awards, Dove Awards among others. Julie Millers songs have been recorded by a diverse range of artists including Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack, Levon Helm, Solomon Burke, and Miranda Lambert. Buddy Miller is known for his work as a guitarist, performing live and in the studio with artists such as Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris. Buddy's production credits include albums with Plant, Harris, Earle, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin and many more. Breakdown On 20th Ave. South is a first rate showcase for Julies finely crafted lyrics. There is a line from the track Spittin' on Fire that best illustrates Julies sharp edged word play: You're a dangerous little storm, one part cold and one part warm. The song War Child is a cry for help that usually goes unheard. A cry for help from thousands and thousands of children stolen from their families, forced to carry a gun at ages as young as 7 or 8. Never to see home again. Tracks like, I'm Gonna Make You Love Me and Everything Is Your Fault hint at the ups and downs of love. The entire album is tied together by Buddy's unfussy production style. Breakdown On 20th Ave. South is a treat for long time fans of Buddy & Julie and a delightful discovery for new listeners.

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The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger - Third Man Records
The Raconteurs – Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler – have announced the release of their long-awaited new album, Help Us Stranger, which is the GRAMMY® Award-winning rock band’s third studio LP and first new album in more than a decade. Out on Friday, June 21, HELP US STRANGER sees the mighty combo reassembled, stronger and perhaps even more vital than ever before as they continue to push rock 'n' roll forward into its future, bonding prodigious riffs, blues power, sinewy psychedelia, Detroit funk, and Nashville soul via Benson and White’s uncompromising songcraft and the band’s steadfast musical muscle. With HELP US STRANGER, The Raconteurs have returned right when they are needed most, unified and invigorated with boundless ambition, infinite energy and a collectivist spirit operating at the peak of its considerable powers, once again creating a sound and fury only possible when all four of its members come together.

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Philip Bailey - Love Will Find A Way - Verve
For over 50 years, Earth Wind and Fire provided the soundtrack to the lives of many.  With award winning albums and chart-topping hits such as “September”, “Devotion”, “Reasons” and “Keep Your Head to the Sky” EWF have stood the test of time and continue to be a force in music. Philip Bailey, one of the lead singers, also experienced solo success with “Easy Lover” and “Walking on the Chinese Wall.” This new album, Love Will Find A Way, has Philip teamed up with some of today’s hottest, progressive Jazz artists such as Robert Glasper, Christian McBride, Kamasi Washington, Casey Benjamin, Chick Corea, Steve Gadd and more. The single, “Billy Jack”, was written by the legendary Curtis Mayfield and produced by both Robert Glasper and Philip Bailey.

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Marshall - Layers - Nettwerk Records
The idea for Layers began to percolate a couple years ago, as Marshall was finding success with his joyous pop-band Walk off the Earth, the YouTube overachievers–turned–Juno winners. Still, he’d always envisioned himself falling somewhere between the musically transcendent Bob Dylan and Bon Iver. An emotionally tumultuous album, Layers is the sound of Marshall evincing everything from toxic relationships past to present insecurities and is the next-level output of an artist without boundaries.

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Mannequin Pussy - Patience - Epitaph
The third full-length from Mannequin Pussy, Patience is an album fascinated with the physical experience of the body, its songs tracking the movements of mouths and hands and racing hearts, skin and spit and teeth and blood. Deeply attuned to the power of their own physicality, the Philadelphia-based band channels complex emotion in blistering riffs, thrashing rhythms, vocals that feel as immediate and untamed as a gut reaction. But throughout Patience, the Philadelphia-based band contrasts that raw vitality with intricate melodies and finely detailed arrangements, building a strange and potent tension that makes the album all the more cathartic. The follow-up to Romantic—a 2016 release praised by Pitchfork for “combin[ing] punk, shoegaze, death metal, and more, with the ferocious push-pull energy of a mosh pit”—Patience came to life at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. In creating the album, Mannequin Pussy worked with producer/engineer Will Yip (Quicksand, The Menzingers), shaping an explosive sound that never overshadows the subtlety of their songwriting. “In the past there’s been a chaotic feeling to the recording process, but working with Will put us in a different headspace,” says Dabice. “It helped us show our progression over the past few years and make a very crisp-sounding record, without losing the dirtiness of what Mannequin Pussy really is.”

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