For the Record
Drivin N Cryin - Live the Love Beautiful (Ltd. Ed. Smoky Clear Vinyl)
Drivin N Cryin are a rock 'n' roll institution. From their days as MTV-approved radio stars to their rebirth as DIY icons of the American underground, they've spent three and a half decades building a legacy grounded in sharp songwriting, southern stomp, and loud, life affirming shows. Trends have come and gone. Bandmates have done the same. But Drivin N Cryin continue to hit the stage night after night, guitars in hand, amplifiers on full blast, delivering the soundtrack to a self-made rock & roll saga that's ever-unfolding.
Los Coast - Samsara (Ltd. Ed. Autographed Clear Vinyl)
Limited colored vinyl LP pressing. 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 it's 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 it's 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.
Black Pumas - Black Pumas (Ltd. Ed. Red/Black Vinyl)
Black Pumas has announced their self-titled debut album. The band is led by Grammy winning producer Adrian Quesada and songwriter Eric Burton. Burton arrived in Austin after busking his way across the country from Los Angeles, while Quesada has a storied reputation for playing in bands like Grupo Fantasma and Brownout. The two collaborated on a new sound that transmutes soul into something idiosyncratically modern - reminiscent of Ghostface Killah and Motown in equal measure.
Brownsville Station - Brownsville Station (Ltd. Ed. White Vinyl)
Brownsville Station was formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1969. Original members included Cub Koda (guitarist/vocalist), Mike Lutz (guitarist/vocalist), T.J. Cronley (drummer), and Tony Driggins (bassist/vocals). After several Top 10 hits single like "Smokin' in the Boys Room", they recorded in 1977 "Martian Boogie", one of their seven singles to chart on the Hot 100 and "(Lady) Put The Light On"... those two songs are in this famous album Brownsville Station.
Chris Shiflett - Hard Lessons (Ltd. Ed. Collector's Bandana)
Vinyl LP pressing. Raised alongside the California coastline in Santa Barbara, Chris Shiflett kicked off his career in seminal pop-punk groups like No Use For a Name and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. As the '90s gave way to the 2000s, he joined the Foo Fighters' lineup. He's since become one of the band's longest-running members, flying the flag of modern rock & roll for two decades. Hard Lessons follows West Coast Town as the second solo record to bear his name alone, and it's perhaps the most Shiflett-sounding album in his entire catalog, with songs that nod to the classic Bakersfield sound one minute and Keith Richards' greasy guitar style the next. Recorded between Foo Fighters tours, Hard Lessons reunites Shiflett with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb, who also oversaw the tracking sessions for West Coast Town. It was Cobb's idea to track down a Marshall JCM800, a vintage guitar amp that became a popular piece of gear during the '80s hard rock scene. Plugging his Telecaster Deluxe and Les Paul Gold Top into that amplifier added a heavy dose of grit to Shiflett's material, which he'd written while touring and during songwriting sessions with co-writers like Elizabeth Cook, Brian Whelan, Kendell Marvel, and Aaron Raitiere.
The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger
The Raconteurs - Jack White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler - return with 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 it's 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 it's considerable powers, once again creating a sound and fury only possible when all four of it's members come together.