For the Record
The Strumbellas - Rattlesnake (Ltd. Ed. Teal Vinyl)
Rattlesnake is the fourth studio album from The Strumbellas, a six-piece collective who rocketed to success with the breakthrough hit "Spirits". For the group, which consists of Simon Ward (lead vocals/guitar), David Ritter (keys), Jeremy Drury (percussion), Isabel Ritchie (strings), Jon Hembrey (guitar) and Darryl James (bass), Rattlesnake marks a stylistic turn from their melancholy, introspective releases. While staying true to their roots, the band has delivered us an album that elicits the feelings of joy and the promise of hope.
American Authors - Seasons
Seasons was recorded with veteran producers Cason Cooley (Ingrid Michaelson) and Trent Dabbs (Kacey Musgraves, TV's Nashville) in a mountainside studio 20 minutes outside Nashville. Surrounded by woods and overlooking nature, the album takes it's title from experiencing all four seasons of Tennessee weather during the recording sojourn, from winter snow to summer sun. Simultaneously, American Authors embraced formative '90s influences, from alternative stalwarts like Weezer and Nirvana. The first single off the album, "Deep Water" was released in May 2018 and garnered over 16 million streams.
Jade Bird - Jade Bird + Something American
Jade Bird - the debut self-titled debut album via Glassnote Records. Featuring breakthrough singles Lottery, Uh Huh & Love Has All Been Done Before. Twisting big themes of disillusionment, divorce, cheating, sorrow into the realities of an independent-minded, modern British teenager, Jade's music transcends genre with a wealth of influence coming from everywhere, and anywhere. Classic, contemporary, and a total breath of fresh air in the current musical landscape, Jade Bird is that rare, next-generation artist who appears as clued up on the past as she is determined to learn from it's lessons: in control, sometimes in your face, and in possession of gifts beyond her years.
March 2019 Spotlight Record of the Month - Johnny Cash - All Aboard the Blue Train (Ltd. Ed. Blue Vinyl)
The comprehensive remastering and repackaging upgrade of the Man In Black's legendary Sun catalogue continues with the release of Johnny Cash's penultimate album for Sun Records. On the 15th of November 1962, due to the request of Cash's loyal fanbase, Sun collected all of Johnny's train and related songs, which he had an intuitional love for. To him, the hardship, joy, love, loneliness and adventure of "the big black wheel" were part of the USA's romantic heritage and nostalgic sentiments, which helped to prove his stake as one of the greatest singers of Country and Folk music. All Aboard the Blue Train features the hugely successful "Folsom Prison Blues" and it's excellent partner "So Doggone Lonesome", which showcased Johnny Cash's talents as a writer as well as a singer.
Manchester Orchestra Cope/Hope Collector's Series (180G)
Vinyl LP pressing. 2014 album from Manchester Orchestra. 'Cope, to me, means getting by. It means letting go, and being OK with being OK,' says Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull. The Atlanta band found itself at a crossroads as they approached making their fourth studio album - in between labels, uncertain of Manchester Orchestra's future for the first time since Hull started the band almost a decade ago. He was barely finished with high school back then, and now Hull and his band mates were transitioning into the adulthood. They'd learned a bit about letting go themselves. So Manchester Orchestra regrouped. They built a studio with their own hands, and spent month after month work shopping new tunes, writing and demoing together in a room - a process that was completely new for them. The change did them good.
The Teenage Fanclub Essentials Collector's Series (180G Vinyl)
The album has been remastered from the original tapes at Abbey Road Studios, London under the guidance of the band, and is packaged in a faithful re-production of the original vinyl artwork. The band has selected rarities to include on a 7" with the album. 1991 was a year of bona fide classic albums: Nirvana - Nevermind; My Bloody Valentine - Loveless; U2 - Achtung Baby; REM - Out Of Time; Primal Scream - Screamadelica, to name but a few. Sitting more than comfortable alongside all of these is Bandwagonesque, one of Teenage Fanclub's defining albums. Hugely influential (Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard released his cover of the entire album in 2017) and with an unforgettable sleeve, a cartoon money bag in punky pink and yellow (which Gene Simmonds is rumored to have sued the band's US label over for copyright infringement) the album continues to be a firm favorite of fans, critics and artists alike.
The Sevendust Ten Year Collector's Series (2008-2018)
Sevendust are back with their seventh studio album, CHAPTER VII: HOPE & SORROW, produced by Sean Grove, Morgan Rose and John Connolly. This album marks the first time the band has collaborated with outside artist, including Chris Daughtry and members of Alterbrige. Includes the first single "Prodigal Son."
Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center (Orange Vinyl)
Better Oblivion Community Center is a brand new band comprising the formidable talents of Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, two of the most lauded American songwriters of the past several years. Written and recorded in Los Angeles during the summer of 2018, their self-titled debut album will be released on Dead Oceans in early 2019. The pair first collaborated on Bridgers' 2017 single, "Would You Rather", taken from her acclaimed debut album Stranger In The Alps. They teamed up again for a recording of Oberst's "LAX" in the fall of 2018. Co-produced by Bridgers, Oberst and long time Oberst/Bright Eyes collaborator Andy LeMaster, Better Oblivion Community Center features the work of several talented friends: Yeah Yeah Yeahs' guitarist Nick Zinner appears on two tracks (first single "Dylan Thomas" and "Dominoes") while Carla Azur (Autolux, Jack White) plays drums on half of the album. Dawes' rhythm section Wylie Gelber and Griffin Goldsmith appear on the other half. Songwriter Christian Lee Hutson contributes guitar and Anna Butterss provides bass. Bridgers and Oberst are currently putting together a live band to tour in March and April.