JUNE 30, 2015
(WEEK #26)
1.
ART DEPARTMENT-“FABRIC 82” [SERIES]
(6/30)
2.
FAILURE-“THE HEART IS A MONSTER” (6/30) ('Thematically we ve moved from the outer space of Fantastic
Planet to inner space', said guitar/bass player Greg Edwards of Failure's new
album, the band's first full-length since 1996, The Heart Is A Monster. 'From
the dislocation of one's identity to the complete erasing of it by sleep and
dreams. I think we've used instrumentation in the service of mood and emotion
to an even greater degree than on our previous records'. The band returned from
a 17-year hiatus in early 2014 with a single Los Angeles date planned. The show
sold out in seconds, which led to a North American tour, including a run of
dates with Tool and appearances at Riot Fest, Fun Fun Fun and Cinquanta, and
eventually back to the studio. In a recent interview with Noisey,
singer/guitar/bass player Ken Andrews admits by the time the band announced
their first live outing, he, Edwards and drummer Kellii Scott were already
working on new music, saying 'One thing that Greg and I agreed on very early
on, is that we did not want to reform for just one or two nostalgia tours. We
wanted to come back as a full functioning musical force and creatively pick up
where we left off with Fantastic Planet. That meant we needed to start
experimenting in the studio first, which we did in late 2013. After a few
months, we came to the conclusion that we were having a good time and that we
liked the results, and that we thought the results were definitely Failure.
We've been chipping away at a new album this whole time.' In that same article,
Andrews and Edwards said that their approach to writing and recording Fantastic
Planet and The Heart Is A Monster have been similar, saying 'The songs on
Fantastic Planet appear more or less in the order that we wrote them... when,
we do a song now, we write it and record it soup-to-nuts without moving to
another song... It takes longer, but it makes more sense for us artistically to
explore a song completely before you move on'. 'Trying to follow up Fantastic
Planet was a bit daunting', said Andrews, who mixed The Heart Is A Monster with
the band acting as producers. 'We've pushed the bar upward again, but at the
same time, we've kept the signature sound of the band intact'. Failure's SXSW performance, about which Yahoo
Music said 'the beloved cult band... thrilled a practically openly weeping
crowd of superfans' was the trio's first live performance since wrapping
production on The Heart is A Monster, included the new song Hot Traveler, which
Entertainment Weekly said 'had every bit the sonic thickness, rhythmic thump,
and melodic bite as favorites like Another Space Song and Heliotropic'. Failure
formed in Los Angeles in the early 90s, releasing Comfort, their debut album,
in 1992 via Slash Records. Magnified followed in the spring of 1994 with the
band's final offering, Fantastic Planet, released in 1996. Fantastic Planet
earned a perfect 5-star score from Alternative Press with the magazine saying
the album 'was able to breathe life into the corpse of contemporary,
guitar-driven rock', adding that the band 'was willing to stretch the
definition of both their instruments and their songs'. The 17-track album is
considered one of the era's most influential and enduring rock records. Over
the years, Failure has become known as a band's band whose songs have been
covered by such diverse artists as A Perfect Circle ( The Nurse Who Loved Me )
and Paramore ( Stuck On You ). Tool/A Perfect Circle singer Maynard James
Keenan said, 'Failure has been a huge inspiration to me. They say amateurs
borrow and professionals steal. Well over the years this pro has robbed those
poor saps blind'.)
3.
BRYAN FERRY-JAPANESE
EDITION REISSUES OF 6 OR MORE OLDER ALBUMS!
4.
FLESH EATERS-“NO QUESTIONS ASKED” [MONO
RECORDS REISSUED LP] (6/30) ("Before
the nihilistic hardcore of Black Flag and wasteland blues of the Gun Club was
the void. And from that void crept forth a schoolteacher named CHRIS DESJARDINS
who in the fall of 1977 was about to simplify his name to CHRIS D. and start
one of the most complicated and uncompromising bands ever to emerge from Los
Angeles. He had charisma and connections and an irresistible vision, and he
recruited members of X, WALL OF VOODOO, THE CONTROLLERS, THE SCREAMERS, THE
FLYBOYS and THE PLUGZ--a rotating roster of future punk legends who'd split
time from their own bands to become THE FLESH EATERS. By the summer of 1980,
the Flesh Eaters had left scorch marks across their genre and their generation
both, releasing the debut 'Disintegration Nation' 7", a compilation called
Tooth And Nail and a first annihilating full-length called No Questions Asked
that critic Richard Meltzer called 'goddam genius.' In the Flesh Eaters, murder
ballads and cut-up Burroughs-ian imagery and wrecked-in-the-head rock 'n' roll
were boiled and bled into one terrifying thing by people whopractically
invented West Coast punk, and who at the direction of Chris D. were now
inventing something else. Now Mono Records releases this deluxe LP version of
No Questions Asked with complete bonus tracks including the 'Disintegration
Nation' 7", the three tracks from the Tooth and Nail and never-before-on-vinyl
demos restored at Chris D.'s direction--all material unavailable in the U.S.
since its original release, and the definitive reissue of the last great lost
L.A. punk band"--Chris Zeigler)
5.
BOO HEWERDINE-“OPEN” (6/30) (2015 release from the acclaimed singer/songwriter.
Open is a beautiful album collecting unreleased recordings made during sessions
at Britannia Row Studios in 2003. Amongst Hewerdine's 'found sounds' from an
afternoon looking through boxes are early versions of two of his classic songs
('Muddy Water' and 'Geography') that six years later would appear on the much
loved God Bless The Pretty Things album. Open also gives fans a chance to hear
delicate acoustic studio recordings of concert favorites such as 'Microfilm'
and 'Name'. Further proof it were needed, that Boo Hewerdine ranks amongst the
very best English songwriters working today.)
6.
IT HUGS BACK-“SLOW WAVE” (6/30)
7.
JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD / COLLEEN GREEN-“LAMC
NO. 15 7” SINGLE” (6/30) (*****The fifteenth edition in Famous
Class' LAMC split series featuring an unreleased A-side track from one of the
label's favorite band's, backed with a B-side track from a lesser-known artist
handpicked by the A-side group. The series gets its name from the epic Less
Artists More Condos concerts that the late ARIEL PANERO threw in New York,
showcasing amazing bands in some strange and unique venues. Ariel's driving
force was a desire to get the bands he believed in the recognition he felt they
deserved. This series simply tries to honor that idea. Features JEFF THE
BROTHERHOOD's "A Dog," backed with COLLEEN GREEN's
"Hellraiser.")
8.
LA
PRIEST-“INJI” (6/30) (Inji
is the debut solo album by Sam Dust, AKA LA Priest. Across its ten audaciously
imaginative tracks Inji reasserts Dust as a truly idiosyncratic voice in
British music, applying the same eclectic and absurd spirit of his previous
band, the beloved Late of the Pier, to ever more nuanced and affecting
songwriting and composition. From the obscene space-age stadium rock guitar
solo of "Oino" to "Learning To Love", the record's
gargantuan prog-house centrepiece, Inji confounds and delights in equal measure
and at every turn. For fans of: Tame Impala, Daft Punk, Unknown Mortal
Orchestra)
9.
LAST DAYS OF APRIL-“SEA OF CLOUDS” (6/24)
(Since their formation in 1996,
Swedish band Last Days of April has enriched the world with their enchanting
indie pop. Their ninth album, Sea of Clouds, follows a series of outstanding
releases. And yet the ninth studio album by this Stockholm band -- based around
the songwriter Karl Larsson -- sounds so much more deliberate, mature, and
balanced than ever before, while continuing the band's hunt for the timelessly
beautiful Swedish pop song, in a snow flurry between Neil Young and The
Lemonheads. The result is a wonderful long-player, and the group's most
authentic and grounded work so far. This is surely due to the restrained
instrumentation of the nine pieces. The songs are carried by acoustic guitar
and piano, as well as by gently propulsive drum rhythms and immersive,
reverberant guitars. It all comes together to underline Larsson's delicate,
crystal-clear vocals in the most grandiose fashion. Sea of Clouds impresses
with its shimmering melancholy and alternates between quiet, reverent numbers
("Sea of Clouds" and "Oh Well") and sprawling,
guitar-propelled songs like "The Thunder and Storm." In between,
there are charming and simply captivating pop songs/compositions (opener
"The Artist" or "Everybody Knows") that have the character
of classic Last Days of April hits. The pieces are always catchy, inviting the
listener to dream, sometimes even to dance. In contrast to its predecessors,
for Sea of Clouds the band dispensed with digital technology while recording
and captured the entire album live to tape in just two and a half days, relying
exclusively on analog equipment and recording without overdubs. Without
countless synthesizer and guitar tracks that would create a glossy sheen, Sea
of Clouds is somewhat purified and cleansed compared to previous albums such as
If You Lose It (2004) or Might As Well Live (2007). The purely analog form of
the recordings can only be realized in a handful of studios in Sweden or even
throughout Europe. Last Days of April chose to work in the legendary Atlantis
Studios in Stockholm, where bands such as ABBA or The Cardigans once cavorted.
Immediately upon hearing the first few bars of the opening track "The
Artist," it becomes clear that this was the perfect decision. After
decades of touring around the globe, Last Days of April have delivered their
strongest and truest work to date. Simply a beautiful piece of music, for
faithful fans and the newly converted.)
10. THE
LOVER SPEAKS-“THE LOVER SPEAKS” [EXPANDED EDITION] (6/30) (Now, for the first time ever, the gorgeous, debut
album by THE Lover Speaks has been digitally remastered and expanded. Released
in 1986, the British duo of David Freeman and Joseph Hughes recorded their
self-titled, debut album in Los Angeles with legendary producer Jimmy Iovine
(Simple Minds, Stevie Nicks, Pretenders, Eurythmics, Alison Moyet, U2, Tom
Petty). The album has been long out-of-print. The original CD is nearly
impossible to find and sells for staggering amounts of money when it turns up
online. This expanded edition features 18 tracks including the original
10-track album alongside six bonus tracks that have never appeared on CD
before.)
11. MATT
POND PA-“THE STATE OF GOLD” (6/30)
12. MOTOPONY-“WELCOME
YOU” (6/23) (Motopony was formed In 2009 with the
meeting of songwriter Daniel Blue and co-producer Buddy Ross, drummer Forrest
Mauvais, and guitarist Brantley Cady. The band was named for Daniel s
appreciation for the spiritual duality of the physical and digital, with moto
-the representing side - and the pony - the animal. Originally based in Tacoma,
WA, it wasn t long before they relocated to Seattle. They began playing shows locally
in 2009 and soon were scooped up by the label Tiny Ogre and released their
first self-titled record in 2010. With guitarist Mike Notter added to the mix,
the band toured on the record nationwide. After finishing a string of tours
around the album, they took time to write dozens of songs and reformed with
Ross and Cady leaving and new members Nate Daley, Andrew Butler and Terry
Mattson joining the band. In 2014 the EP Idle Beauty was released on Eone
Music/Fast Plastic and the band did a three month international tour last fall
which took them to the UK, India and included a stop in London to record an
acoustic EP in Abbey Road Studios with producer Rob Cass. Motopony's new full
length - Welcome You - was recorded at Bear Creek in Seattle by producer Mike
McCarthy (Spoon, Heartless Bastards. Trail of Dead) and mixed in London by Guy
Massey (Radiohead, Spritualized, The Libertines). Welcome You will be released
on Eone Music/Fast Plastic on June 23.)
13. THE
ORANGE HUMBLE BAND-“DEPRESSING BEAUTY” (6/30)
14. REFUSED-“FREEDOM” (6/29) (Refused came to an end in front of
50 kids at a basement show in a Virginia college town in 1998, just as their
release of the same year, The Shape of Punk to Come, was taking its first steps
toward becoming an acknowledged classic and a massive influence on a generation
of bands. Refused Are Fucking Dead! became the slogan, as kids discovered Shape
and its breakout track New Noise only to find their new heroes disbanded.
Refused are f***ing alive! After a 2012 invitation to reform for the Coachella
festival, Refused followed its first shows in 15 years with a triumphant tour,
as every kid who had discovered them after death came out to see them reborn. Freedom
is the first album in almost 20 years, on Epitaph/Burning Heart, the label that
released The Shape of Punk to Come all those years ago. Freedom explodes
out of the speakers with opening track Elektra, as frontman Dennis Lyxzen s
throat-shredding declaration that nothing has changed catapults Refused into
the 21st century. If Shape blasted apart the constraints of the punk and
hardcore worlds with which Refused had long been associated, Freedom goes a
step further by incorporating the wide-ranging influences that have shaped each
band members personal tastes. Produced by Nick Launay (Gang Of Four, Public
Image Ltd., Nick Cave, Arcade Fire) with additional work by fellow Swede and
longtime Refused fan Shellback, Freedom is not just a follow-up to Shape, but a
living breathing snapshot of a band, alive, now. It s not a reunion anymore,
Lyxzen insists. This is one of the most radical things we ve ever done, both
musically and lyrically.)
15. SIGHTINGS-“AMUSERS
AND PUZZLERS” (6/9) (Received a 7.5
rating from Pitchfork. After the release of their well-received ninth studio
album, Terribly Well, and their successful month long European tour in 2013,
SIGHTINGS did the unexpected and quietly disbanded without notice or
explanation. More than 15 years in the trenches and making a mess throughout
New York City, the band made more of a polarizing impact to formalized
underground music that most of their peers. Sightings would have been a
national treasure if the whole country was laid to waste in Armageddon. During
the sessions that birthed Terribly Well, a complimentary album was recorded in
tandem which, while not intended to be their final statement, produced the
jaded epilogue from the mouth of experimental rock's most lasting monolith.
Amusers and Puzzlers is the schizophrenic culmination of their brand of damaged
rock. Isolated noise patterns shifted from MARK MORGAN's unorthodox guitar
patterns sewn up from his nervous, scattered vocal phrasing. RICHARD HOFFMAN's
stampede-like momentum on bass slammed against JON LOCKIE's drum triggers made
the past couple decades crash into itself. Limited to 500 copies with cover
art/design by BILL NACE (Body/Head).)
16. THE
VELVET TEEN-“ALL IS ILLUSORY” (6/30) (Nine
years since the last full length from The Velvet Teen and the band has written
what could arguably be their best record yet. All Is Illusory was mixed by
Steve Choi of the RX Bandits exemplifies the bands use of driving guitars,
exceptionally technical drumming and lyrics by Judah Nagler that will make the
listener question reality.)
17. NEIL
YOUNG & THE PROMISE OF THE REAL-“THE MONSANTO YEARS” (6/30)
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