It ain’t over ’til it’s over — and when it comes to big new albums, reissues and box sets, 2020 ain’t over quite yet. Of the nearly 500 titles coming out this week, here are a dozen that deserve to be somewhere near the top of your list.
The Avalanches
We Will Always Love You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Building on the sample-based approach of their classic albums Since I Left You and Wildflower, but stepping boldly into new terrain, We Will Always Love You is the new full-length from The Avalanches. An exploration of the vibrational relationship between light, sound and spirit, We Will Always Love You doubles as “an exploration of the human voice” and a spiritual reckoning via the big questions “who are we really? What happens when we die?’ ” So says Robbie Chater, who alongside bandmate Tony DiBlasi and collaborator Andrew Szekeres has moved beyond the party-up exuberance of The Avalanches’ youthful music to a tender, reflective sound infused with hard-earned life wisdom.”
Belle and Sebastian
What To Look For In Summer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Belle and Sebastian present 22 live performances featuring songs from across their 25-year career. The recordings showcase the Scottish septet at the height of their power during their 2019 tour, including tracks performed on the band’s own Mediterranean cruise, The Boaty Weekender.”
Boris and Merzbow
2R0I2P0
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “2R0I2P0 is a collaborative album from Boris and Merzbow. The 10-track album showcases every bit of the excitement and pulse-pounding rock and metal heard throughout the inimitable, expansive Boris catalog, as it meets the signature harsh noise and soundscapes of the equally prolific Merzbow.”
Deftones
White Pony 20th Anniversary Edition
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “20 years on from its first release, the set will include the original White Pony album along with a companion remix album entitled Black Stallion. This was an idea conceived during the original album’s creation but didn’t come to fruition at the time. Black Stallion includes remixes of each of the individual 11 tracks from the original White Pony album by different artists including DJ Shadow, Robert Smith, Squarepusher and Mike Shinoda.”
Foxy Shazam
Burn
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Only a select few are equipped to thrive in the face of chaos. Foxy Shazam’s enigmatic frontman Eric Nally is one of those people. This innate ability to find progress in disorder has shaped Foxy Shazam, and was integral to the band’s sixth album Burn. On this record, Foxy Shazam eviscerates traditional genre lines. It’s a testament to where the band came from while aggressively pushing their sound forward. Throughout it all, Nally masterfully channels the lyrically abstract as he portrays feelings in the way one would describe a flavor. Burn is a collection of certified anthems that unintentionally provide a roadmap for fighting to live your best life in spite of the myriad obstacles that 2020 is throwing in your path.”
Gang of Four
Gang of Four: 77-81
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Gang Of Four: 77-81, is a stunning, limited edition box set gathering Gang of Four’s influential early work. The box set contains Entertainment! and Solid Gold (both remastered from the original analog tapes), an exclusive singles LP, and an exclusive double LP of the never officially released Live at American Indian Center 1980. Additionally, the package includes two new badges, a C90 cassette tape compiling 26 never-before-issued outtakes, rarities and studio demos from Entertainment! and Solid Gold, and an epic 100-page, full-color handbound book.”
Guided by Voices
Styles We Paid For
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Styles We Paid For is Guided By Voices’ third album of 2020 and it stands as a testament to this Year In Isolation, reflecting these dark days through Robert Pollard’s prism, with the band sounding as confident and authoritative as ever. The 15 tracks were recorded remotely during quarantine from five states (Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Tennessee) to comprise GBV’s ninth album since 2017. Pollard’s searing vocals hold center stage, with endless melodic invention and impeccable phrasing. While other bands have been napping, GBV have achieved their second consecutive hat-trick (three albums per annum), and have further cemented their status as rock legends for achieving more in this bleak year than most bands do across their entire careers.”
The Kills
Little Bastards
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Kills have compiled an extraordinary, career-spanning collection of B-sides and rarities titled, appropriately, Little Bastards. The songs date back from the band’s first 7-inch singles in 2002 through to 2009. All of the material has been newly remastered for release and marks the first-ever vinyl pressing for some of these tracks.”
The Kinks
Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One 50th Anniversary Edition
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Lola versus Powerman and The Moneygoround, Part One, commonly abbreviated to Lola Versus Powerman, or just Lola, is the eighth studio album by British rock band The Kinks, recorded and released in 1970. A concept album, it is a satirical appraisal of the music industry, including song publishers, unions, the press, accountants, business managers, and life on the road. The 50th anniversary reissue includes the newly remastered album, singles (stereo and mono mixes), B-sides, alternate original mixes, new medleys with Ray & Dave Davies’ spoken-word commentary, new Ray Davies remixes & original session out-takes, previously unreleased session & live tape audio, instrumental & acoustic versions, previously unreleased demos & BBC material.”
Osees
Panther Rotate
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Panther Rotate is a companion remix album of Protean Threat, the latest from art-rock renegades Thee Oh Sees, Oh Sees, OCS, The Oh Sees, Osees, etc. Says bandleader John Dwyer: “In the swirling and undulant warm mud of jettisoned reels of magnetic tape, blurps up the fog of reinvention. Every night I would parley with my pilots and run and rerun the recordings. Right up until the moment sleep slips its veil over eyes and ears and you drift back without a sound. Protean Threat dream haze becomes Panther Rotate in the other dimension. A companion LP of remixes, field recordings, and sonic experiments using all sounds generated by the him and crackle of the desert farm.”
M. Ward
Think Of Spring
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I first heard Lady In Satin in a mega-shopping mall somewhere in San Francisco. I was about 20 years old and didn’t know much about Billie Holiday’s records or her life or how her voice changed over the years. The conceit of Think of Spring is to filter the songs and strings from Lady In Satin through a single acoustic guitar using various alternate tunings and a minimal amount of textures and studio manipulation. most of the songs were recorded on an analog Tascam four-track.”
Neil Young
After The Gold Rush 50th Anniversary
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Originally released on Sept. 19 1970, Neil Young’s seminal album After The Gold Rush has rightly been acknowledged as one of the finest albums ever made. The box includes two versions of the album outtake Wonderin’ — one recorded in Topanga in March 1970 (and released in Archives Vol. 1) and an unreleased version recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood in August 1969.”
