Good things really do come to those who wait. Like these recent Record Store Day releases. If you decided to save your money and wait for these rarities, reissues, demos and live recordings to show up online, congrats! Your patience and frugality have been duly rewarded. You may now claim your prizes:
The Dream Syndicate
Sketches For The Days Of Wine And Roses
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sketches For The Days Of Wine And Roses unearths cuts from the early days of cult heroes The Dream Syndicate, pressed to vinyl for the very first time. It features demos and rehearsals taped between their formation and the recording of their seminal Days Of Wine And Roses album, recorded by drummer Dennis Duck, mostly in 1981-82. It lifts the lid on one of the key protagonists of The Paisley Underground and the ’80s psychedelic revival. In short: It’s a cathartic and creative outpouring of exciting ideas and tangential grooves. In the words of frontman Steve Wynn, “We’re playing music we want to hear because nobody else is doing it.”
The Lemonheads
Hotel Sessions
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Here’s the first ever reissue of Evan Dando and The Lemonheads’ Hotel Sessions. Captured in Australia in 1992, these recordings document the writing process that preceded the band’s game-changing release Come On Feel The Lemonheads. Recorded one Sunday evening in a Bondi Beach hotel, the collection offers an intimate insight into Dando’s songwriting. With each song introduced with a personal commentary, the collection is a voyeuristic romp through his thought process. Featuring 14 songs, The Hotel Sessions is filled with insider secrets as names are dropped, situations are recounted and dope smoke fills the air.”
The Bevis Frond
Live At The Great American Music Hall
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pressed for the first time on vinyl, here’s an incendiary live set of greatest hits played by The Bevis Frond in San Francisco circa 1998. Featuring over an hour’s worth of prime Frond, it mixes the bittersweet melodies of Nick Saloman’s much-covered Lights Are Changing and He’d Be A Diamond with fuzz-fuelled riffs and masterful soloing. For this power-trio performance, Saloman enlists long-time associate and former Hawkwind bass player Adrian Shaw, along with Andy Ward, former drummer with ’70s prog giants Camel. Closing with a staggering 10-minute rethinking of Love’s come-down anthem Signed DC, this set also includes culled cuts from their debut Miasma through to the groundbreaking New River Head and beyond.”
Kristin Hersh
Clear Pond Sessions
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Clear Pond Sessions features never-released, stripped-back versions of the songs from Kristin Hersh’s stunning 2023 album Clear Pond Road. These recordings are a cinematic road trip with strings, offering a series of personal vignettes from a fiercely independent auteur — not to mention a life-affirming statement and another piece of the Hersh jigsaw. Enjoy an elegant piece of personal reportage — a home movie caught in time, being prepared for the big screen by this indie cult icon.”
Come
Eleven: Eleven Deluxe Edition
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Here’s a deluxe 30th anniversary reissue of the cult Boston band’s 1992 debut. Featuring the intense guitar interplay of Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw, Come were championed by the likes of Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis, Hüsker Dü’s Bob Mould and Kurt Cobain. Their sound contained an awe-inspiring collision of noise, conveyed via American blues-rock, with thunderous rhythms holding together every six-string duel. The result: A cathartic and euphoric hail of noise that’s succinctly tailored for maximum effect. This album defined Zadek and Brokaw’s songwriting partnership in one of the most original bands of the ’90s, as the duo tirelessly meshing their blues-infected ballads with feedback and epic instrumental breakdowns.”
The Groundhogs
Black Diamond
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Back on wax for the first time in almost 50 years, Black Diamond is the ninth studio album from Tony (T.S.) McPhee’s Groundhogs, the seminal progressive rock band who were an inspiration to the likes of Alex Turner, Stephen Malkmus, Josh Homme and Underworld. Treading a more commercial road, Black Diamond is an eclectic mix: Body Talk’s guitar break has a bit of Slash mixed with a touch of Ritchie Blackmore circa Rainbow. Live Right sounds like a hungover Huey Lewis. Friendzy is right out of The Black Crowes’ songbook. And the closing, euphoric title track is like a heavy soulful version of the Fairport Convention via Traffic, a muscle-bound take on folk with its jangling rhythm guitar and a lead vocal reminiscent of Paul Weller.”
