Your upcoming releases come in two basic varieties: 1 | Box sets, live albums and reissues from acts you probably already know, and 2 | Brand-spanking albums from acts you probably need to know. Govern yourself accordingly:
American Aquarium
The Fear of Standing Still
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “For nearly two decades, American Aquarium have pushed toward that rare form of rock ’n’ roll that’s revelatory in every sense. “For us the sweet spot is when you’ve got a rock band that makes you scream along to every word, and it’s not until you’re coming down at 3 a.m. that you realize those words are saying something real about your life,” says frontman BJ Barham. “That’s what made us fall in love with music in the first place, and that’s the goal in everything we do.” On their new album The Fear of Standing Still, the North Carolina band embody that dynamic with more intensity than ever before, endlessly matching their gritty breed of country-rock with Barham’s bravest and most incisive songwriting to date. As he reflects on matters both personal and sociocultural — the complexity of Southern identity, the intersection of generational trauma and the dismantling of reproductive rights — American Aquarium instill every moment of The Fear of Standing Still with equal parts unbridled spirit and illuminating empathy.”
Alex Izenberg & The Exiles
Alex Izenberg & The Exiles
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As Alex Izenberg was piecing together the sweeping, psychedelic opuses on his fourth album (and full-band debut) Alex Izenberg & The Exiles, the Los Angeles artist was focused on a simple goal: Making something built to last. At the heart of his songs are bold ideas that take inspiration from the heady musings of philosopher Alan Watts, the multi-layered storytelling of King Crimson, and the imagistic vistas of Fleet Foxes. While the subject matter may feel esoteric — “My unconscious named the tongue / Of the lights of closed eyes” goes a characteristic lyric — Izenberg and his band let the music drift pleasantly to earth. The melodies are romantic and warm, and the arrangements are invitingly expansive, making expert use of a new ensemble formed around the strongest songs of his career. Fitting for a record that collects Izenberg’s widest array of collaborators, he expanded his process further by enlisting veteran producer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty, Built to Spill) to mix the album. The resulting sound is just as intimate as any of Izenberg’s more hermetic material, while casting a mystical, communal glow that feels brand new in his body of work.”
Beastie Boys
Ill Communication 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Originally released 30 years ago today on May 31, 1994, Ill Communication was much more than the record that returned Beastie Boys to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In short order, the fourth album from Michael “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “Adrock” Horovitz and Adam “MCA” Yauch would become a multi-platinum juggernaut that pervaded every aspect of pop culture. Ill Communication’s charge to global domination was led by Sabotage and its unforgettable Spike Jonze / Nathanial Hornblower-directed tribute to ’70s cop shows. Fans and critics alike were equally and instantly floored by hip hop highlights like the opening Sure Shot, the classic Jimmy Smith homage Root Down and the Q-Tip collaboration Get It Together, while one magazine hailed Beastie Boys as “perhaps the most consistently innovative musicians to emerge out of hip-hop.” It was a claim that Ill Communication continues to back up, as the album’s infectious sprawl enthralls multiple generations of listeners. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Ill Communication, a new Deluxe Edition includes 12 bonus tracks (featuring rarities including a live version of The Maestro from 1992’s Check Your Head, Mullet Head, and 10 more remixes, B-sides and assorted oddities. So fire up the turntable, dust off that Walkman, and join in the celebration of 30 years of Ill Communication. Because you can’t, you won’t and you don’t stop… ”
Category 7
Category 7
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Category 7 are a new heavy metal outfit boasting the all-star lineup of John Bush (Armored Saint, Anthrax), Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob, Sonic Universe, Noturnall), Phil Demmel (Machine Head, Kerry King, Vio-Lence), Jack Gibson (Exodus) and Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, Overkill). With veteran musicians from so many legendary bands, it’s hard not to think of Category 7 as a supergroup. “I think we’re pretty super,” jokes guitarist Demmel, who has also played as a fill-in road guitarist for Slayer, Lamb of God, Overkill and others. “Really, I feel like this is a band, not a side project. And I feel like we have written this incredible piece of music, and we’re not done. I’m so proud of the way this came together and the people who were involved. And I think we all feel super positive about this and what else we can do with it going forward.” Category 7 have created an album that is fresh and familiar. The mixture of NWOBHM, thrash, punk-metal, and traditional metal is cohesive and sonically rewarding, establishing an eclectic musical backdrop for Bush’s instantly identifiable vocals. At the same time, the diversity of styles creates its own template that’s ideal for headbanging, moshing, and voluble singalongs.”
Crack Cloud
Red Mile
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian art-punks Crack Cloud are finally getting a crack at the wider world. After self-releasing their expansive and genreless first two EPs and two albums, the band — now composed of Zach Choy, Aleem Khan, Bryce Cloghesy, Will Choy, Emma Acs, Eve Adams, and Nathaniel Philips — have re-emerged as a lean, focused rock outfit, and are joined by creative director Aidan Pontarini. Red Mile is their most mature and vital work yet. A departure from the hermetic, multi-year gestation of their astounding 2020 album Pain Olympics, and their 2022 followup Tough Baby, Red Mile is the product of swift, group collaboration. Recorded predominantly in Joshua Tree and Calgary, the album is informed by a bittersweet melange of new beginnings and familiar places. The sprawling, novelistic structures of their previous albums are condensed, but the group is unwilling as ever to deal in superficiality. Through playful melodies and elliptical guitar soliloquy, they deliver a record of exceptional depth and distinctly unprecious warmth. The record’s “lived-in” feel is less a comfy armchair and more a picture frame carefully mended with electrical tape.”
Cults
To The Ghosts
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cutls, the N.Y. duo of multi-instrumentalists Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion confidently and clearly perfect their vision with the cinematic To The Ghosts. The album was meticulously crafted; the earliest ideas dated back to the pandemic when they wrote music on weekdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with no deadlines or distractions. The album was written and recorded in Brian’s apartment; in 2022 they traveled to Los Angeles to collaborate with longtime producer and trusted creative confidant Shane Stoneback, because “nobody can read our minds like he can,” jests Madeline. To The Ghosts was co-produced by Cults and Stoneback, mixed by John Congleton, and mastered by Heba Kadry in N.Y.C.”
Drive-By Truckers
Southern Rock Opera Deluxe Edition
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Southern Rock Opera is the third studio album by the American rock band Drive-By Truckers, released in 2001. Originally released as a double album covering an ambitious range of subject matter from the politics of race to 1970s stadium rock, Southern Rock Opera either imagines, or filters, every topic through the context of legendary Southern band Lynyrd Skynyrd. This remixed and remastered deluxe edition LP featuring a resequenced record as well as a third disc with multiple bonus tracks including a song — Mystery Song — that was recorded one night in Birmingham. Singer-guitarist Patterson Hood explains, “Birmingham and Moved were originally part of Act I on the original CD release. This is the first vinyl version to feature Moved and we felt that “Birmingham” would be the best other song to move without messing up the story element of Betamax Guillotine. We moved them here to keep the vinyl sides within time of maximum high fidelity. (Under 23 minutes per mastering guidelines). In the process of re-mixing the original tracks for the album, we stumbled upon a mysterious track that was recorded late one night in Birmingham. None of us have any memory whatsoever of recording it. The song itself was never even written down, just made up on the spot while the tape was rolling. We’re calling it Mystery Song. It’s actually a keeper.”
Humanist
On The Edge Of A Lost And Lonely World
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On The Edge Of A Lost And Lonely World, the second album from Rob Marshall’s Humanist project, showcases the vocal talents of a number of iconic artists. This choice cast navigate a masterful expansion of the Humanist sound-world, broadening and deepening the terrain first explored on 2020’s much lauded debut album, further consolidating the emergence of Rob Marshall (guitarist of Exit Calm and co-writer of Mark Lanegan’s celebrated Gargoyle and Somebody’s Knocking albums) as a songwriter, composer and producer with a singular musical vision. The album is a reminder of how emotionally affecting guitar-driven music can be at its best: soaring, turbulent, soul-searching, and above all sincere; you can hear that Rob’s been through it all, wears the scars to prove it, and has come through wiser, more experienced and resilient. An artist of the old romantic school, it’s obvious that Rob means it. On this second Humanist album, it feels like the stakes are high: here’s one man’s soul, painstakingly laid bare.”
Maita
Want
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “When Maria Maita-Keppeler was in college, she studied the ancient art of Japanese woodblock printmaking. “By the nature of the medium, you have to be bold,” she says — but, you also have to be delicate, deliberate, exacting. All those little cuts on their own add up to the whole — to a picture, a story, a life. The Japanese-American singer-songwriter applies that same approach to her eponymous band; she only writes songs she intends to finish. She only makes cuts in service of the whole. And once the debris has been blown away, the melodies remain — vibrant, sharp, and often heartbreaking. The band’s latest LP is all of the above. A razor’s edge look at a relationship in turmoil, the record serves to strip away everything undesired in Maita-Keppeler’s life, leaving behind only that titular word: Want. “The album allowed me this opportunity to be a little more courageous about my feelings,” Maita-Keppeler says. “I grew up feeling very much like the peacekeeper. Now, I have to be really assertive about what I want for myself.”
Painted Shield
Painted Shield 3
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Painted Shield combines the talents of Pearl Jam co-founder Stone Gossard, folksinger Mason Jennings, drummer extraordinaire Matt Chamberlain, soul innovator Brittany Davis and renowned guitarist Jeff Fielder. Their albums are released on Gossard’s reactivated Loosegroove label. Gossard says: “Playing with this incredible group is one of my greatest joys. Three records in and we are still turning over all kinds of new soil.” Adds Jennings: “I think Painted Shield 3 is our most equally collaborative record yet. You can really feel all five of us on this one with Josh Evans’ production keeping it all cohesive. Stone has some classic amazing Stone riffs like The Pleasure and Lover Divine. Brit takes the lead on some fantastic grooving songs like The Getter and She Runs. Matt Chamberlain really brought his amazing modular synth writing chops to the table on songs like Testify and Run Em All Down. Jack-of-all-trades Jeff is holding down the amazing bass on songs like End In Mind and singing amazing harmonies on songs like The Pleasure. And I’m bringing my folkier songwriting passion to songs like Window and Clear Blue Sky. The result is Painted Shield 3. A musical universe unto itself.”
The Police
Synchronicity 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The global reissue of The Police’s Synchronicity comes in a six-disc Limited Edition Deluxe Boxset containing 55 previously unreleased tracks, new liner notes and interviews, rare archive memorabilia and unseen photographs. It’s a treasure trove for Police fans. Synchronicity hit No.1 around the world, selling over 15 million globally (8.5 million sales of which were from the US alone). The No. 1 single Every Breath You Take would go on to be the most played song in radio history, with more than 15 million plays. The critical reception was no less impressive: The album received five Grammy nominations in 1984 and won three (Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, Song Of The Year for Every Breath You Take and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal). This reissue has been three years in the making, created with the band’s involvement and endorsement.”
Pete Townshend
Live > In Concert 1985-2001
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pete Townshend Live > In Cconcert 1985-2001 is an expanded 14-CD box set and digital set featuring seven long-out-of-print live albums by The Who’s guitarist and chief songwriter. Newly remastered, the set gathers for the first time all of the live solo recordings that were only available via Townshend’s website, Eel Pie. All of the albums have been out of print for two decades. The shows include Deep End live at Brixton Academy in London, recorded in 1985 and featuring David Gilmour on guitar; a live full rendition of Psychoderelict and more recorded at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York in 1993; an intimate show from The Fillmore in San Francisco in 1996; a show at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire in 1998; two nights at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre featuring music from Life House; and two shows from the La Jolla Playhouse in California in 2001. Speaking of his solo work, Townshend admits: “I always have too much to do, too much responsibility, and not enough time. I have to live enough life to provide me with inspiration and context for my songs, I have to then spend enough time in my home studio finessing songs so they feel worthy of my band (The Who), then I have to re-record them with that band, then speak eloquently about them to the media, justifying my creative divergences, then I must tour endlessly behind the new music, continuing to celebrate the old stuff as well, and then start all over again. The idea that I would do all that for The Who and then do it for myself as well is simply plain insane. And yet for a while I tried. It didn’t go well. One career is enough.”
Wand
Vertigo
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sliding between the bodies in the street, cutting across the contrails that bisect our sky, Wand find melody and the anxiety beats as they hum the soundtrack for a new gravitational center. Seeking connections against the plan of niche interest and anonymity, Vertigo is the sound of slippage, rocks of contradiction (in soft focus); feet lost, regained, lost again, a multi-chromatic swaying, more automatic, associative, directed, in time.”
