Music Releases 07-12-24
After promising to release only five studio albums under his own name, Simpson marks the
beginning of a new era with Johnny Blue Skies and the release of Passage Du Desir. Out July
12 on his own independent label, High Top Mountain Records, the album includes
eight songs produced by Johnny Blue Skies and David Ferguson and recorded at Clement House
Recording Studio in Nashville, TN and Abbey Road Studios in London, England.
With the release of Cigarettes After Sex’s third album, X’s, the band finally takes center stage as not just one of today’s preeminent indie bands, but as one of the most globally accomplished acts across any genre. Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slow burn pop songs, bandleader Greg Gonzalez captures every emotion a romantic arc inspires. Indie Exclusive Crystal Clear LP. Limited Edition.
These days, every artist’s album needs to have a story. The music can’t speak for itself.
But after 22 records, why can’t Ani DiFranco’s work speak for itself? Yes, her forthcoming album is shaped by stories — ones about reproductive freedom, the double-edged sword of the pandemic, identity and ever-evolving belief systems that have shaped each of its 11 songs. It was paramount to the folk-feminist hero that listeners not be saddled with preconceived notions while diving into her 23rd album Unprecedented Sh!t. “I believe there is a rhyme and a reason as to why these songs have come together in this way now and I want people to experience this album as a journey, a piece of art, without being influenced by a cacophony of surrounding narratives.”
While many of DiFranco’s albums were made more insularly, she’s opened herself up to collaboration in recent years. For 21 of DiFranco’s 22 albums, she opted to self-produce. With Unprecedented Sh!t, she wanted to try working with a producer and tapped BJ Burton, who produced one of her favorite albums, Bon Iver’s 22, A Million.
The title Unprecedented Sh!t is not only representative of how much of a sonic departure the 11-track album is from Ani’s other work, but also a political and social commentary on the current state of the world. “We find ourselves in unprecedented times in many ways, faced with unprecedented challenges. So, our responses to them and our discourse around them, need to rise to that level.”
Eric Clapton's intimate concert filmed in London in front of a small audience in December 2023. Eric’s set included "Tears In Heaven,” “Layla," "River Of Tears," "Got To Get Better In A Little While,” and a very special version of George Harrison's "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" featuring a special guest appearance from Dhani Harrison. Also featuring a special bonus track titled "Prayer of a Child" - a brand new studio recording. The proceeds will be donated in aid of the children in Gaza.
The color green can represent many things. It can symbolize money, of course, but also weed. And envy. It implies newness, the rebirth of spring, but it can also evoke illness and infection. It’s an apt name for a band that is defined by its adaptability, by its knack for doing many different things all at once. On the Color Green’s second full-length—their first as a quartet—they ground their cosmic jams in earthy melodies, drawing from ‘60s SoCal folk-r0ck, ‘70s classic rock, ‘80s underground rock, ‘90s psychedelic dance-rock, and many other sources. In the two years the band has been touring, it has already shared stages with a range of groups that reflect both the sophistication and the wild malleability of their sound, including Fuzz, Kikagaku Moyo, Circles Around the Sun, and Young Guv. “When we play live, I don’t really know what’s going to happen,” says guitarist Noah Kohll. “You really have no idea what you’re going to get with this band, which keeps things fresh for us and maybe makes the live experience special.” Adds drummer Corey Rose, “One thing about this band that I really appreciate is that we can camouflage into any environment or any show. We can play with Hiss Golden Messenger and lean into that funky country vibe, or we can play with the Brian Jonestown Massacre and get evil. We all love a variety of music, so let’s not put ourselves in a box.” That wild, mercurial quality is reflected on Fool’s Parade, a meditation on loss, grief, confusion, frustration, and the clarity to which they all lead. Their songs are vehicles for self-explorations, not just a means of putting their feelings into lyrics and notes but molding them, night after night, into different shapes to get different insights. “I feel like that’s the endless spiritual journey of this band,” says Madden. “There’s always this thing that is mysterious, that you can never put your finger on. Music is a way to give yourself ground within the unknown. It’s a way to convene with something outside yourself, whether you call that the muse or God or the collective unconsciousness or whatever. Maybe that’s relatable to people because we live in a very noisy and confusing world. Everybody’s trying to find that ground.”
'January Never Dies', the debut studio album from "the only alternative k-pop band in the universe" is a living document of today's hyper-expressive Asian youth culture, drawing inspiration from a wider spectrum of western influences across Hip Hop, Electronic & Alternative. Hailing from South Korea, Seoul, Balming Tiger are a multi-national alternative K-Pop collective of producers, rappers, musicians, video directors and artists, redefining K-Pop and its social expectations, and delivering a message of trusting in our collective selves and moving forward while loving each other. The 'January Never Dies' CD Box includes CD Jewel Case, Poster, Group Photos, Balming Tiger Members Passport ID Photos, Balming Tiger Technologies Inc. ID Card, Stickers, and User Manual for the January™ - the fully autonomous, upright bipedal artificial intelligence assistant from BT Inc.
Original Soundtrack for A24’s I SAW THE TV GLOW, featuring 16 original songs by an all-star ensemble, including Caroline Polachek, Florist and Jay Som. Also featuring a vinyl-only exclusive bonus track, “Tonight Tonight” by Snail Mail. Pressed on violet vinyl.