Lucero - When You Found Me - Liberty & Lament
Like the great river that flows through Memphis, the music of Lucero keeps rolling on, twisting and turning through the years, the same dark and brooding steadiness always at work.  Since forming in late the ‘90s, this group of Memphis road-dogs has mixed heartfelt lyrics with the sounds of early rock and roll, classic punk, country-folk, and deep-fried Southern soul. It’s a sound that stands on the pillars of American music, born more of feeling than technique, delivered night after night to legions of fans in dive bars and theaters, and on stages as august as Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Ryman. In short, it’s music that is built to last, impervious to trends.  For their tenth studio album, When You Found Me, the band continues its natural evolution, this time tapping into a more atmospheric, widescreen vision (one that wouldn’t seem out of place on a Reagan-era FM dial) while still staying tethered to its roots.  “I wanted a very classic rock sound for this album,” says songwriter and frontman Ben Nichols. “I wanted it to sound like stuff I heard on the radio growing up. I didn’t want to make a retro record at all, but I did want to reference some of those sounds and tones and moods. I think we struck a nice balance between nostalgia and something that still sounds like contemporary Lucero.”

Arlo Parks - Collapsed In Sunbeams - Transgressive
Twenty-year-old, London-based musician and poet Arlo Parks, has been very steadily climbing the ranks as an artist to watch since the release of her confessional debut single "Cola" in 2018. Arlo has received praise from artists such as Billie Eilish, Wyclef Jean, Clairo, Florence Welsh and Phoebe Bridgers during the past year while growing her fan base exponentially. Arlo's debut album "is a series of vignettes and intimate portraits surrounding my adolescence and the people that shaped it. It is rooted in storytelling and nostalgia - I want it to feel both universal and hyper specific." On a personal level, Parks struggled with her identity growing up; a self- confessed tom-boy who was super sensitive and "uncool," she says it was like "I'm a black kid who can't dance for shit, listens to emo music and currently has a crush on some girl in my Spanish class." By the time she reached 17, she shaved her head, figured out she was bisexual and produced/wrote an album's worth of material.

Passenger - Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted - Nettwerk Records
Mike Rosenberg, better known as Passenger, is a multi-award winning, platinum-selling singer-songwriter from Brighton, England. Although still known for his busking, he long ago made the journey from street corners to stadiums – most notably with 'Let Her Go', which reached number 1 in 19 countries and which has now notched more than two billion plays on YouTube. For his latest album "Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted" Rosenberg explains, “I chose the album title because a lot of the songs are about drinking and the emotions felt around it” he explains. There are personal references Rosenberg adds, “I’ve recently gone through a break-up, which is always a rough time but can actually be very inspiring too. I spent a few months going out and drinking too much which was fun and heartbreaking and awful all at once. Some of the material is personal and some of it is about other people, either people I’ve met or fictional characters. That’s always been a Passenger thing: sad stories about people drenched in disappointment with that sense of what could have been.”

Barry Gibb - Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers' Songbook (Vol. 1) - Capitol
A lifelong bluegrass and country music fan, legendary singer, songwriter and producer Barry Gibb has long dreamed of a project that would bring him together with some of the artists he admires the most. With the help of Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, that dream has become a reality with Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers' Songbook (Vol. 1)—out this week via Capitol Records. Featured artists roster includes Alison Krauss, Brandi Carlile, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow and more.

Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass - Vol. 1 (The Butcher Shoppe Sessions) - High Top Mountain
Since breaking through in 2014 with his Grammy nominated Metamodern Sounds in Country Music album, Sturgill Simpson has established himself as one of the most daring and most acclaimed artists of our time. His music stretches across genres and styles, from the psychedelic soul of 2016's A Sailor’s Guide To Earth (Grammy nominated for Album of the Year and winner for Best Country Album) to the fuzzed-out rock attack of Sound & Fury in 2019. Now Simpson returns to the music of his native Kentucky with his first bluegrass project, Cuttin' Grass - Vol. 1 (The Butcher Shoppe Sessions). A true "mixtape for the fans", as Sturgill calls it, sees him reimagining songs from across his catalogue backed by some of Nashville's finest acoustic virtuosos.

Kacy & Clayton and Marlon Williams - Plastic Bouquet - New West Records
Every December, Christchurch, NZ  enjoys the start of summer as Saskatoon, SK  begins to freeze over. For as far apart as these places may seem, you would never know it from the sound of Plastic Bouquet, the debut collaborative album between Saskatoon duo Kacy & Clayton and Christchurch singer and songwriter Marlon Williams.  While on tour across Europe in 2017, Kacy & Clayton quite literally stopped Marlon in his tracks. As if playing by divine design through the radio, the pair’s “Springtime of the Year” immediately enchanted him.  Soon thereafter, Marlon hopped a flight to Saskatoon and they wrote and recorded the bulk of what would become Plastic Bouquet. They unlocked undeniable chemistry.  With Plastic Bouquet, these three musicians find common ground in dusty country spun through a kaleidoscope of psychedelic soul and dreamy fifties delivery.  They created an ethnosphere that is more than the sum of its parts. It’s also the beginning of something very exciting.

Shawn Mendes - Wonder - Island
Grammy nominated Shawn Mendes returns with his fourth studio album Wonder, the follow up to 2018’s platinum Shawn Mendes.  Includes the first single, also entitled “Wonder” and 13 other tracks recorded over the course of 2020.  “Wrote an album. It’s called “Wonder”.  "It really feels like a piece of me has been written down on paper and recorded into song. I tried to be as real and as honest as I’ve ever been.  It’s a world and a journey and a dream and an album I’ve been wanting to make for a really long time.”

Frank Black - Christmass - Demon
Demon Records is proud to present a new series of vinyl reissues from American singer-songwriter Black Francis / Frank Black. The first release in this new series is 'Christmass', a collection of acoustic performances from Frank Black's 2006 US solo tour. Recorded both live on stage and in hotel rooms whilst on the road, the album includes tracks from across Black's career. Highlights include stripped back renditions of Pixies' classics 'Where Is My Mind?', 'Cactus' and 'Wave Of Mutilation' along with 'I Burn Today', 'Bullet' and 'Nadine' from Black's solo albums. This new definitive vinyl edition is pressed on two 140g 'cactus' green vinyl.

Green Druid - At The Maw Of Ruin - Earache Records
2020 release from this metal band spawned in the mile-high city of Denver Colorado, the first city to legalize marijuana. Green Druid was nominated for 'Best Metal Band' at the 303 Magazine Awards. Album closer is a cover of UK trip-hop pioneers Portishead's 'Threads'.

Amy Winehouse - 12x7: The Singles Collection - Republic
A 7” singles box set comprising all of Amy Winehouse's singles from the Frank, Back To Black and Lioness: Hidden Treasures albums. Tracks include ‘Stronger Than Me’, ‘Rehab’ and ‘Love Is A Losing Game’, all of which won the Ivor Novello Award for Amy in 2004, 2007 and 2008. The set also includes the Grammy Award winning ‘Body and Soul’, a duet with Tony Bennett. The singles are housed in individual picture sleeves and pressed on black vinyl. The box also features a 20-page lyrics booklet and a set of art cards.

Also Available: The Collection [5CD Box Set]

Yusuf / Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman: 50th Anniversary Edition - A&M
Tea For The Tillerman is arguably Cat Stevens’ best known and most cherished album. Originally released in November 1970, Universal Music will be celebrating it’s 50th anniversary in style on 20th November 2020 with a multi-format release suite, including a very special 5CD/BD/1LP/12” Live E.P. Super Deluxe Edition reissue of one of music’s most classic albums.  The Super Deluxe set features a brand new 2020 Remaster of the record, as well as a brand new 2020 Mix (overseen by Yusuf Islam producer / engineer David Hefti), with audio mixed from the original 1970 Island Records multi-track master tape. The 2020 Mix also appears on the 1LP which is 100% exclusive to this box set. CD3 features Yusuf’s brand new interpretations of these wonderful songs, Tea For The Tillerman², which is released on stand-alone formats on 18th September 2020. Yusuf has chosen to include it here in order to present the very most complete edition of the original album, and to show how these songs have evolved over their 50 year lifespan. CD4 features demos, outtakes and alternate versions, including two wholly previously unreleased tracks (“Can This Be Love?” and “It’s So Good”), while CD5 features 25x live performances including 5 previously unreleased tracks recorded Live At The Troubadour, 4 previously unreleased live performances from the 8th December 1970 show at Fillmore East, and 6 previously unreleased live from British, French and German TV performances in 1970/71. The Live At The Troubadour performance is also included in full on the live 12” E.P. (exclusive to this box). The Super Deluxe box set is rounded out with a BluRay featuring HD 24bit/96khz audio of the 2020 Mix, as well as 8x previously unreleased live TV performances, 7 tracks performed live at KCNET studios, Los Angeles, and the official “Father And Son” video.

 

Yusuf / Cat Stevens - Mona Bone Jakon: 50th Anniversary Edition - A&M
Back in 1970 and following a period of illness and recuperation, singer-songwriting troubadour Cat Stevens re-emerged with a new record deal with Island Records and a spiritual and artistic rebirth. ‘Mona Bone Jakon’, his first album for Island, showcased a markedly different change in direction for Cat, unveiling with it a remarkable set of new compositions that included classics like ‘Trouble’, ‘Maybe You’re Right’ and the UK hit single ‘Lady D’Arbanville’. To commemorate the album’s 50th anniversary comes this definitive super deluxe box set of ‘Mona Bone Jakon’. Sounding as fresh as the day it was recorded, the original album is represented here by a brand new 2020 remaster of ‘Mona Bone Jakon’ by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road, overseen by original producer Paul Samwell-Smith 2020 on CD, as well as a new 2020 Mix by David Hefti on both CD and LP. The set also includes an exclusive third CD of previously unreleased demos, and a fourth featuring 18 live performances from 1970/71. This box is rounded out with a live 12” etched vinyl E.P. of a rare audience recording of ‘Live At Plumpton Jazz & Blues Festival’ from August 1970, and with a BluRay disc featuring the original promo video of ‘Lady D’Arbanville’, plus eight live TV performances, and the HD audio of the new Mona Bone Jakon 2020 Mix. Also included is a 98-page beautifully illustrated hardcover book with extensive new sleevenotes. Finally there’s also a selection of memorabilia including Island Records press kit, two Island press photos, a replica 1970 Plumpton Jaxx and Blues flyer, a Cat Stevens tour sticker and ‘dustbin’ greetings card and pop art print in a card envelope.

Nick Cave - Idiot Prayer: Nick Cave Alone At Alexandra Palace - Bad Seed Ltd
Idiot Prayer: Nick Cave Alone At Alexandra Palace is a concert film and live album by musician Nick Cave. It was filmed by cinematographer Robbie Ryan and features Cave performing solo on piano at Alexandra Palace in London. Idiot Prayer serves as the final film in a trilogy-along with 20,000 Days on Earth (2014) and One More Time with Feeling (2016)-and was described by Cave as "it's luminous and heartfelt climax."

Tank and The Bangas - Friend Goals EP - Verve
Grammy-nominated Tank and The Bangas are back with Friend Goals, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed major label debut album Green Balloon. This 6-track EP features collaborations from CHIKA, PJ Morton, and Duckwrth.

Chris Stapleton - Starting Over - Mercury Nashville
2020 release from the acclaimed country music singer/songwriter. Starting Over has 14 new tracks and is Chris Stapleton's first studio album of new material since 2017. Features the single "Starting Over". Chris has received five Grammy Awards, seven ACM Awards, ten CMA Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards to date and with his first three album he has sold over eight million albums to date, including his debut album Traveller which has sold over four million copies.

   

Elton John - Jewel Box - Mercury
An in-depth exploration of Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s extensive catalogue including early rarities and deep cuts personally curated by Elton John. The release the fans have been waiting for. With an eye watering amount of previously unheard and unreleased tracks this is a treasure trove for Elton John fans. The eight disc box set will be a beautiful hardcover book with discs housed in the back, wrapped in an outer slipcase. The collection spans the period 1965 to 2019. Also Available: And This Is Me [2LP], Rarities & B Sides [3LP] and Deep Cuts [4LP].

   

The Menzingers - From Exile - Epitaph
Philadelphia-based indie rockers, The Menzingers made great use of their free time during this summer's stay at home order by recording a "re-imagined" acoustic version of their brilliant 2019 album "Hello Exile." Since forming as teenagers in 2006, The Menzingers have shown their strength as rough-and-tumble storytellers, turning out songs equally rooted in frenetic energy and lifelike detail. On From Exile, the band took their lyrical narrative to a whole new level and share their reflections on moments from the past and present: high-school hellraising, troubled relationships, aging and alcohol and political ennui. And while their songs often reveal certain painful truths, they ultimately maintain the irrepressible spirit that's always defined the band. These acoustic interpretations show once again how beautifully crafted these songs really are.

   

Andrea Bocelli - Believe - Decca
The internationally renowned and beloved Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli releases his breathtaking new album, Believe, celebrating the power of music to soothe the soul. It follows his record-breaking ‘Music for Hope’ performance at Easter from the historic Duomo cathedral in Milan which was watched live by millions around the globe. It features a previously unreleased track from the late, great Italian composer Ennio Morricone, as well as ‘Gratia Plena’ –  from the critically acclaimed new movie, Fatima –, two duets with award-winning mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, and for the first time ever Andrea Bocelli has recorded his own interpretations of ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Padre Nostro’ along with familiar favourites such as ‘Hallelujah’, ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ and ‘Amazing Grace’. Believe, co-produced by Steven Mercurio and Haydn Bendall, is a collection of uplifting songs that have inspired and sustained Bocelli over the years.     

   

Boris - Amplifier Worship - Third Man Vinyl

Formed in 1992, Boris boldly explores their own vision of heavy music, where words like “explosive” and “thunderous” barely do justice. Using overpowering soundscapes embellished with copious amounts of lighting and billow smoke, Boris has shared with audiences across the planet an experience for all five senses in their concerts, earning legions of zealous fans along the way. First released in 1998, catalog staple Amplifier Worship will see its first-ever reissue with minimalistic album art from the first-press Japanese CD on November 13, 2020 via Third Man Records. The Stoughton gatefold jacket will house both officially remastered LPs, pressed at Third Man Pressing. This will also serve as Amplifier Worship’s long-awaited debut across digital streaming services. Amplifier Worship is Boris’s most intense and unrelenting album to date. Not for the faint of heart, the group incorporates mythic doom-drones, up-tempo psych-sludge and even a refreshing ribbit into their signature concoction of celestial and heavy music. Amplifier Worship is a critical chapter in the Boris canon. The album is a testament to the group's bullishness in pushing metal to it’s uncomfortable and unfamiliar edges. And it is also undoubtedly one of their best. 

Boris - Absolutego - Third Man Vinyl
Formed in 1992, Boris boldly explores their own vision of heavy music, where words like "explosive" and "thunderous" barely do justice. Using overpowering soundscapes embellished with copious amounts of lighting and billow smoke, Boris has shared with audiences across the planet an experience for all five senses in their concerts, earning legions of zealous fans along the way. Absolutego is a trek over a staggering mountain of sound. The tension builds with wave after wave of massive feedback, drums leading into a crushing crescendo of full-band repetition and clarity before descending deeper until finally reaching a surreal divebomb purring drone finale. This song takes notes out of the Melvins playbook and pushes the sound to it's absolute logical and visceral extreme. It sets a solid foundation for why Boris is considered to be one of the most important metal bands of the 21st century.

   

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Return To Greendale - Reprise
Return To Greendale is the latest installment in Neil Young’s Performance Series (#16) and features a concert (audio & on film) from the historic and unique 2003 tour supporting the release of the Neil Young with Crazy Horse album Greendale. On the 2003 tour, Neil Young and Crazy Horse were joined on stage by a large cast of singers and actors to perform the story Neil Young wrote about the small town of Greendale and how a dramatic event affects the people living there. The ten songs from the powerful original album are performed in sequence, with the cast speaking the sung words - adding to the intensity of the performance. The live album Return to Greendale is released this week in several formats: Double vinyl, a 2 CD set, and a limited-edition deluxe box set that includes a Blu-ray of the full concert, a DVD of Inside Greendale (the making of the album documentary), 2 LPs and 2 CDs. The film of the ambitious live show captures the vibrancy of Neil Young and Crazy Horse on stage in a unique multi-media experience. It seamlessly blends together the live performance, the actors portraying each song, with the story occasionally enhanced by scenes from the Greendale - The Movie. Both the live concert film and the Inside Greendale documentary are directed by Bernard Shakey and produced by L. A. Johnson.

   

Heather Trost - Petrichor - Third Man Vinyl LLC
It’s hard to not get jaded about music itself when one deals with the ins and outs on a daily basis of what remains of the music industry. And then, well, you know how it is--when presented with music that’s actually fresh and unique, or simply fucking good, not only are we reunited with the reason we all are grinding away here, but it’s very difficult to not resort to superlatives. So we will do our best to stick to the facts here. But just do yourself a huge favor, and let this album wash over you, right now. Third Man Records is chuffed to present to you the New Mexico-based artist Heather Trost’s second or third solo full-length. Petrichor is fresh, unique, and really fucking good. Sonically, this modern psychedelic pop music is as experimental as it is accessible. Petrichor was recorded between 2018 and 2019 by Heather Trost and her husband Jeremy Barnes (Neutral Milk Hotel) at their home studio. The two are community activists, urban gardeners, and full-time musicians.

   

Sam Smith - Love Goes - Capitol
Sam Smith continues their all-conquering journey to super stardom as they release their third album ‘Love Goes’. This follows an incredible run of global smashes including ‘Dancing with a Stranger’, with Normani which has amassed over 13 million copies and over 2.5 billion streams, became the #1 airplay in the US & UK and has achieved platinum status in 15 countries. ‘How Do You Sleep?’ and the accompanying game-changing video has already reached sales of over 8 million and remained in the Spotify Global Top 20 after 4 months. 2018 also saw Smith release their global hit with Calvin Harris ‘Promises’ which the pair performed at the BRIT Awards; Sam reached 13 million YouTube subscribers – one of only 8 UK artists to achieve this accolade – and they ended 2019 peaking at 8 on the Global Spotify monthly listeners chart. They have over 10 billion total streams on Spotify alone, with 2 singles (Too Good At Goodbyes and Stay With Me) being one of only 100 tracks to ever achieve over 1bn total streams on Spotify. During their career Sam has sold over 28 million albums worldwide and notched up seven UK No. 1 records to date including ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ – the first Bond theme to reach the position, gaining them a Guinness World Record. In addition, Sam has also received four Grammy Awards, three BRITs and an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song (Writing’s On The Wall).

   

U2 - All That You Can’t Leave Behind: 20th Anniversary - Interscope Records
Limited 11 vinyl LP set. Includes fully remastered studio album plus 20 page booklet. 9 track b-sides, out-takes and alternate versions. Elevation Live From Boston 19 track set. 5 x 12" featuring 11 remix singles including 4 previously unreleased. 32 page hardback book by long-time U2 collaborator Anton Corbijn featuring previously unseen photos. Double-sided poster. Digitally remastered 20th Anniversary edition. The forever-evolving U2 looked back to their anthemic, passionate '80s classics on their 10th studio album, even as they took what they'd learned in the '90s and had maximum fun with studio production (aided ably here by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois). It didn't hurt that Bono and co. Had their best batch of songs in years at the ready; all this combined to catapult All That You Can’t Leave Behind to #1 in 32 countries.

Also available: CD, Deluxe 2CD, 2LP and Limited Edition 5CD Super Deluxe Box Set

  

Eels - Earth To Dora - PIAS
2020 release from the alt-rock band Eels, led by singer/songwriter Mark Everett (AKA E). Earth To Dora is the follow-up to the band's 2018 release The Deconstruction.

   

Busta Rhymes - Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath Of God - Conglomerate Ent
The first album in eight years from hip-hop icon Busta Rhymes. The album is a sequel to his 1998 album E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front. Includes the single "The Don and The Boss", a collaboration with dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel.