Easing into September 2020; one of the biggest Record Shop months ever, we think.
Hello, Friends.
Tomorrow is another one of those double-Dinked Fridays. We're afraid to report that both are well and truly sold out, but they’re two albums we're really hyped to have been part of and still and have CD/LP stock to-hand for you.
Our Record of the Week is one of them; Richard Norris' transcendental and utterly stunning Elements. Hypnotic sequences, majestic drones and deep-listening ambience. The five long tracks use warm, pulsing electronics and washes of synthesiser to create an evocative and widescreen sound. It really is a quite amazing headpsace. Fans of his Abstractions series (also on his Group Mind Records label) will trip. Rightfully so.
Fall To Pieces is the 14th studio LP from the iconic Tricky. It's another album of moods, with vignette-like songs forming before ending abruptly and evolving all over. It has a discombobulating effect, being thrown back and forth, but there is such a lot to discover here and his use of textures is really exciting.
+ Although the Dinked Edition sold out, we do have limited edition indie shop copies on red vinyl.
Sun Racket is the brand new album from legendary Boston trio Throwing Muses. Entirely as fierce as you'd expect, drowning in reverb but with plenty of bite in the pounding drums, low growling guitars and Kristin Hersh's smart wit.
+ Limited indie shop pressing on Violet vinyl.
Naked Roommate release Do The Duvet, weird shapes somewhere between post-punk and synthpop on the ever essential Upset The Rhythm label.
Peradam is the new LP from Soundwalk Collective in collaboration with Patti Smith. The third in a beguiling trilogy is arguably the most ambient of the work yet, with bird song, singing bowls and water rippling. Quite beautiful stuff.
Joyful Noise Recordings release special pressings of the Third and Fourth editions in Thor Harris' evolving and collaborative series. Thrilling loops and builds, with guest appearances from Bill Callahan and Low on the Fourth edition. Klaus Blue and Medicine Mint vinyl!
Also this week, Emily Barker returns with A Dark Murmuration of Words (including a limited Indie Shop edition on white coloured vinyl). Nashville's All Them Witches release Nothing As The Ideal (including a limited clear vinyl pressing). Into the Depths of Hell is Northern Irish Music Prize-winning modern folk upsetter Joshua Burnside's second album (including a limited Indie Shop edition on white coloured vinyl).
Lastly on the new stuff this week, one of our very most favourites - Bill Callahan - delivers his absolutely superb new album, Gold Record. As Kitty Empire said in this weekend's Guardian, Bill "join(s) the pantheon of great American singer-songwriters". Across the ten tracks it's funny, sweet, bruised, quietly euphoric and as insightful into how we all live and interact as perhaps anyone writing these days. The impressionistic one-liners should be studied, his empathy and humour are quite a marvel. Gold Record is solid gold and it's our September Album of the Month.
We love Bill Callahan, we always have and we alway will, but this is another brilliantly delivered opportunity for you to get involved too, you'll thank us one day.
Some excellent not-new things this week.
4AD are reissuing Tallahassee, the loooooooooooooooong out of print label debut from Mountain Goats. It was the first time that they really had all the bells and whistles of studios and production to create interweaving narratives across the tracks. Bloody good this.
Rolling Stones' 1973 Goats Head Soup LP gets the full restoration treatment and lands this week on a ton of formats. All sorts of demos and things on the CD/LP box sets, but we're focusing on the 2LP edition that has some cool instrumentals and some Glyn Johns alt mixes. If you want the box sets, let us know and we'll get more.
Blonde Redhead's Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons turns twenty this year and we have a special edition pressed on 180 gram Opaque Pink Vinyl. Gatefold LP jacket with new cover art and unreleased photos from the original recording session. Twisted rhythms and wonky alt-pop from the NYC underground.
Continuing with their ever-expanding Revisionist History series, Matador Records this week release a 25th anniversary reissue of Yo La Tengo's absolutely superb 1995 album Electr-o-pura. The switches between wig-out, melancholia and the poptacular are just unrivalled. We know you know this, but they really are one of the finest bands ever to do it in our ever-so-humble opinion.
An absolute classic, every shelf needs one.
Thanks for stopping by, we'll be talking more about some physical opening this weekend so let's keep in touch.
- Drift
