Collecting Vinyl Records-for the latest vinyl record information: Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

Friday, July 25, 2014

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

upcoming releases from our friends at MusicOnVinyl

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK - X-MEN:DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a 2014 superhero film based on the fictional X-Men characters that appear in Marvel Comics. Directed by Bryan Singer, it is the seventh installment of the X-Men film series.

The film stars an ensemble cast, including Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Peter Dinklage, Ian McKellen, and Patrick Stewart.

The movie received widespread critical acclaim becoming the best-reviewed film in the X-Men series. Reviewers commended its fresh visual style and storyline. It is the highest-grossing film in the series, having earned over $731 million worldwide.

Director Bryan Singer's regular collaborator John Ottman worked on the score of the film, in addition to being its editor. Ottman is the first composer to score more than one film in the X-Men film series, having previously scored X2 (2003). This also marked the first time a theme from a previous X-Men film has been retained; Ottman re-used some of his themes from X2, most notably the main title theme.

180 gram audiophile vinyl
Insert
Original Soundtrack by John Ottman
First pressing of 2000 numbered copies on clear grey (LP1) and clear blue (LP2) vinyl

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK - HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

How to Train Your Dragon 2 is the 3D CGI action fantasy film released in 2014, loosely based on the book series of the same name by Cressida Cowell. It is the sequel to the massively successful 2010 computer-animated film How to Train Your Dragon and the second in the trilogy. How to Train Your Dragon 2 takes place five years after the first film, featuring Hiccup and his friends as young adults.The film is written and directed by Dean DeBlois, and stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, a.o. The film was recently released and received positive reviews.

Composer John Powell, who earned his first Academy Award nomination for his music in the original How To Train Your Dragon movie, returned to score the sequel. The score was conducted by Gavin Greenaway and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London with a 120 piece orchestra, a 100-voice choir, and a wide array of ethnic instruments, including celtic harp, uilleann pipes, tin whistle, bodhrán, and bagpipes.

Sigur Rós lead vocalist, Jónsi, who wrote and performed the song "Sticks & Stones" for the original movie, provided two new original songs for the sequel in collaboration with Powell. The track "Where No One Goes" is not only written, but also performed by Jónsi and Powell. Belarusian-Norwegian artist Alexander Rybak, who voices Hiccup in Norwegian, also wrote and performed the song "Into A Fantasy".

180 gram audiophile vinyl
Insert
First pressing of 1000 numbered copies on yellow (LP1) and red (LP2) vinyl

MUDHONEY - MY BROTHER THE COW

Mudhoney didn't invent grunge, but they were one of the first bands to truly define the style, and thanks to the bizarro-world logic that has defined their career, they seemed to lose interest in the stuff once you could actually make serious money playing it, ensuring that they wouldn't have to deal with the mainstream adulation that made followers like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden into multi-platinum cash cows. By 1995, Grunge's brief fling on the charts was pretty much over, just in time for Mudhoney to decide they liked the stuff again, and make the finest album of their career, My Brother the Cow.

Produced by Jack Endino, the album includes numerous direct references to bands that influenced Mudhoney's sound. The song "F.D.K. (Fearless Doctor Killers)", for example, is a reference to the Bad Brains song "F.V.K. (Fearless Vampire Killers)". "Orange Ball-Peen Hammer" alludes to the song "Orange Claw Hammer" by Captain Beefheart, as well as containing lyrics borrowed from Led Zeppelin.

"1995" is a homage to the Stooges song "1969" and also includes musical references to "L.A. Blues", another Stooges song.

180 gram audiophile vinyl
Exclusive first pressing of 1000 numbered copies on white vinyl
Including a bonus 7" on white vinyl
Also available on black vinyl (including the 7")

KOVACS - MY LOVE -EP

Dutch singer Sharon Kovacs is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. Hailing from the Dutch city of Eindhoven, her incredibly dark, raw voice impressed, but also made her musical education a challenging one. She teamed up with producer Oscar Holleman (Within Temptation, After Forever, Gorefest), who was blown away by her voice. "Though her voice sounds black, here stood a white girl with a shaved head. I was intrigued, so we started working together." Due to her style and dark voice, comparisons to Portishead and Shirley Bassey are quickly made. As Sharon states: "I listen to Billie Holiday, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington… Tina Turner and Janis Joplin are favourites as well."

Sharon also travelled to several other countries to write with a range of different songwriters. The result: Kovacs's eponymous debut EP, containing four songs (the vinyl edition boasts a bonus track + hidden track) on which she makes a lasting impression. On tracks like the first single "My Love", "When The Lady's Hurt" and "He Talks That Shit", Sharon's up front attitude is apparent. The fourth song on her EP "I've Seen That Face Before", made famous by Grace Jones, was recorded in Cuba with local musicians at the Egrem Studios in Havana. Together they are now putting the finishing touches to her debut album.

The EP "My Love" was released in The Netherlands on May 9th and reached top 10 in the iTunes charts straight after the release. She was chosen as Radio 6 Soul & Jazz Talent and 3FM's Serious Talent, performed live on tv at "De Wereld Draait Door" and played amongst others live at the Radio 3FM "GIEL" morning show. "My Love" is 3FM Megahit as of July 18th. She performed at large Dutch festivals such as Bospop and the North Sea Jazz Festival, and two aftershows for Pearl Jam.

The vinyl edition of My Love EP contains a bonus track and hidden track, and is limited to 500 copies on a neat little 10" record!

Limited edition 10"
Includes bonus track "Shirley (Sound Of The Underground)"
Including hidden track "The Gold Ballroom"

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Severed Heads - Since The Accident

Medical Records presents two of the most striking and iconic reissues in its catalog. The first of the two Severed Heads reissues is 1983’s “Since The Accident”. Severed Heads are one of the most diverse and expert sound palette engineers and are also repeatedly overlooked and far underrated. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, they formed in 1979. The band was composed of many different members though it’s existence but Tom Ellard has always been the constant since 1979 when he joined the band. The group’s early recordings were characterized by manipulated tape loop experiments, cleverly modulated noise elements and repetition. This period is very well suited to the early industrial period. Over time, the sounds morphed into more melodic leanings with pop elements and more prominent synth leads and backbone. “Since The Accident” was released in 1983 on UK “Ink” records. The LP exemplifies the transition point between experimental structure and loops into the catchy pop hooks that would later define such releases as “Rotund For Success”. Difficult to classify, it is a masterpiece of electronic music. The opening track “Relic Of The Empire” is a slow sequenced magnificent piece with time-stretched samples overlaid with multiple tracks to create a symphony quite unlike anything heard before.

The hit “Dead Eyes Opened” (charted in 1985 as a single) is a dance floor friendly track with crafted synth hooks fused with bursts of noise intertwining with interesting vocal samples. “Gashing The Old Mae West” is a perfect example of how the record can take a dark turn into the style of the earlier Sev Heads with jagged industrial crunched out tape loops and folding in and out samples. Though signed to 80’s industrial label icon Nettwerk in North America and often classified in the same vein, these records are not easily definable and actually have a life of their own. Though commonly misclassified with a lot of the late 80s industrial/goth scene (as well as touring with Skinny Puppy at one point), Severed Heads would be more accurately in good company with acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, early Coil, Chris & Cosey (and CTI), and the like.

Long out of print and a rarity on the collector’s market, it is presented with original repro jacket. Remastered by Tom Ellard form the original source masters. Presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight black and white vinyl. Features bonus LP insert compiled by Tom Ellard with ephemera from the time. Limited Edition.

•Limited edition LP presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight BLACK & WHITE VINYL
•Features bonus LP insert compiled by Tom Ellard with ephemera from the time.
•Remastered by Tom Ellard form the original source masters.

Second up of the two Severed Heads reissues is 1985’s “City Slab Horror”.

Long out of print and a rarity on the collector’s market, it is presented with original repro jacket. Remastered by Tom Ellard form the original source masters. Presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight bone white vinyl. Features bonus LP insert compiled by Tom Ellard with ephemera from the time. Limited Edition.

•Limited edition LP presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight BONE WHITE VINYL
•Features bonus LP insert compiled by Tom Ellard with ephemera from the time.
•Remastered by Tom Ellard form the original source masters.

Available at LightInTheAttic

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from our friends at Relapse

Num Skull - Ritually Abused (reissue)

Originally released in 1988, this lost thrash classic is finally seeing the light of day! Fully remastered and featuring an exclusive bonus track, Num Skull’s ‘Ritually Abused’ is truly a forgotten gem primed for rediscovery. Sounding like a demonic blend of Possessed and Slayer ‘Ritually Abused’ sounds as fresh and relevant today as it did when it was first released over 25 years ago. Touching on moments of death-metal, grind, thrash and speed ‘Ritually Abused’ is the ultimate document of a metal band that ‘shoulda been huge’!
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***Exclusively available through Relapse.com***

***Mailorder exclusive on purple vinyl limited to 300 copies. Includes a free digital download of the entire remastered album***

Pressing Info:
First Relapse Press
700 x Black Standard Gram
300 x Purple Standard Gram *Mailorder Exclusive*
100 x Clear (do not request clear)

Order at Relapse

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The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends (2LP Vinyl Exclusive)

THE FLAMING LIPS AND HEADY FWENDS includes vocal and musical assistance from such disparate playmates as Yoko Ono, Nick Cave, Bon Iver, Ke$ha and many more. Some of these tracks have already appeared on previously released, extremely limited edition color vinyl 12" EPs released in past months which sold out as soon as they became available. And all tracks were released together as a special limited edition Record Store Day 2012 vinyl 12" that was one of the most in demand items of the day.

Available from BecauseSoundMatters

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