Friday, October 31, 2014

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes


classic vinyl available from our friends at Sundazed

Blue Cheer - Outsideinside 

Blue Cheer’s second album, Outsideinside, fully matches its predecessor’s primal power. The last Blue Cheer release to feature the beloved lineup of Stephens, Peterson and Whaley, Outsideinside is a bracing orgy of volume, distortion and aggression, with such highlights as “Just a Little Bit,” “Come and Get It,” the instrumental “Magnolia Caboose Babyfinger” and the band’s distinctive take on the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.” Like its predecessor, Outsideinside has been out of print on vinyl for decades and has long been prized by collectors. Sundazed’s vinyl edition is sourced from the original Philips reels, complete with the unique original cover design.

Blue Cheer looms large in the annals of hard rock, laying down the sonic foundations of heavy metal, and serving as a crucial influence on the birth of punk, grunge and stoner rock. While the rest of the rock world was mellowing out and embracing the spirit of the Summer of Love, the seminal San Francisco power trio was churning out ballsy blues-rock anthems whose fuzz-heavy, adrenaline-charged intensity helped to alter the course of contemporary music

Order at Sundazed


The Byrds - Live At Royal Albert Hall 1971

From their earliest days as 12-string-wielding folk-rockers, to the thrilling psychedelic excursions of their raga-rock period to their 1968 birthing of country-rock, the Byrds were always accorded a hero’s welcome in England.What better place to record founding Byrds member/guitarist/singer Roger McGuinn’s new version of the band—featuring fretboard ace Clarence White, bassist Skip Battin and drummer Gene Parsons—than London’s Royal Albert Hall!

Rescued from a tape that had sat forgotten in McGuinn’s climatized garage for decades, this stellar 1971 set, featuring live versions of the current band’s studio faves (“Lover of the Bayou,” “Chestnut Mare”) as well as adventurous reworkings of Byrds classics (“Mr. Tambourine Man,” “My Back Pages,” “Eight Miles High,”“So You Want to Be a Rock‘n’Roll Star”) might be the most accurate and stirring live performance yet of the legendary Los Angeles combo. By 1971, the guitar interplay of McGuinn andWhite had become a jaw-dropping highlight of their live performances,as had their stripped down, acoustic mini-set and peerless four-part vocal harmonies.  2 LP set!

Order at Sundazed


Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band It Comes to You in a Plain Brown Wrapper 2-LP Set

One of the most exciting aspects of reintroducing so much rare and incredible music to the world is being able to finally make available material that’s been in label-vault limbo since the day it was recorded, vital sounds locked away from the deserving ears of the legions of devoted music fans we at Sundazed count ourselves among. But when we’re able to present previously shelved material by one of the most visionary and influential artists of all time, in exceptional fidelity, with the look and feel of the packaging that the artist originally meant it to have? Well, then, that just takes everything to another level completely—a level that’s certainly been reached with the exclusive vinyl-only issue of Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band’s mind-blowing lost 1967 sessions.

Recorded in part as the follow-up to Safe as Milk, Beefheart’s debut from earlier that year, the world-shattering material on It Comes to You in a Plain Brown Wrapper was rerecorded, truncated, and issued—without the Captain’s approval—as Strictly Personal in 1968. Mastered directly from the original analog tapes and featuring a wealth of unedited takes never before on vinyl, Sundazed’s stunning gatefold double-LP release of this infamously enigmatic opus comes to you wrapped in a sharp outer sleeve bearing specially commissioned artwork by Frank Zappa/Straight Records illustrator Cal Schenkel; inside are rare photos and fascinating, exhaustive liner notes by Magic Band drummer John “Drumbo” French.

So here, then, is Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band’s second album of gloriously disjointed avant-rock/blues and free-jazz skronk, presented just as nature—and the Captain—intended. Even after more than 40 years, this music is still hopelessly ahead of its time—or, as one-time Magic Band member Ry Cooder once described it, “right on time.”

Order at Sundazed

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upcoming releases from our friends at MusicOnVinyl

SIMPLE MINDS - BIG MUSIC

Following their renaissance and rightful reappraisal of recent years, on October 31th 2014, Simple Minds will release their first album of new material in five years. Big Music sees the band rekindling the energy and attitude, the mystery and magic, that made them one of the greatest bands on the planet.

Among the highlights on Big Music are the propulsive "Blindfolded", which harks back to the powerful electro-glide of 1980's "I Travel", and the swirling "Human" and immediately infectious "Midnight Walking", both of which are reminiscent of the booming sounds of 1984's Sparkle In The Rain. The actual song "Big Music", too, is suitably gargantuan, with its popping syn-drums, a song all about the songs that make people feel ecstatic and romantic.

The most touching moment on Big Music, however, arrives with the haunting first single "Honest Town", a track inspired by fond memories of Jim's mum, who passed away in Glasgow four years ago. Co-written with Iain Cook of Chvrches, it is a dream-like travelogue through Kerr's childhood stomping grounds on Glasgow's South Side. "Broken Glass Park" is an extension of this theme, exploring the nostalgia of adolescent innocence and discovery.
  • 180 gram audiophile vinyl 
  • Printed innersleeves
  • Includes download card
  • Brand new album, featuring the single "Honest Town"


NICO - THE END (40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

The End... is the fourth studio album by Nico, released in 1974. The album is her fifth collaboration with John Cale and second with him as producer. It carries the same harmonium-based sound heard on The Marble Index and Desertshore, with the addition of Brian Eno's synthesizersand electronic instruments.

The song "You Forget To Answer" tells of the misery felt by Nico when she failed to reach ex-lover Jim Morrison by phone only to find out later that he had died. All but two of the songs on the album were written by Nico: the cover ofThe Doors' "The End" and a version of the German national anthem "Das Lied Der Deutschen". Brian Eno performs synthesizer on "It Has Not Taken Long", "You Forgot to Answer" and "Innocent and Vain".

Being 40 years since the album originally came out, we're adding a whole LP to the package with bonus material from 74/75, previously unavailable on vinyl!
  • 180 gram audiophile vinyl 
  • Insert 
  • Contains bonus LP including tracks previously unissued on vinyl



SHAWN MULLINS - SOUL’S CORE

Soul's Core (1998) is the fourth studio album by Shawn Mullins, spawning the hits "Lullaby" and "Shimmer". Spontaneous, vibrant, and lyrically stimulating, Shawn Mullins scores big with his passionate messages and his flair for natural storytelling that touches the core of the listener's soul.

Mullins brings together ten years of hard work and a respected musician's ethic for the release of the aptly entitled Soul's Core, his first record on a major label. Mullins lets his scratchy and deeply resonating voice blend in smoothly with his six-string guitar and fellow band mates.

Fans of Mullins will be sure to capture the moment and seize this time, while wrapping their arms and ears around the record for a listen on vinyl for the first time! 180 gram audiophile vinyl and Insert



KING DIAMOND - ABIGAIL

Abigail is the second King Diamond album and their first concept album. It was originally released in 1987 on Roadrunner Records, selling over 175,000 copies in North America alone. Widely recognized as King Diamond's solo masterpiece, Abigail is also unquestionably one of heavy metal's greatest concept albums.

So turn out the houselights, draw the curtains, and listen closely to this dark theatrical story. The band's familiar post-metal, semi-thrashing style is the perfect basis over which Diamond narrates his spine-tingling tale of horror. This is a tale that yields such career-topping compositions as the stunning "A Mansion in Darkness", the surprisingly clever "The Family Ghost", and the quite beautiful acoustics, orchestrations, and sound effects introducing "The 7th Day of July 1777." Ensuing highlights are "The Possession," the title track, and the epic finale of "Black Horsemen".

Ace future Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee matches incredible versatility and envious power for a command performance here, and one can noticeably hear guitarist Andy LaRocque nudging Diamond's erstwhile Mercyful Fate cohort Michael Denner out of the dual lead guitar equation with his inspired leads (he would soon assume an unchallenged position at the feet of the King's throne).

As for the master of dark ceremonies himself, King Diamond, too, takes a quantum leap by subjecting his trademark falsettos to layer upon layer of multi-tracked harmonies, transforming what was previously an acquired taste for some into an overpowering and irresistible self-contained chorus sent straight from the pits of hell. Thanks to all of this, the combined quality of the words and music to be found on Abigail make it an exercise in Goth Metal storytelling that remains quite simply nonpareil -- among the living, at least. 180 gram audiophile vinyl and Insert

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Mondo Releases PET SEMATARY & THE OMEN On Sale Info!

This Halloween we're celebrating two horror cult classics, PET SEMATARY and THE OMEN. In addition to the killer PET SEMATARY poster by Mike Saputo, we'll also be releasing the soundtrack on 2XLP vinyl with the same artwork, pressed on 180 Gram black vinyl with randomly inserted Translucent Green / Blue vinyl with Black Haze. We'll also be releasing THE OMEN Striped Variant vinyl LP. We released the soundtrack last March, but due to some audio issues, the Striped Variant was never put up on the site. We can't think of a better day to release the re-pressing than Halloween.

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Pet Sematary, originally released in April 1989. In addition to the killer poster by Mike Saputo, we'll also be releasing the soundtrack on 2XLP vinyl with the same artwork. This is the most comprehensive version of the soundtrack to date, and includes the two Ramones songs from the film previously unreleased on past versions of the soundtrack. Pressed on 180 Gram black vinyl with randomly inserted Translucent Green / Blue vinyl with Black Haze.
  • Music Composed by Elliot Goldenthal
  • Featuring "Pet Sematary," and "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" by The Ramones
  • Artwork by Mike Saputo
  • 2XLP Pressed on 180 Gram Black & Randomly Inserted Translucent Green / Blue vinyl with Black Haze


In addition to Pet Sematary, we will be releasing The Omen Striped Variant vinyl LPs, limited to 700 copies. We released The Omen Soundtrack last March, but due to some audio issues, the Striped Variant was never released. The faulty pressings were subsequently used as ammunition in the MondoCon Shaun of the Dead Record Throwing booth and we've been holding onto the re-pressing until now.
  • Music Composed by Jerry Goldsmith
  • Artwork by Phantom City Creative
  • LP Pressed on 180 Gram Translucent Red Vinyl with Black Stripe
  • Limited to 700 copies
More details at MONDO

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from our friends at ThrillJockey

Miscontinuum Album (Fiepblatter Catalogue #3) by Jan St. Werner

Miscontinuum Album is the third installment in Jan St. Werner's Fiepblatter Catalogue series and features contributions from Dylan Carlson (Earth), Markus Popp (Oval), Kathy Alberici, and Taigen Kawabe (Bo Ningen)

Miscontinuum Album documents an impressive new work by seminal electronic musician Jan St. Werner, whose innovations with Mouse on Mars and Microstoria are well documented. Over a period of approximately four years Miscontinuum has been developed and refined as an operatic live performance in Munich, as well as a radio play. This recorded incarnation of the work is the third entry in Werner’s lauded Fiepblatter series, and features contributions by Dylan Carlson (Earth), Markus Popp (Oval), Kathy Alberici, and Taigen Kawabe (Bo Ningen). It is a challenging listen not compromised for casual music consumption habits, but with time and close listening it yields vast rewards. Miscontinuum Album is a radical convergence of sound exploration and storytelling that has few precedents.

The central concept of Miscontinuum explores misconceptions of time and memory, inspired by unique acoustic phenomena derived digital phasing and musical time stretching techniques. There is aura of doom that pervades the work. Much of the album’s evocative nature comes from the interplay of Werner’s electronics with Alberici and Kawabe’s voices and the contrast between those organic and inorganic elements. Popp, a longtime collaborator with Werner in Mictrostoria, wrote the libretti, which is presented in five distinct scenes and recited redolently by Carlson. The surreal plot involves a progressive distinction of time as a force rather than a structuring system, and an individual who can shift consciously between states within that force. The high concepts and unusual creative partners combine for an album that is uncommonly emotionally resonant.

Miscontinuum was first performed as a part of Werner’s Asymmetric Studio series in Munich on June 18th, 2013, and also featured video by Werner and Karl Kliem and stage design by Christina del Yelmo & Sonia Gomez Villar. It was broadcast by Bayerischer Rundfunk public radio ten days later. The striking visual elements, flowing dresses and impressionistic masses of color, make appearances on the album’s art, and will be presented in new forms in the coming months. The first revised version of the Miscontinuum featuring live video by Zoa Bassi will premiere at the St Luke's Church in London on Feb 8th 2015 and is the first in a series of more shows to come in 2015.

CD version packaged in a 4 panel mini-LP style gatefold package. Deluxe 2xLP version features expanded artwork with each LP in its own jacket. In addition the vinyl version includes three bonus tracks not on the CD edition. This is a pre-order for January 27, 2015 street date. All items ordered with Miscontinuum Album will ship on or slightly before the street date.

Pre-Order at ThrillJockey

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from our friends at BrutalPandaRecords

Ladder Devils - Clean Hands 12"

Philadelphia, PA noise rock quartet Ladder Devils make their long awaited return with Clean Hands, the first proper full-length for the band.  Featuring former members of hardcore heroes The Minor Times, the group previously released a series of EPs and splits with Helms Alee, Kowloon Walled City and Fight Amp, leading up to the recording of this album  With tighter songwriting and cleaner production, the band mix the punk urgency of Nirvana with the sonic experimentation of The Pixies to create a sound that is all their own.  Fans of post-hardcore, noise rock, grunge and loud indie rock will surely embrace the rattling sounds of Ladder Devils.

1st Pressing:
 -6 Test Presses
 -300 White

**A limited number of low priced packages with Ladder Devil’s previous full-length Nowhere Plans and split 7" with Helms Alee are available while supplies last**

Clean Hands was recorded at Gradwell House Studios in Haddon Heights, NJ by Steve Poponi (Fight Amp) in the winter of 2013/2014 and will see it’s release on November 4th on LP/Digital.  The LP is limited to 300 copies on white vinyl and includes an 11" x 11" insert.

Pre-Order at BrutalPandaRecords

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CANDLEMASS - From The 13th Sun

Candlemass was formed by bassist and songwriter Leif Edling in Stockholm, Sweden in 1984. Well known for their epic doom metal, they have hugely influenced a generation of the genre's subsequent greats such as My Dying Bride & Paradise Lost.

The band are well respected, having created two of THE definitive doom classics of all time, in debut EPICUS DOOMICUS METALLICUS and, perhaps more notably, second album NIGHTFALL which introduced the iconic vocalist Messiah Marcolin.

Originally released in 1999, From the 13th Sun and is a highly regarded release in the band's catalogue. Critically acclaimed, its reputation as one of the stronger Candlemass albums has only grown over the years.

In stark contrast to their earlier output of sweeping epic compositions, this album consists of a more modern doom sound mixed with some experimental effects and psychedelic rock influences to create an unusual and interesting album which could be described as an intriguing fusion of Black Sabbath's greatest moments and Hawkwind's space-rock sensibilities.

This edition also includes 3 bonus tracks not included on the original album, & is presented on double heavyweight black vinyl with gatefold sleeve. Double LP set!

Get it at TheOmegaOrder

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Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel 

Without a doubt NE OBLIVISCARIS are one of the international metal scene's most exciting new bands. Their epic, stirring arrangements are orchestral in feel; flowing effortlessly between cathartic peaks of the most explosive extremity to subtle moments of fragile beauty. With their new album 'Citadel', the wildly progressive Australian band will undoubtedly take their place in the vanguard of the genre's forerunners

Clear Vinyl LP with Printed Inner Sleeve Ltd. to 350 Copies  Available November 10, 2014

Pre-Order at Season-Of-Mist


Ghost Brigade - IV: One with the Storm  

Finland's GHOST BRIGADE haunts the spaces between worlds. Their heavy, mournful music is the sound of dusk; mining the distinctive Finnish sound of sorrow and the vast, heavy drone of the post-metal cosmos. Plaintive vocals sing songs of loss, and cloak both a sonic and emotional weight that resonates deeply. 'IV: One with the Storm' is a dark, emotional, and truly moving album of the heaviest modern metal.

Double LP Gatefold on Silver Vinyl Ltd. to 500 Copies  Available November 10, 2014

Pre-Order at Season-Of-Mist


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Tim Krog The Boogey Man OST Available On Vinyl

MotionSound Records presents its first release, a reissue of Tim Krog's soundtrack to cult slasher flick 'The Boogey Man' from 1980. Ulli Lommel's film follows the bizarre occurrences that befall a brother and sister who kill their mother's lover, and the dastardly tactics of the titular Boogey Man. The soundtrack, not a world away from John Carpenter's score for Halloween, uses eerily modulated synth patches and chilling piano melodies to reflect the nightmarish visions on screen, and this limited release is a must for horror enthusiasts, synth nerds and anyone with an interest in macabre electronics.

Order at Bleep


Wildbirds & Peacedrums 'Rhythm' Available on Vinyl

After a four-year hiatus husband and wife double act Wildbirds & Peacedrums return to Leaf with their fouth LP Rhythm. Written, recorded and produced in their Stockholm studio, the album offers a visceral, lo-fi take on alternative rock, deploying rough tribal drum backing on ‘The Offbeat’ and the more breathless ‘Who I Was’. Mariam Wallentin’s quirky vocals add an avant-garde edge to the committed ‘Mind Blues’, which carries a raw live feel; as does the trance-inducing closer ‘Everything All The Time’ with its rattling drum barrage.

Order at Bleep


Alek StarkTitan's Cycle 808 Syncs In C Minor (w/ (Heinrich Mueller Remixes) Vinyl Release

Veteran electro producer Alek Stark drops his second release on Spanish imprint Titan’s Halo Records, making good use of the 808 and a range of vintage synths for an exercise in menacing minimalist electro under the Titan's Cycle 808 Syncs In C Minor EP. Title cut ‘Titan’s Cycle’ is a sinister beast, packed with probing string movements and crispy electro percussion; followed by the gurgling heady spice of ‘94K’ and a somewhat squidgy bass line on ‘Methane Rain’. For remixes, none other than Arpanet man Heinrich Mueller steps up, offering a crystalline ambient take on ‘Halo 7’, shunning the drums to build a strong tension and adding his trademark futuristic fingerprints on ‘Halo 6’.

Order at Bleep


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ParaNorman Original Motion Picture Soundtrack By Jon Brion Vinyl Release 

Design & Layout by DKNG Studios. 2XLP in deluxe gatefold jacket pressed on 180 gram vinyl. Limited edition pressed on black vinyl and randomly-inserted Highlighter Yellow vinyl, with Bone Haze.

Order at MONDO

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a man on a mission and a vinyl hero, check out his endeavor (you will read more in upcoming posts!)!

The Mustache Club Launches Website, Releases First Record

After years and years of research and development, angst and agony, blood and sweat, we’re extremely happy to launch The Mustache Club’s web site.

We’re absolutely psyched to announce that on November 15, 2014, we’ll be releasing Pantaloon Descendo’s very first EP, 7 Inches of Bliss.

All covers were hand-drawn, hand-coloured and hand-numbered.

You can pre-order your copy now for $10 + shipping through our web store. All pre-orders will be shipped the week preceding November 15.

Pre-Order at The-Mustache-Club


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interesting thoughts from the uk:


Is vinyl the best music format?  With vinyl undergoing yet another revival, Sam Rowe talks to those in the know about our enduring love of the humble record





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fantastic news from the great state of new jersey:


Vinyl makes a comeback at The Rock Shop at Plymouth Meeting Mall






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nice write up, well worth reading:


Better Than Ezra’s Kevin Griffin Talks New Album, Vinyl + More







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spooky stuff:


Rock ‘n’ Roll Never Dies: Tales of Classic Rockers From Beyond the Grave







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for shits and giggles on halloween:


The Perfect Halloween Playlist






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more for your halloween platter


10 Essential Albums for Your Halloween 2014 Playlist








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if you live in the area, check out the fun!



Beat Swap Meet Orange County | all event info