The vinyl record collecting blog - with news about new vinyl record releases, vinyl record sales, new music releases, album cover art and weekly features
Aretha Franklin - Deeper Love: the Best of (2 CDs)
Bardo Pond - Bardo Pond
Beach Fossils - "Calyer" 7''
Beaten By Them - Invisible Origins
Bette Midler - Divine Miss M: In Performance
Birds of Avalon - Birds of Avalon
Bridget St. John - Ask Me No Questions (Vinyl) British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall: Ltd ed
Broken Records - Let Me Come Home
Bullet - The Entrance To Hell
Byrds of Paradise - Teenage Symphonies Cage the Elephant - Thank You Happy Birthday Cake - Sick of You (vinyl)
Casey Jones - I Hope We're Not the Last
Clive Tanaka y Su Orquesta - Jet Set Siempre #1 Cult - Pure Cult: The Singles (1984-1995) Vinyl
Cure - Entreat Plus (Vinyl)
Damon Fowler - Devil Got His Way
Deadmau5 - 4x4=12 (Vinyl)
Deep Purple - Live at Montreux 2006 (2 LPs)(Vinyl)
Desmond Dekker - The Israelites
Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I (reissue) (Vinyl)
Dungen - "Oga Nasa Mum" b/w "Highway Wolf" 7'' Edie Brickell - Edie Brickell
Elmore James - Hits & Rarities
Emma’s Imagination - Stand Still
Empresarios - Sabor Tropical
Engel - Threnody
Frank Sinatra - Sinatras Sinatra (Mobile Fidelity) (Vinyl)
Gary Barden - Rock 'n' Roll My Soul
Georgia Anne Muldrow - Vweto Ike & Tina Turner - Absolutely The Best - Live
Jack's Mannequin - Everything in Transit (Anniversary Edition) (reissue) (Vinyl)
Jane Lui - Goodnight Company
Jeff Dunham - All By My Selves
Kayo Dot - Stained Glass EP
Keri Hilson - No Boys Allowed
Kid Sister - Kiss Kiss Kiss mixtape
Lecrae - Rehab: The Overdose
Lee Dorsey - Absolutely The Best
Lemuria - Pebble
Louis CK - Hilarious Love and Rockets - Sorted! the Best of Love & Rockets (vinyl reissue) Lynyrd Skynyrd - Skynyrd Nation
Madison - Some People Make
Magna Carta - Midnight Blue / Live and Let Live (2 CDs)
Margot & The Nuclear So & So's - Vol. 1 - Happy Hour at Sprigg's: Live & Acoustic
Mew - Eggs Are Funny
MillionYoung - Replicants
Minks - By the Hedge Morning After Girls - Alone
N.E.R.D. - The Best of N.E.R.D.
Nikki & Rich - Everything
Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue (Vinyl)
No Bragging Rights - Illuminator
Oh No Oh My - People Problems
Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged in (180 Gram Audiophile Vinyl/ Ltd. Ed./ Gatefold Cover) Queens of the Stone Age - Queens of the Stone Age Robert Plant - Band Of Joy
Rye Rye - Go! Pop! Bang!
Sam Humans & Heligoats - Live Free & Let Loose
Scott Holt - Kudzu
Shackleton - Fabric 55
Shenda K - The Most Wanted
Sodom - In War and Pieces
Starflyer 59 - The Changing of the Guard (vinyl)
Steel Magnolia - Steel Magnolia
Steve Roach & Brian Parnham - The Desert Inbetween
Stevie Wonder - Fulfillingness First Finale (Gold CD) Stooges - Thousand Lights: Live in 1970
Stranglers - In The Night: Limited Edition
Suuns - Zero, Qc
Tape Deck Mountain - Secret Serf EP
Tapes ‘N Tapes - Outside
The Beets - "Time Brought Age" 7''
The Beets - Stay Home
The Material - The Material
The Residents - Not Available (reissue)
The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight (reissue) (Vinyl)
Tim Buckley - Tim Buckley (2xCD)
Toto - Africa (2 CDs)
Tu Fawning - Hearts On Hold
Various Artists - Hand In Glove: The Smiths Tribute
Various Artists - Putumayo Presents Bossa Nova Around the World
Various Artists - Rock & Roll Train: Tribute to AC/DC
Various Artists - Season 4 Music from the Showtime Series Californication
Vusi Mahlasela - Say Africa
Widowspeak - "Brainfreeze" 7'' Wire - Red Barked Tree
X - More Fun in the New World (reissue) (Vinyl)
X-Ray Press - UVB-76
Yo Gotti - Live from the Kitchen
ZZ Top - Deguello (Vinyl) ZZ Top -Rio Grande Mud (Vinyl)
Remember, if you are a record company and have new releases or know of any I missed (especially vinyl), please email me and I will add your music to the list. I also do reviews of new vinyl, email me for more information.
New Music Releases are put together from a variety of sources by blog owner Robert Benson
SKELETONWITCH: New Seven-Inch Single Now Available
The second installment of the new seven-inch trilogy from Ohio metal vets SKELETONWITCH is now available. The first installment was released in November and has sold out. Part II is available on green vinyl and features a recently re-recorded version of "The Skullsplitter," a track that originally appeared on the band's self-released debut album, 'At One With The Shadows.'
The B-side, meanwhile, is "No Rest For The Dead," a song recorded with legendary producer Jack Endino (NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN, HIGH ON FIRE) during the 'Breathing The Fire' sessions (and, coincidentally, also a re-working of a song from "At One With The Shadows"). This version of "No Rest..." was originally used as the iTunes bonus track for "Breathing The Fire" and has never been released in a physical format until now. This is limited to 500 copies and will not be repressed! Order yours now at this location.
SKELETONWITCH is spending the winter writing the follow-up to 2009's "Breathing the Fire", with tentative plans to hit the studio in the spring.
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AMEBIX Redux 12" vinyl, CD and digital download now available
Exclusive 5 x 6" embroidered patch is included with the vinyl version.
Amebix are pleased to announce the release their first new studio recordings since 1987 in the form of a three-song 12" EP appropriately titled 'Redux' on Profane Existence Records. This is three classic Amebix tracks as redone by the current lineup: Rob (aka “The Baron"), Chris (aka "Stig"), and Roy. This is Amebix played louder, tighter and more intense than you've ever heard them before. All tracks recorded and produced by Roy Mayorga, mastered by Rodney Mills and vinyl lacquors cut by Prairie Cat Mastering. Total running time is approximately 17 minutes and is pressed on heavyweight black virgin vinyl. Also included with the vinyl edition is a large embroidered Amebix patch and an access card for a free download for the digital edition (including the bonus track). Vinyl / CD tracks are Arise, Winter, and Chain Reaction. The digital release includes the bonus track Progress to preview their upcoming live album and DVD release.
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The Strokes New Album 'Released On March 22'
The Strokes new studio album is scheduled to be released on March 22, according to reports. The band's as-yet-untitled fourth album features ten songs and is currently in the mixing stage. Details about the band's release plans were revealed in a leaked RCA label release schedule obtained by Direct Current Music.
The website said the lead single from the album would debut in February. Hmmm....and we will wait
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U2 frontman old friends with Facebook
Singer enjoys investment growth as Facebook expands
Irish singer and U2 frontman Bono owns 1.5 per cent of Facebook, it has been revealed. Bono's Elevation Partners has now quadrupled the worth of its original investment to $750 million (£485.3m) thanks to the continued growth of the popular social networking platform.
At Sound Garden in Syracuse, CD sales dip slightly, vinyl sales rise
By Mark Bialczak/The Post-Standard
Mirroring the national statistics released Thursday by The Nielsen Company and Billboard, album sales for 2010 were down at Syracuse independent record store Sound Garden.
But while the national total that includes CDs, cassettes, vinyl and digital downloads, dropped 12.7 percent, from 373.9 million in 2009 to 326.2 million last year, Sound Garden manager Eric Brush reported a drop of about 3 percent in CD sales. Brush said Sound Garden sold about 109,000 new CDs. The store also sold about 11,000 vinyl records in 2010.
“Our numbers tend to be different from the big-box stores,” Brush said of the store, in downtown Syracuse’s Armory Square.
Universal Music Donates 200,000 Master Recordings to the Library of Congress
The Universal Music Group announced on Monday that they would be donating 200,000 master recordings from their vaults to the Library of Congress. Artists represented in the gift include Bing Crosby, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, the Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington.
Over the years, Universal has acquired many major labels including Decca, Mercury and Brunswick along with their complete libraries of masters. Among the songs included are Crosby's White Christmas, the Mills Brothers' Paper Doll, Les Paul's Guitar Boogie and Josh White's Jim Crow Train.
The Library of Congress will catalog and digitize the collection at the Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, VA and, as a bonus for music fans, will make recordings from the collection available on-line for streaming starting this spring.
Elvis' How Great Thou Art, 2-LP 180 Gram 12" Limited Edition Vinyl from FTD
Following on from the great success of FTD's previous vinyl editions, FTD will release of 'HOW GREAT THOU ART' as a limited edition 180 gram 2-LP set. The vinyl edition features all the original masters plus many outtakes.
Also included is BEYOND THE REEF that was recorded informally at these sessions. This is the overdubbed version. Vinyl cutting by ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS Contains original movie soundtrack mastered by Vic Anesini and many Stereo outtakes DMM Copper Mastering 180 Grams heavyweight vinyl.
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My friend in vinyl Virgil talks about the operations and growth of Suburban Home Records
Lessons Learned: Virgil Dickerson with Suburban Home Records
January 10, 2011 · by Matt Ferner
”Lessons Learned” is a series where we ask ecommerce business owners to share their experiences and advice. For this installment, we interviewed Virgil Dickerson, CEO and owner of Suburban Home Records and Vinyl Collective, a Denver, Colo.-based music label that sells music, digital downloads and tangible albums in CD and vinyl forms, as well as music-related apparel.
Suburban Home Records launched in 1995. In 2008, the site recorded gross revenues of roughly $1 million. Sales have reduced since then.
Dickerson holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and it was there, while pursuing his undergraduate degree, that his burgeoning record label came to life.
Poobah’s Let Me In Tops Rolling Stone Year End List!
As 2010 came roaring to an end, Poobah’s 'Let Me In,' released on Oct. 12th found itself at the top of many Year End Lists, being hailed as a Re-Issue of the Year by David Fricke, Senior Writer for Rolling Stone Magazine, Pat Prince of Goldmine Magazine, Ray Van Horn, Jr. of The Metal Minute/Retaliate Magazine, and even going as far as being called “album of the decade” by Ray Dorsey of Ray’s Realm!
So, congratulations go out to Jim Gustafson for creating a piece of music with the vitality and staying power that Let Me In has, as well as a big round of applause to T. Dallas Reed for his countless hours of blowing off the sonic dust from the original 1972 analog tapes, and graphic designer Vic Jong for laboriously toiling over the details of the packaging reproduction in an effort to retain the visual feel of the original LP!
Here are a few more words to carry us into 2011:
“Between Jim Gustafson’s primal vocals to his gut wrenching licks on his Les Paul . . . they should have been huge, Black Sabbath Huge, because they were on par as far as sound and attack but it was not to be." -- Metal Exiles
"One of the highlights of the year! Let Me In is an album deserving of any status this reissue can give it, be it “classic” or otherwise.” – The Obelisk
“On the basis of Let Me In, Poobah is more than just a shaggy curiosity from the Me Decade – it’s a band worth discovering for fans not satisfied with endless Grand Funk retreads on classic rock radio." -- Sleazegrinder
Catch Poobah on the road throughout the winter of 2011!
Nicole over at CrowdSurf.net sent me an invitation to listen to some new music. I am happy that she did because I loved it!
His name is Amos Lee and if you can imagine the country rock of the Eagles or America in their prime, mixed in with a dab singer James Blunt and the alt-country sounds of today - that's how I describe his sound.
He wears his heart on his sleeve, what you see is what you get, with sincere songwriting that his sung with a real conviction - as you get to feel the way he does as he masterfully sings his songs.
I have a couple of you tube videos, I hope you enjoy them as much as i did.
Do I hear Austin City Limits calling again, he is the perfect match......
‘Reign In Blood’ Guitar By ESP Celebrates Slayer Album’s 25th Anniversary
Guitar company ESP plans to release a limited-edition Slayer guitar which will feature the cover art from the band’s classic 1986 thrash metal album 'Reign In Blood.'
Limited to just 250 guitars worldwide, the LTD Slayer-2011 is highlighted with a custom graphic finish that employs elements of the cover artwork from the “Reign In Blood” album. Details include a special LTD headstock logo in SLAYER’s distinctive typeface, pentagram-shaped neck inlays, and the SLAYER logo inlaid near the 12th fret. The guitar uses bolt-on construction, an alder body, a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, 24 XJ frets, a TOM bridge with string-thru-body design, and EMG 81 (bridge) and EMG 85 (neck) active pickups.
Amongst other 2011 models being released by ESP are the James Hetfield Snakebyte guitar in black or white, and the Kirk Hammett Signature Series ESP KH-2 and LTD KH-SE guitars.
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Variety has a nice article about our beloved vinyl records:
Analog recording makes a comeback
Musical artists turn to old tech for vintage sound
By Variety Staff
John Mellancamp's recent album "No Better Than This" was recorded by the singer and "O Brother, Where Art Thou" music producer T-Bone Burnett using a single vintage RCA 77DX microphone and a 50-year-old refurbished mono Ampex 601 portable tape deck.
It's easy to dismiss the record as simply an artful manifesto on Mellancamp's part -- he along with fellow music artists Prince and Stevie Nicks have all railed publicly that digital technology in general and the Internet in particular have destroyed both music and the music business. Except that Mellancamp also took what has become a recent trend to its extreme: as CD sales continue to plummet and digital downloads barely dent that fiscal void, new recordings using hoary analog technology and released on vinyl making a surprising comeback.
Superstars salvage tough year for country music album sales
By PETER COOPER • The Tennessean • January 9, 2011
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Del.icio.usFacebookDiggRedditNewsvineBuzz up!TwitterNASHVILLE, Tenn. - Sales of country music albums dropped 5 percent last year, a decline that would have been much steeper if not for late-year releases from big-name stars such as Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney.
Across the music industry, album sales in all genres decreased 12.7 percent in the past year. The figures were released in a report Wednesday from industry tracker Nielsen SoundScan. Christian and gospel albums dipped 13 percent, and rock albums declined 16 percent. Country music was the only genre that did not see a double-digit decline, and rap music was the only category with an increase, rising 3 percent.
Albums:
1.Taylor Swift : Speak Now
2.Eminem : Recovery
3.Rihanna : Loud
4.Nicki Minaj : Pink Friday
5.Kanye West : My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
6.Daft Punk : Tron: Legacy
7.Susan Boyle : The Gift
8.Mumford and Sons : Sigh No More
9.Katy Perry : Teenage Dream
10.Keyshia Cole : Calling All Hearts
Singles:
1.Katy Perry : Firework
2.Bruno Mars : Grenade
3.Ke$ha : We R Who We R
4.Rihanna feat. Drake : What's My Name
5.Pink : Raise Your Glass
6.Enrique Eglesias : Tonight (I've Lovin' You)
7.Black Eyed Peas : The Time
8.Wiz Khalifa : Black and Yellow
9.Bruno Mars : Just The Way You Are
10.Nelly : Just A Dream
UK
Albums:
1.Rihanna : Loud
2.Take That : Progress
3.Plan B : The Defamation of Strickland Banks
4.Tinie Tempah : Disc-Overy
5.The Wanted : The Wanted
6.Mumford and Sons : Sigh No More
7.Kings Of Leon : Come Around Sundown
8.Katy Perry : Teenage Dream
9.Ellie Goulding : Lights
10.Michael Buble : Crazy Love
Singles:
1.Matt Cardle : When We Collide
2.Rihanna : Whats My Name
3.Black Eyed Peas : The Time
4.Ellie Goulding : Your Song
5.Katy B : Lights On
6.Rihanna : Only Girl (In The World)
7.Take That : The Flood
8.Far East Movement : Like A G6
9.Willow : Whip My Hair
10.Olly Murs : Thinking Of Me
Europe
Albums:
1.Take That : Progress
2.Rihanna : Loud
3.Bruce Springsteen : The Promise
4.Shakira : Sale El Sol
5.Pink : Greatest Hits ... So Far
6.Bon Jovi : Greatest Hits
7.James Blunt : Some Kind Of Trouble
8.Susan Boyle : The Gift
9.Kings Of Leon : Come Around Sundown
10.JLS : Outta This World
Singles:
1.Rihanna : Only Girl (In The World)
2.Duck Sauce : Barbra Streisand
3.Bruno Mars : Just The Way You Are
4.Black Eyed Peas : The Time
5.X Factor Finalist 2010 : Heroes
6.Usher : DJ Got Us Fallin In Love
7.Rene La Taupe : Mignon Mignon
8.Eminem feat. Rihanna : Love The Way You Lie
9.Take That : The Flood
10.Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole : Over The Rainbow
Canada
Albums:
1.Rihanna : Loud
2.Black Eyed Peas : The Beginning
3.Kanye West : My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
4.Eminem : Recovery
5.Susan Boyle : The Gift
6.Various : Much Dance 2011
7.Taylor Swift : Speak Now
8.Katy Perry : Teenage Dream
9.Justin Bieber : My Worlds Acoustic
10.Pink : Greatest Hits ... So Far
Singles:
1.Black Eyed Peas : The Time
2.Bruno Mars : Grenade
3.Katy Perry : Firework
4.Pink : Raise Your Glass
5.Ke$ha : We R Who We R
6.Rihanna : Only Girl (In The World)
7.Rihanna feat. Drake : What's My Name
8.Enrique Iglesias : Tonight (I'm Loving You)
9.Bruno Mars : Just The Way You Are
10.Nelly : Just A Dream
Australia
Albums:
1.Pink : Greatest Hits So Far
2.Susan Boyle : The Gift
3.Bon Jovi : Greatest Hits
4.Altiyan Childs : Altiyan Childs
5.Glee Cast : Volume 4
6.Guy Sebastian : Twenty Ten
7.Ronan Keating : Duet
8.Katy Perry : Teenage Dream
9.Black Eyed Peas : The Beginning
10.James Blunt : Some Kind Of Trouble
Singles:
1.Guy Sebastian feat. Eve : Who's That Girl
2.Bruno Mars : Grenade
3.Black Eyed Peas : The Time
4.Chris Brown : Yeah X3
5.Katy Perry : Firework
6.Ke$ha : We R Who We R
7.Jessica Mauboy feat. Ludacris : Saturday Night
8.David Guetta feat. Rihanna : Who's That Chick
9.Far East Movement feat. Cataracs & Dev : Like A G6
10.Pink : Raise Your Glass
Norm and Jane over at Vinyl Record Talk have been very busy cataloging new inventory and dealing with other issues, yet Norm still finds the time to supply us with this great data (cheers!!).
Did you know about their weekly radio showVinyl Record Talk ? Swing on over and give it a listen, they make every week's show unique with special guests, music news, vinyl record news and their unique brand of commentary.
Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales - Week Ending 01/08/2011
An unreleased acetate from an Ohio funk band makes the top of the list this week, and is one of three soul related gems - the others being the very rare Northern 45 from Bobby Rich, and a Modern Soul 45 that is one to watch. Split Descision Band's "Watchin Out" single has been on the rise for several years, and this week's sale price is it's peak. It's also one that teaches looks can be deceiving. As a good friend and fellow dealer says, "No one knows every record", and he came close to passing this one up a year back because from the label style and font used for the band name it looked like just another lost country 45. Fortunately for his bottom line, he dropped a needle on it.
1. LP - The Crowd Pleasers unreleased acetate - $3,939.89
2. LP - The Beatles "The Beatles Collection" MFSL Japan Box Set - $3,599.99
3. 45 - Bobby Rich "There's A Girl Somewhere (For Me)" / "I Can't Help Myself" Sambea 101 - $3,000.00
Top 5 eBay Vinyl Records Sales - Week Ending 01/01/2011
A dull week between Christmas and New Years where no one wants to spend any money gave someone lucky buyer a sweet deal on a Parlophone "White Album" pressing. The rest of the list is full of obscurities this week, with private press Psych, blank label Jamacian Reggae and rare Rockabilly 45's.
1. LP - The Beatles "White Album" Parlophone UK Export Pressing - $2,750.00
Gentle Giant Capitol/Alvcard ALUGGVO2 180g LP Produced by: Gentle Giant Engineered by: Gary Martin Mixed by: N/A Mastered by: Carl Rowatti at TruTone Mastering
MUSIC
SOUND
Prog Rock Classic Back on Vinyl by Michael Fremer December 01, 2010
The British progressive rock group Gentle Giant never achieved exalted status among the genre's aficionados, though they were well respected and their following was loyal and vociferous. When I was on "free form" FM radio in the mid 1970s I'd get calls from fans requesting Gentle Giant, but when I played through the albums, I heard nothing that I thought would grab listeners. Listening today to this and to Free Hand (ALLUGV03)—the two albums falling midway in their recording career— makes clear why that was so, and why they are deserving of a second listen almost forty years later.
Musically they were more inwardly directed and less given to bombast. While the level of musicianship was extremely high, keyboardist Kerry Minnear wasn't interested in showboating like Keith Emerson. Lead vocalist Derek Shulman (who went on to a very successful career in the music business after the band broke up) had a big voice but not a commanding presence that demands your attention. He was more a vocal technician than an emoter of emotions. He had neither Peter Gabriel's dramatic prowess nor Jon Anderson's, soaring, hypnotic pull. And as lyricists the Shulman, Shulman, Minear team never produced memorable lines that jumped out and grabbed. No "in and around the lake, mountains come out of the sky and they stand there," kind of moments.
So one could listen to this album or to Free Hand (Alucard ALLUGV03) and greatly appreciate the boldness of the musicianship and the complexity of the parts produced by the five musicians but not be moved or changed. Then and today these records come across as technically brilliant but emotionally flat—more like intellectually satisfying exercises than physically gripping and emotionally moving ones. The listening experience doesn't transcended the physical and leave you moved. These are inner thoughts expressed, with little resulting action.
They adhered to all of the genre's musical conventions, which if you don't dig in the first place, you won't like here, but in some ways they upped the ante, with precise vocal harmonies, complex, shifting rhythms and melodic inventiveness and harmonic complexities few other groups came close to achieving. While Keith Emerson used to toss classical music quotes into his solos, these guys actually made serious music!
The Power and the Glory is a cynic's delight: a concept album about authority, subjugation and foolish faith in and dissatisfaction with authority, even by the person exercising it, but the chessboard-like tunes spawned by the concept are lyrically uni-dimensional, which produces little drama or emotionally dynamic contrasts. You're invited to watch but not in.
Still, I bet prog rock fans of Genesis, Yes and some of the other bigger acts of the genre who may have missed Gentle Giant will be delighted by what they find here, for beyond familiar conventions, lies higher resolution musical complexity than made by some of the bigger selling groups. A Yes fan unfamiliar with Gentle Giant who plays side two's "Cogs in Cogs" first might exclaim "how the hell did I miss these guys?"
Sonically, both of these records could only be described as "decent" and "competent," but not mesmerizing or transcendent; sort of like the music. Don't expect spacious vistas. Instead, the instruments are closely miked in what sounds like a fairly small studio, with little if any reverb, except on specified parts. Why muck up the incredible playing precision with expansive, rhythm smearing reverb?
The Power and the Glory is the more musically dense and challenging of these two reissues (though both are dense and musically challenging), while Free Hand is more baroque yet jazz-like. If you can find a free MP3 of "On Reflection" somewhere, you'll marvel at the complexity and ingenuity of the vocal arrangement that's jazz like, yet medieval at the same time. If you think Jethro Tull did this sort of thing well, wait until you hear this track!
Sonically it's no contest: Free Hand sounds far more spacious, three dimensional and transparent. Perhaps its just a coincidence that the jacket says "Mastered from the original 1/4 inch tapes 2010" and The Power and the Glory, which sounds flatter, more two dimensional and less transparent doesn't. The sound knob 7 is for The Power and the Glory. Free Hand gets an "8".
Thanks to Michael over at www.musicangle.com for the exclusive rights to reprint this material. Stop by MusicAngle.com for more reviews and features.
Canadian metallers Blackguard have revealed the cover art fort heir upcoming album. The new album, 'Firefight,' is scheduled for release on March 29, 2011 through the band's new label home in Victory Records. The band commented on the new album by saying:
It's being reported that rock vetsTesla’s Jeff Keith and Frank Hannon are currently in the studio working on tracks for a planned acoustic album to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the band’s landmark Five Man Acoustical Jam disc. However, no release date has been set for the yet-to-be-titled album, but it’s expected that stripped-down versions of “Changes” and “Paradise” will be among the tracks included. Also slated for inclusion is a brand new song titled “2nd Street” and an acoustic version of “Better Off Without You.”
Released in 1990, Five Man Acoustical Jam was highlighted by a cover version of “Signs,” the classic hit recorded by the Five Man Electrical Band in 1971. Tesla’s version topped out at #2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart. The album also featured covers of The Rolling Stones’ “Mothers Little Helper,” Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Lodi,” and The Beatles’ “We Can Work it Out.”
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New Robbie Robertson Album Due In April
Robbie Robertson returns this April with his fifth solo album, and first since 1998.
“How To Become Clairvoyant” – co-produced by Robertson and Marius de Vries - will feature several guests, including Eric Clapton (who co-wrote three tracks and plays on six), Steve Winwood (organ on two songs), Tom Morello, Robert Randolph, Trent Reznor and more. The album is due April 5.
"It turned out quite extraordinary," Robertson tells Rolling Stone. "I think I’ve written some really good songs, and the boys helped me out."
The title track from the record is set to be featured on the Season Two soundtrack for the popular HBO television series, True Blood.
Rolling Stone also reports that “This is Where I Get Off" is reportedly about Robbie’s departure from The Band in 1976; if true, it’ll be the first time Robertson has ever addressed the issue in a song.
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Chandler man preserves art of record sleeves
by Randy Cordova The Arizona Republic
When Jeff Marcus was a toddler, there were clear signs where he would go in his life. Just ask his mother, who remembers watching him stare in wonder at the family record player.
"He was just watching it go round and round," Elaine Marcus recalls. "Then when the record stopped, he just said, 'More music.' "
"More music" could be the mantra by which Marcus has lived his life. The Cave Creek man is a lifelong music buff who makes his living as a disc jockey working corporate events and weddings. Now, he has added another title to his resume. With the publication of the two-volume set "A History of Collectible American Record Sleeves," Marcus is an author.
Bobby J spins jazz recordings from his collection during his "The Mainstream 120" show on Saturday mornings on KSYM 90.1 FM.
As tributes to radio DJs go, it doesn't quite match those given to Wolfman Jack, the great border radio howler who was immortalized in the movie “American Graffiti,” and in various rock 'n' roll hits.
On the other hand, in San Antonio, if you get a mention in a song by Los #3 Dinners, you've pretty much made it, and by that standard, KSYM DJ Bobby J stands alone.
“Our most recent CD has a line in it that says, ‘Listenin' to jazz with Bobby J, trying to chase the blues away,' and almost all our fans know just who I'm taking about,” said Eric “Lenny” Friedland, a guitarist and vocalist for the group.
“Listening to his show is always an education, no matter how much one thinks they know about jazz, plus he has the uncanny ability to pick songs that have a logical and cool connection to each other,” Friedland said.
And for more than two decades, an unassuming guy named Bobby J has been serving up tunes and stories from the golden age of jazz for two hours each Saturday morning from the San Antonio College campus.
“This is Bobby J. Your dial is set on FM 90.1 at KSYM, San Antonio,” is how it has begun a thousand times or more since January 1989.
While I am not the biggest fan of Elvis, I do know that he helped shape rock and roll and our musical culture. Here is a bit of info from Wikipedia, and you know the rest :O)
Elvis Aaron Presleya (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley moved to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family at the age of 13. He began his career there in 1954 when Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, eager to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience, saw in Presley the means to realize his ambition. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was one of the originators of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country and rhythm and blues. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for over two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", released in January 1956, was a number one hit. He became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll with a series of network television appearances and chart-topping records. His energized interpretations of songs, many from African American sources, and his uninhibited performance style made him enormously popular—and controversial. In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender.
Conscripted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He staged few concerts, however, and, guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, after seven years away from the stage, he returned to live performance in a celebrated comeback television special that led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of profitable tours. In 1973, Presley staged the first concert broadcast globally via satellite, Aloha from Hawaii, seen by approximately 1.5 billion viewers. Prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at the age of 42.
Presley is regarded as one of the most important figures of 20th-century popular culture. He had a versatile voice and unusually wide success encompassing many genres, including country, pop ballads, gospel, and blues. He is the best-selling solo artist in the history of popular music. Nominated for 14 competitive Grammys, he won three, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36. He has been inducted into four music halls of fame.
BLACKMORE’S NIGHT, the group featuring husband and wife Richie Blackmore and Candice Night, will be releasing their new album 'Autumn Sky' on January 18th.
With a career spanning nearly two decades, the band of minstrels has gained crossover success all over the world with its new genre of “Ren and Rock” music. The lyrics, written by award winning singer/songwriter Candice Night, are inspired by nature and the myths and fairy tales they encounter on their international travels. The melodies, composed and arranged by Grammy nominated Ritchie Blackmore, encompass musical structure and the essence of melodies from the early 1600s. And then they are “Blackmore-ized.” Blackmore's Night's last album, Secret Voyage, debuted at #1 on the Billboard New Age Chart and held that spot for four consecutive weeks.
In addition to being known from their unique sound which combines traditional as well as modern day instruments (including electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, violins, shawms, chanters etc), and Candice's enchanting lyrics and vocals, they are also known for their fabulous live shows, many of which have been performed at castles and other exceptional venues that add to the mystique and warmth of their performance. Blackmore's Night has appeared nationwide on PBS and Discovery channel specials, and has been awarded the Best Album of the Year and Best Vocal Album of the year by NPR New Age Reporter for their past 7 studio CDs.
Autumn Sky brings us 14 new Blackmore's Night songs, plus a cover of “Celluloid Heroes” from The Kinks. Recorded during Candice's pregnancy, Candice and Ritchie have dedicated the Autumn Sky album to their newly born daughter Autumn Esmerelda Blackmore.
Within Temptation Reveals Cover Artwork For New Album
Dutch metal vets Within Temptation have revealed the cover art for their forthcoming studio album 'The Unforgiving.' The artwork can be viewed here. "The Unforgiving" is scheduled for release in spring of 2011 through Roadrunner Records
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Enjoy The Ride Records To Release The Starting Line Vinyl
Enjoy The Ride Records will be releasing The Starting Line's 'Make Yourself At Home' EP and 'With Hopes Of Starting Over' EP on 10" vinyl in March.
The release will be limited to 500 and will be available to pre-order in February.
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Low Anthem Reveal Details New Album
The Low Anthem have revealed the cover art for their new album, 'Smart Flesh,' which will be released February 22 via Nonesuch. The first 5,000 CDs will come in letterpress printed packages with a bonus disc featuring three unreleased tracks from the 'Smart Flesh' recording sessions. In addition, the first 5,000 vinyl copies will come in exclusive letterpress packages.
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Victoria record store celebrates 25 years in business
Midnite Rambler Collectibles is a music library in vinyl form. Rows of records line the shelves, while the overflow sits piled wherever there is room.
It might appear to be a sort of chaos, but it's an organized chaos. Owner Ruben Flores said he knows what he has in stock and where to find it.
That's the sort of savvy that comes naturally after years in the biz.
The business just celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Tacoma is home to many avid record collectors, some who also happen to be hip-hop producers
As far as the masses are concerned, vinyl records were eclipsed by tapes decades ago. But records still hold a special place in hip-hop culture. Producers use them to "sample," which is to cut brief segments out of a record and piece them into a beat - a common method made mainstream by producers like Kanye West and Just Blaze.
These days, finding rare records is a hobby all in itself - one many in Tacoma call their passion.
Everything for sale, including that Rolling Stones autographed guitar
PRLog (Press Release) The end of an era. After serving the Tampa Bay area for almost 30 years, Vinyl Fever, located at 4110 Henderson Blvd. in South Tampa, will close its doors at the end of February. Known for its knowledgeable staff and extensive, eclectic selection of new and used CDs, vinyl records and related merchandise, Vinyl Fever has drawn customers from across the state and beyond. Recently voted one of the Top 25 record stores in the country by Rolling Stone magazine, Vinyl Fever (http://www.vinylfevertampa.com/) endured in no small part because its crew lives and breathes music, passionately providing customers with information and an experience they cannot get at other stores.
“It has been a great run,” says Owner/Manager Lee Wolfson. “We feel honored and fortunate to have lived such a long business life doing what we love. We would have liked to make it to 33 and 1/3 [years], but the combination of industry changes, a difficult economy, and the upcoming expiration of our lease has forced our hand.”
A CELEBRATION BEGINS
“We plan to celebrate and commemorate our 30 rocking years in Tampa. We’ll thank our customers and the community with blowout sales and special events, and hopefully leave everyone with great memories.”
Everything in the store will be sold, including the famous guitar autographed by the Rolling Stones that’s had a “Not for Sale” sign on it for years. For now, most items will be 30%-50% off.
THE BALLAD OF VINYL FEVER
As the independent music scene grew in the late 1970's, two idealistic bohemians named Sam and Dave pooled their personal record collections, music knowledge, and a few hundred bucks to open Singing Dog Records in Columbus, Ohio. Through their store they met Mike, who managed a similar store in Cleveland. Mike had lived in Tampa, was eager to return, and helped open Vinyl Fever in 1981. A Tallahassee store soon followed.
Dave's brother Lee followed in Dave’s footsteps. Starting out at Singing Dog, Lee transferred to Tallahassee in 1984 and took charge of all of the stores in 1987. Over time, Vinyl Fever Tampa split from its sister stores, still managed by Lee and an amazing crew of music aficionados.
LOCATION & STORE HOURS
Vinyl Fever Tampa, 4110 Henderson Blvd. (West of Dale Mabry), Tampa
Monday – Friday: 11am – 9pm
Saturday: 10am – 9pm
Sunday: Noon – 7pm
Sound Stage Direct elaborates on why the love of vinyl is more visible and audible than ever today even with digital music format hogging the airwaves.
PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 06, 2011 – Doylestown, Pennsylvania – From the homes of baby boomer folks to college dorm rooms, it appears that an antique music medium has slowly been resurfacing amidst today’s modern age. Vinyl’s got its groove back, it seems, and Sound Stage Direct couldn’t be happier.
The company caters to the vinyl-appreciating crowd which, compared to track records from early on, are enjoying a slow but steady increase of supporters. According to Seth Frank, the unattractive audio quality from mp3 players has made audiophiles turn to other mediums to enjoy their music and have found a rare gem in vinyl records.
“Sales are up. We see purchases for new and old vinyl releases from music fans across various ages and music genres.” says Frank. This is a bit surprising, considering how much the art of listening to music has changed through the years.
Music shops have cassette tapes and CDs, and the internet offers mp3 music files, most of them for free. So why would anyone bother to pore through stacks of bulky old albums that won’t even fit inside his pocket? Yet this is exactly why vinyl records appeal to music enthusiasts who are looking for the perfect listening experience.
Vinyl record collectors are in it not just because of the warm nuanced feel of each track from a vinyl album. The cover of a vinyl record, for one, is something tangible and allows the listener to go over the song lyrics of each track, hold it with his hands, and admire the artistry unique only in vinyl album cover art.
Listening to a vinyl record is indeed not only a musical experience but a social phenomenon as well. It offers an opportunity for fans of the same artists to convene in a room and comment on the vinyl record foldout photos. Fans of artists like The Doors or the more modern The White Stripes can talk openly with something tangible in their hands, making the vinyl listening experience more socially interactive, as opposed to listening to a track alone with an mp3 player.
Vinyl’s still got it going on, and from the way it looks and sound it will take a lot more than just digitalized music to stop vinyl enthusiasts from showing their appreciation for vinyl.
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SoundStage Direct, LLC is an online independent store based in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. SSD has the largest selection of new releases and vinyl reissues online. And you don’t want to miss amazing closeout deals available at our LP outlet! We have vinyl LPs in every genre and in a variety of formats available ready to be shipped at your doorstep.
Tracklisting and cover art for this year's Grammy nominees compilation have been unveiled by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. The album includes 19 hit singles from 2011 nominated musicians and will be made available for purchase across United States on January 25.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the album will benefit the MusiCares Foundation and the Grammy Foundation, two charitable organizations established by the Recording Academy.
1. Cee-Lo - "Forget You" - Record of the Year, Song of the Year
2. B.o.B ft. Bruno Mars - "Nothin' on You" - Record of the Year
3. Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg - "California Gurls" - Album of the Year
4. Lady GaGa ft. Beyonce Knowles - "Telephone" - Album of the Year
5. Eminem ft. Rihanna - "Love The Way You Lie" - Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year
6. Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now" - Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year
7. Arcade Fire - "Ready To Start" - Album of the Year
8. Adam Lambert - "Whataya Want From Me" - Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
9. John Mayer - "Half of My Heart" (with Taylor Swift) - Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
10. Michael Buble - "Haven't Met You Yet" - Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
11. Bruno Mars - "Just The Way You Are" - Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
12. Michael Jackson - "This Is It" - Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
13. Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs - "Beg Steal or Borrow" - Song of the Year
14. Miranda Lambert - "The House That Built Me" - Song of the Year
15. Sade - "Babyfather" - Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
16. Paramore - "The Only Exception" - Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
17. Train - "Hey, Soul Sister" (Live) - Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
18. Maroon 5 - "Misery" - Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
19. "Glee" cast - "Don't Stop Believin' " (Regionals Version) - Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
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Just a bit of trivia for you:
The Artists With the Most U.S. Number One Singles
1 The Beatles 20
2 Elvis Presley 18
3 Mariah Carey 15
4 Michael Jackson 13
5 The Supremes 12
6 Madonna 12
7 Whitney Houston 11
8 Stevie Wonder 10
9 Janet Jackson 10
10 George Michael 10
11 Elton John 9
12 Paul McCartney 9
13 Bee Gees 9
14 Rolling Stones 8
15 Phil Collins 7
16 Pat Boone 6
17 Hall and Oates 6
18 Diana Ross 6
19 Paula Abdul 6
20 Eagles 5
21 Four Seasons 5
22 Prince 5
23 KC & the Sunshine Band 5
24 Olivia Newton-John 5
25 Barbra Streisand 5
26 Lionel Richie 5
27 Bon Jovi 5
28 Boyz II Men 5
29 Puff Daddy 5
CD One: Original 15-song album, newly remastered from original master tapes
CD Two: Live performance on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" - previously commercially unavailable - PLUS four rare tracks, three previously unreleased
Double-CD and 180-gram vinyl double-LP packages available starting March 29, 2011, through Columbia/Legacy
NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- An artist who bridged East Coast and West Coast roots-rock movements, and led the next generation of post-2000 acoustic-based singer-songwriters, Pete Yorn now receives a well-deserved tribute with musicforthemorningafter: 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION. This double-disc repackaging of his classic debut album will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting March 29, 2011, through Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.
Prior to the release, Pete Yorn returns to the road for a major 27-city headlining North American tour. Dates begin February 14th at the Marquee in Tempe, Arizona; and conclude two months later on April 22nd at Center Stage in Atlanta. (Please see complete itinerary below.)
Released by Columbia Records on March 27, 2001, musicforthemorningafter has now been newly remastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Bob Ludwig. The original 15-song album comprises CD One of this commemorative 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION. Collectors will note that the final track of the album, which has remained an unindexed "hidden" track in catalog all these years, is now formally indexed and identified: "A Girl Like You."
The 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION adds a second CD, which starts with the entire acoustic performance given by Yorn and his band on "Morning Becomes Eclectic," the popular radio program hosted by Nic Harcourt at KCRW-FM in Santa Monica. The show reprised about half the songs on the album ("Life On A Chain," "Strange Condition," "Sense," "For Nancy ('Cos It Already Is)," "On Your Side," "Just Another," "Murray"), plus a cover of the Smiths' "Panic," and an interview segment.
The KCRW show took place on the day of the album release, March 27, 2001. Although promotional copies were circulated, and material subsequently turned up as bonus tracks on various releases, it has never been commercially available in its entirety until now. The band included Pete on vocals and acoustic guitar, musicforthemorningafter album producer R. Walt Vincent on bass, long-time college bandmates Waz on guitar and Joe Kennedy on piano and electric guitar; and Scott Cougan on bongos and percussion.
The rest of CD Two comprises four rarities: A previously unreleased demo version of "Closet" (from Yorn's personal archive); a previously unreleased song titled "The Barber" that was cut during the musicforthemorningafter sessions; "Knew Enough To Know Nothing At All," which has appeared as a bonus track and a B-side on various vinyl configurations in Europe and Japan; and "Life On A Chain (Hooky's Mix)," a previously unreleased mix by Brad Wood (another musicforthemorningafter album producer) made especially for this 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION.
musicforthemorningafter: 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION will be available as a two-CD set, and also as a special two-LP set on 180-gram vinyl. The two-CD set will include a new liner notes essay written by Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke, along with a personal note written by Yorn to his fans.
At the time of its release, musicforthemorningafter sent critics into a tailspin, as they attempted to nail down Pete Yorn's sound. "Yorn's influences," Entertainment Weekly wrote, "from Springsteen to Pavement, cast too strong a shadow. But he effectively marries creaky jam-band vibes and swirly indie-rock riffs and even makes a simple 'uh uh uh uh uh' chorus ('Murray') sound amazingly fresh," referring to the song Pete wrote in New Zealand, after reading Heroes & Villains, the biography of the Beach Boys and their father, Murray Wilson. "I like an element of mystery," Pete said in 2001, "I don't want to explain myself. I couldn't really if I tried. I don't think it would make much sense to anybody anyway."
In fact, Pete Yorn was just a regular kid from suburban Montville, New Jersey, born in 1974 to regular parents – his father, a dentist, and his mother, a former concert pianist turned schoolteacher. At age nine, Pete taught himself to play his older brother's drum kit, and it was '80s classic rock – "Rush, Black Sabbath, and Van Halen," as he told Details – that was his first point of reference. Later on, a girlfriend turned him on to Morrissey and the Smiths, and Echo & the Bunnymen; R.E.M. and Big Star also figured into the mix. And of course, the Boss was unavoidable – early shows a decade later might include Pete's cover of "New York City Serenade" from 1973's The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle.
By the time he was in high school, Pete was playing drums in basement bands with names like Backgammon For Troubled Youth. One story recalls his bandmates talking him into singing the Replacements' "Talent Show" – at a talent show – even though he'd never sung in public before. It caused such a stir that a competing band cajoled Pete back onstage to sing Neil Young's "Rockin' In the Free World" with them. He never looked back. It was a quick segue to his first blush of songwriting.
Pete graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in communications, and headed to Los Angeles to seek work composing for film and television. His brother Rick was a highly successful agent there, representing an A-list of Hollywood stars; their other brother Kevin was an equally successful entertainment lawyer with his own A-list. When Pete started playing out at clubs, it was not uncommon to see a quorum of these celebs in the audience. Early fans of Pete's music ran the gamut from Liz Phair and Hole's Eric Erlandson, to Ed Burns, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, and Wynona Ryder. One patron was the Farrelly brothers' longtime producer Bradley Thomas, who caught Pete's sets at Largo and took a copy of his demo.
Within a week, Pete received a phone call from Thomas, and the Farrellys, with "Life On A Chain" cranking in the background in their office, asking if he wanted to score their new film, Me, Myself & Irene, starring Jim Carrey. They were intentionally looking for someone who'd never done a score before; it took Pete and R. Walt Vincent three weeks to complete the score in Vincent's garage. In addition to the score, the film (released June 2000) also included Pete's original compositions, "Strange Condition" and "Just Another." The soundtrack album (Elektra), predominantly Steely Dan covers by major artists, also included "Strange Condition," which was soon discovered by Modern Rock and Triple-A programmers. "Just Another" made waves when it was heard on an episode of Dawson's Creek.
At the same time, Pete had won the heart of Columbia Records' A&R, and was working on his debut album. He was paired with several producers, including Vincent, who had a large following after his work on Jonathan Elias' The Prayer Cycle (Sony Music, 1999), a fascinating spiritual-based symphonic work with the London Chamber Orchestra and vocal soloists including Alanis Morissette, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ofra Haza.
Besides Vincent and Pete himself, other producers on musicforthemorningafter included the ubiquitous Don Fleming (Gumball, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Teenage Fanclub); Brad Wood (Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins, Ben Lee); and Ken Andrews. As a result of loyal radio airplay for "Strange Condition" (which hit #36 on Billboard's Modern Rock Chart) and "Life On A Chain" (#35 on the Adult Top 40 chart), the album sold strong and steady throughout the decade, surpassing RIAA gold with sales north of 650,000 copies to date.
Pete Yorn's first three albums on Columbia Records constituted a trilogy of sorts, a day-in-the-life (although he would not admit that it was an intentional release concept): musicforthemorningafter (2001), Day I Forgot (2003), and Nightcrawler (2006). His next album (and final for Columbia) was appropriately titled Back and Fourth (June 2009). Three months after its release, Yorn returned on a new label (ATCO/Rhino) for an album of duets with Scarlett Johansson, the 29-minute Break Up (September 2009), reportedly inspired by Serge Gainsbourg's 1967 and '68 collaborations with Brigitte Bardot. Most recently, Pete was back on a new label (Vagrant) with the self-titled Pete Yorn (2010), produced by Frank Black of the Pixies.
(2 CDs)
(vinyl)
Vinyl
(vinyl reissue)
