New Releases & Staff Picks - 1/9/26

STAFF PICKS
 DARIO - Dry Cleaning
ASH - Zig-Zag Band
 JAKE - Dry Cleaning
KIMBER - Zig-Zag Band
MARY - Dry Cleaning
ZACH - The Cribs
DREW - Dry Cleaning
TY - Dry Cleaning

DRY CLEANING - Secret Love CD/LP  (4AD)  
Produced by Cate Le Bon, Secret Love started life in Peckham rehearsal spaces, all members – frontperson Florence Shaw, guitarist Tom Dowse, drummer Nick Buxton and bassist Lewis Maynard – writing, playing and responding to each other in the room: in Dry Cleaning, music and lyrics form an inseparable, generative whole. The follow-up to Stumpwork evolved through affirming sessions at Jeff Tweedy’s Chicago studio the Loft and explosive ones with Gilla Band’s Alan Duggan and Daniel Fox at Sonic Studios in Dublin, taking advantage of the sonic particulars of each space, and finally with Cate Le Bon at Black Box in the Loire Valley.

SHLOHMO - Repulsor LP (R&R) 
Shlohmo is a pioneering experimental producer from Los Angeles. Repulsor is his first original music since 2019's The End and includes the lead single Chore Boy featuring SALEM.

SHLOHMO - Bad Vibes LP [Reissue/2011] (Friends of Friends)
Shlohmo’s groundbreaking debut LP back on vinyl.

THE CRIBS - Selling A Vibe CD/LP (Play It Again Sam)  
Brothers won't break. Not these brothers, at least - Gary, Ryan and Ross Jarman, known collectively as The Cribs. After two decades and nine albums as one of Britain's best-loved bands, the Wakefield-born siblings have weathered enough storms to realise that an indestructible bond exists between them. That bond is at the heart of Selling A Vibe - their bold new album, produced by MGMT and Caroline Polachek collaborator Patrick Wimberley, and an unapologetic celebration of family. The last Cribs album, Night Network, looked to the world like a triumph, but separated by the pandemic, the brothers reflected on what their relationship had become. In the beginning, we were brothers who had a band. And I think we realised we'd become a band that happened to be brothers, says Ryan. The record features bittersweet anthems like ‘Distractions,’ the danceable ‘Self Respect,' and the hazardously catchy ‘A Point Too Hard To Make.’ Wimberley helped the group adopt contemporary pop recording techniques for the first time, pushing their sound in new directions. Selling A Vibe closes with ‘Brothers Won't Break,’ a song about being in a band with your brothers, and owning what that means. There's something special about being in The Cribs with them, says Gary.

ZIG-ZAG BAND - Chigiyo Music Kings 1987-1998 LP (Analog Africa)  
Emerging in the early 1980s, Zig-Zag Band established themselves as one of Zimbabwe's most distinctive musical voices. Hailing from the small town of Kwekwe, Zig-Zag Band appeared out of nowhere and revolutionised the 80s music scene with a new sound. They crafted a bold and original style defined as Chigiyo - a vibrant fusion of reggae, traditional rhythms, brass arrangements and mbira-inspired guitar. With intricate guitar lines, infectious dance rhythms, and raw, soulful Shona vocals, they pushed beyond genre boundaries. While many contemporaries opted for commercially safer routes, Zig-Zag remained fiercely independent, committed to authenticity and innovation. Despite the loss of nearly all original members over the years, Gilbert Zvamaida - now based in the U.S. and performing with Thomas Mapfumo's Blacks Unlimited - continues to carry the torch. As the last surviving founding member, he remains a guardian of Chigiyo, keeping it's legacy alive for future audiences. Housed in a limited edition 3-color screen printed cover, which also includes a download voucher - this compilation brings Zig-Zag Band's groundbreaking music back into the spotlight- celebrating their unique contribution to Zimbabwean culture and reintroducing a vibrant, underappreciated catalogue to a new generation of listeners.

STEELY DAN - Everything Must Go LP [Reissue/2003] (Rhino)  
Limited clear vinyl LP pressing. Steely Dan's final studio album, Everything Must Go (2003), returns in a beautifully remastered 180-gram clear vinyl edition. Featuring Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's unmistakable blend of jazz-steeped sophistication, sharp wit, and immaculate studio precision, this reissue presents the album with new depth, warmth, and definition. Highlights like ‘Blues Beach,’ ‘Godwhacker,’ and the groove-driven title track showcase the band's late-era confidence and cohesion, recorded largely with a live-in-the-room feel that sets it apart from their earlier work. Pressed on premium 180-gram clear vinyl and housed in a faithful reproduction of the original packaging, this edition offers a rich listening experience worthy of Steely Dan's storied legacy.

STEELY DAN - Two Against Nature LP [Reissue/2000] (Rhino)  
Double clear vinyl LP pressing. Steely Dan's Grammy-winning 2000 comeback album Two Against Nature finally arrives in a stunning 180-gram clear vinyl edition. Meticulously remastered and pressed on high-quality audiophile vinyl, this reissue brings new dimension to the duo's sly grooves, razor-sharp arrangements, and ultra-precise production. Featuring standout tracks like ‘Cousin Dupree,' 'Jack of Speed,’ and ‘What a Shame About Me,’ the album showcases Donald Fagen and Walter Becker at their most sophisticated-melding jazz-inflected harmonies, immaculate studio craft, and their signature dark-humored storytelling. Housed in a faithful reproduction of the original artwork, this deluxe pressing offers exceptional clarity, warmth, and presence-an essential upgrade for Steely Dan devotees and audiophiles alike.

VAN HALEN - Live At Wembley 1995 LP  (RHINO)
Vinyl LP pressing. Live from Wembley 1995 spotlights Van Halen live in concert from London's Wembley Stadium on their Balance Tour. The explosive eight-song performance, recorded on June 24, 1995 features an anthemic mix of the band's biggest hits and deep cuts.

COMING NEXT WEEK!
SLEAFORD MODS - Demise Of Planet X CD/LP
COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS - Valentine CD/LP
CAVETOWN - Running With Scissors CD/LP
LANGHORNE SLIM - Dreamin’ Kind CD/LP
XIU XIU - Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu Vol 1 LP
JANA HORN - S/T CD/LP
ARCHY MARHSALL - New Place 2 Drown Instrumentals LP
A$AP ROCKY - Don’t Be Dumb LP