New Releases & Staff Picks - 11/7/25

STAFF PICKS
 DARIO - SML and Sessa
ASH - Ata Kak
 JAKE - SML and They are Gutting a Body of Water reissues
KIMBER - Mountain Goats
MARY -
ZACH - Alchemist & Armand Hammer, and Mountain Goats
DREW -

HAYLEY WILLIAMS - Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party CD/LP (Post Atlantic) 
After 20+ years spent fulfilling their contract for Atlantic Records - a contract Williams signed as a mere teenager - Paramore announced in December of 2023 that they were finally an independent band. This surprise collection is self-released by Hayley Williams on her new venture Post Atlantic. These songs come as the third batch of work released from Williams as a solo artist. The COVID-era saw her release two extraordinary albums - 2020's Petals For Armor and 2021's Flowers for Vases. Both albums were gorgeous and stark meditations on loss and offered up a contrast to the high-energy and up-tempo muscle she displays in Paramore. The record-epitomizing vulnerability and transformative growth-reveals a more mature and introspective side of Williams, said Pitchfork of Petals, and went on to say of Flowers her voice is undoubtedly the standout feature... husky and gentle, dangerous yet warm, and explained that the minimal production makes this a purposeful reset.

MIDLAKE - Bridge To Far LP (Midlake)  
Midlake returns with A Bridge To Far, their sixth studio album and most emotionally resonant work to date. Written and recorded in Denton, TX with producer Sam Evian, the record explores themes of hope, humility, and perseverance—blending the band’s cinematic folk-rock sound with renewed clarity and purpose.

MOUNTAIN GOATS - Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan CD/LP (Cadmean Dawn)
The Mountain Goats, led by singer-songwriter John Darnielle, have built a prolific and influential career in indie music since the early 1990s. Known for their vast discography of storytelling and literary lyricism, Darnielle is regarded as one of the most distinctive voices in modern songwriting. Their work has a deep emotional resonance with their avid and loyal fanbase, built over the past 30 years. Today, we find Darnielle awoken from a dream where he titled an album Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan, with no sense of sonic direction in the dream, then proceeded to write the entire album based off of this arbitrary title. Produced by the Mountain Goats' multi-instrumentalist Matt Douglas, who also co-wrote several songs, the record is embracing, inviting, and overflowing with melody and orchestration that extends far beyond the boundaries of their past work.

MAVIS STAPLES - Sad & Beautiful World CD/LP (ANTI)  
Grim days call for fierce love. And Mavis Staples, one of the most enduring figures in American music, is laying it down. Sad And Beautiful World is the latest solo album from a national treasure and multigenerational talent. Produced by Brad Cook, Sad And Beautiful World spans seven decades of the American songbook - a range nearly as vast as Mavis' career - and includes reinventions of timeless songs by Tom Waits, Sparklehorse, Gillian Welch, Frank Ocean and more. Cook imagined an album in the tradition of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will the Circle Be Unbroken, a group of artists coming together to celebrate community - in this case, one centered on Mavis. Collaborators include Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Derek Trucks, Katie Crutchfield, MJ Lenderman, and Justin Vernon. Inducted into several halls of fame (Blues, Rock, and Gospel), a Kennedy Center Honoree, a winner of multiple GRAMMYs (including a Lifetime Achievement Award), Mavis is musical history. She's collaborated with nearly every major figure of her era(s), from Bob Dylan to Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Willie Nelson - not to mention countless stars from subsequent generations.

SML - How You Been CD/LP  (International Anthem)
SML is the quintet of bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum, and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann. Their second album, How You Been, finds the supergroup of prolific composer/producers pushing ever further into the hyperrealist, collectivist approach to music creation nascently explored on their debut Small Medium Large, which was lauded as “awe-inspiring” by Glide, “exuberant” by the Los Angeles Times, and “an exciting milestone” by Pitchfork.

SESSA - Pequena Vertigem De Amor CD/LP (Mexican Summer)  
An intimate meditation on love and transformation, Pequena Vertigem de Amor (Little Love Vertigo), the new album from celebrated Brazilian artist Sessa, was written over two years shaped by first fatherhood. Entwining Tropicalia textures, cosmic soul, and late-night samba-jazz with poetic essence, these songs expand Sessa's sound in electric, astral, and existential ways, while staying rooted in the deep, tender feeling of lived experience.

ARMAND HAMMER & ALCHEMIST - Mercy CD/LP (Rhymesayers) 
Armand Hammer and The Alchemist build worlds. Their first was Haram and it remains locked in orbit, equal parts lush and foreboding. Their new one is called Mercy and it’s made out of blood and empire, children’s laughter, unpaid parking tickets, and things that haven’t happened yet. Rappers ELUCID and billy woods are joined on the mic by Earl Sweatshirt, Quelle Chris, Cleo Reed, Pink Siifu, Kapwani, and Silka. The Alchemist did everything else.

STEVE GUNN - Daylight Daylight LP (No Quarter) 
American singer Steve Gunn has been at the vanguard of American experimental / guitar-oriented rock music for over a decade. After a trio of acclaimed albums recorded for Matador, Gunn recorded his 7th studio album in Chicago with producer James Elkington (whom also produced his 2019 record The Unseen In Between). Gunn opted for a more stripped back approach on Daylight Daylight, with the primary performances coming from Gunn and Elkington with additional contributions from: Nick Macri, Hunter Diamond, Ben Whiteley and Macie Stewart.

HUSKER DU - 1985: The Miracle Year 2xCD/4xLP (Numero)  
Hüsker Dü. Live. 1985. Need we say more? Witness the transcendent Minneapolis punk trio tearing into the most incendiary year of it's existence, captured live on stage at First Avenue in perhaps the highest fidelity recordings of the band's lauded SST era. This 2-CD (or 4-LP) edition includes Beau Sorenson's restoration of an entire January 30 1985 set, 20 extra live tracks from the year's touring schedule, and a booklet detailing twelve months of history-making Hüsker Dü. What is the sound of a legend being written?

SPEED - All My Angels CD/LP (Flatspot Records)  
[Available on clouded smoke vinyl with etched B-side and included zine] SPEED’s latest project, ALL MY ANGELS, is a three-track EP that reflects on the passing of three close friends in recent years. Those events brought intense heartbreak to their community, but over time, they’ve magnified what SPEED have always held as their central ethos: To love unconditionally, without fear or regret.

WEEZER - Hurley LP [Reissue/2010] (Crush Music)  
Weezer's beloved 2010 album, Hurley, back on vinyl for it's 15 year anniversary.

HATCHIE - Liquorice LP (Secretly Canadian)  
The cover of Liquorice, the third album from Australian indie pop artist Hatchie, features a closely cropped portrait of Harriette Pilbeam laughing, her smudged red lipstick suggesting the glorious aftermath of a kiss. Captured during a spontaneous backyard photoshoot using a dinky digital camera, the image encapsulates a record that is rough around the edges and joyfully undone with themes of longing, lust, and regret. Pilbeam began writing Liquorice in earnest while living in Brisbane over 2022-2023, and later at a home shared with Agius inMelbourne, ultimately completing the demos in mid-2024. As a musician who has previously worn her influences on her sleeve, Pilbeam strove to write from scratch without any specific musical influences in mind; allowing songs to breathe for weeks, rather than rushing ideas.

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MAC DEMARCO - Another One (10th Anniversary Edition) LP (Captured Tracks)  
Like in the days of Steely Dan, Harry Nilsson or Prince releasing a classic album every year (or less), ten years ago Mac DeMarco released the mini-LP Another One only about a year after the meteorically successful album Salad Days. An eight track release that expands the arsenal of Mac's already impressive catalog, Another One was conceived and recorded entirely by Mac at his house in Far Rockaway, Queens, and displays the maturity of Mac's progression as a songwriter: a little bit more refined, a little bit more sophisticated than his previous albums, but nonetheless chock-full of the guts and soul of any classic Mac release. The overall feeling of the mini-LP is lost love, or perhaps love never found, a topic that the world never tires of, and one that Mac can move through without it being a dour and somber experience. The record leaves you with the same satisfaction as an old Bogart movie: he's still the hero, but he doesn't quite get the girl. Great singer/songwriters don't need to reinvent themselves; they just need to keep going and let the songs out in the world, and with that, Mac DeMarco gave us Another One.This limited edition 10 year anniversary pressing collects both Another One and newly remastered Another One Demos on 2 LPs housed in a gatefold jacket and pressed on clear & blue Far Rockaway vinyl. Includes a 12 page booklet with new liners written by Mac, and previously unpublished photos from the era by Laura-Lynn Petrick.

HELADO NEGRO - Last Sound On Earth LP (Big Dada Records)  
Helado Negro’s forthcoming EP The Last Sound on Earth is a collection of songs inspired by a morbid curiosity of what the last sound one would hear before dying. With ever-growing anxiety with the state of current affairs, songs on this EP contain profound despair, anguish, and sadness for the world around us. In previous projects, Lange found positivity through music and dance, “I've found a way of moving my body on stage that gives me a direct, freeing feeling with the music.” these days, “The doom is real, and the gloom is unfortunate; I'm not sure how to make this any lighter.”

AMERICAN FOOTBALL - American Football (Live In Los Angeles) - LP  (Polyvinyl)   On October 12th & 13th, 2024, American Football performed two sold-out shows at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles - part of the band's 25th anniversary tour for their self-titled debut album. Featuring guest appearances from Ethel Cain and M.A.G.S., these special shows were recorded for American Football's first and only live album, American Football (Live in Los Angeles). To coincide with the album's release, the band teamed up with Prophet Media and director Steph Rinzler for the release of a full-length concert film, featuring candid interviews with the band, Ethel Cain, Yvette Young, and M.A.G.S. Both the film and album captures the legacy and unexpected staying power of a group that helped define a genre. After quietly releasing their self-titled debut album in 1999 while still in college, American Football disbanded after the album's release to focus on other projects, only to reunite 15 years later to a fanbase that had been consistently growing throughout the underground / emo scene. The album later appeared on Rolling Stone's 40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time list at #6, with Pitchfork giving it's deluxe reissue the Best New Reissue title, calling it the most influential album in the genre.

CHANCE THE RAPPER - Acid Rap LP [Reissue/2013] (CTR LLC)  
Chance the Rapper's Acid Rap is a mixtape that defined a generation and put Chicago hip-hop on the map globally. For it's 10th anniversary, we've pressed a special edition vinyl - the first official physical release of a project fans have only ever streamed or downloaded. This is more than a reissue - it's a piece of hip-hop history that collectors, day-one fans, and new listeners alike will want to own.

KEVIN ABSTRACT - Blush - LP (Kevin Abstract)  
“I've always wanted to make an album like Blush. In ways I've made records like this before but I've never produced em at this level of quality when it boils down to storytelling and sonic shaping. Last summer was heavy, awful. I lost the love of my life. It got so bad that I had to leave California. I went back to Texas to link w my day ones. Family, ya know? Ya boy had to slow things down and look in the mirror, and be a grown up. Cut the bitch stuff out. I was like, oh, ok. I AM 100% AT MY BEST when I'm directing other artists; 2001 & The Chronic. Blush. When I went to jail over some bullshit out in Conroe, I realized how much I care about my work and my audience. And also how I've taken so many things for granted for so long. Not only did I feel guilty, I felt small. I believe God finds their way into my thoughts more often than less &&& I know that I am beyond lucky to be able to have a shot at this thing. This career, this industry, this art-form. My life. Thanks. I care a lot. I'm strong. I got us. BLUSH is the way. June 2025. P.S., I love Peter but leaving Sony has helped me find my way back to being me. Because I am 17 again even though I'm 28. 29 next month btw. Anyway, see y'all in a week or so. This album is my favorite one so far..” Cliff Simpson, Sent from Hawaii. 2xLP Sky Blue Vinyl in Gatefold Jacket with Printed Inner Sleeves and 36 x 24 Folded Insert. Includes extra track Doggy.

KID CUDI  - Free! LP (Republic) 
Grammy-winning, multi-platinum, Cleveland-born rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor is back with his 13th studio album, Free! With Kid Cudi’s impressive 30B+ global streams to date leading the way, he collaborated with Justin Tranter on this release. Kid Cudi has major plans in 2025, including upcoming festival and live show dates, a memoir release, and more. 2 LP set on standard black vinyl.

THE CLIENTELE - Violet Hour LP [Reissue/2003] (Merge Records)  
Long out of print and highly sought after since it's initial 2003 UK issue on Pointy, this vinyl reissue marks the first time The Violet Hour by The Clientele has been available on the format in North America. Following the breakthrough success of Suburban Light, the 2001 collection of singles and EPs, tastemakers and aficionados were eager to hear what the trio of Alasdair MacLean (guitars, vocals), Mark Keen (drums, piano), and James Hornsey (bass) could make if set loose inside a studio to record a full-length album. What they emerged with from London's Medina Road Studios in the fall of 2002 was tantalizing: Their already sharply realized motif of '60s psychedelia and modern fuzz-pop took on inflections of jazz, particularly in how the space afforded by the LP format allowed for a keener articulation of atmosphere.

DEERHOOF - Friend Opportunity LP [Reissue/2007] (Joyful Noise) 
In his sparkly white jumpsuit days, Elvis would sometimes be moved so deeply by music that he'd strike the Inverted Claw - a gesture of pure exultation. That's the spirit Deerhoof channels. Their music lifts you, surprises you, and drops you into moments of pure joy. On previous albums, one of Deerhoof's main weapons was negative space - the stunning silences between beats and chords hit harder than any clang and clash of guitars and cymbals. Deerhoof were like painters who'd leave bare patches of canvas to highlight their strokes. On Friend Opportunity, however, they're inclined to fill in every square inch, inviting us to revel in every brilliant corner. Songs like Perfect Me, Believe in E.S.P. and Choco Fight are vastly more groove-oriented - and yeah, sexy - than anything they've ever done. There's the towering, odd-metered guitar riffarama of Chavez, the heavy metal thunder of Stravinsky, the damaged curlicues of Gastr del Sol, the klang und schtomp of Led Zeppelin, Japan's illustrious line of breathtakingly innovative female-dominated bands like Ex-Girl and Melt Banana.

ODDISEE - En Route LP (Mello Music)
En Route is Oddisee’s latest EP—a soulful snapshot of motion and meaning. Each track is a reflection of movement—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Its music for the journey, wherever you're headed. One time pressing on CD

SUMMER SALT - Reside LP (Alternate Side)  
On their fourth LP, Reside, Summer Salt continue the push and pull between where they've been and where they're going, honoring the sun-soaked charm that won them their devoted fanbase while exploring new creative terrain. Reside is an album that lives between stations - comfort and curiosity, ease and experimentation - and reflects a band not just willing to reimagine their identity without losing their essence, but feeling profoundly moved to do so. Even after it's final notes fade, Reside lingers, the sort of feelings that stick with you after the sun has set, the summer has slipped away, and the golden haze of memory begins to clear. In those quiet, reflective moments, Summer Salt's music hums: familiar and full of feeling. It's a gentle reminder of the past and a nudge toward the future, but also the stillness of the now. You'll get where you're going eventually. Until then, be where you are.

ATA KAK - Batakari LP (Awesome Tapes From Africa) 
Ata Kak created a peculiar slice of Ghanaian music history with his debut album Obaa Sima. While it barely made a ripple at the time of it's release in 1994, the cassette found a new life online in 2006. A not-so-underground cult obsession grew after it appeared on the blog Awesome Tapes From Africa as it's very first post, a sort of manifesto for the project. His addictive amalgam of left-field electronic music and Twi-language hiplife reached surprising levels of awareness among music fans of many stripes. The mystery behind the musician's identity grew. Eventually Yaw Atta-Owusu came out of the shadows, from his quiet home in Kumasi, to tour the world playing high-energy, sweat-soaked performances at major festivals like Glastonbury, Sónar and Pop Montreal. Now, for the first time since 1994, Ata Kak releases new music. Honed in studios around Kumasi over the last several years, the songs feature the rapper-singer's acrobatic rap, signature scatting, dramatic drums and even traditional Akan harp. The compositions are more ambitious than his earlier work, with more complex arrangements and layered harmonies.

RIDE - This Is Not A Safe Place LP [Reissue/2019] (Wichita Records)
RIDE - Weather Diaries LP [Reissue/2017] (Wichita Records)
Limited colored vinyl reissues.

THEY ARE GUTTING A BODY OF WATER - Destiny Xl LP [Reissue/2019] (ATO)  
THEY ARE GUTTING A BODY OF WATER - Gestures Been LP [Reissue/2018]  (ATO)
THEY ARE GUTTING A BODY OF WATER - Lucky Styles [Reissue/2022]  (ATO)
TAGABOW’s second, third and fourth albums now widely available for the first time.

COMING NEXT WEEK!
PAVEMENT - Pavements OST CD/LP
PAVEMENT - Heckler’s Choice: Greatest Hits CD/LP
GREEN DAY - Warning CD/LP Reissue
COLTER WALL - Memories and Empties CD/LP
JAMIE XX - In Colour 10th Anniversary LP Reissue
DRIVE BY TRUCKERS - Definitive Decoration Day CD/LP
TONY MOLINA - On This Day LP
SHLOHMO - Bad Vibes LP reissue
CONNAN MOCKASIN - Caramel LP Reissue
OASIS - Familiar to Millions CD/LP Reissue
JESUS AND MARY CHAIN - Psychocandy (40th Anniversary) CD/LP
JAKE XERXES FUSSELL - Rebuilding CD/LP