New Releases & Staff Picks - 12/5/25

STAFF PICKS
 DARIO - Makaya McCraven reissue
ASH - Melody’s Echo Chamber
 JAKE - Jaimie Branch reissue
KIMBER - Khruangbin
MARY - Daft Punk
ZACH - Daniel Johnston and Gogol Bordello reissues
DREW - Nick Cave
TY- Kings of Convenience

KHRUANGBIN - Universe Smiles Upon You II CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
If you could go back in time ten years, what would you want to tell yourself? This was a question Khruangbin posed to themselves when approaching the ten-year anniversary of their debut album, the once cult classic, now genre-defining work The Universe Smiles Upon You. If we could go back and tell ourselves how much was going to happen to us after that record, what would we want to celebrate? asked Laura Lee, bassist, vocalist, and founding member of the band. Instead, they thought: Let's do it again. The Universe Smiles Upon You II was recorded on January 4-6, 2025, in the same family barn of guitarist Mark Speer, across the same dates where TUSUY was first conceived ten years earlier. Though the conditions were the same-dirt floor, brutally cold, minimal sound isolation, all takes live-the songs aren't. They're re-approached, some changed more than others, harnessing the lightning-in-a-bottle energy of TUSUY while discovering what would be unique this time around, in this stage of the band's life. The result moves like ripples on the water across ten hypnotizing tracks, the barn creating a sense of spaciousness, serenity and creative freedom, nearby wildlife (listen out for the birds on August Twelve II), rattles and creaks of the barn and all. It's a tapestry of small movements in nuanced arrangements, slowly revealing the new life, stories and character of someone you've met again for the first time in ten years.

MELODY'S ECHO CHAMBER - Unclouded CD/LP (Domino) 
On her fourth album, Unclouded, Melody’s Echo Chamber embarks on a life-affirming new chapter with an album that celebrates the present moment, whatever state we find ourselves in. There’s a continuity that runs through Melody’s Echo Chamber’s brand of psychedelic pop going back to 2012’s self-titled debut but now comes a perfectly executed shaking up of personnel.

WISP - If Not Winter LP  (Interscope Records)
Following her breakout EP, Pandora - amassing over 250 million global streams and solidifying her place at forefront of the underground - WISP's debut album, If Not Winter, is here. A testament to her ability to push the bounds of modern rock music, the twelve-song body of work showcases her distinctive and sophisticated sound, and dedication to storytelling.

JEB LOY NICHOLS / COLD DIAMOND & MINK - This House Is Empty Without You (Timmion Records) 
Wyoming-born troubadour Jeb Loy Nichols returns to Timmion Records with This House is Empty Without You, a timeless collection of soul-rooted songs that radiate warmth, wisdom, and quiet intensity. Backed once again by Timmion's house band Cold Diamond & Mink, Jeb delivers a full-length that sits comfortably among the label's finest - steeped in southern soul traditions, but carried by his unmistakable voice and lyrical touch. From the gently loping opener ‘First Night Away from Home’ to the closer ‘Time On My Hands,’ the album unfolds like a good summer book, best enjoyed with a warm breeze on your face.

TEMPORARY BLESSINGS - Sumbisori LP (Colemine Records)  
Temporary Blessings is the new project led by stalwart Melbourne trumpet player / composer Liam McGorry. Assembled to realise McGorry's compositions drawing on 1960s Italian & French soundtrack music, Temporary Blessings brings together trusted instrumentalists and fellow travelers from Melbourne's rich enclave of cinematic soul. With Liam at the helm, the group is composed of members of Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo, Saskwatch and Let Your Hair Down. The resulting recordings realise McGorry's sonic visions of film noir, giallo, library music and cinematic soul, captured live in one room with what the maestro describes as a shared spirit.

JONATHAN BLAKE - Homeward Bound (Blue Note Tone Poet Edition) LP (Blue Note Records) Imbued with warmth and swing, Johnathan Blake's 2021 Blue Note debut, Homeward Bound, was a celebration of life and legacy that introduced the drummer-composer's masterful modern jazz quintet, Pentad, featuring alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, keyboardist David Virelles, and bassist Dezron Douglas. This stereo Blue Note Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket.

DANIEL JOHNSTON  - In The 20th Century 16x Cassette Box (Joyful Noise)
As a label founded on cassette releases, Joyful Noise is proud to present Daniel Johnston In the 20th Century, a definitive collection of 16 remastered cassette albums, lovingly restored by longtime collaborator Kramer (Shimmy-Disc). The set is housed in a hand-crafted wooden case, screen-printed with Daniel’s artwork, hand-numbered in a limited edition of 999. It also includes a booklet with liner notes by Marc Masters and an exclusive mystery toy from the New York based art toy gallery Clutter in conjunction with Lunch Lady Studios. Johnston’s work endures not only for its originality, but for its honesty—and its unmatched emotional reach. He remains the patron saint of lo-fi music and the unlikely hero of a generation seeking beauty in imperfection. Joyful Noise (in partnership with Shimmy-Disc) is honored to support and deepen the legacy of Daniel Johnston in his chosen format. Today, that legacy also lives on through the Hi, How Are You Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mental health awareness and education, inspired by Daniel’s life and art.

OLIVIA RODRIGO - Live From Glastonbury (A BBC Recording) LP (Geffen Records)   Olivia Rodrigo releases Live From Glastonbury (A BBC Recording). This 2xLP encompasses Olivia's entire set from Glastonbury, including tracks from her record-breaking albums Sour and Guts, as well as duets of ‘Friday I'm In Love’ and ‘Just Like Heaven’ with The Cure's Robert Smith. Artists' net proceeds from ‘Friday I'm in Love’ and ‘Just Like Heaven,’ will benefit Doctors Without Borders.

JAIMIE BRANCH - Fly Or Die II: Bird Dogs Of Paradise (IA11) LP [Reissue/2019] (International Anthem)  
jaimie branch’s FLY or DIE II: bird dogs of paradise, originally released in the fall of 2019, was hugely anticipated in its time. Roughly a year before its release, and following the success of her debut album, branch whisked her incredible quartet across Europe for a string of performances. Across that November 2018 tour, the group stretched a songbook in-process to its limit, improvising en modo deconstructivo, tugging at the music’s edges and relentlessly morphing the sound of a four-fold liberation machine that included branch (trumpet), Chad Taylor (drums), Jason Ajemian (bass), and newcomer Lester St. Louis (cello), who had recently replaced Tomeka Reid.

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS - Live God LP (Play It Again Sam)  
Live God is a stunning testament to Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' Wild God World Tour 2024/2025. Across 15 tracks, the album captures the transcendent nature of those unforgettable shows, which were in Nick Cave's own words, an antidote to despair. The tracklist includes performances of the entirety of the acclaimed 2024 studio album Wild God, as well as catalog favorites like ‘Papa Won't Leave You,’ 'Henry,’ ‘From Her To Eternity,’and ‘Into My Arms.’

DAFT PUNK - Human After All (Remixes)  LP (WB Parlophone)
Human After All: Remixes is a remix album companion to Human After All. It was originally released March 2006 exclusively in Japan, and the limited edition came with two deluxe Daft Punk kubricks. Only 3000 copies were made. It features many rare remixes, many of which have been incorporated into the Alive 2007 tour.

GOGOL BORDELLO - East Infection LP [Reissue/2005] (Rude Records)
GOGOL BORDELLO - Multi Kontra Culti Vs Irony LP [Reissue/2002] (Rude Records)
GOGOL BORDELLO - Voi-La Intruder LP [Reissue/1999] (Rude Records)  
Vinyl LP reissues of the Brooklyn-based punk band’s first two studio albums and their 2005 EP.

THAD JONES / FRANK WESS / KENNY BURRELL - After Hours (Original Jazz Classics Series) LP [Reissue/1957] (Craft Recordings)  
After Hours is a 1957 album from the Prestige All Stars - led by trumpeter Thad Jones. Also including Frank Wess (flute, tenor sax), Mal Waldron (piano), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Paul Chambers (bass), and Art Taylor (drums), the album features 4 cuts, all composed by Mal Waldron. This new edition of the album is released as part of the Original Jazz Classics Series on 180-gram vinyl pressed at RTI with all-analog mastering from the original tapes at Cohearent Audio and a Stoughton Tip-On Jacket.

KINGS OF CONVENIENCE  - Peace Or Love LP [Reissue/2021]  (PIAS) 
2021's Peace or Love was a luminous return from Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience. With their trademark blend of intricate acoustic guitar work and feather-light harmonies, the album radiates warmth and intimacy. Highlights include the breezy "Rocky Trail," the tender "Catholic Country," and the shimmering "Fever." Relive the duo's timeless, understated folk-pop sound with an album of quiet beauty and connection, perfect for reflective listening.

MAKAYA MCCRAVEN  - Universal Beings (IA11) LP [Reissue/2018] (International Anthem)  
The 2018 release of Universal Beings, in many ways, feels like the moment that the dam broke for both Makaya McCraven and International Anthem. On one hand, it's a four-sided communal showcase of the inter-city exchange that had started to develop in the “new jazz” hubs, collecting group improvisations from New York, London, Chicago, and Los Angeles. On the other, it is an editing and post-production masterclass – the MVP of McCraven’s “organic beat music” concept – and a landmark moment where his cut-splice-reassembly chops shine as brightly as the players themselves.

NOFX - A To H LP (Fat Wreck)  
You can't overstate how big of a deal NOFX is for punk rock. They combined catchy music with smart, funny, and offensive lyrics that fans loved. They basically created the sound of '90s California punk and made it possible for the next wave of bands like Green Day and The Offspring to get huge. This LP is volume one of a collection of rarities, demos,& unreleased versions of NOFX songs - one for each letter of the alphabet. ‘Barcelona’ was originally conceived 12 years ago and is the newest and last NOFX song written and recorded post-NOFX's final shows.

SEA OF CORTEZ - Age Of Anxiety LP (Stickfigure Recordings)
Sea of Cortez formed in late 1996 when AJ Tamura (Bass/Vox) and Paul Canari (Guitar/Vox) were introduced to Jef Wright (Drums) through a mutual friend. Within a few months the trio from the west side of Phoenix played their first show - the first of many up to their final performance in May of 2000. A little challenging to put into one specific genre, Sea Of Cortez may have been referred to at the time as math rock, emo, screamo, post-punk, or hardcore – among others. Each band member contributed to songwriting, resulting in a sound collectively influenced by groups like Slint, Rodan, June of ‘44, Unwound, the Jesus Lizard, lowercase, and Blonde Redhead. Age of Anixety is the first 11 tracks of the Discography release on the Stickfigure Bandcamp.

COMING NEXT WEEK!
ARCA - @@@@ LP
J DILLA - Donuts Audiophile Edition CD/LP
THIS IS IS LORELEI - Hoho Boy CD/LP
HEALTH - Conflict DLC CD/LP
PORTUGAL THE MAN - Shish LP
90 DAY MEN - (It (Is) It) Critical LP
AESOP ROCK - I Heard It’s A Mess There Too CD/LP
NIGHTMARES ON WAX - Echo 45.. CD/LP