New Releases & Staff Picks - 2/27/26

STAFF PICKS
 DARIO - Bill Frisell and Bill Callahan
ASH - Soul Jazz comp
 JAKE - Geese
KIMBER - Iron and Wine
MARY - Bill Callahan, Buck Meek, and Gorillaz
ZACH - Lala Lala, Gorillaz, Buck Meek and Nothing
DREW - Nothing

MITSKI - Nothing's About To Happen To Me CD/LP/CASS (Dead Oceans) 
Nothing's About to Happen to Me is the eighth studio album by Mitski. All songs and vocals are by Mitski. The album was produced and engineered by Patrick Hyland and mastered by Bob Weston, with assistance on drums and logistics from Kris Bulakowski. Continuing the musical through line established with The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, the album features live instrumentation by The Land touring band and ensemble arrangements. The orchestra was recorded at Sunset Sound and TTG Studios, arranged and conducted by Drew Erickson, engineered by Michael Harris, with additional engineering by Isaac Diskin and assistance from Alex Miller. Mitski is currently writing the music and lyrics for the musical adaptation of The Queen's Gambit. Her concert film, Mitski: The Land, recently had it's cinematic release in 27 countries, and was accompanied by The Land: The Live Album. 

BUCK MEEK - The Mirror CD/LP (4AD)
A gleaner of the forgotten, Buck Meek tips over the familiar and turns the unknown into a companion. On The Mirror, the artist's fourth solo record and second released by 4AD, there's a tender power, countered by immutable vulnerability. With an uncanny curiosity, Meek conjures twin worlds to reveal the uniqueness in the mundane. Inviting in reflection as collaborator and demon as friend, The Mirror doesn't seek to know but to ask, looking to the shape of a question rather than the illusion of it's answer. Meek grew up in Wimberley, Texas, teenage protege to an old guard of mystic Texas songwriters and musicians. He later moved to New York where he met Adrianne Lenker. The two lived in a van while singing their songs across the country before forming Big Thief. The partnership of Meek and producer, James Krivchenia, emerged from a decade of work together in Big Thief. Conceptually, The Mirror emerged from the idea to combine Meek's band's live, kinetic energy with an oblique electronic world.

NOTHING - Short History Of Decay CD/LP (Run For Cover)  
Nothing have always been rule-breakers. Shoegaze renegades who've rebuilt the stereotypically lightweight genre in their own bloody knuckled American image. Outlaw poets spilling existential dread on mile-wide canvasses of fuzz and reverb. Beginning as a Philly-born bedroom solo project in 2010, Nothing's music has always captured the full scale of the human condition, both the blaring anger and the whispering sadness. a short history of decay, Nothing's fifth solo album and first for Run For Cover Records, widens that aperture even further, providing the most hi-def rendering of Nothing to date. The band have never sounded this colossal, never felt this intimate, never been this honest.

GORILLAZ - The Mountain CD/LP (Kong Studios Essex)  
The Mountain is Gorillaz’ ninth studio album, a collection of 15 new tracks featuring a stellar list of artists and collaborators. Jamie Hewlett’s album artwork captures the four much-loved animated band members - Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D – in a series of beautifully intricate, hand-drawn illustrations.

BILL CALLAHAN - My Days Of 58 CD/LP (Drag City)  
Bill Callahan continues to open uncanny depths of expression, blazing one of the most original singer-songwriter trails out there. Applying the living, breathing energies of his concerts to this album production, he sharpens his slice-of-life portraiture to cut deeper, releasing a stream of singalong consciousness: poetic, cinematic, novelistic, comedic - and above all - musical.

GEESE - Live At Third Man Records LP (Third Man Records)  
Just weeks before unveiling their highly anticipated third studio album Getting Killed, New York City's Geese took the stage at The Blue Room at Third Man Records in Nashville, TN, to debut the record in full. The special performance - recorded live, direct-to-acetate - captured the band's raw intensity and the electricity of a sold-out crowd hanging on every note. This one-of-a-kind live recording bottles the energy, urgency, and excitement surrounding one of the most talked-about bands of the moment.

IRON & WINE - Hen's Teeth CD/LP  (Sub Pop) 
“I've always wanted to use that title,” Sam Beam says of Hen's Teeth, his eighth full-length album and his sixth for Sub Pop Records. “I just love it. To me it suggests the impossible. Hen's teeth do not exist. And that's what this record felt like: a gift that shouldn't be there but it is.” Hen's Teeth and his previous album, Light Verse, are siblings of a sort. They were recorded during the same sessions after a year-long dry spell, with the same band, at Waystation studio in Laurel Canyon. “I'm at a point in my life where spontaneity is a lot more important to me. I'm a lot freer and I love making music more than ever. There are no right or wrong answers. You just pray for your luck and try your best. In this case prayers were answered and luck struck hard.”

BECK  - Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime LP (Capitol) 
A lovingly curated collection of rarities, deep cuts and cover versions by Beck on red vinyl. Featuring iconic tracks like "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" from the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack and a soulful rendition of "I Can't Help Falling In Love," this is a beautifully crafted collection of songs to add to Beck's iconic catalog of releases. Also features new recordings of "True Love Will Find You in the End" and "Your Cheatin' Heart."

LALA LALA - Heaven 2 CD/LP (Sub Pop)  
Lillie West has always made her music in response to an itch to always be moving. But, as she recently experienced a burgeoning desire to settle down, she realized that steadiness can beget creativity. That evolution is what fuels much of her new album as Lala Lala, Heaven 2. For many years, West lived in Chicago, where she established Lala Lala as part of that city's indie scene, releasing several records on the Sub Pop imprint Hardly Art. Those albums, The Lamb and I Want the Door to Open, were powerful statements from a curious artist: catchy guitar-pop songs about being stuck in the ups and downs of life, the struggle to stay sober, to leave town, to blow up your life. West left Chicago to search for more and, in the process, wrote her new album, Heaven 2. 

VAN MORRISON- Moondance LP [Reissue/1970] (Rhino Reserve)
Moondance is the brighter, more accessible counterpart to Astral Weeks: Van Morrison's first major commercial success that keeps the earlier album's spiritual depth while shifting from bleak intensity to themes of renewal and redemption. “Rhino Reserve” series on heavyweight 180 gram vinyl; Lacquers cut by Matthew Lutthans at Sterling Sound from the best available sources.

BRUNO MARS - Romantic CD/LP (ATLANTIC)
[CD available now, LP next week.] The fourth studio album from the global superstar and 16 time Grammy Award-winning artist marks Mars' first solo album release since 2017's 24k Magic and follows chart topping collaborations with Anderson.Paak as Silk Sonic, as well as smash hits with Lady Gaga and ROSÉ.

THE 1975 - I Like It When You Sleep… [10th Anniversary Deluxe] LP [Reissue/2016] (Interscope)  
The 1975 released their second studio album - i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it- on February 26, 2016. Topping both the UK & US album charts, it spawned 7 singles. Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and The Guardian listed it as one of the best albums of 2016. Celebrating it's 10th anniversary, this 2-LP set is pressed on pink vinyl with alternate artwork and 17 12x12 art cards. Each card image represents a song with lyrics on the reverse.

BILL FRISELL - In My Dreams LP  (Blue Note Records)  
Bill Frisell's project, In My Dreams, is a family reunion of sorts, which brings some of the acclaimed guitarist's closest friends together into a unique sextet - featuring Jenny Scheinman on violin, Eyvind Kang on viola, Hank Roberts on cello, Thomas Morgan on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. Their deep musical history goes back decades, though never in this configuration, and together they travel wide expanses of American music including Frisell originals as well as jazz and Americana staples. Produced by Lee Townsend, the album is released as part of Frisell's 75th birthday celebrations.

PANIC AT THE DISCO - Fever You Can't Sweat Out [20th Anniversary] LP [Reissue/2006] (Atlantic)  
Double red apple colored vinyl LP pressing. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Panic! At the Disco's seminal debut album, this 2LP set brings together a comprehensive time capsule celebrating the record's impact. This release includes the original album remastered for the first time ever plus a second LP of 11 unreleased demos.

ANDREW BIRD - Mysterious Production Of Eggs (20th Anniversary) LP [Reissue/2006] (Wegawam Music Co)  
In 2003 Andrew Bird removed himself from the noise of city life in Chicago to work on his music in a barn in rural Illinois. The result was a career-defining record exploring childhood, creativity, and science with wit, precision, and ambition. The Mysterious Production of Eggs crystallized Bird's signature style and introduced the live-looping ingenuity that would define his performances for decades. Two decades later, it's influence still resonates throughout the indie world, inspiring artists and audiences alike. This year, Bird marks the milestone with a limited edition boxset, a re-issue of the original album, and anniversary tour, performing Eggs in full alongside the world's foremost symphony orchestras proving that some mysteries only grow richer with time.

SURF THROUGH DEATH - III LP  (Skate Through Life)  
Summon a sun-scorched portal of fuzzy, desert vibes. Recorded by Jeremy Parker @ The Noise Lab in Mesa, AZ Artwork by Nicola Mel @ A Spring of Murder

VINCE GUARALDI & BOLA SETE - From All Sides (Original Jazz Classics Series) LP [Reissue/1965] (Craft)  
From All Sides is a collaboration between guitarist Bola Sete and pianist Vince Guaraldi. Originally released on Fantasy in 1965, this was the second of three collaborations between the two. The album features a blend of Guaraldi's west coast piano and Sete's Latin jazz and bossa nova influences. 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 presented in a Stoughton tip-on jacket.

RISE AGAINST - Unraveling LP [Reissue/2001] (Fat Wreck)  
Rise Against remains a dominant force in rock, blending undeniable melodies with social commentary. Addressing injustice and inequality, the Chicago natives continue to break records, sell out arenas, and draw attention to vital progressive issues to their massive global audience. It all started back in 2001 when we received a demo from two former members of 88 Fingers Louie. It was their new band, Rise Against. We immediately signed them, got them in the studio, and released their debut album, The Unraveling. After it's hurried release, the band hit the road. Tour after tour, Rise Against slowly built a devoted fan base in the US and abroad. Looking back at The Unraveling, both the band and FAT felt that in the haste to get the record out, the production left something to be desired. Now that the band has grown and become more attuned to their specific sound, we decided to remix, remaster, and re-release the album. We didn't stop there; we also included two bonus songs from the same era.

VARIOUS - Junglist: Old Skool Ragga D&B Jungle LP (SOUL JAZZ)  
Soul Jazz Records new Junglist! Is a heavyweight new selection of classic and rare original jungle and features Krome & Time, Cutty Ranks, M-Beat, Bizzy B, Lemon D, Top Cat and more. Junglist! tells the story of how jungle and reggae came together to produce some of the heaviest tunes ever made. Get ready for more pounding basslines, fierce Amen breaks and heavyweight ragga vocals - strictly original jungle style from the earliest days of drum and bass. All these tracks date from 1993-95, at the height of jungle.

WES MONTGOMERY - Full House LP [Reissue/1962] (Craft) Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Full House is an album from influential jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, originally released on the Riverside label. Recorded live at Tsubo in Berkeley, California on June 25, 1962, the album also features Johnny Griffin (sax), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums). 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 presented in a Stoughton tip-on jacket. 180gram Vinyl LP

OSCAR PETERSON - Oscar Peterson Trio Plus One LP [Reissue/1964] (Verve)  
An August 1964 New York session that pairs Peterson's established trio - Ray Brown (bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums) - with guest Clark Terry (trumpet/flugelhorn). It marks a clear moment in Peterson's shift from constant trio touring to more focused studio work with outside collaborators. The trio plays with it's usual cohesion, giving Terry space to add horn, and occasional mumbles phrasing. Key tracks include ‘Brotherhood of Man,’ noted for it's tight structure and balanced solos, and Jim, highlighting the blend of Terry's tone with Peterson's understated approach. The album stands as a concise document of two major jazz figures working in a small group setting during a period when studio sessions were becoming more polished and deliberate. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

OSCAR PETERSON - Affinity LP [Reissue/1962] (Verve)   Affinity captures a studio session from September 1962 in Chicago, featuring Peterson on piano alongside his long-time trio partners Ray Brown (bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums). The album offers a refined selection of standards delivered with the assured interplay that defined the Peterson/Brown/Thigpen trio. Peterson's first recorded take on the Bill Evans classic Waltz For Debby is a lyrical, nuanced performance - and Gravy Waltz, (co-written by Ray Brown,) showcases the trio's rhythmic drive and subtle groove. As a whole, Affinity is a tasteful, well-crafted example of Peterson's work in the early 1960s - a strong trio recording that reflects his continued commitment to swing, subtlety, and ensemble balance, making it a valuable piece for any serious jazz collection. Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

HEAD & THE HEART - Let's Be Still LP [Reissue/2013] (SUB POP)  
It wasn't that long ago that the members of Seattle's The Head and the Heart were busking on street corners, strumming their acoustic guitars, stomping their feet and singing in harmony as they attempted to attract the attention of passersby. After capturing that unbridled energy on the band's 2011 debut album for hometown label Sub Pop, the band went from playing open mic nights to selling out headlining shows in prestigious venues. The album became one of Sub Pop's best-selling debut releases in years. And, slowly but surely, ideas began to form for the band's second album, imbued with the experiences of traveling the world and playing to ever-growing crowds.The Head and the Heart's second album, Let's Be Still, is a snapshot of a band that didn't exist four years ago.

COMING NEXT WEEK
HARRY STYLES - Kiss All The Time CD/LP
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY - We Are Together Again CD/LP
A PERFECT CIRCLE - Mer De Doms LP Reissue
 GREGORY UHLMANN - Extra Stars CD/LP
VARIOUS - Help 2 CD/LP
$UICIDEBOY$ - Thy Will Be Done CD/LP
BARRY CAN’T SWIM - Late Night Tales CD/LP
BOSSE-DE-NAGE - Hidden Fires Burn Hottest LP
ROSENAU & SANBORN - Two LP
DENZEL CURRY & THE SYTHE - Strictly 4 The Sythe CD/LP
ELLIOTT SMITH - Division Day 7”
ELLIOTT SMITH - Pretty Ugly Before 7”
MORRISSEY - Make Up Is A Lie LP