New Releases & Staff Picks - 7/31/26

STAFF PICKS  

DARIO - Shearwater

ASH - Marco Benevento

JAKE - Domi & JD Beck 

KIMBER - Shearwater

MARY - Eels

ZACH - Marco Benevento 

DREW - Sun City Girls

PAT- Tirez Tirez 

DOMI & JD BECK - Who Asked? LP (Blue Note Records) 
No, we're not yelling at you. That's the answer. WHO ASKED? is the long-awaited sophomore album from the French-born Domi Louna and Texas native JD Beck. Following two GRAMMY nominations, including Best New Artist for a debut album (2022's NOT TiGHT), WHO ASKED? is unlike anything they've done before. Bringing together a small sinfonietta of seasoned classical players, WHO ASKED? showcases the duo's incredibly singular, super maximalist, and strikingly beautiful orchestral vision.

SHEARWATER - The New World CD/LP (Polyborus)  
In the past quarter-century, those in the know have watched Shearwater slyly become one of the most distinctive and adventurous American bands. Led (as always) by songwriter and natural historian Jonathan Meiburg, The New World's nine immersive songs find the group farther afield than ever, and in rare company: along with Meiburg's fellow Shearwater's Emily Lee and Dan Duszynski, the album's supporting cast includes instrumental wizard Shahzad Ismaily, saxophonist and clarinetist Doug Wieselman, qanunist Farouz Zriek, guitarist Leo Abrahams, ngonist Mamadou Kouyate, percussionists Mahamadou Tounkara and Moctar Kouyate (of Ngoni Ba), and unclassifiable drummer Thor Harris. (There's even a surprise visit from a certain L. Anderson.) That might sound like a lot of passengers, but they're all ideal company for a headlong journey through joy, confusion, reverence and defiance, with Meiburg's voice as a graceful yet elusive guide. Both spare and ornate, The New World is absorbing in a way few albums are; it's hard not to listen to the end once you drop in.

MARCO BENEVENTO - Glera LP (Big Crown)  
Big Crown Records is proud to present Glera, Marco Benevento's debut album on the label. Marco Benevento has always moved like someone who understands the studio as it's own instrument, not just a room where the toys are. Long before he began appearing on stages with Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, and in the liner notes of albums by Clairo and Leon Bridges, Benevento was already thinking like a producer - listening for texture, tension, and negative space, and for the strange emotional alchemy that occurs when groove and curiosity collide. His new album Glera sharpens that instinct into focus, presenting Benevento not only as a virtuosic keyboardist and bandleader, but as a composer building worlds from rhythm, tone, and feeling.

REVEREND BARON - Daniel LP  (Colemine Records)  
Reverend Baron's singular troubadour soul may best understand the capacity music has to span the distance between points on a map and pages in a calendar. Daniel, the acoustic instrumental follow-up to 2022's Karma Chief label debut, From Anywhere..., expands the world beyond LA's concrete canyons and overpasses to the bustling, churning sea of life that is Mexico City, to the sparse, rolling landscape of Red Cloud, Nebraska. In each locale, the constant companion was a nylon-stringed acoustic guitar - with a well-traveled history of it's own.

SOOJ - Crusher LP (Numero)  
Sooj, a new collaboration between Duster and Dirty Art Club. In this diseased world where entireties of lives are cursed, Sooj makes a small racket for traveling alone, or dreaming together, or doing nothing at all.

SUN CITY GIRLS - The Palm Leaves Of Victory / Audio Letter To Mitch Myers LP  (Three Lobed Recordings)  
Throughout the 1980s the inimitable Sun City Girls self-released over twenty full-length cassettes . Each of these cassettes were universes unto themselves, each a slice of the one of a kind SCG universe. Three Lobed is honored to help bring some these long out of print titles to vinyl for the first time ever through the continuation of a series of 2xLP releases. Remastered from original sources and packed within heavy gatefolds filled with never-before-seen vintage photos, these titles give fans - long time, long suffering, intrigued by the legend - the first real chance to hear these titles in over thirty years. Presented here are "The Palm Leaves of Victory" (originally released in 1987 as Cloaven Cassettes #13) and "Audio Letter to Mitch Myers" (originally released in 1989 as Cloaven Cassette #19). From a one-time edition of 1000 copies on heavy black vinyl housed within old-style heavy Stoughton gatefolds. 

SUN CITY GIRLS - Cloaven Theatre / That Old Western Sieve  LP (Thee Lobed Recordings )  
Presented here are "Cloaven Theatre" (assembled from three titles which were originally released in 1987 and 1989 as Cloaven Cassettes #14, 15 and 18) and "That Old Western Sieve" which was originally released in 1989 as Cloaven Cassette #21. From a one-time edition of 1000 copies on heavy black vinyl housed within old-style heavy Stoughton gatefolds. 

WEEN - 12 Golden Country Greats CD/LP (Elektra)  
Of all the adventurous things the rock band known as Ween has done over their career, recording a straight-up country album with legendary Nashville session musicians was probably the most surprising. There was that great moment in the '60s when everybody went to Nashville to record, whether it was Bob Dylan, or Leonard Cohen, etc. 12 Golden Country Greats is one of those records. Nobody did that in 1996; an alternative rock act going to Nashville to record an album at the legendary Bradley's Barn. Ween did, though... To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of 12 Golden Country Greats, Rhino is remastering the 1996 album (the non-sample version) alongside two bonus discs inclusive of previously unreleased and rare demos and studio outtakes. 36 tracks total across three discs!

TYLER THE CREATOR  - Don't Tap The Glass LP (Columbia)  
Official Don't Tap The Glass LP Pressing. Printed Gatefold Jacket, Translucent Clear Single Lp, And Two Posters Housed In A Clear Plastic O-Card. Interchange Posters To Create Multiple Background Colors.

MICHIGANDER - Over Before You Know It CD/LP  (Totally Normal Recs) 
Jason Singer spent years building Michigander from a DIY solo project in Kalamazoo into a national indie-rock staple through little more than a guitar and a refusal to quit. On his second album, Over Before You Know It, Singer isn't retreating from the world, but learning how to move through it. The record finds power in the tension of living with both the good and the bad, refusing to let outside noise or internal doubt act as a roadblock. We spend so much of our lives trying to build something that we never have the time to enjoy. That's the lesson I've learned over the past year, says Singer. Tell people you love them. Take care of yourself. Fight for the good. That's what this album stands for.

GA-20 - Blues Now! LP  (New West Records) 
BLUES NOW! The title says it all. Blues in all caps - honest, emphatic, and raw. This collaborative album unites GA-20, one of today's most celebrated young Blues trios, and Charlie Musselwhite, a legendary statesman of the genre. Musselwhite's name is synonymous with the Blues, a harmonica virtuoso and esteemed vocalist with a 60-plus year career forged in authenticity and excellence. GA-20 burst onto the scene in 2018, garnering a quick reputation for dynamic live performance, built on a deep respect for the originators and an enduring commitment to carrying the torch forward. Together with Blues Now, the Grammy award winning Musselwhite and Billboard chart-topping GA-20 shine with a chemistry that blends the spirit of the Blues pioneers with an electrifying modern energy.

EELS - Meet The Eels: Essential Eels Vol. 1 1996-2006 LP (PIAS America)  
For the first time ever, the definitive Meet The Eels: Essential Songs Vol. 1 (1996-2006) is available on vinyl. This limited release spans twenty-four iconic tracks across a stunning double Yellow Gold vinyl set and includes career-defining singles like ‘Novocaine for the Soul’ and ‘Susan's House’ as well as cinematic staples like ‘I Need Some Sleep.’

CONVERGE - Hum Of Hurt LP (DEATHWISH INC)  
Written by Converge. Jacob Bannon: Vocals and lyrics. Kurt Ballou: Guitars and vocals. Nate Newton: Bass and vocals. Ben Koller: Percussion. Recorded and mixed by Kurt Ballou at God City. Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side.

FLEETWOOD MAC - Greatest Hits CD/LP (Rhino)  
Deluxe edition of Fleetwood Mac's multi-platinum hits collection, featuring more classics including ‘Landslide,’ ’The Chain,’ ‘Silver Springs (Live),’ ‘Never Going Back Again’ and ‘Think About Me.’

GREEN DAY - Nimrods / O.S.T. 2 (Reprise)  
The Nimrods soundtrack features 22 of your favorite career-spanning Green Day songs plus soundtrack exclusives ‘I'm Never Gonna R.I.P’ and four unreleased live songs the band recorded at the Palladium in Los Angeles featured in the movie.

MONSTER RALLY - Echoes Of The Emerald Sands LP (Rose Garden) 
Ted Feighan has never been interested in staying in one lane for too long - even if that means forging a new lane of his own. When the producer, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist better known as Monster Rally began work on his tenth full-length record Echoes of the Emerald Sands, out now via Flowering Jungle, he gave himself a straightforward set of criteria: Make something unlike anything he'd made before. For someone with tastes and an artistic history as eclectic as Feighan's, that's easier said than done. With Echoes of the Emerald Sands, Feighan decided to recruit a whole fleet of artists and industry friends to sing over his recordings. The list of collaborators includes TV Girl, Jordana, Toledo, Mei Semones, X-Cetra, Leisure, Sessa, Nella, Miles Michaud (Allah-Las), Benét, Jordann, Munya, and more. For the new album, he also ditched the tropical, sample-based plunderphonics that had defined his work since Monster Rally's 2010 inception, instead recording everything from scratch at his Cleveland home studio.

ORGONE - New You LP (Colemine Records) 
Colemine is pleased to bring yet another Orgone cult classic record to vinyl for the first time! New You, originally a CD-only release in 2013, is timeless funk & soul - deep pocket & heavy grooves. Now, over a decade later, it is finally available in LP form. Orgone has been delivering dirty, organic, California soul with heart since 2001; music that grabs you by the collar, pulls you to your feet and shoves you wantingly onto the dance floor. It all started with two kids from the San Fernando Valley, whose shared affinity for gritty soul records of the 60s and 70s collided with the colorful music cultures brewing in Los Angeles during the late 90s. That friendship sparked a movement, and Orgone has been delivering nothing but gold to the funk faithful ever since.

TIREZ TIREZ - Story Of The Year LP (Numero)  
Before relocating to downtown New York, Mikel Rouse led Tirez Tirez, a Kansas City group formed in the mid-1970s that bridged new wave, minimalism, and experimental pop. The band gained early attention opening for Talking Heads on their 1978 tour, with David Byrne remaining a supporter as Rouse transitioned into New York's experimental scene, where he connected with figures like Arthur Russell. Story Of The Year draws from recordings made during this shift, combining earlier Tirez Tirez material with later sessions produced in New York and Brussels.

THIEVERY CORPORATION - Radio Retaliation LP [Reissue/2008] (Thievery Corporation)  
Join an outernational music revolution with a classic from the pioneering sonic-seekers Thievery Corporation. Moving seamlessly through a vast myriad of global sounds, Hilton and Garza have created their opus. Featuring special guests Femi Kuti, Seu Jorge, Anoushka Shankar, Chuck Brown, Sleepy Wonder, Verny Varela, Notch, Zee and LouLou. This new re-issue includes the bonus track, ‘Philosopher's Stone.’

SHABOOZEY - Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales LP (American Dogwood)  
The Outlaw Cherie Lee Is A Cinematic Outlaw Revenge story with a tragic love at it's center. After watching her sheriff father murdered by the Bootcut Boys, Cherie Lee abandons the badge and hunts the gang down one by one. In the middle of her vengeance, she falls for one of the outlaws - not the killer, but guilty by association. He believes loving her can redeem him; she hopes loving him can quiet her darkness. They're both wrong. When the real killer resurfaces, her lover kills him in her name, proving that violence doesn't end - it evolves. In the final act, Cherie chooses blood over love, killing the man who loves her most and fully becoming what she set out to destroy.

COMING NEXT WEEK

MOUNTAIN GOATS - Days CD/LP

STEVE LACY - Oh Yeah? CD/LP

ARIANA GRANDE - Petal CD/LP

BABE RAINBOW - Acid & Honey CD/LP

CEREMONY - LP Reissues