Notable vinyl releases out this Friday - 16 August (2024)

.Produced by Josh Kaufman (The Hold Steady, Bonny Light Horsemen), In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain brings a potent new energy to the elegantly composed folk/indie-rock of Blind Pilot. In a profound step forward for the band, their fourth full-length - and first since And Then Like Lions (2016) - unfolds with an exquisite fluidity, fully harnessing the chemistry they’ve shown in sharing stages with The Shins, Andrew Bird, and Gregory Alan Isakov and on festivals like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.

5 years on from 2nd record Young Enough, Charly Bliss are back with new album Forever, produced by Jake Luppen & Caleb Wright (Hippo Campus), they say it "celebrates the big love between the four of us & the life we’ve fought for & built together. The lyrics are head over heels, overflowing with romantic love, friend love, crushes & the hurricanes of feeling that accompany all the massive shifts of growing up. We fell back in love with making music through this record, & you can hear it."

Chuck Johnson is a California-based composer, producer, and musician. He approaches his work with an ear towards finding faults and instabilities that might reveal latent beauty, with a focus on pedal steel guitar, experimental electronics, alternate tuning systems, and composing for film and television. Recordings of his work have been published by Thrill Jockey, Temporary Residence, Kompakt, Ghostly, and Three Lobed, among others. Between 2011 and 2015 Johnson released a triptych of solo guitar LP's - A Struggle Not A Thought, Crows in the Basilica, and Blood Moon Boulder - that have become touchstones of 21st Century acoustic guitar. Balsams, his first album to platform pedal steel guitar, was described by Pitchfork as "singular," and "a mournful hymn built out of layers of sliding strings, cascading with a zenlike stateliness." In 2019 he collaborated with Marielle V. Jakobsons to release their debut LP as Saariselka for Temporary Residence Ltd. The follow-up to Johnson's acclaimed Balsams LP, The Cinder Grove delves further into the compositional possibilities of the pedal steel guitar in the context of chamber ensemble arrangements for strings, organ, and piano. Johnson's credits as a film composer include scores for the HBO series Burden of Proof and the popular PBS shows Somewhere South and A Chef's Life. In 2009 he received an MFA in Electronic Music and Intermedia Art from Mills College, where he studied composition and electronic music with Pauline Oliveros, Maggi Payne, Chris Brown, John Bischoff, Laetita Sonami, and James Fei. His work as a mixing and mastering engineer includes releases by Room40 records, No Quarter, Three Lobed Recordings, Temporary Residence, Bill Orcutt, Allison Russell, Nathan Salsburg, claire rousay, Daniel Bachman, Body/Head, and more.

Steve Marion, the critically acclaimed-and completely wordless-songwriter and guitarist known as Delicate Steve, has unveiled a new album called Delicate Steve Sings. Is the album title a reference to the instantly recognizable "voice" of his guitar? Does he actually sing this time? Has he not been singing all along? That's the crux of Sings-Marion is the rare guitarist where you can put on any of his records and know exactly who's playing. In an indie rock landscape stuffed end-to-end with guitars and amplifiers, nobody else sounds like this.That unique voice has kept Steve busy in an unpredictable variety of settings. The sheer spread of his work outside his own records-collaborating with Miley Cyrus and Paul Simon, playing in Amen Dunes and the Black Keys, and being sampled by Kanye-doesn't mean Steve's a chameleon. It means he's singular.Delicate Steve Sings is a record centered on channeling iconic voices with his guitar. In doing so, Marion is casting himself in the role of iconic singers like Willie who make standards their own. In the process, he reveals just how singular (dare we say iconic) that voice is. The guitar sings these songs-smoothly, sweetly, boldly, and on it's own terms. Recorded with Jonathan Rado on bass, Kosta Galanopolous on drums, Renata Zeiguer providing strings, and co-writer Elliot Bergman, the album features both original songs with titles that suggest they might be new recordings of classics. "I'll Be There" is smooth like a lost Bill Withers track; "Easy for You" isn't the Elvis song of the same name, but there's a hint of the king in there, in addition to Marion's own takes onclassics such as the Emersons' "Baby," The Beatles' "Yesterday" and Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine.""You're tapping into something universal and in the consciousness of pop music," Steve says-tacit permission for his guitar to drift into vocal expressions he's internalized through years of close, repeated listening. Just like all the great singers.

When Dinosaur Jr. Reunited, more than 20 years after theirformation and legendary dissolution, the worry was that theseguys were just flogging the back catalog, taking the old showon the road as a marketing gimmick. But the 2007 release ofBeyond gave a hearty Marshall-driven "F*K YOU!" answer tothose inquiring ears. Restoring the sound established by theunassailable hat-trick gambit of their first three albums -Dinosaur, You're Living All Over Me, and Bug - Beyondcontinued the band's march into rock greatness by making oldears smile and new ears bleed afresh.And then came Farm, the 9th full length record by the originalline-up: J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph. If Beyond wasDinosaur Jr.'s return to form, Farm is proof that Dinosaur Jr.could (and still do, to this day!) deliver timeless, exhilarating rockmusic. Farm encompasses Dinosaur Jr.'s signature palette:soaring and distorted guitar, unshakable hooks, honey-richmelodies. At times wholly 70's guitar-epic, at times perfect forsitting by a babbling brook with Joni and Neil, these songs getinto your head and stay there, bouncing happily around. Theear-catching "Plans" is nearly seven minutes of classicwhipped-topping rock dessert, while "I Don't Wanna Go There"is a meat-and-potatoes main dish, mixing unapologetic leadguitar with straight-ahead delivery a la James Gang or HumblePie.This expanded deluxe edition of Farm features four songs neverpressed to vinyl and never given worldwide release:"Houses","Whenever You're Ready" (The Zombies Cover), "Creepies"(Instrumental), and "Show". "Whenever You're Ready", a cover ofclassic pop-rockers The Zombies, is impossibly good for ahidden gem; Murph stomps in with a sledgehammer to the kit,J and Lou layer low-end and fuzz like two halves of one brain,and right when things feel biggest, airy and colossal, there's Jwith a lightning bolt of a guitar solo. Pure electricity and melodylike only he can make. Recorded in J Mascis' Bisquiteen studio inAmherst, Massachusetts, Farm was produced by Mascis himself,and delivers the singular, unique energy of one of America'sgreatest living rock bands.

Falling in Reverse makes anthems that provoke and inspire. Unnervingly ahead of the pack and yet always decisively right on time, their mix of bombastic declarations and intimate confessions connect with diverse crowds worldwide. Popular Monster, is their first full-length album in over seven years; an eleven song masterpiece, featuring five tracks that are bonafide smash hits, (three certified gold and one certified 2x platinum). Not ones to rest on their laurels, the six new tracks are incredible, and feature unexpected collaborations with some of the music industry hottest hitters. With hit songs like "Popular Monster" topping the rock radio charts and earning them their first 2x platinum single, the band's momentum only grows stronger, and their live performances are big reason why. From playing top festivals, to arena opening stints for Avenged Sevenfold, and Disturbed, to co-headlining with legends like Papa Roach, and now selling out headline shows in arenas across the country! This album package will include a 24-page, 4 color booklet with lyrics and imagery from their YouTube Trending music videos, sized for the formats CD and LP

Foster The People’s return with their long awaited fourth studio album, Paradise State of Mind. "The record started as a case study of the late Seventies crossover between disco, funk, gospel, jazz, and all those sounds. It was such a beautiful moment in time, when these different styles of music were cross-referencing each other – artists like Nile Rogers and Chic, the Tom Tom Club and Giorgio Moroder," says Mark Foster. "I wanted to dive into that and figure out what they were doing. I was also thinking about how that era has musical and social parallels to the time that we're in now, with the giant recession in the Seventies, the political turmoil post-Vietnam, and other major tensions. But then you see these expressions of joy happening through music, and I started thinking about joy as an act of defiance." The album’s artwork, commissioned by Foster, was originally an oil painting on panel, created by renowned Brooklyn based artist, Matt Hansel. It captures the essence of different spaces in the mind. Each space represents its current state and leads to another that may have a totally different feeling.

Morgan Wade was feeling the urge to simplify after a period of relentless touring and intense media scrutiny during the last couple of years. Every time she sat down with her guitar, new songs just started pouring out. “They were just coming to me left and right,” Wade says. The Virginia-born singer-songwriter made a choice to return to the basics for her new album Obsessed , a solo-written, stripped-down 14-track collection produced by her touring guitarist Clint Wells that showcases Wade at her rawest and most vulnerable. “I really wanted to get back to doing what I used to do,” she says. “Just make this whatever I wanted it to be.” Wade’s third album and follow-up to 2023’s Psychopath , Obsessed puts the focus on Wade’s storytelling abilities and singular voice. She writes with incredible force about the ache for home and the emotion of being reunited with loved ones, of feeling dangerously preoccupied with someone, and of being in situations that society might consider outside the norm. On Obsessed , Wade also does a thorough examination and inventory of her journey as a person, not sparing any ugly details when she’s been the one at fault. It’s a fearless look into the life of one of country music’s most exciting talents, arriving right as she’s hitting her stride.

Pom Poko is a Norwegian band renowned for their eclectic blend of indie rock, punk, and pop sensibilities. Formed in Trondheim in 2016, the quartet consists of Ragnhild Fangel, Martin Miguel Tonne, Ola Djupvik, and Jonas Krøvel. Since their inception, they've released two critically acclaimed albums and mesmerizing live performances, solidifying their status as one of Norway's most exciting musical exports. Their third album Champion features their dynamic soundscapes, characterized by energetic rhythms, intricate guitar work, and Fangel's distinctive vocals, which have garnered widespread acclaim. With influences ranging from art-rock to jazz, Pom Poko's music defies genre boundaries, delivering a fresh and innovative sonic experience. Speaking of the record, the band said... "This record is a kind of experiment to see what happens when the four of us in Pom Poko make music without any input from the world around us, from the first idea of a song until the last note is recorded. This time, we've recorded and produced absolutely everything ourselves, a process that has been surprisingly comfortable. With this album, we landed, almost unconsciously, on the fact that the songs needed more space and less fussiness in the production than what we've been drawn to before. The songs also feel slightly more concise and focused on this album, perhaps, in addition to the lyrics telling more or less understandable stories - about connection, relationships, weird situations, hopes, and dreams. We were generally drawn to trying out some new things on this record, so this is the first time we've sent music to be mixed abroad, specifically to mixer and producer Ali Chant in Bristol. His clear and straightforward style suits the music very well and really brings out the songs as they are, without unnecessary frills. All in all, this feels like our most mature album so far, but hopefully not completely devoid of childlike joy and energy nonetheless." Champion will be released August 16th via Bella Union.

.Post Malone is set to release his much-anticipated sixth LP and first-ever full-length country album this year. Paving the way was the first single “I Had Some Help” with Morgan Wallen, which continues to dominate the charts and the conversation. Upon release, it crash-landed at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, tallying the highest weekly sales and streams since 2020. It became Post’s sixth #1 and Wallen’s second #1. It has clinched the #1 spot on the Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, emerging as the longest running number one song of 2024. Not to mention, it took flight as the first single to debut at #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and hold the top on each chart for three weeks to follow. Topping the Billboard Global 200 chart as well, it has already gathered well over 1 billion streams. Post also released “Pour Me A Drink” featuring Blake Shelton. The two recently connected at CMA Fest where they debuted the track to the sold-out Nissan Stadium crowd. The performance will air as a part of the CMA Fest special June 25th on ABC. The album arrives on the heels of Post’s landmark set at Stagecoach Festival 2024 in Indio, CA with a lineup of country covers and welcomed superstar guests Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, and Dwight Yoakam during the standout performance. On Sunday, Post joined Wallen on stage for the live debut of “I Had Some Help” in front of the sold-out crowd.

The core of Long Way Home reverberates deep into LaMontagne’s youth—at 21-years-old, in a small club in Minneapolis, he recalls seeing Townes Van Zandt perform live. A line from “To Live Is To Fly” has stuck with him ever since; Van Zandt sang, “When here you been is good and gone, all you keep is the getting there.”LaMontagne reflects, “Thirty years later it occurs to me that every song on Long Way Home is in one way or another honouring the journey. The languorous days of youth and innocence. The countless battles of adulthood, some won, more often lost. It's been a long hard road, and I wouldn’t change a minute. It took me nine songs to express what Townes managed to say in one line. I guess I still got a lot to learn.”Produced in tandem with Seth Kauffman (Floating Action, Angel Olsen, Lana Del Ray), Long Way Home’s nine moving tracks recall the folk-rock explosion of the early seventies, while aptly sitting among the modern Americana revival that LaMontagne was integral in fueling.

“I wanted this album to sound like a collage”, says Rosie Lowe of her new album Lover, Other, via Blue Flowers Music. “My love of choral music, sample culture, the energy of live music and the intricacy of more produced elements in electronic music. I wanted to incorporate it all into an album, weaving together the different processes in writing that excite me”. It’s a messy mission statement but one born from a decade of experience in the music industry - and a lifetime of obsession before that - and over the fifteen tracks of Lover, Other, that complexity and conflict is reflected – self doubt pitted against self-assurance, age against youth, life against death - Lowe’s inner dialogue laid bare. It’s a tightrope trapeze-act, a frankenstein vehicle for her art, expertly tied together by Lowe’s flawless vocal layers and effortless delivery. The resulting record is a celebration of all sides of Lowe’s character and musicality, a patchwork tapestry of her experience.

Austin is known as the music capital of the world -- and Urban Heat is one of its greatest exports. The band, formed only five years ago as the brainchild of singer/multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Horstmann, has quickly become known for their fiery live shows and infectious darkwave anthems that harken back to the '80s with a modern sensibility.

You could call Wishy's story a lucky one. After prior monikers and iterations, Wishy was born as a kaleidoscope of alternative music's semi-recent history, with traces of shoegaze, grunge and power-pop swirling together. On Triple Seven, Indiana songwriters Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites' musical synergy proves itself to be a rare one-the kind that sounds like someone striking gold. Part sly wink and part warm gratitude, it's only fitting their much anticipated full length debut is titled Triple Seven, where Wishy's penchant for indelible hooks is couched equally in pillowy atmospherics and scathing distortion. Growing up in a scene defined by hardcore and emo, Krauter and Pitchkites instead found themselves writing melodies in their heads while driving to work, pulling music from the air and arriving at a blearier, more ethereal interpretation of Midwest expanse. The subject of their songs create a loose web of vignettes and snapshots, capturing Krauter and Pitchkites in a whirlwind couple of years - exiting the pandemic, embarking on an embryonic project, making sense of their musical pasts while forging a musical future alongside one another, each of them on a journey of self-acceptance and self-understanding. Sometimes gorgeous, sometimes festering, and always cathartic, Triple Seven is a vibrant and exhilarating document of self-discovery with the scope and heft of the bygone big-budget rock albums that inspired it.