VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Recordings celebrates the 15th anniversary of Alice In Chains’ seminal 2009 album, Black Gives Way to Blue, with a special vinyl reissue.

The LP, out-of-print since its original release and a long-sought treasure for hard rock devotees, will arrive on September 27th and is available for pre-order today. In addition to the wide 2-LP release, fans can also pick up the album on three limited edition color pressings: “Black Widow” (available exclusively through the Alice In Chains store), “Black Smoke” (via the Craft Recordings store), and “Electric Smoke” (available at Revolver). Black Gives Way to Blue is Alice In Chains’ fourth studio album, first released on September 29th, 2009. The project marks a significant moment in the band’s history, being their first record to feature William DuVall sharing vocal and guitar duties with founding member Jerry Cantrell, alongside bassist Mike Inez and drummer/founding member Sean Kinney.

Upon release, Black Gives Way to Blue was an instant smash hit, debuting at No.5 on the Billboard 200 and achieving Gold certification from the RIAA by May 2010. It includes singles “Your Decision,” “Lesson Learned,” “Check My Brain,” and “A Looking in View,” plus the poignant title track “Black Gives Way to Blue,” which features a guest performance from Elton John on piano. This song, a heartfelt tribute to late frontman Layne Staley, captures the band’s process in coming to terms with their loss while finding a path forward.

Both “A Looking in View” and “Check My Brain” were GRAMMY Award nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Additionally, Black Gives Way to Blue won Revolver’s Golden Gods Award for Album of the Year in 2010.

Read More »

Like many another hungry band desperate to make a name for itself in the early seventies, England’s Silverhead jumped aboard the Glam bandwagon with both platform-booted feet, but if you’re expecting fey androgyny and campy signifiers of the Glam demimonde, forget about it—Silverhead was a hard rock outfit that owed its sound to the likes of Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and the Faces, and there isn’t enough glitter in the whole wide world to disguise the fact.

Silverhead didn’t exactly set the world on fire and only stuck around long enough to release two studio LPs, and nowadays hardly anybody remembers ‘em (sob!), but here’s the thing; they were a pretty damn good raunch ’n’ roll band, and the evidence to prove it is on their sophomore album, 1973’s 16 and Savaged.

The more I listen to 16 and Savaged the more I realize the whole glam thing is a gloss and overlay, if not an outright red herring; aside from the triumphant “Hello New York,” which is very New York Dolls in spirit, singer/actor (he went on to play a punk rocker in a 1978 episode of WKRP in Cincinati!) Michael Des Barres and the boys can only be termed a glitter rock band in the sense that they looked like a glitter band.

What they sound like to me is a band trapped between rock epochs; the tres catchy ”More Than Your Mouth Can Hold” may anticipate the rude punk attitude of the Dead Boy’s “Caught With the Meat in Your Mouth,” and (looking even further into the old crystal ball) the hair metal sleaze of Poison’s Open Up and Say… Ahh!, but it’s a streamlined boogie number at heart–ain’t nothing glam OR punk about Des Barre’s Rod Stewart meets Steve Marriott rasp.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | This is going to be the scariest spoken word record you’ve ever heard. We’re not joking…and neither is Vincent Price.

The star of such horror classics as House of Wax, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and Theatre of Blood (and, of course, narrator of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video) can barely hide his delight while he takes his audience through a graphic and occasionally grisly history lesson in witchcraft from the Bible through the Middle Ages, the Spanish Inquisition, and Nazi Germany. Then, accompanied by occasional eerie, abstract electronic music, Price’s sinister satisfaction only mounts as he provides instruction in the dark arts, with such tracks as “How to Make a Pact with the Devil” and “Curses, Spells, Charms.” It’s all in good fun, of course…or is it?

The mysterious writer of the script, one Terry d’Oberoff, has only one other credit to his name: as the “mascot” of an early ‘70s band called…wait for it…Black Magic. This 1969 double-LP release has long been coveted by collectors of the curious and macabre, and for its first reissue in over 50 years, we are giving it the Real Gone treatment, reproducing the gatefold jacket and the full-size, 8-page booklet that accompanied some copies.

Read More »

Celebrating Tom Johnston, born on this day in 1948. —Ed.

I saw the Doobie Brothers live a long, long, time ago. It was an afternoon show at a suburban amphitheater, and I smoked a shitload of what I thought was pot but turned out to be PCP. And before long all the Doobies were 9-feet-tall and changing colors like chameleons, and played every single song at about 300 mph, in effect inventing hardcore. Or at least that’s how I remember it. That PCP was some good shit. I recommend it to everybody.

Nobody pays much attention to the Doobies nowadays, except to laugh at them. I know I laugh at them; I can’t even hear their name without cracking up. They were, even during their heyday, the least hip and most faceless big-name act in rock, and since then they’ve become the punch line to a joke that goes something like, “Why did the Doobie Brothers cross the road? To get away from the Doobie Brothers.”

Unhip and faceless the Doobs may have been, but back in the day they were big—scary big, in fact—with rock’s protletarian audiences (i.e., the same folks who loved BTO, Grand Funk, etc.). This can be attributed to one of two things. Either The Doobie Brothers were a pretty decent rock’n’roll band, or the musical wasteland of the early to mid-seventies left rock fans so hard up they were reduced to lapping up all manner of crapulous corporate swill, including the Dööbiemeisters.

I may be the only one, but I think it’s high time for a reassessment of the Doobie Brothers. And since their career was so neatly bifurcated into pre- and post-Michael McDonald periods, I decided it would be only fair to review 1976’s Best of the Doobies, which while skewed toward the band’s earlier work includes two McDonald-era songs, although it omits (because they were, duh, released later) such McDonald hits as “What a Fool Believes” and “Minute by Minute.”

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Recordings and Violent Femmes are commemorating 40 years of the band’s sophomore title, Hallowed Ground, with a wide vinyl reissue. Once an overlooked gem, the album has become a cornerstone of Violent Femmes’ catalog and live performances, and a pioneering work in the post-punk and alt-country genres.

Set for release on November 8 and available for pre-order today, the LP has been mastered from the original stereo tapes (AAA) and features standout tracks such as the live staple “Country Death Song,” fan favorite “Never Tell,” the hauntingly atmospheric “I Hear the Rain,” the Lou Reed–inspired “Sweet Misery Blues,” and the infectious “Jesus Walking on the Water.” In addition to the standard vinyl, widely available for the first time in over a decade, Hallowed Ground can also be found in four limited color pressings, including a Green Smoke variant (available at vfemmes.com and craftrecordings.com), Orange Smoke (independent record stores), Azure Blue (Barnes & Noble), and Onyx (Spotify Fans First, available exclusively to followers). The remastered album will also make its debut on hi-res digital.

To mark this milestone, Violent Femmes are currently on a North America tour, resuming tonight with two performances in Northampton, MA. The tour will conclude on October 9 with a special show at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville. For a full list of dates, visit the band’s official website.

First released in May of 1984, Violent Femmes’ sophomore title, Hallowed Ground, is celebrated for its innovative exploration of American roots music, blending traditional folk influences with the band’s distinctive style. The set also includes contributions from banjo virtuoso Tony Trischka on “Country Death Song” and “It’s Gonna Rain,” and avant-garde saxophonist John Zorn on “Black Girls,” both of whom added distinctive layers to the record’s experimental soundscape.

Read More »

Electric guitarist Jessica Ackerley’s improvisational and compositional skills flourished in the avant-garde jazz scene in New York City, where they played in the duo ESSi and the quintet SSWAN, along with leading the Jessica Ackerley Trio. They also collaborated with free jazz great Daniel Carter on Friendship: Lucid Shared Dreams and Time Travel, which featured in this website’s Best New Releases of 2021. A move to Hawai’i and a blossoming interest in painting further expanded Ackerley’s musical range, as their new LP All of the Colours Are Singing integrates aspects of classical, ambient, and rock. It’s an emotionally resonant, often beautiful work available August 16 through AKP Recordings.

All of the Colours Are Singing is a work of growth, transitions and new possibilities. Ackerley’s move to Hawai’i to pursue a PhD broadened their stylistic palette while also impacting how the aspects of their work that still thrived on improvisation were realized. In short, time was limited and travel was required; the album was recorded in Manoa Valley, O’ahu, Hawai’i in October of 2022 with Walter Stinson on upright bass and Aaron Edgcomb on drums.

The strings, arranged by Ackerley beginning in the spring of 2023 and played by Concetta Abatte on violin and viola, were added to the recording later. Early in the arrangement stage Ackerley’s closest friend in Honolulu was diagnosed with cancer, a circumstance that had an understandable impact on the shape of Ackerley’s arranging. Roughly a week prior to the album’s completion, Ackerley’s friend passed.

The presence of composed strings is immediate, as “Introduction” establishes an ambient and neo-classical approach, though Ackerley’s guitar brings distinctiveness and edge to the meditative atmosphere. The next piece, “Forward motion is never a straight line,” opens with a noirish, almost ’80s Downtown NYC jazziness, with the assertiveness of Ackerley’s guitar ebbing and flowing, always inquisitive, and peaking with a delicious blast of free skronk in the tradition of Sharrock and Ulmer.

Read More »

MANSFIELD, MA | New Kids on the Block proved they still have “the right stuff,” with a homecoming performance that was dynamic, loud [cue the screaming girls] and full of a shared devotion between the “kids” and their fans.

When asked if it was their first New Kids on the Block show, Ashley Surber of Newport, RI, said “Oh good God, no!” adding that what keeps her coming back is that, “They’re just so much fun. It’s the nostalgia; it’s just everything.” “It’s the sincerity of how they love their fans,” said Pamela Onges of Easton, Mass. “They’re just so genuine. It’s a really good show.”

The packed crowd at the Xfinity Center outside of Boston was filled with neon pinks and greens, many donning bright outfits that paid homage to some beloved ’80s/’90s fashions. The evening was an opportunity for some fans to relive a bit of their youth, as opener DJ Jazzy Jeff warmed them up with a dance party featuring some TV show highlights—the theme from The Fresh Prince drew a particularly excited roar from the crowd.

Paula Abdul followed with a dazzling performance of dance and song. “This is 62, folks!” Abdul said, jokingly inhaling from an oxygen tank after an impressive dance number. Her talent, enthusiasm, and humble personality shined, with her incredible dancers in support. The beautiful choreography, costumes and props only enhanced a packed 30-minute set, leaving the crowd energized for NKOTB.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Latino’s historic celebration of Fania Records’ 60th anniversary continues with a reissue for Traigo de todo, the fifth solo album, released on Tico Records (a subsidiary of Fania Records), from the prolific Ismael Rivera.

This 1974 album features Rivera in his prime with such transformative tracks such as the shimmering, spirited “El Nazareno” and the seductive hip-shaker “Qué te pasa a ti.” Traigo de todo arrives October 4th, and is available for pre-order today. The reissue features 180-gram black vinyl, with lacquers cut from the original tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, and a classic tip-on jacket, replicating the original artwork. A 180-gram “Amarillo radiante (Radiant Yellow)” color vinyl variant (limited to 300 copies), with a bundle option that includes a Tico Records T-shirt, is available for pre-order today at Fania.com. Additionally, Traigo de todo will make its debut in 192/24 HD digital audio on October 4th.

Rivera’s smooth, smoky voice, contrasted with lively clave rhythms, lent his messages of empowerment—be it about anything from social justice to his love of life—a sense of immediacy. His impact on the salsa genre (which for Rivera would often bend towards jazz, thanks to his gift for improvisation) proved so influential that greats such as Celia Cruz would cover his songs, before he was ultimately inducted into the International Latin Hall of Fame.

Throughout the year, Craft Latino will continue to commemorate Fania’s illustrious legacy of shaping salsa and other Latin music, with reissues (like Traigo de todo), new releases, as well as exclusive content designed to entice collectors and fans alike. Visit fania.com/fania-60th for more details.

Read More »

The early Elvis Costello was the very personification of the angry young man. He may have looked like a twerp, but he had a chip on his shoulder the size of fat blues harmonica guy John Popper. He was perpetually peeved, was Costello, in the fashion of 1966 Bob Dylan, and like Dylan he could—and did—spew vitriol inspired enough to scald. Listening to his debut LP, 1977’s My Aim Is True, it’s as clear as day he’d just as soon see you paralyzed. So forget about the Buddy Holly glasses and the gap between his two front teeth and all the rest of it—musically, the man was a walking, talking third rail.

Costello (aka Declan Patrick MacManus) was born in 1954, just in time to ride the first waves of punk and new wave. He worked office jobs (they’ll always make you angry) while simultaneously looking for a record label. Stiff Records anted up, and Costello recorded My Aim Is True. Just how angry was he? There was the iconic moment on Saturday Night Live when he stopped the band during a song opening to replace it with “Radio Radio”—an attack on the media that SNL executives had expressly forbidden him to play. This moment alone increased his snottiness factor, which sold him records, which may or may not have been calculated. He said later, in an imagined interview I had with him—“I was never really pissed. I wanted to be James Taylor. But there already was a James Taylor. You can’t have two James Taylors. The world would be destroyed by fire and rain.”

My Aim Is True was recorded before Costello put together The Attractions, although future Attraction Steve Nieve provides organ and piano overdubs on the great “Watching the Detectives,” while Nick Lowe also put in a cameo. Instead Costello made do with members of—no joke—a California country rock band called Clover, some of whom went on to help form (no!) Huey Lewis and the News and play with (Double No!) the Doobie Brothers. Let me tell you, the shock of discovering that this was the ilk backing Costello was enough to put me off my dinner (a can of Hormel’s Chili topped with two delicious squares of processed American cheese food). There are some things you’re better off not knowing, and I’ll admit that My Aim Is True doesn’t sound quite the same to me anymore. It sounds polluted by Doobies.

Read More »

The Frank Zappa vault series, whether it’s reissues of classic albums or new archival releases, is an embarrassment of riches that thankfully seems to have no end.

Among the recent new products (boy, would Frank hate that word) to come out in various configurations and formats are legendary recordings from the Whiskey a Go-Go from July 23rd, 1968. The concert came after the first three albums from the Mothers: Freak Out! (1966), Absolutely Free (1967), and We’re Only in It for the Money (1968) and Zappa’s first solo album, Lumpy Gravy, a collaboration with the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra, on which Zappa did not perform, but instead conducted the orchestra.

While some of these live recordings have come out in dribs and drabs over the years, having all three sets available for the first time is truly a revelation. The evening was a real happening and some of the rock glitterati in attendance included former members of The Turtles and future members of The Mothers, Mark Volman and Howard Kalan, soon to be known as Flo & Eddie. Others there for the historic evening included John Mayall, during his Laurel Canyon period, and reportedly members of The Rolling Stones.

With the famed Wally Heider mobile recording truck on hand, and intended as a live recording session (how it was billed on the marquee) of the Mothers of Invention, this is more of a multi-media freak out, or what some might even call a freak show. This is classic Mothers of Invention, with all their wooly hair hanging down to their knobby knees.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Recordings and Jazz Dispensary proudly announce the long-awaited vinyl reissue of Goldenwings, the 1976 fusion masterpiece from Uruguayan trio Opa. Masterminded by such musical legends as the Fattoruso Brothers, Airto Moreira, and Hermeto Pascoal, Goldenwings, delivers an exhilarating blend of sumptuous Latin rhythms, mind-bending synths, and lush vocal harmonies, including such underground favorites as “African Bird,” “Corre Niña,” “Tombo,” and the title track.

Returning to vinyl for the first time in 50 years, Goldenwings arrives on October 18th and marks the latest title in Jazz Dispensary’s album-centric Top Shelf series. As with all releases in the series—which reissues the highest-quality, hand-picked rarities—the LP features all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. A tip-on jacket, replicating the album’s original, eye-catching design, completes the package.

The story of Opa begins in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, where brothers Hugo and Jorge Osvaldo Fattoruso forged their musical roots. In 1963, the Fattorusos formed their first band, Los Shakers (alongside Roberto “Pelín” Capobianco and Carlos “Caio” Vila). Influenced heavily—in both look and sound—by The Beatles, the four-piece enjoyed a wildly successful career in South America, releasing multiple hit albums and helping to establish the region’s psychedelic rock scene. When the group disbanded in 1969, however, Hugo and Jorge were eager to expand their repertoire and formed Opa alongside bassist Ringo Thielmann.

Read More »

It’s never easy to tell which bands will burn bright but briefly and which will harness their intensity and progress with staying power. With the release of 3+5, Melt-Banana, since 2013 pared down to the duo of vocalist Yasuko Onuki and guitarist Ichiro Agata, reignites the fire with a blitz combo of noise rock, hyperpop, hardcore, metal, and video game soundtracks that’s unrelenting and glorious. Replacing bass guitar and drum kit with synths and machine rhythms bolsters an approach that goes far beyond caffeinated and into the realms of elevated hyperactivity. Manically precise and often catchy, 3+5 is available August 23 on vinyl, compact disc, and digital through Melt-Banana’s label A-ZAP Records.

3+5 is Melt-Banana’s eighth studio album (or ninth, depending on how Cactuses Come in Flocks is counted) since debuting with Speak Squeak Creak in 1994, that album issued by Japanese noise guitar titan K.K. Null’s NUX Organization label. This connection placed them on a roster with Zeni Geva (Null’s band), Space Streakings, and Merzbow and as part of a wider wave of Japanese noise that featured Boredoms at the forefront.

It was a 1995 tour with Mr. Bungle and the release of Scratch or Stitch late that year by the Skin Graft label that really broke Melt-Banana to a larger US audience. They’ve been prolific since, with two live albums and two singles compilations expanding their discography, but it’s been over a decade since Fetch, their first release as a duo, came out.

The good news is that 3+5 shows no traces of rust. To the contrary, the music thrives as ever on a heightened level of precision that’s rarely heard outside of prog rock (or its post-hardcore stylistic descendent, math-rock). But Melt-Banana are only fitfully inclined toward proggy-mathy intricacy; instead, the focus is on torrid paces, unfaltering stamina, heaviness, density, elasticity, abrasion, and an increased attention to contemporary arena pop aesthetics. When combined with those video game-like synthetic textures, the music’s thrust is pummeling as the melodic surges are welcoming.

Read More »