VIA PRESS RELEASE | Allen Ginsberg—internationally renowned, visionary American Beat Poet—was a figurehead of the global youth movement in the late 1960s, a devoted teacher and scholar, inspiring generations of young poets. He was a racial activist, pacifist, one of the most politically engaged poets for decades, using his voice and international platform as a campaigner for human rights, gay liberation, ecology, and free speech. Nearly all his books remain in print to this day. In celebration of his legacy, Shimmy-Disc has announced a remixed and remastered reissue of Allen Ginsberg’s 1989 album of spoken-word pieces, entitled The Lion For Real, Re-born.

This forthcoming release, due November 3, finds Allen Ginsberg—the voice of a generation, fierce, gentle, profound and profane—paired with music created especially for his work, by some of the guiding lights of Jazz in the modern era: Mark Bingham, Bill Frisell, Arto Lindsay, Marc Ribot, and others. All masterfully coordinated and produced by the mad scientist of collaborations, Hal Willner.

First released as The Lion For Real in 1989, this time capsule surges forth into the now with 8 additional tracks never included on the original release. These are timeless works, a garden of eden on vinyl to wander through repeatedly, guided by the founding father of Beat Poetry. Graced by an irresistible coda co-written with Shimmy-Disc founder Kramer, his lyrical mantra of “Don’t Grow Old.” To introduce this historic re-release, Shimmy-Disc has additionally shared a brand new Ambient-Cinema video by Kramer for one of the pieces on the LP, “To Aunt Rose.”

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Today, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pretty Girls Make Graves’ sophomore album, The New Romance. Originally released in 2003, this was the Seattle punk band’s Matador Records debut.

After more than a decade out of print, the album will return to us in a limited edition white vinyl pressing in stores on November 3. Pre-order here. A deluxe digital version also lands today on digital services and features two b-sides “Magic Lights,” newly available on streaming, and a cover of Bow Wow Wow’s home-taping anthem, “C-30 C-60 C-90 Go!” And what’s more, singer Andrea Zollo and guitarist J. Clark guest on the latest installment of our Matador Revisionist History podcast series alongside producer Phil Ek and our host, Matt Sweeney.

Pretty Girls Make Graves formed in Seattle in 2001. The members—Andrea Zollo, Derek Fudesco, J. Clark, Nick Dewitt, and Nathan Thelen—were already local underground luminaries, owing to their time in punk and hardcore bands like Death Wish Kids, Area 51, and Murder City Devils.

The quintet released an EP, a handful of 7” singles, and a full-length, Good Health (Lookout! Records), before getting a cold email from Matador Records founder Chris Lombardi, who may or may not have read a positive review in Pitchfork. A deal was struck and the band decamped to the bucolic Bear Creek studio to track The New Romance with Ek.

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What makes a man start fires? Madness? Rage? Simple pyromania? Reduced gray matter in the regions of the brain associated with emotional processing, behavioral control and social cognition? Or, in the case of the Minutemen, righteous anger at the injustice of a world where a moral abyss separates the haves from the have nots. It was the dilemma of protest singers and first-world denizens D. Boon (guitar/vocals) and Mike Watt (bassist/vocals) that they found themselves uncomfortably on the side of the haves, and they did their best to expiate their guilt by writing songs that put them instead on the side of the angels.

The San Pedro, California hardcore champions’ 1983 LP What Makes a Man Start Fires? is a damn fine LP, but I prefer that same year’s follow-up EP “Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat,” simply because it marked a subtle evolution in their sound. A three-minute song? Unthinkable for a band whose name was their method. A trumpet? What kind of hardcore song includes a trumpet? And it makes me happy to think they deliberately opted to go lo-fi and managed to record the album for the princely sum of fifty bucks. Talk about jamming econo.

Both Boon and Watt were thinkers and feelers, hardcore political theoreticians of intuitive bent whose response to the wrongs of the Reagan years came straight from the heart. And the Minutemen had the biggest heart in rock ’n’ roll. Their anger was real, but their shorthand, stream-of-consciousness commentaries on what they saw going on all around them were informed by a seemingly bottomless well of compassion.

They were not cynics, although some of their songs about the complacency of their hardcore peers had real bite. No, the Minutemen were an empathy collective. They didn’t truck in withering sarcasm and Swiftian satire like the Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra and so many others. And unlike The Clash, their revolutionary impulses never carried the whiff of shtik and commercial expediency. They weren’t poseurs. They believed, naively perhaps, in the possibility of positive change. They simply soaked up the world’s pain and wrote agit-prop songs about it. Their “Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs” was autobiographical.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | “An entertaining collection of stories from a rock and roll life, and an astute study of music and music lovers. Peter Jesperson takes us on an amazing journey through record-store counters, band vans, backstages, label offices, and late night record-listening sessions. Throughout, his love for the performers and songs that sent him down this path shine through, illuminating and inspiring.” —Craig Finn, The Hold Steady

Peter Jesperson, music executive, DJ, manager, tour manager, label founder, and huge music fan will be releasing his memoir Euphoric Recall on November 14 through Minnesota Historical Society Press. The book features a forward by music journalist David Fricke.

A passionate music lover since childhood, Peter Jesperson found his way into the Minneapolis music world just as it was blossoming in the 1970s and ‘80s. While also managing the influential Oar Folkjokeopus record store and DJing at Jay’s Longhorn bar. Jesperson cofounded Twin/Tone Records, which launched such groundbreaking artists as The Replacements, Soul Asylum, The Suburbs, Babes In Toyland, and the Jayhawks, and many more. By the early ‘80s Jesperson made the discovery that changed his life: The Replacements. As an A&R man and then manager, he guided this talented and out-of-control foursome while taking a break to road-manage an upcoming sensation out of Athens, Georgia: R.E.M. But as his career was on the rise, Jesperson began his own descent into substance abuse.

Motivated by his love of music, Jesperson rallied back and eventually made his way to Los Angeles for the next phase of his career. While working alongside artists such as Dwight Yoakam, Kris Kristofferson, Vic Chesnutt, and Steve Earle, Jesperson experienced firsthand the dramatic changes in the music industry of the 1990s. After a half century in the music business, Jesperson shares insights, anecdotes, and lessons from his unique vantage point.

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Following the recent appearance of his co-written songs with Jarvis Cocker in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City film, and the success of the award-winning Standing At The Sky’s Edge musical, which features 20 Richard Hawley songs and won Best New Musical and handed Hawley Best Original Score at the 2023 Olivier Awards, BMG announces the first ever Richard Hawley collection; Now Then: The Very Best of Richard Hawley.

Richard Hawley is widely recognised as both one of the UK’s greatest songwriters and one of its most respected. Alongside two Mercury Music Prize Nominations, a BRIT award nomination, and four UK Top 10 albums, the Sheffield native songwriter has collaborated with the likes of Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, Lisa Marie Presley, Paul Weller, and Elbow.

Curated by Hawley and long-term collaborator Colin Elliot, Now Then spans his twenty plus year career, exhibiting all facets of his songwriting mastery; marrying his most cinematic moments with his most tender, his best loved work and a host of hidden gems from his early work, to create a collection for both his hardcore fanbase and the perfect entry point for his newest fans.

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Supporting a leader isn’t an easy job. The list of responsibilities is long—it’s necessary to pivot with that person, and go with the flow. One must have the ability to look a few yards ahead and anticipate what’s coming just around the corner. If you’ve ever watched a late night television show, watch—or, maybe more appropriately, listen—to the bandleader: the way the music punctuates special moments, how the occasional comments from the host can be countered by a bandleader who is connected and paying attention to the unexpected ebbs and flows that are an integral part of late night television.

Louis Cato may be only beginning his second year as bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but he’s ready to find the spotlight on center-stage, musically, at least. In addition to his work on the Late Show, Cato is a Grammy-nominated and internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter. He has worked with an array of artists including Bobby McFerrin, Snarky Puppy, Jon Batiste, Q-Tip, A Tribe Called Quest and more. This year he released his newest album titled, Reflections.

So, make a cup of coffee because Louis and I are going to stay up late discussing his new album, the road that led him to late night, and the tricks of the trade involved in supporting an acclaimed talk-show host with one of the most important parts of any late-night program: the music.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

So I was dancing around the living room to the great Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose” when—imagine my shock and awe—Kenny himself appeared in a puff of smoke wearing a white robe and holding a glowing orb. I’m accustomed to seeing spots before my eyes, but Kenny Loggins? A classic symptom of soft rock poisoning. Anyway, Kenny spaketh thus: “Go ahead, stroke the glowing orb. You will be magically transported to Vahevala where you will learn the secrets of the universe and be granted your own personal Yeti. You will experience the sublime wonders of His Divine Kennyness. And never again will you find yourself on the highway to the danger zone.”

Well, how do you turn down a pitch like that? I placed my hand on the glowing orb, and was instantly rocketed to a fourth dimension of existence where Winnie the Pooh frolicked with Michael McDonald against a backdrop of flaming meteors and the sounds of “What a Fool Believes” emerged in a synesthetic parade of fabulous colors from the flaring horn of a Grammy Award. For a moment I thought I would explode. It reminded me of the time I chugged an entire bottle of vanilla extract as a kid, only this time I didn’t projectile vomit afterwards.

But I did projectile vomit after listening to Kenny’s 1979 LP Keep the Fire, which proves that even Yacht Rock Gods are susceptible to producing records that smell… off. The only good things to be said for it are its ironically hilarious cover and “This Is It,” which is no “I’m Alright” but is alrighter by far than such Kenny treacle as “Celebrate Me Home” and “Whenever I Call You “Friend.”

Loggins’ best songs are subversively perky for a congenital balladeer—in relaxed mode the results are too often insufferably smarmy. Amongst his soft rock contemporaries Kenny is Mr. Excitement, but the problem with Keep the Fire is that even the feisty ones don’t make the grade, and will be enjoyed only by stark raving Kenny fanatics with no sense of quality control. But then again, isn’t that the definition of a fanatic?

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Devo marks half a century of de-evolution as the trailblazing band resumes their global tour this fall. Rhino pays tribute to the influential group today, unveiling a new career-spanning boxed set that encompasses all of Devo’s hits and a selection of rarities.

Devo: 50 Years Of De-Evolution (1973–2023) will arrive in various configurations on October 20. The first is a 4-LP set pressed on clear vinyl that’s limited to 3,000 copies worldwide, available exclusively from Rhino.com. This deluxe version comes in a slipcase with a 28-page book, a Devo air freshener, and a foldable paper hat that resembles the band’s iconic red energy domes. Additionally, a lithograph of the album artwork is included. A 2-CD version of the 50-song collection will also be available. Pre-orders are available HERE.

On the same day, a 25-song version of 50 Years Of De-Evolution (1973–2023) will be released as a 2-LP set on black vinyl, and a 2-LP special edition featuring blue and red vinyl will be available exclusively at retail. Today, the 7” version of “Disco Dancer” from the upcoming set is making its streaming debut. “In the past this information has been suppressed. But now it can be told. Come celebrate 50 years of De-evolution with a mind-blowing, 50th Anniversary box set from Devo.” states Gerald Casale.

Mark Mothersbaugh adds: “This box set represents a great cross section of early experiments and later creations. I was looking to create a new sound, a concept in art and music that represented a new way of thinking about life on planet earth. With Devo, I think we did just that. Farewell to the first 50, Let’s get the next 50 started!”

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Latino celebrates Tico Records’ 75th anniversary by examining one of its most prolific and diverse eras with Hit the Bongo! The Latin Soul of Tico Records. Spanning 1962–1972, this brand-new vinyl and digital collection surveys the rise of Latin soul through 26 rarities and classics by pioneering figures such as Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz and Ray Barretto, as well as by the Joe Cuba Sextet, La Lupe, Willie Bobo and many more.

Arriving October 27 and available to pre-order now, Hit the Bongo! features newly remastered audio by Joe Tarantino, a 2-LP set housed in a gatefold jacket with new liner notes by DJ Dean Rudland, with lacquers cut by Phillip S. Rodriguez at Elysian Masters. In addition, an exciting exclusive bundle option including a commemorative Tico Records T-shirt is available at Fania.com. In 1948, Tico Records opened in New York City, becoming one of the first US labels to focus solely on Latin music. Home to such pioneering figures as Ray Barretto, Tito Puente, Joe Cuba, Jimmy Sabater, La Lupe, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz, Tico was at the forefront of every Latin musical trend during its three-decade-long reign: from mambo and cha-cha-chá to Pachanga and boogaloo.

The story of Tico Records begins in the late 1940s when mambo swept dance clubs across the East Coast. Its epicenter was New York City’s Palladium Ballroom, where bandleaders like Tito Puente, Machito, and Tito Rodríguez (aka the “Mambo Kings”) played the Cuban-influenced music all night long. Despite its popularity, however, there was little mambo on record. In 1948, New York club owner George Goldner sought to change that. While Goldner would establish a multitude of labels during his career (including Roulette, Gone, and Leiber and Stoller’s Red Bird), his first endeavor, Tico Records, would hold a significant place in Latin music history.

One of his first signings was bandleader, percussionist and composer Tito Puente. A defining figure in Latin jazz, the “King of Timbales” began his prolific recording career at Tico with albums like Mamborama (1955) and Puente in Percussion (1956). It would be Puente’s second stint with the label, however, that cemented his status as an international star—most notably with 1962’s “Oye Como Va,” a popular cha-cha-chá number that Santana transformed into a Latin rock hit eight years later.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Celebrated archival label Light in the Attic (LITA) continues to celebrate the influential career of singer, actress, activist, and icon Nancy Sinatra with a captivating new collection Keep Walkin’: Singles, Demos & Rarities 1965–1978. Due out October 20th and available to pre-order now, Keep Walkin’ explores the lesser-known gems from Sinatra’s rich catalog through 25 B-sides, rare singles, covers, demos, and previously unreleased recordings. Remastered by GRAMMY®-nominated engineer John Baldwin, Keep Walkin’ is being offered in a variety of formats, including 2-LP, CD, 8-track, and digital.

Pressed at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI), the 2-LP set is presented in an expanded gatefold jacket and accompanied by a 24-page booklet (also included in the CD edition as a 40-page booklet), featuring an array of photos from the artist’s personal collection, as well as a new in-depth Q&A with Sinatra, conducted by the reissue’s GRAMMY®-nominated co-producer Hunter Lea. The booklet also contains a fascinating interview with keyboardist Don Randi (The Wrecking Crew), who recently spoke to Lea about his hit-filled career and his 50 years of work with Nancy.

In addition to the classic black vinyl pressing, a selection of colorful variants can be found exclusively at NancySinatra.com, LightInTheAttic.net, independent record stores, and select online retailers, while limited-edition merchandise (including apparel, accessories, and more) is also available at Nancy’s Bootique at NancySinatra.com.

Keep Walkin’: Singles, Demos & Rarities 1965–1978 serves as a companion to the widely acclaimed 2021 career-spanning retrospective Start Walkin’ 1965–1976 and marks the latest release from LITA’s ongoing Nancy Sinatra Archival Series, a partnership with the legendary artist that launched in October 2020, honoring her musical legacy through lovingly curated reissues (including her 1966 debut Boots, 1968 classic Nancy & Lee, and 1972’s Nancy & Lee Again), limited-edition merch, and other special releases.

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The Ocean Blue debuted on record in the waning moments of the 1980s, and it’s a safe bet that anyone who tuned in to college radio or lounged on a couch on a Sunday night for MTV’s 120 Minutes is familiar with the band’s early singles, if not their full-length albums. After three for Sire and one for Mercury, the band self-released Davy Jones’ Locker in a small pressing in 1999; it received a couple CD reissues shortly after, but the disc has finally gotten its first vinyl press courtesy of Korda Records. Often jangling and occasionally dreamy, the LP’s 13 cuts are a solid dose of mature indie pop with range.

Four albums in, and with a fifth on deck, but you’re left without a label; that’s the sort of scenario where many bands just elect to call it quits. Now some will snidely quip “just Do It Yourself,” but as detailed above, The Ocean Blue hit the scene under the auspices of Sire, one of the biggest Alternative-friendly labels then operating. Self-releasing after working exclusively with majors isn’t an easy transition.

But The Ocean Blue did go the D.I.Y. route with Davy Jones’ Locker, and to unsurprisingly smaller (way smaller) sales figures than the band’s three for Sire (The Ocean Blue, ’89, Cerulean, ’91, Beneath the Rhythm and Sound, ’93) and one for Mercury (See the Ocean Blue, ’96). In 2001 Davy was given a fresh run of CDs by March Records in the US and P-Vine in Japan, but that’s been it until this vinyl edition by Korda Records, a cooperative label run in part by The Ocean Blue that’s issued the band’s subsequent albums (Ultramarine, ’13, expanded EP Waterworks, ’14, Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves, ’19).

Listening to Davy Jones’ Locker in 2023 (I’ll confess to missing out on it in ’99), it’s understandable why it’s getting a reissue; it’s tunes are bright, energetic and smart, starting right away with the jangle-strummer “Ayn.” The Ocean Blue hailed from Pennsylvania, but there’s more than a hint of Hoboken classique in “Ayn” and elsewhere on the LP.

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