THE MARS VOLTA “Amputechture” 2xLP

Although we have had this for a little while now, I thought I would just share with all of you the beautiful vinyl and killer artwork. Mars Volta and GSL always do such an amazing job with their vinyl releases, it makes you very stoked to own anything they do. If you haven’t picked up a copy, what are you waiting for?

My good buddy, Sean-Micheal from Mammoth Press, emailed me an article about the resurgence of the vinyl format. It is a bit of a fluf piece and mostly focuses on the 7″ format, but anybody willing to spend some time to write about this beloved medium is a-ok in my book. I don’t ever see Vinyl becoming a mainstream success, but I truly believe that Vinyl will be here long after the mp3 is replaced with some other digital format and CDs go the way of the 8 track. Hopefully more press will follow and we will no longer get the question, “They still make vinyl?”.

Oakland sent us a photo of him holding a couple of the records he won when winning our first ever Vinyl Collective contest. As you can tell, he has a pretty decent sized record collection. He also appears to be quite happy that he won our little contest. Congrats Oakland, we hope you are enjoying those records.

Russian Circles “Enter” LP on Red and White Vinyl 

The highly acclaimed “Enter” by the Russian Circles finally sees release on vinyl. The very, very limited vinyl release is available on 3 colors but due to some confusion at Southern Distribution, we only received the White and Red Vinyl copies. Pick up your copies before they are gone forever.  It has been a good year for Russian Circles as they have been able to tour with acts like Pelican and find a fanbase pretty quickly after releasing their first recording.

RED SPAROWES / MADE OUT OF BABIES / BATTLE OF MICE 3×7″

TRIAD features new and live material from three of NR’s newest bands: instrumental innovators Red Sparowes; the crushingly unnerving Made Out of Babies; and (featuring members of Red Sparowes and Made out of Babies) horizon-expanding sounds from Battle of Mice.

BOB DYLAN “MODERN TIMES” double LP

At a time when the majority of those his age are drifting into retirement, 65-year-old Bob Dylan has put the capper on a three-record run that ranks with the best in his storied, 44-album career. Like Time Out of Mind and Love and Theft before it, Modern Times is a rootsy, blues-soaked pool of the purest form of Americana–skipping the progressive bells or whistles for an understated backing by his touring band. Dylan’s voice, which cracks, rasps and moans from the pop singer’s pulpit, hasn’t been this rich and emotive since 1976’s Desire. And while his lyrics prolong his steadfast allusions to a higher power and his own immortality, they are not without the Dylan mirth, as when he sings of tracking pop queen Alicia Keys from Hell’s Kitchen to Tennessee in “Thunder on the Mountain,” the album’s opener, which teams with “Someday Baby” and “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” (for which Dylan misguidedly claims writing credit) as the record’s most fiery numbers. Still, it’s the Dylan that tells of a slave-loving owner (“Nettie Moore”), brings New Orleans to the front burner (“The Levee’s Gonna Break”) and plays the part of an eloquent lounge singer (“Spirit on the Water,” “When the Deal Goes Down” and “Beyond the Horizon”) that makes Modern Times sound just like old times. –Scott Holter

Album Leaf “Into the Blue Again” LP

Jimmy LaValle’s varied experience includes stints with Tristeza, The Locust, GoGoGo Airheart, The Blackheart Procession, and Sigur Ros. “Into The Blue Again” sees LaValle handling the bulk of the vocal and instrumental duties. After tracking, he took the concentric billows of feathered keyboards, filmy strings, and chiseled drums to Iceland for three weeks of mixing to tape to maintain Brian Eno-informed translucence. Having shared so much time and space with others on the road, LaValle proves, with this personally charged release, that The Album Leaf resonates most profoundly when he goes it alone. Here is an mp3:

Mp3 : Always For You

I am about to leave for the weekend, but before I do, i wanted to share with you some really rad albums we just got in stock:

THE MARS VOLTA “Amputechture” 2xLP

NEW YORK DOLLS “One Day It Will Please Us To Remember” 2xLP

THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES “Horse Girl” 7″

CATFISH HAVEN “Tell Me” LP

CITY MOUSE / featuring LUCERO “the stories of” 7″

ENVY “Insomniac Doze” LP

HARVEY DANGER “Little By Little” LP

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. “Fading Trails” LP

SONIC YOUTH “Rather Ripped” LP

SUN KIL MOON “Tiny Cities” 2xLP

WOVEN HAND “Mosiac” LP

I realize that is a lot to take in, but trust me there are some truly great records listed above! Have a fantastic weekend! Til next time!

RATATAT “Classics” LP

“Classics” remains resolutely instrumental, but the band has introduced a wealth of new sounds, from acoustic and slide guitar to sleigh bells and cello. Their vastly improved production and writing makes this record a refinement of their art. “Ratatat lay squealing metal harmonies over choppy Neptunesstyle dance thumps, then break into pastoral waves of keyboard tone, riding dub tempos and hip-hop struts. They’re crotch-pumping arena pimps and introverted minimalists…” – Blender. Check out some tunes on their myspace page.