Music Releases 03-26-21

ASSEMBLY showcases carefully curated singles, fan favorites, and archival rarities from the JOE STRUMMER solo catalog. This 16-track compilation features three previously unreleased versions of classic Clash tracks, including the never-before-heard “Junco Partner (Acoustic)” and electrifying live performances of “Rudie Can’t Fail” and “I Fought The Law,” the latter two of which were recorded by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros at London’s Brixton Academy on November 24, 2001.

George Harrison’s passion for introducing the world to new music expressed itself in May of 1974 when he created his own new label – DARK HORSE RECORDS. The label contained a variety of talented artists on its roster, including George himself. ASSEMBLY marks the first new JOE STRUMMER title released via the newly relaunched Dark Horse Records.

Album comes on 180g Limited Edition Red double vinyl in Gatefold Sleeve.
All tracks remastered by Grammy Award Winner Paul Hicks (The Beatles/George Harrison/ The Rolling Stones/John Lennon).
Package includes new written foreword by Jakob Dylan

Green to Gold is the much-anticipated new album from New York based, Indie/Folk band, The Antlers. Perhaps what distinguishes Green to Gold from the rest of The Antlers’ canon is its, well, sunniness. Conceived and written almost entirely in the morning hours, Green to Gold is the band’s first new music in nearly seven years, and easily their most luminous to date. ”I think this is the first album I’ve made that has no eeriness in it,” singer and primary songwriter Peter Silberman asserts. “I set out to make Sunday morning music.”

The brighter outlook emerged, paradoxically, after a succession of ominous events. In 2015, Silberman suffered with an auditory condition that made touring near impossible and he retreated to the quiet of Upstate New York to heal. His return in 2017 with a solo album was short lived when he was diagnosed with lesions on his vocal chords, which required surgery and again a quiet rest and recovery period. Silberman explains. “I took these health obstacles as a sign that I should change course for a little while. I hadn’t made a full stop like that since The Antlers began.”

But he still felt the strong pull to spend time and work with longtime drummer Michael Lerner, and frequently invited him up to visit the idyllic hamlet he now called home. The two friends’ days typically involved long walks in the woods, but routinely ended up in Silberman’s converted-garage studio. “I would record him playing drums in the studio while he listened to old soul and R&B songs in headphones... and those drum recordings ultimately served as starting points for the songs that followed. At the time, we were merely attempting to make music together again, without really knowing how to approach it, or to what end.”

“I think the shift in tone is the result of getting older. It doesn’t make sense for me to try to tap into the same energy that I did ten or fifteen years ago, because I continue to grow as a person, as I’m sure our audience does too. Green to Gold is about this idea of gradual change,” he sums up. “People changing over time, struggling to accept change in those they love, and struggling to change themselves. And yet despite all our difficulty with this, nature somehow makes it look easy.”

Championed by Sir Elton John on Apple Music Beats 1. From the label that is pioneering the new wave of 21 st century Rock N Roll artists. Following in the footsteps of bands like Rival Sons, The Temperance Movement, Blackberry Smoke, Massive Wagons & Those Damn Crows. Developed a fearsome live reputation with relentless touring up and down the UK. Played festivals such as Ramblin' Man Fair, Planet Rockstock & Winter's End. Chosen for the support slots with the likes of Black Stone Cherry * The Dead Daisies Huge support from major UK Rock media such as Classic Rock Magazine and Planet Rock Radio (1.2 million listeners per week)

For two decades, Sara Watkins has been one of the most visible artists in roots music, with her catalog ranging from solo albums and Watkins Family Hour, a duo with her brother Sean Watkins, to her Grammy-winning bands Nickel Creek and I’m With Her.

With the nostalgic and gentle new album Under the Pepper Tree, Sara Watkins offers a comforting record for those moments as daily rhythms fade into nightly rituals – and when a child’s imagination comes to life.

Made with families in mind, the personal project encompasses songs she embraced as a child herself, as well as the musical friendships she’s made along the way. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Tyler Chester, Under the Pepper Tree brings storytelling, solace, and encouragement to the listener, no matter the age.

Carrie Underwood will be releasing her first ever Inspirational album on March 26th entitled My Savior. Available on Double White Vinyl on April 30th.

Just two months after the release of his seminal album After The Gold Rush, Neil Young played a solo show at The Shakespeare Theater, Stratford, CT on January 22 1971. The show was filmed and recorded, and the concert shown on German TV later in 1971.

In 2020, while Neil and his team were reviewing his Archive for future projects, Neil re-visited the 16mm film and audio recording of this show that had been preserved in the Archive for almost 50 years. Piecing together the tapes and footage, Neil realized that he had the full concert – the film of which is the earliest live footage of Neil performing that is known to exist.

Neil has written on NYA that this show is “superior to our beloved “Massey Hall”. A more calm performance, without the celebratory atmosphere of Massey Hall, captured live on 16mm. “Young Shakespeare” is a very special event. To my fans, I say this is the best ever.”

As an insight into Neil’s prolific song writing at the time, the concert features two songs from the recently released After The Gold Rush but four songs from the classic Harvest album that was still over a year away from being released. The wonderful set list also includes acoustic renditions of favorites such as “Ohio”, “Cowgirl In the Sand”, “Helpless”, “Down By The River” and “Sugar Mountain”.

The ancient analog tapes have been lovingly restored – resulting in (as Neil says on NYA) “one of the most pure sounding acoustic performances we have in the Archive”.

This beautiful concert is being released on LP and CD, plus a deluxe boxed edition that includes both LP and CD and, for the first time ever, a DVD of the concert.

Young Shakespeare is being released almost exactly 50 years after the original performance.

Positions is the sixth studio album by Ariana Grande and features the RIAA Certified Platinum Single "positions" which peaked at #1 on Top 40 Radio in the US." The album also feature the follow up single "34+35" which is impacting Top 40 radio now! The Deluxe Version includes four new songs and adds the "34+35 (Remix)" which features Doja Cat & Megan Thee Stallion.

With a keen grasp on textural and emotive songwriting, SYML aka Brian Fennell wrote this EP choosing to paint in piano rather than using lyrics to describe his feelings. Says Fennell, "Words can be limiting, especially when the writer isn’t speaking a language you understand. I wanted to make a piece of wordless music that still tells a story."

Anniversary edition of the debut album from 3 Doors Down. The first disc is the album featuring the smash hit "Kryptonite" plus four bonus tracks: The Better Life (XX Mix), Kryptonite (2000 Acoustic), Be Like That (2000 Acoustic) & Wasted Me (Studio Version). Disc two is The Escatapwa Sessions of early home demo recordings, including the never-released "Dead Love" & "Man in My Mind". 2 CD.

The Bitter Truth is Evanescence’s first album of new, original music in almost ten years. It’s a return-to-force and an epic rock and roll album. Already-released songs, “Wasted On You,” “The Game Is Over,” and “Use My Voice,” have received early accolades from Elle, Billboard, SPIN, American Songwriter, and more, and showcase the “ferocious and hymnal” (The New York Times) sound that made Evanescence a household name, as well as the drama and powerhouse vocals that made Amy Lee “one of rock’s definitive voices” (Rolling Stone).

Tune-Yards ' the celebrated Oakland- based duo of Merrill Garbus & Nate Brenner ' release sketchy. , their fifth album and their first album in 3 years, on March 26. Teased last fall with single 'nowhere, man', the album is being announced with the lead track 'hold yourself'; a moment of self-realisation - 'We all have trouble being brave enough to turn the page'.

2021 release, the fourth studio effort from the brother trio - and the follow-up to 2019's Neotheater. OK Orchestra includes the previously released singles "Bang!", "Bummerland" and "My Play".

12" single LP featuring the hit singles “Holy” and “Anyone” from Justin’s forthcoming 6th Studio album.

2021 release. The Moonlight Edition is a celebration of what can only be described as the album of a generation. Future Nostalgia (The Moonlight Edition) features four previously unheard tracks 'We're Good', 'If It Ain't Me'. 'That Kind of Woman' and 'Not My Problem (feat. JID)' and includes the top 10 smash hit single "Prisoner" by Miley Cyrus featuring Dua Lipa. Also on the album is 'Fever'. "We're Good is the incredible lead single from the deluxe album and both creatively and sonically pushes boundaries of what people expect from Dua.

Loney dear, aka singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Emil Svan„ngen, will release his second album for Real World Records, 'A Lantern and A Bell.' Heralded by outlets such as Stereogum, Sunday Times UK, Rolling Stone and Uncut, Loney Dear's music is sensitive yet uplifting. PR teams will be engaged in multiple territories, in addition to videos for key tracks and social media marketing across Real World and Six Degrees channels. Peter Gabriel calls it "the work of a master."

Solid Cream & Solid Scarlet Vinyl. Xiu Xiu makes beautiful music for hard times. For nearly 20 years, the band has a track record of crafting experimental music for moments when life's harsh realities meet it's existential mysteries. On the latest album, Jamie Stewart explores a recent revelation and is reminded of the power of the band's music to surprise and connect. Listening to the songs on OH NO, it is hard to feel truly alone. Instead, it is a reminder that even when we're alone, we're alone together. OH NO, the group's newest album, is an album of duets, with Stewart sharing the stage with an array of guests who have made an impact on him personally and musically. This is the first Xiu Xiu album where every song spotlights Jamie Stewart and a collaborator. The album features artists across the musical spectrum, including Sharon Van Etten, Circuit des Yeux's Haley Fohr, Grouper's Liz Harris, Alice Bag, Chelsea Wolfe, Owen Pallet, and Twin Shadow's George Lewis Jr., all drift into Xiu Xiu's distinctive soundworld. The album was born out of anguish and isolation, but exists as it does because of a profound rediscovery of community and friendship. It is the sound of finding one's place in the world after the destructive powers of jealousy and mistrust make any map seemingly unreadable.

The first new album in eight years from Tomahawk. The band features Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle), Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard), John Stanier (Battles, Helmet) and Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle) 

The Horrors make their long-awaited return with “Lout” via Wolf Tone. This bold new sound is partnered with a striking visual aesthetic carried through in the artwork. Blood Red 180g 7” vinyl. Standard Sleeve. Limited Edition.

Following the release of his huge summer singles "Chemicals" and the Robyn and Channel Tres collaborative smash "Impact", UK songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist SG Lewis announced the upcoming release of his long-awaited debut album, times. The LP finds one of modern pop's secret weapons stepping out front and center, as he takes listeners on a voyage through soaring electronic dance and kaleidoscopic future disco, with the help of a few friends along the way.

A surprise cassette released April 2020, Songs for Pierre Chuvin is the Mountain Goats’ first all-boombox album since 2002’s All Hail West Texas. After selling over 4000 cassettes in a matter of minutes, the avid Mountain Goats fanbase has demanded more and we are happy to acquiesce! Songs for Pierre Chuvin will be available on CD and LP on March 26, 2021.

Ben Howard - "Collections From The Whiteout" Republic Records; R Singer/Songwriter - Ben Howard returns with his fourth album, Collections From The Whiteout, produced alongside Aaron Dessner. The foreboding darkness that coated his second record, and thinly veiled it's follow-up, isn't so evident on Collections. Written from headlines scanned or news stories scrolled, he creates an aural scrapbook that reverberates with tape loops and guitar FXs. An England puffed up into absurdity by political outrage and infighting all fed these songs.

Death From Above 1979 , is the boundary pushing musical alliance made up of Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler. Is 4 Lovers, produced, mastered and recorded entirely by themselves, captures the creation of a totally new sound and a reimagining of the format they created more than 20 years ago.

Bang! Is the third album by British group World Party, released on April 26, 1993. While previous World Party albums were essentially solo projects by one-man orchestra Karl Wallinger, for this album World Party officially became a three-person group: Wallinger (vocals, keyboards, guitars, basses, etc.), Dave Catlin-Birch (guitars), and Chris Sharrock (drums). As well, the band is aided by a number of guest artists. The album hit #2 on the UK albums chart. This reissue is 180g vinyl.

Limited silver colored vinyl LP pressing. Death of a Bachelor is the fifth studio album by Panic! At the Disco, and their first as a solo project, originally released January 15, 2016. It is the follow-up to the band's fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013), with the entire album written and recorded by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Brendon Urie, who collaborated with other writers including Jake Sinclair, Morgan Kibby, Lolo, and Sam Hollander. Death of a Bachelor debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200.

The Devil In Me is the best album in my career to date!" After all, the American rock vocalist would hardly utter such superlatives lightly. Suzi's enthusiasm for her latest offering has many reasons, twelve of them to be precise. Because The Devil In Me consists of exactly a dozen songs, each of them - from the opening track and title song to the final 'Motor City Riders' - a real highlight. That this moment is still a long way in the distant future is partly due to The Devil In Me. "I have to confess that I could hardly wait to work on new material again with Richard after the release of No Control," Suzi explains. "Every album has it's own creative history and I know that it's impossible to plan success. But Richard and I were certain of one thing: We knew we'd be a good team again.

3rd album from Latin Grammy winner & the female leader of the Latin urban music movement KAROL G. She has been an essential asset to the evolution of Latin music and representation of female empowerment in the entertainment industry globally. KAROL G is the only female artist to reach #1 on the Latin Airplay chart with a solo single this decade with "BICHOTA" and "Ay, DiOs M¡o!"

SMITH/KOTZEN is the exciting partnership between guitarists & vocalists Adrian Smith & Richie Kotzen. Part-time LA neighbors, full time friends with a healthy mutual respect—their music is evocative of the classic rock bands of the 70’s brought bang up to date with punchy hooks, harmonies and sheer guitar virtuosity. Debut track “Taking My Chances” sets the tone for this electrifying collaboration between two hugely admired rock music trail-blazers.

The third album from the Atlanta-based rock duo, produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice In Chains)

Limited red, white, and blue colored vinyl LP pressing. 2021 release. A stellar line-up of special guest superstars join Joey Molland's Badfinger to create a full-length album of unique twists on the band's all-time favorite hits. Includes performances by Matthew Sweet, Todd Rundgren, Rick Wakeman, The Legendary Pink Dots, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, Rick Springfield, Sonny Landreth and more. Revamped versions of the Paul McCartney-penned "Come And Get It" as well as the smash hit singles "Baby Blue," "No Matter What," "Day After Day" and the monster ballad (later covered by Mariah Carey) "Without You."

SPIRITUAL VIOLENCE was recorded with legendary producer Jay Baumgardner (Bush, Godsmack, Papa Roach) and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage). It also includes guest features by Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies), Phil Campbell (Motörhead) and the Musyca Children's Choir.

Citizen have always eluded definition. The Toledo, Ohio-based four-piece have been making dynamic, wide-ranging guitar music for over ten years, challenging expectations with each new album and refusing to fit neatly in a box. On their fourth full-length, Life In Your Glass World, Citizen have crafted their most singular work to date completely on their own terms-proving that only the band themselves can define their identity. This definition meant taking the entire process home to Toledo, Ohio - the Glass City - and creating everything in-house. Recorded in vocalist Mat Kerekes' home studio in his garage, Citizen's need to continue moving forward creatively went hand in hand with their desire to be fully in control of their creative destiny. The new process afforded the band time to focus on each song's individual mood, making their sig-nature blend of aggression and melody all the more pronounced, and even capturing appealing imperfections. The result is an album that represents the members' vision in it's purest form, something that feels distinctly Citizen while also marking the start of a fresh chapter.One of the most immediately striking elements of the direction on Life In Your Glass World is the band's attention to rhythm. Many of the songs feature undeniably danceable beats and sharp, groove-laden guitar lines, which give both the barnburners and the brooding atmospheric tracks a pulsating heart. The band's desire to assert themselves is palpable both in the music and Kerekes' lyrics, mirroring not only their creative frustrations but also a long year of personal upheavals. It's fitting for Life In Your Glass World, a record that proves Citizen's true identity is rooted in the raw energy of constant evolution.

Serpentwithfeet is not only imagining, but exploring a world wherein Black love is paramount. His new album, DEACON, is "a study rather than a story," delving into Black, gay love and the tenderness present in the best companionships, romantic or otherwise.Fully self-actualized and more devoted than ever to personal fulfilment, DEACON highlights his growth as a songwriter, which he credits to taking a more straightforward approach to expression. Spending time with pop songwriters and observing how they traverse language encouraged serpent to take more risks lyrically, resulting in more purity.Raised by religious parents in Baltimore, serpent's flair for theatrical themes and gospel sensibilities can be traced to the Black church, a place where the artist had his earliest experiences with glamour and the ornate. Well-executed vocal flourishes and the implementation of a quickening vibrato are just a few of the skills he picked up during his time in a Pentecostal choir. He proudly follows in the tradition of R&B artists whose gifts were helmed in the church, and he approached DEACON with an undeniable passion and reverence for the genre.In his love for love, serpentwithfeet is offering a look into the soul of a man who articulates his passion in a warmer, gentler way. He's become wholly confident in his gift and messaging on DEACON, which is to be expected when one gives vent to maturity. Through his music, he allows compassion to be the backbone of his art, as he communes with his most loving self.

Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. Now, wickedly smart and tantalizing cunning, she's leading a secret double life when a chance encounter gives her a chance to right the wrongs of the past. The official soundtrack, from Capitol, will include 15 songs by female artists & Anthony Willis' reimagining of Britney Spears hit "Toxic." Features DeathbyRomy, FLETCHER, Cyn, Maya B, Donna Missal, Sky Ferreira and more.

GENGHIS TRON make their return with their new album "Dream Weapon" on 3/26! The band’s first new studio outing in over a decade, GENGHIS TRON’s Hamilton Jordan and Michael Sochynsky are now joined by two new collaborators: vocalist Tony Wolski and Sumac/Baptists drummer Nick Yacyshyn. Together, the lineup perfects the unique mix of extreme rock and electronic music GENGHIS TRON has pioneered over their storied career.

Disc 1:  Original 10-track 2020 self-titled album + 2 bonus tracks, “Ghost Shaped People” & “Hyperthermic/Accelerate”
Disc 2:  Live audio from the Sept 18 livestream [10 live tracks (self-titled album in its entirety) + 4 encore tracks]
Disc 3:  Live DVD of the video from the Sept 18 livestream

Lamb of God Single disc vinyl package featuring a 10-track concert from the band's live stream event recorded September 18, 2020, in which the band performed the album Lamb of God in it's entirety. Pressed on 40-gram vinyl

“Skegss have cemented themselves as one of the most intoxicating acts to come out of Australia in years.” – Rolling Stone. Skegss are an Australian 3-piece power trio originally from Byron Bay. They combine surf, garage, and slacker elements to create their dynamic sound. The band – comprised of Benny Reed (guitar and vocals), Toby Cregan (bass and vocals) and Jonny Lani (drums).

Musician and producer, Noga Erez finds her feet on KIDS, her bold second album for City Slang made with her creative and life partner Ori Rousso. Building from the raw politics of her 2017 debut, Off The Radar, KIDS moves closer to home while retaining her signature smarts and swagger. Its earworms and crisp productions are locked around lyrics that deal with the personal and the political; mortality and loss; war and peace, insecurity and ambition. As with Off The Radar, Erez never pulls her punches, whether that's with politics or production. After a series of singles, KIDS comes packed with chart-worthy outspoken pop anthems for the 21st century. KIDS replaces the shadow and fury of Off The Radar with neon brights, bold lines, in determinedly audacious and confident productions that swap ferocity for bounce, gloomy moods for fierce swagger. Erez has truly found her style, growing into a crisp bombastic sound she crafts with Rousso, that contains tension and release, anxiety and remedy, and masterly melodic licks in swipes of stomping brass, all wrapped around Erez's versatile vocals that quick-switch from clipped flow to smoky purr; from stadium chorus to street-ready beats.

KIDZ BOP is the #1 children's music brand! KIDZ BOP's family-friendly new album, KIDZ BOP All-Time Greatest Hits, compiles the biggest hits of this millennium, hits sung by kids for kids. Featuring kid-friendly versions of songs such as "All Star," "I Gotta Feeling," "Call Me Maybe," "Happy," and "Old Town Road" sung by the KIDZ BOP Kids, KIDZ BOP All-Time Greatest Hits is sure to be an instant favorite among families everywhere.

Deluxe edition featuring remixes and collaborations. Sibling duo For King & Country channel their dynamic energy into an electrifying eleven-song album. Burn The Ships captures the brothers' musical artistry and uplifting perspective on "Joy," "Pioneers," "Fight On, Fighter," and others.

Mascot Records will release the 15th Anniversary limited-edition Glow In The Dark vinyl pressing of Volbeat’s debut album, The Strength / The Sound / The Songs, on March 26th, 2021. The Strength/The Sound/The Songs was first released by Mascot Records in 2005, launching the band onto the greater European music stage with bone-shaking performances at Roskilde, Download and Pinkpop Festivals. The album, which includes their first single, a cover of Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Wanna Be With You” and fan favorites “Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza” and “Soulweeper,” crashed into the Danish charts and earned the band a slew of Danish Music Awards. The album has gone on to be certified 2 x Platinum in their home country, Gold in Germany and has generated over 180 million streams and (still) counting. This new limited vinyl variant celebrate both the legacy of the album and the future that will bring countless more performances of these songs to the world stage.

Like clockwork, Swedish stoner rockers GREENLEAF spread their concentrated sludgy energy to disciples of the genre by releasing Echoes From A Mass in 2021, the successor to their 2018 epic, Hear The Rivers. The album opener, “Tides”, immediately draws the listener into a swirl of guitar driven soundscapes, while Arvid Hällagård’s remarkable voice merges with hypnotizing background vocals, ceremonially inviting the listener into a heavy reverie. Floating hypnotic grooves set the stage for the compelling yet chilling “Needle In My Eye” — with its incisive, driving drums and roaring riffs, the record’s third song accumulates piece by piece into a modern rock standout, taking the mind by storm. “Love Undone” breaks in with Tommi Holappa's acclaimed, blistering guitar riffs that will keep the listener moving to the mesmerizing, distinctive sonic layers of GREENLEAF. The bluesy mid-tempo track “Bury Me My Son” digs deep with its poignant lyrics and an extensive, grooving bass solo, reminiscent of their roots in the Dozer days. With “March On Higher Grounds”, the Swedes deliver a dusting of desert-vibes, merging into a truly catchy refrain, while closer “What Have We Become” offers a hallucinatory realm of calmness, setting a bold exclamation mark at the album’s epic end. Once again, GREENLEAF prove that they dare to think outside the box and deliver a heavy roller comprised of Sebastian Olsson's rumbling drumming performance, fuzzy guitars, Fröhlich's haunting bass lines, Arvid Hällagård's powerful yet ghoulish vocals and undeniable, heavy stoner, southern desert and blues vibes. Echoes From A Mass was recorded at Studio Gröndahl in October 2020 by former band member Karl Daniel Lidén, who also mixed and mastered the record at Tri-Lamb Studios. Lidén is recognized for his work with well-known acts such as Katatonia, Bloodbath, Lowrider and Crippled Black Phoenix, to name a few.

It is the beginning of a new era. Since early October 2020, smoke lays over Northampton near London. The machinery is well-oiled, and the plan excellent - MEMORIAM have recorded their fourth studio album! The speed the British machinery at work since their early days is enormous, and equally amazing. In 2016 the band inaugurated the public to their existence. Since those days the machines have never stood still. The British Death Lead Commando caused a big rumble shortly after the first rumors about where this journey would go. „The Hellfire Demos“ hit the worldwide scene with its old school Death Metal and left speechlessly torn open mouths which are still raving of the enthusiasm of this achievement today. When "For The Fallen“, the debut album, was unleashed on mankind via Nuclear Blast Records in 2017, the impression was even more powerful – Truly a historic act for metal history. But as mentioned, there is no standing still for MEMORIAM. Meanwhile emancipated from other bands, they write their own history. While the first album was heavy, oppressive and marked by grief, the second album „The Silent Vigil“ (2018) showed their merciless and aggressive side. The same applies to the third strike „Requiem For Mankind“, which stands unmistakably in the short but impressive tradition of all previous MEMORIAM efforts. After this concentrated Death Metal trilogy, all signs pointed to upheaval, as if the band wanted to completely break away from their old roots. They looked for a new home and signed a worldwide record deal with the upcoming label Reaper Entertainment Europe. When drummer Andy Whale had to take a forced break due to health reasons, Spike T Smith - a close friend of the band took over the job in the rhythm section. Nevertheless „To The End“ follows the tradition of its predecessors without leaving any doubt that one of the strongest albums of 2021 lurks here. Once again the grooves are monstrous, the riffs merciless, and the atmosphere oppressive, paralyzing, down right overwhelming, and Willett‘s aggressive vocals provide the proverbial icing on the cake. „To The End“ is a tremendous demonstration of power that impressively unites all elements of its predecessors, painting a frightening picture of war, death and destruction, where nothing remains at the end but ashes and the realization of a masterpiece. The grandiose songwriting and first-class recordings are rounded off by the production of Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR, AT THE GATES, AMORPHIS etc.) at Parlour Studios, which comes across as charming „Down to Earth“, but wonderfully differentiated, to give every detail on „To The End“ its deserved recognition.

Mute is delighted to announce a new album from Visionist, his first for the label, which will be released in March 2021. A Call To Arms will be Visionist’s third album release and where previously the artist used his vocals as samples, for the first time we hear his singing voice in the form of song and lyric. Along with the addition of Visionist’s vocals, the album will host a varied list of collaborators.

With a history 50+ years in the making, Tower of Power has been a funk institution since 1968, knocking out hits like “What is Hip,” “So Very Hard to Go,” “This Time It’s Real” and “You’re Still a Young Man" while lending their soulful sound to collaborations with Santana, the Grateful Dead, Elton, Huey Lewis, Justin Timberlake and everyone in-between. "50 Years of Funk & Soul - Live at the Fox Theater" captures their storied career with no-holds-barred victory lap concerts in Oakland, CA, performing their full spectrum of life-affirming funk and soul hits to sold out audiences in 2018. Available as a 3-LP set, 2-CD/1-DVD package, standalone DVD and digital audio configuration, these historic performances include alumni special guests Chester Thompson, Lenny Pickett, Francis ‘Rocco’ Prestia, Bruce Conte and Ray Greene.

Irrepressible full-spectrum psych-pop. Suddenly, with three singer-songwriters, they're the subterranean Beatles, a loaded Revolver. Strumming every guitar and every bass drum, rebuilding pop in it's own fiendish image, Blexxed Rec is a blessed event for all yer rock and roll people. Go knock on every door! Wake the world! The Peacers are at hand.

Against the backdrop of a universally difficult 2020, songwriter and guitarist John Smith found himself facing personal and unrelenting change.  In the spring of 2020, Smith and his wife lost a pregnancy, and his mother was diagnosed with cancer.  With his touring schedule of two hundred days a year on the road suddenly on indefinite hiatus, for the first time in over a decade, John was home.

“With newfound pain coming from so many directions, dealing with the uncertainty it brings, I closed the curtains and picked up the pen, turning to songwriting as a lifeline.”  It’s unsurprising that the new songs reflect a shift in priorities.  On his new album ‘The Fray’, Smith gives us an uplifting perspective on the path forward, but pays beautiful homage to the difficulties along the way.

‘The Fray’ is Smith’s sixth studio album, and his vulnerability throughout is offered to his listeners, unadorned.  “It’s been a hell of a year, but I feel I’ve created my most honest work as a result, and as a necessity.  A lot of these songs are about accepting that life is hard, but just holding on and trying to enjoy it anyway.”  Smith’s stubborn optimism in tough circumstances shines through on the title track, in which he sings “Holding onto hope / I don’t need a decent reason / Yes and though it disappears sometimes / It returns with every season”.

Smith co-produced ‘The Fray’ with long-time friend and producer Sam Lakeman.  They recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studio, with pianist Jason Rebello (Sting, John Mayer), bass player Ben Nicholls (Seth Lakeman, Nadine Shah), Drummer Jay Sikora (Paolo Nutini) and Jessica Staveley-Taylor of The Staves.  The album is a true reflection of the times, with American collaborators Sarah Jarosz, Courtney Hartman, The Milk Carton Kids and Bill Frisell recording remotely and sending contributions over international borders.  John’s frequent touring partner Lisa Hannigan contributed via a virtual studio session in Dublin.

Smith co-wrote a couple of songs for the album whilst on tour before the pandemic.  Driving a rental car from Asheville to Nashville, John stopped to write the standout track ‘Eye to Eye’ with North Carolina-based Sarah Siskind.  The Americana influence is a red thread throughout the album which beautifully compliments Smith’s unmistakeable British Folk roots.

Smith was born in Essex and raised on the Devon seaside.  Known for his intimate songwriting, his honey-on-gravel voice and pioneering guitar playing, he has spent the last fifteen years touring internationally and has amassed over 40 million streams on Spotify.  As a session musician he has played guitar with artists as diverse as Joan Baez, David Gray, Joe Henry, Lianne La Havas and Tom Jones.

During the middle decades of the 20th century, the factories of southwestern Ohio drew hundreds of thousands of migrants from Appalachia, including innumerable musicians. Industrial Strength Bluegrass celebrates the music that these migrants made and loved, and explores a pivotal moment in the history of bluegrass and country music at large. Produced by beloved performer and radio personality Joe Mullins, the collection features many modern legends like Lee Ann Womack, Mo Pitney, and Vince Gill, plus a stellar lineup of bluegrass stalwarts including Rhonda Vincent, Bobby Osborne, and Mullins himself, taking on tunes that have echoed across Ohio for decades. This group of some of the biggest names in bluegrass today pays tribute to the jubilant highs and lonesome lows of life amongst the factories and warehouses, reflecting the region's rich culture and resilient people.

We can't always be the best versions of ourselves and sometimes you need to travel through the hard parts for the happiness to exist in the end. Life is a road of regrets and accomplishments, you need to embrace every aspect of it for creating the person you are now.

From the desperate content harvest of copy/paste culture (""Ascend"") to the polarised rhetoric surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement in America (""Movement""), 'Resident Human' is Anglo-Finnish prog-metal troopers Wheel vocalising the ashes they’ve witnessed falling throughout 2020 - putting a voice to our fallible nature. With their first headline tour booked in for February 2020, and the promise of a US tour waiting for them in April, it was around then the instrumental bare bones of ‘Resident Human’ were in full swing. Initially to be squeezed into a 10-week recording period, once COVID-19 hit the world hard, the band had to roll with the ever-changing punches. Expanding the subject matters even further, inspiration also came in the form of sci-fi novel series Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons. With its dealings in astronomy, politics and art, the songs it directly inspired including “Hyperion” and “Dissipating”, lend themselves to the struggle against mortality and coming to terms with the indifference of the universe respectively. Packing a punch into the seven tracks that make up 'Resident Human', each is varied in its motive and action. Across the vivid vistas of expanding and contracting sounds come the same jagged rapture as ‘Moving Backwards’, but far from treading old ground, this time things find a new level of focused intensity