New Release Round-Up 10-28-16

CRX - New Skin - Sony
New Skin is the debut album of CRX a new project for STROKES lead guitarist Nick Valensi. The urge to begin a new project came from a primal place for Valensi, he just wanted to play. "I was at a place where I got really hungry to perform in front of audiences, and do things a little more simply," Valensi says. "The Strokes don't play that often anymore, and when we do it's awesome, but it got to the point where I needed to balance that out with a project I could take on tour whenever I wanted to. And the idea of playing clubs again was really exciting to me." But Valensi couldn't start playing until he'd written some songs, and he realized he'd have to finally embrace an aspect of performing he'd resisted up until that point -- singing. Last summer, he just dug in, grabbing whatever spare time he had to record demos on his laptop at home. "It was a learning process," says Valensi. "It took me some time to figure out how my voice sounds most natural, and to think about what I wanted to say."

EMPIRE OF THE SUN - Two Vines - Astralwerks
The third full-length release for the Australian electronic duo Empire Of The Sun was produced with Peter Mayes and Jonathan Sloan.

THE ANSWER - Solas - Napalm
“They are going to be huge” British magazine Kerrang once predicted – oh, how awfully right they were! Meanwhile, Northern Irish hard rockers The Answer gave us five fine, diversified albums only to now blow everyone away with the lush beauty that is Solas - a bold step in evolution for the band and past genre boundaries. This is not your typical The Answer classic rock album, musically and lyrically the band have progressed and have delivered a contemporary rock album with Gaelic influences. Solas is the Gaelic word for “light” – and how could this not be an omen? The Answer`s songwriting has an unchained quality to it: epic arrangements, airy folk melodies, and guitar sound walls build a timeless and thrilling masterpiece which embodies the crowning of the whole career of the Irish!

TOVE LO - Lady Wood - Island
Lady Wood is the long-awaited successor to Tove Lo's landmark debut album of 2014, the RIAA platinum Queen Of The Clouds. The album included Habits (Stay High), the career-defining 5x-platinum global #1 hit that introduced her to U.S. audiences, and has surpassed 1 billion Spotify streams; and the double-platinum follow-up, Talking Body (#3 on Billboard Pop Airplay, #12 on the Hot 100). In addition to Close, Tove Lo has also been the featured artist on tracks by fellow Island artist Coldplay ( Fun ), Years & Years ( Desire ), Broods ( Freak Of Nature ), Flume ( Say It ), and Alesso ( Heroes ).

NADA SURF - Peaceful Ghosts - Barsuk
In the summer of 2015, Matthew Caws - the singer/guitarist of Nada Surf - was sitting at his kitchen table in Brooklyn frantically writing what would become Nada Surf's seventh album, the critically acclaimed You Know Who You Are (2016), when an email arrived that would delight and terrify him. Once a year, FM4, in Austria, chooses an artist for a national orchestral concert that is broadcast across the country, and they reached out to Nada Surf asking if the band would like to be the next. Soon after receiving the FM4 request, the band secured a similar offer from Radio Eins in Berlin to perform live on air with the Babelsberg Film Orchestra, which derives it's name from and is affiliated with the legendary Babelsberg Studios where notable films such as Metropolis, Dr. Mabuse, and The Blue Angel were made. Instead of passing up the opportunities Nada Surf asked their good friend, multi-instrumentalist Martin Wenk, whose own band Calexico had done the FM4 Vienna Radio Symphony concert in 2013, to oversee the details with composer Max Knuth, while the band focused on putting the finishing touches on You Know Who You Are. For those of us unable to make it to Europe in June 2016 to listen to the fruits of this collaboration either in-person or over the airwaves, the band is making it available now with their album Peaceful Ghosts. 

KACEY MUSGRAVES - A Very Kacey Christmas - Mercury Nashville
Mercury Nashville's Kacey Musgraves will release her very first holiday album, 'A Very Kacey Christmas' Featuring Leon Bridges, Willie Nelson & The Quebe Sisters on Friday, Oct. 28. Produced by Musgraves, Misa Arriaga and Kyle Ryan, the album features four festive original tracks, co-written by Musgraves, as well as covers of eight holiday favorites. "Working on my first Christmas album has been one of the most enriching musical experiences I've ever had and I can't wait for everyone to hear it," said Musgraves. "I really wanted to create a whimsical throwback holiday record, one that evokes feelings of nostalgia and simpler times. I think that the fine musicians and brains that were a part of this project have helped me create a body of music that can be added to people's classic collections." Inspired by Bing Crosby, the Andrew Sisters, Nat King Cole and the classic sounds of the 40s, 50s and 60s, 'A Very Kacey Christmas' features the Grammy Award-winner's charming take on classic standards, as well as four original tracks to put her personal perspective on the holidays.
 

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UPCOMING RELEASES

BRIAN SETZER - Rockabilly Riot: Osaka Rocka! - Live in Japan 2016 [Blu-ray/CD] - Surfdog Records
Three-time Grammy-award-winner Brian Setzer's new concert Blu-ray/CD, Rockabilly Riot: Osaka Rocka! - Live in Japan 2016--filmed on February 18 at Namba Hatch in Osaka, Japan--is set for release November 4, 2016 via Surfdog Records. Live and loud, the concert encompasses songs from SETZER’s acclaimed 2014 studio album Rockabilly Riot! All Original—a sizzling rockabilly album from start to finish featuring SETZER’s trademark twang and fretboard fire. Also included are classic hits from his Stray Cats days, Brian Setzer Orchestra tunes and tracks from his solo albums. In front of the wildly enthusiastic audience, Brian Setzer and his band—Noah Levy (Drums), Kevin McKendree (Piano and Guitar) and Mark Winchester (Bass)—are firing on all cylinders.
 

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For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section and don't forget that many of these titles are also available on vinyl.

Ten Bands One Cause 2016

This week Ten Bands re-issue their albums on limited edition pink vinyl, all for one cause. This is the third year for the initiative that helped raise $65,000 for Gilda’s Club NYC, an organization that provides community support for both those diagnosed with cancer and their caretakers. It is named after comedian Gilda Radner, who passed away from the disease at the age of 43 in 1989.

This year’s limited pink vinyl are from Anthrax, The Black Keys, Courtney Barnett, Ed Sheeran, Jim Breuer & The Loud & Rowdy, My Chemical Romance, NOFX, Opeth, Pixies and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The releases are available for purchase starting this week, and proceeds will sponsor Gilda's Club NYC.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF TEN BANDS ONE CAUSE ALBUMS

In-Store Performances: Free & All Ages!