New record pressing! Bloomsday – The Heart of The Artichoke:
The way Bloomsday’s Iris James Garrison writes songs feels like somewhere between a mirror and a memory. Spacious, full-bodied folk songs, they are an ode to things that are good no matter how small; they sometimes feel like the ghost of a Mary Oliver poem. Bloomsday’s new record, ‘Heart of the Artichoke’, is a relic of unfettered creativity and community. They recount the miracles of the mundane, the memories that become sacred, an ode to all that is holy: nightswimming, songs plucked from the ether, the ways friendship can endure.
New record pressing! Fela Kuti – Zombie (reissue/repress).
The fury stirred up among the Nigerian police and military by Fela’s confrontational Alagbon Close (1974) and Kalakuta Show (1976), and the beatings and harassments Fela and Africa 70 suffered as a consequence, were as nothing compared to the reprisals following 1976’s Zombie. Within months of its release, a brutal army attack left Fela’s Kalakuta Republic compound burnt to the ground and many of its residents, including Fela, assaulted and seriously injured.
New record pressing! Tim Easton – Find Your Way. Few poets follow their own arrow as devotedly as Tim Easton, whose songwriting career has woven in and out of folk music and rock ‘n’ roll (and Americana before it was really called that), of erstwhile bands and solo songwriting, of his birthplace of America and all the other places he’s called home. Whether surviving as a busker in Paris and Prague, living and working on both US coasts, touring relentlessly through remote Alaska or recording with some of the most famous sidemen in rock history, Easton has followed his inspiration to every point on the map.
New Record Pressing! Angelo Outlaw‘s Axis of Time is the stunning debut album from Philadelphia mallet percussionist and poet Angelo Outlaw. Featuring Eraserhood Sound’s signature synth & soul production, Axis of Time is a dazzling blend of jazz, rare groove, funk, soul and r&b.
According to Outlaw, the album is meant to transport the listener to a dream-like state, where space and time slowly fade away and reality is merely a distant memory. Each song sets a unique scene, as the pace of the music swells and sways…from the euphoric highs of lead single “Free My Mind”and uninhibited groove of “Speed of Light” to the trance-like meditation of “Dreams” and mournful melodies of “Invisible Clock,” Angelo and the Eraserhood Sound house band truly go to the cosmos and back. The record is an extraordinary debut from Outlaw, a young gay Black man who hopes to serve as an inspiration to others who might be perceived as different or other. His work transcends race, creed, religion, and politics, and has the power to speak to the universality of time, space, and human connection.
Terry’s follow-up to his fantastic 1975 album FATSTICKS will finally be heard! Blue Redondo was recorded during 1977-1978 after he had relocated from London to El Segundo, California and still owed his label another album. They passed on the material and the tapes sat in storage until the early 2000s when Terry had the material pressed onto short run CDs to sell at his local solo gigs and via mail order. This the first time any of the tunes have been available on vinyl, lovingly recovered from the original master tapes by Jessica Thompson, mastered by Sean M. Lennon, cut by Anne-Marie Suenram. This is somehow drinking music and “Sunday morning coming down” music at the same time. Terry puts on a master class in songwriting over these twelve tracks.
New record pressing! Arms, the fifth full length LP from indie rock mainstays San Fermin, was written by bandleader Ellis Ludwig-Leone in the topsy-turvy months after the end of two relationships, one very long and one very short. To help navigate the ultraviolet days, he turned to longtime collaborator and vocalist Allen Tate, who helped channel the experience into a lean 9-track LP. Written from the multiple viewpoints characteristic of San Fermin’s previous albums, but with stripped back musical accompaniment that exposes the dissociation, humor, and regret of a life turned upside down, Arms is San Fermin’s most emotionally vulnerable album to date, and features some of its most potent songwriting.
New Record Pressing — Doctor Bionic is back on the airwaves. The newest album from Cincinnati-based executive producer Jason Grimez is an instrumental collection of classic soul, jazz, and hip-hop sounds. The first installment of a three-part series, Terrestrial Radio offers 37 minutes of carefully curated jams. Tune in to catch the vibe on 1/26/2024.
Jason Grimez is an engineer, executive producer, and the owner of Chiefdom Records. Growing up in the 90s, he fell in love with hip hop at an early age. He started scratching on a pair of 1200s and sampling records with an MPC 3000 in high school. Years of sampling, mixing, producing, and sharing his own music led him to where he is today. His independent label Chiefdom Records has released close to 30 albums in the last seven years. His studio persona Doctor Bionic was one of the first to see a release on the new imprint. The project features a rotating cast of incredibly talented session musicians. Jason is responsible for writing, recording, producing, mixing, and releasing the records.
Grimez sets the scene on track one of Terrestrial Radio, aptly titled “Time Continuum.” The listener is greeted with the scrubbing sound of a radio dial. We pause for a few seconds when the signal is strong enough to catch an ad-read from an old cereal commercial, or to gather an update from a sports announcer. Grimez takes the listener to a new era each time he spins the dial. Our search comes to an end on the channel where we’ll cruise through the next six songs, hand-picked by the Doctor himself.
Terrestrial Radio features some of Cincinnati’s best session musicians. “Keep Your Kids in School” highlights a killer rhythm section. Brian Batchelor-Glader recorded the organ over an effortlessly funky foundation formulated by Marvin Hawkins (drums) and Aaron Jacobs (bass). With an equally punchy bassline, funky guitar jabs, and thoughtful trumpet arrangements (Michael Mavridoglou), “Wire Fraud” is the perfect soundtrack for your next bank heist.
The remainder of the record offers everything from shuffling gospel grooves to head-nodding drum breaks. As Doctor Bionic, Jason Grimez has carved out a niche for a community of musicians to thrive in and build upon.
New high quality record pressing — Saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh is an old soul. He favors spontaneity between performers on the bandstand, prefers the feel of a swinging band to heady, over-wrought music, and likes the sound of analog over digital. When it came time to work on a new project, Sabbagh wanted to record an album that would sound like a set in a club, and felt ready to look back to early influences. On Vintage, his first album as a leader featuring piano, Sabbagh enlists the piano legend Kenny Barron in his all-star quartet to help make a recording that connects generations and makes tradition vital once again.
Back again for 2023, please find a list of some of our employee’s favorite frecords that we worked on this year. There is never enough time to really dig into every project, but this is a snapshot of some great vinyl records you should seek out via your favorite local record store or online store!
Employee Name: Mike Burrows
Fela Kuti – “Gentleman” (Knitting Factory) Cymande – “Second Time ‘Round” (Knitting Factory) Black Market Brass – “Hox” (Colemine) Ghost Funk Orchestra – “Brownout / Boneyard Baille” (Colemine) V/A _ “If There’s Hell Below” (Numero Group) Abdul Wadud – “By Myself” (Gotta Groove) Toots & the Maytals – “Sweet and Dandy” (Real Gone) The Donnas – “Early Singles 1995-1999” (Real Gone) The Donnas – “The Donnas” (Real Gone) The Donnas – “American Teenage Rock ‘n Roll Machine” (Real Gone) The Donnas – “Turn 21” (Real Gone) The Donnas – “Get Skintight” (Real Gone) Wet Specimens – “Over Pale Bodies” (Brain Slash) Hamza El Din – “Al Oud: Instrumental & Vocal Music of Nubia” (Real Gone) Carl Stone – “Electronic Music From the Eighties and Nineties” (Unseen Worlds) Carl Stone – “Electronic Music From 1972-2022” (Unseen Worlds) Ira Newborn – “The Naked Gun” Soundtrack (1984 Publishing) Fabio Frizzi – “Zombie: Composer’s Cut” (Cadabra) Pool-Pah – “The Flasher” (Real Gone) Rocky Gray _ “The Barn Pt. 2” Soundtrack (Lunaris Records Carlo Maria Cordio – “Troll 2” Soundtrack (Lunaris Records) Frankie Stein & His Ghouls – “Shock! Terror! Fear!” (Real Gone) Frankie Stein & His Ghouls – “Ghoul Music” (Real Gone)
Employee Name: Matt Earley
Abdul Wadud – By Myself Angel Corpus Christi – Bewitched: A Tribute to Luna Avett Brothers – The Seventh Avett Guild Beach Fossils – Clash The Truth Bela Fleck – Drive Black Moth Super Rainbow – Start A People Bonnie Raitt – Dig In Deep Brennen Leigh – Ain’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet Brothers Vanguard, Electriq – Dominoes Catfish Keith – Still I Long To Roam Chayla Hope – Damn, Feelings Clam City Cowboy Junkies – Lay It Down Circus Devils – Squeeze The Needle Cymande – Second Time Round Doctor Bionic – Spiritual Conquest The Du-Rites – Go Funk Me b/w Bucket Esme Patterson – Notes From Nowhere Fela Kuti – Gentleman Fela Kuti – Zombie GBV – Nowhere To Go But Up Girth Control – Life’s Too Short For Girth Control Grateful Dead – Dick’s Picks 2 (Columbus, Ohio 10-31-71) Gypsy Wizard Queen – S/T Hawk – African Day H.P. Lovecraft – Halloween In A Suburb Jalen Ngonda – Come Around And Love Me b/w What is Left To Do Jason Isbell – Southeastern 10th Anniversary John Moreland – In The Throes Johnny Ruiz & The Escapers – Sorry b/w Looking At The Prettiest Girl Joyful Noise Band – Let Jesus Be Seen Judee Sill – Heart Food Mothers Kendra Morris – I Am What I’m Waiting For LuSID – Guindado Lutalo – Again M. Ward – Transfiguration Of Vincent M. Ward – Duet for Guitars #2 Meat Puppets – Forbidden Places Medeski Martin & Wood – Friday Afternoon In The Universe Medeski Martin & Wood – Shack Man Medeski Martin & Wood – It’s A Jungle In Here Mike Clark – Kosen Rufu Mos Generator – Time//Wounds Peter Frampton – Frampton@50 1972-1975 Studio Albums Replacements – Nowhere Is My Home b/w Can’t Hardly Wait Reposado – Tequila Funk Say She She – Silver Scott Clark – Dawn & Dusk Silas Hite – Dawn Dusk Strapping Fieldhands – Gobs On The Midway Roge – Eu Gosta Dela Taylor McCall – Mellow War Tobin Sprout – Demos & Outtakes Two Video Age – Away From The Castle
Employee Name: Tyler Goubeaux
Ancient Filth – No More Hiding WMD – DELIQUESCE reynaldo jenkins and the teardrops – the short way up 7inch Surgeon – Petunia
Employee Name: Ren Harcar
Collate: Generative Systems The Donnas: American Teenage Rock n’ Roll Machine The Donnas: Get Skintight Fabio Frizzi: Zombie Fearing: Shadow Fela Kuti: Gentleman Say She She: Silver True Body: Heavenly Rhythms for the Uninitiated
Employee Name: Forrest James
O.R.P.H.A.N.S. – Occult Rituals, Psychedelic Hangups, And No Survivors BRIAN STRAW – BABY STARS/DEAD LANGUAGES BRIDGE CITY SINNERS – UNHOLY HYMNS Nick Shoulders – Armadillo Tail Presents: Nick Shoulders 2 SPIRAL STAIRCASE – VISIONS SHIFTING FORM
Employee Name: Dave Polster
Nesey Gallons – When I Was An Ice Skater Tobin Sprout – Demos and Outtakes Two Black Market Brass – Hox Toots and the Maytals – Sweet and Dandy Kendra Morris – I Am What I’m Waiting For Black Sun Ensemble – Black Sun Ensemble Vol. 2 Soul Low – Uneasy Minor Prophet Joel – The Tucker Family Groove Photon Band – Pure Photonic Matter Vol. 2 V/A – The Ooze Compilation Vol. 1 David Childers and The Serpents – Melancholy Angel Meat Puppets – Forbidden Places Jonah Tolchin – Dockside Willi Carlisle – Critterland Hopkins-Bradley – Tatooed Tree V/A – Black Jazz Records – The Complete Singles Extortionist- The Black Sheep Tom Mroczka & The Music Box – Paczki Polka 7”
Employee Name: Vince Slusarz (Sr)
Live in Anvers- Alex Chilton (Bar None) As All Get Out- Matthew Logan Vasquez (9 Mile) Ain’t Through Honky-Tonkin’-Brennan Leigh (Signature Sounds) Demos and Outtakes 2- Tobin Sprout Welcome to Struggleville- Bill Mallonee/Vigilantes of Love Sweet and Dandy- Toots and the Maytals (Real Gone) I Am What I’m Waiting For- Kendra Morris (Colemine) A Mercyland Christmas- Phil Madeira and Friends (Mercyland) Southeastern Deluxe set- Jason Isbell (30 Tigers) Nowhere To Go But Up- Guided By Voices (Rockathon) Dig It Up- Bonnie Raitt (WEA/ADA) S/T- Botttlerockets (Real Gone) Dockside- Jonah Tolchin (Clover Music) Blue Diamonds- Marcus Machado (Soul Step) Not Cool- Tim Easton (Black Mesa) Damn Feelings- Chayla Hope (Jestertainment) By Myself- Abdul Wadud (Gotta Groove Records) Where Did My World Come From?-Glass Harp (Peppermint) Melancholy Angel-David Childers and the Serpents (Ramseur) Twenty On High- Drayton Farley (30 Tigers) S/T- Judee Sill (Intervention) Pieces- Dojo Cuts (Colemine) Quiet Flame- Caitlin Canty 1988- Lori McKenna (30 Tigers) Get Behind the Wheel- Eileen Jewell (Signature Sounds) Domino- Ronnie and the Savoys 7” (Wicked Cool) Tears Fall/What Can I Say?- Lee Fields 7” (Daptone) The Seventh Avett Guild 7”- Avett Brothers (Ramseur) Help Me To Understand/Look Up- Aaron Frazier and The Harlem Gospel Travelers 7” (Colemine)
Employee Name: Giovanna Taylor
Corinne Bailey Rae – Black Rainbows Chris Acker – Good Kid Thee Scared Souls – Can I Call You Rose b/w Weak For Your Love Pale Jay – Bewilderment Toots and the Maytals – Sweet and Dandy Lutalo – Again Marty Robbins – Gunfighter Charlie Megira And Hefker Girl- S/T Brennen Leigh – Ain’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet Royal Headache – S/T The Glass Harp – Where Did My World Come From? BLOODbath64 – AESTHETICADELICA Isabelle Antena – En Cavale Witch – Zango Fela Kuti – Gentleman The South Side Movement- S/T Tomorrow’s Wish – On My Mind Replacements – Nowhere Is My Home/ Can’t Hardly Wait Chayla Hope – Damn, Feelings Doctor Bionic – Sacrifice Say She She – Silver
Employee Name: Tim Thornton
Black Jazz Records – The Complete Singles The Donnas – Reissues Hiroshi Yoshimura – Surround Larry Wish – The Mind Is The Builder Loris S. Sarid – Music For Tomato Plants Meat Puppets – Forbidden Places Tolerance – Anonym / Divin Toots And The Maytals – Sweet And Dandy
Employee Name: Jon Vesey
Blind Girls – “The Weight of Everything”
Black Market Brass – “Hox”
Various – “If There’s Hell Below…”
Say Hi – “Elocution Prattle”
LCD Soundsystem – “This Is Happening”
Voivod – “Nothingface” and “Angel Rat”
Cloud Catcher – “Return from the Cauldron”
Hekseblad – “The Fall of Cintra”
Ancient Days – “Sign of the Times”
Black Moth Super Rainbow – “Start a People”
Woodrot – “Ethics: A Relic”
Witch – “Zango”
Sarushibai – “Proud to Be Social Outcasts”
The Love & Terror Cult – “We Are You on Fire”
Peter Frampton – “Frampton @50”
Therion – “Siren of the Woods”
Voidtripper – “Dopefiend”
Fela Kuti – “Gentleman”
Satan’s Satyrs – “Quick Quiet Raid”
Mos Generator – “Heavy Sevens & Spaced Oddities”
Trampled by Turtles – “Life Is Good on the Open Road”
