Everything Else

The Weekend Stream: June 27, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. A solo record from a Prince associate gets expanded with rare tracks, another classic Tom Petty track gets a new mix, and new music from Sugar, a Monkee and a killer pop songstress (those are all different songs!) help kick off our latest round-up! Morris Day, Color of Success (Deluxe Edition) (Warner/Rhino) (Apple / Amazon) Rhino offers a dual celebration of Black…

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In Memoriam: Clive Davis (1932-2026)

Today, The Second Disc remembers Clive Davis.  Mike kicks things off… It was not entirely hubris that spurred Clive Davis to title his second memoir The Soundtrack of My Life in 2013 (which, in turn, inspired the career-spanning documentary on him to be named The Soundtrack of Our Lives). Here was a man who, with very few peers, was the sort of self-styled “record men” that fueled phases of incredible music industry growth in the back half of the 20th century. Next to perhaps only Berry Gordy, Davis’ label tenures at Columbia, Arista and…

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The Weekend Stream: June 21, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. We’ve got a last little Toy Story update, plus an unreleased XTC concert, great late-period Ben Folds Five, some British acts that couldn’t be more different, and plenty of others! Randy Newman/Taylor Swift, Toy Story 5 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Walt Disney Records) (Apple / Amazon) “I Knew It, I Knew You,” Taylor Swift’s new song from the soundtrack to Disney and Pixar’s…

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Release Round-Up: Week of June 19

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Sheena Easton, The Singles: 1980-1987 (Cherry Pop) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cherry Pop’s Sheena Easton series has a new crown jewel: a 25CD box set chronicling her singles from the EMI years in the ’80s – and yes, this set has unreleased material as well.  The Singles 1980-1987 follows two recent boxes following Easton’s EMI recordings in full (not strictly the original albums, but plenty of unreleased and alternate material in the mix)….

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(the best & the rest of) New Order

4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada (the best of) 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada (the rest of) 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Less than a decade from the beloved compilation Substance, New Order issued (the best of) New Order in 1994 that chronicled their ’90s transitions into house and traditional alt-rock music, with a few new mixes to boot. The following year, (the rest of) New Order compiled recent and new remixes of the same material. (the best & the rest of) New Order brings together both collections with a further two discs of rare, new-to-CD and unreleased remixes…

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To Live and Die in L.A. (Deluxe Edition)

Available exclusively through Interscope Records’ online store, Wang Chung’s soundtrack to William Friedkin’s 1985 neo-noir will be pressed on two opaque orange “L.A. sunset” LPs. The first offers a chronological sequence of the music from the film, with two additional tracks: the hit single “Dance Hall Days” and the unreleased “This One’s for You, White Boy.” The second LP offers eight bonus remixes and edits, five of which are previously unreleased. (A futher expanded digital edition is promised, but the long-discussed CD edition seems to be off the table.)

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The Weekend Stream: June 13, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. Olivia Rodrigo makes a triumphant return, Blink-182 dip into the CD bin, Taylor Swift and John Williams (separately) flesh out their latest projects, and an unexpected return from one of pop/folk’s living legends sets the mood for our latest rundown.  (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.) Olivia Rodrigo, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love (Geffen)…

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Release Round-Up: Week of June 12

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The 5th Dimension, Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974 (Second Disc/Cherry Red/Strawberry) Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red 2026 marks 60 years of The 5th Dimension–and the celebration is kicking off with the first-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” fivesome!  Second Disc Records is proud to team with Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint for Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City &…

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Review: Frank Zappa, “Zappa ’66, Vol. 1: Live at TTG Studios”

Freak Out!  Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention’s 1966 debut record on the venerable Verve label introduced an artist for whom no cow was sacred; Zappa spent his entire career successfully pushing the boundaries of popular music and, some might add, of taste.  He always had his finger on the pulse of pop culture, unafraid to poke fun at its excesses.  Now, with Zappa ’66, Vol. 1: Live at TTG Studios – No. 134 in the Official Release Series – Zappa Records’ recently-relaunched Vaulternative imprint has given fans a real treat:…

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The Singles 1980-1987

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Cherry Pop’s Sheena Easton series has a new crown jewel: a 25CD box set chronicling her singles from the EMI years in the ’80s – and yes, this set has unreleased material as well.  The Singles 1980-1987 follows two recent boxes following Easton’s EMI recordings in full (not strictly the original albums, but plenty of unreleased and alternate material in the mix). While this box has some similarities – the A and B-sides were present there, and many period remixes and even alternate or live versions of the same songs are repeated as…

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The Weekend Stream: June 6, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. A Tom Petty classic gets a new mix, Taylor Swift emerges from the toybox and John Williams returns to the film scoring stage in our latest round-up – plus rarities from Foreigner, Jim Reeves, Reba Rambo and a reissue we think you’ll love more than donuts from the good donut shop, eh? Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, “American Girl (2026…

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Release Round-Up: Week of June 5

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Barry Manilow, What a Time (Stiletto) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / ShopManilow.com LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / ShopManilow.com Arriving today as Manilow prepares to embark on his first tour after recovering from lung cancer treatment, Barry Manilow’s What a Time is the singer-songwriter’s first album of primarily original music since 2011’s 15 Minutes.  The album takes on a reflective tone characterized by its first single, a cover of Peter Allen and Dean Pitchford’s “Once…

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ZAPPAtite (Frank Zappa’s Tastiest Tracks)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Zappa.com UMe and Zappa Records are dipping into the recent past for the vinyl debut of the 2016 compilation ZAPPAtite (Frank Zappa’s Tastiest Tracks).  The 18-track collection is sequenced in the manner of a meal, with tracks representing Appetizers (“Dancin’ Fool,” “Peaches En Regalia”), Entrees (“Valley Girl,” “Tell Me You Love Me”), a Second Course (“Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow,” “Titties and Beer”) and Dessert (“Zoot Allures,” “Strictly Genteel”) – one course per side of vinyl.  Collectively, these tracks encompass some of the late composer-guitarist-sonic…

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Harpo Speaks! The Riverside Symphony Concert Featuring “Peter and the Wolf”

Indeed…Harpo Speaks!  The legendarily silent Marx Brother is heard on this surprising new release from Ramseur Records.  On March 20, 1964, the semi-retired Harpo joined Southern California’s Riverside Symphony for a benefit performance.  But this time, Harpo wasn’t mute.  Instead, he narrated Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. The enchanting performance took place just six months before his death at the age of 75.  The evening was recorded but the tapes disappeared…until now.  Marx Brothers archivist John Tefteller and biographer Robert Bader have spearheaded this restored release.  Bader explains, “The fact that we have a…

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Release Round-Up: Week of May 29

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles out today.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Paul McCartney, The Boys of Dungeon Lane (MPL/Capitol) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Paul McCartney Store LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Paul McCartney Store Paul McCartney releases his first new studio album since 2020’s McCartney III.  The Boys of Dungeon Lane, like McCartney III and its two predecessors, was recorded almost entirely by the artist.  Andrew Watt, whose credits include the most recent albums from Elton John and The Rolling Stones, is in the producer’s…

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The Weekend Stream: May 24, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. Rare George Michael remixes, late period a-ha and more Andy Partridge demos are kicking off another great week of streaming tunes – including three new soundtracks from theme park attractions! George Michael, “Monkey” (Columbia/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) The latest of the Faith-era digital EPs is here, and it’s a corker: these 1988 remixes of “Monkey” by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis helped…

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True Faith: New Order’s ’90s Compilations Get Expanded

New Order will visit their mid-’90s compilation years – with a whole host of mostly trance remixes – on a new 4CD reissue. True to its name, (the best & the rest of) New Order will include both the 1994 hits set (the best of) New Order and its 1995 follow-up (the rest of) New Order. The former featured their biggest hits up to 1993’s Republic and new mixes of songs like “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “True Faith” and ‘Round & Round,” while the latter collected 10 mostly recent remixes, including a handful of exclusive tracks….

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Release Round-Up: Week of May 22

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles out today!  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The Cranberries, Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can’t We? [Deluxe Edition] (Island/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) This 2CD Deluxe Edition of The Cranberries’ 1993 album boasts remastered audio overseen by the original producer Stephen Street, plus a new mix of the album made at Abbey Road. The bonus disc then adds outtakes, previously unreleased live tracks from the group’s London Astoria II…

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Cupid & Psyche 85 (Deluxe Edition)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The sophomore album from U.K.-formed post-punk/pop group Scritti Politti offered a new direction in British music: indebted to the organic sound of R&B with sleek electronic flourishes and a sheen of lyrical intellectualism. It also featured U.S. hit “Perfect Way,” which Miles Davis went bananas over. Remastered by Rough Trade in 2022 after they acquired the rights from bandleader Green Gartside, this expanded CD or double vinyl offers the four bonus tracks from the original CD release as well as two rare mixes of…

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A More Perfect Way: Remastered Breakthrough Album by Scritti Politti Gets Expansion with Rare Remixes

After remastering and reissuing newly-acquired classic albums from ’80s pop duo Scritti Politti in 2021, Rough Trade will go back and revisit their signature album with bonus tracks – and have also recently given a third of the group’s albums a re-release. Scritti’s sophomore album Cupid & Psyche 85 will be reissued on July 10 in a new CD or double LP deluxe edition, featuring the classic original album (featuring the U.K. hits “Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)” and “The Word Girl” as well as the U.S. stunner “Perfect Way”) alongside seven…

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The Weekend Stream: May 16, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. This week has a collection of outtakes from one of the greatest albums ever made, a breezy theme song to a popular web series, fantastic new film scores, an unheard recording from Peggy Lee and a frankly stunning amount of songs about horses. Plus our tributes to those we lost recently, and a cool arts-related documentary project worthy of your…

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What’cha Taking Me For: Sheena Easton Singles Box Set Includes More Unreleased Tracks

“But The Second Disc,” you may have thought, “what more is there to discover after Cherry Red’s thorough re-eleases of Sheena Easton’s beloved discography?” The label, in partnership with her RT Industries, has a new answer for you: a 25CD box set chronicling her singles from the EMI years in the ’80s – and yes, this set has unreleased material as well. The Singles 1980-1987 follows two recent boxes following Easton’s EMI recordings in full (not strictly the original albums, but plenty of unreleased and alternate material in the mix). While this…

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The Weekend Stream: May 9, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. It may not get more eclectic than this one, folks! We’ve got catalogue classics from jazz immortals, country icons and ’80s hitmakers; new songs from legends of classic rock, R&B, adult contemporary and hip-hop; new sounds from MUNA, The Waterboys, and Crack the Sky’s John Palumbo; and a sampler of international works, from Spanish chorale to Austrian pop that won…

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The Weekend Stream: May 2, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. You know you’re in for a treat when the most recognizable digital catalogue here is a country-rock record by Jimi Jamison – plus new singles from Madonna and Peter Gabriel, for good measure. Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter, “Bring Your Love” (Warner) (Apple / Amazon) The official lead single from Madonna’s anticipated Confessions II – a sequel to her 2005 blockbuster Confessions on a…

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The Weekend Stream: April 25, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. Some of our favorites lead this pack: an archival Prince single, a new Duran Duran song, a vintage George Michael EP, outtakes from The Beach Boys, demos from Andy Partridge – and plenty more where that came from. Prince, “With This Tear” (NPG/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) Last Tuesday, the 10th anniversary of Prince’s death, The Artist’s estate released the latest posthumous…

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