Among the bigger surprises of an already packed Record Store Day slate is seeing labels increase their presence within the usual offerings. One such case: BMG, a company steadily growing in prominence since corporate owner Bertelsmann sold a four-year stake in Sony Music and started rebuilding with a host of classic rock, pop and other catalogues as well as new releases from those acts. This year, the company has prepped a baker’s dozen special vinyl titles for the RSD festivities on Saturday, April 12, drawing from a list of well-known acts or…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 3
Welcome to another packed Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the many titles available today! As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The Beatles, Now and Then (Apple/Capitol/UMe) Various Formats including CD single: The Beatles Online Store 7-inch clear single: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 7-inch blue single: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 12-inch black vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Target-exclusive red 12-inch single: Target.com “Now and Then.” No matter who’s listening, the title conjures the ghosts of the past that we all confront. The voice of John Lennon – not far-removed, but viscerally present –…
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Greatest Hits Watch: New Compilations Coming from Bush, The Blasters and Johnny Marr
Today, we’re taking a look at three upcoming greatest hits packages (and one essential related album!) from three very different artists. The Blasters formed in 1979 in Downey, California – home of Richard and Karen Carpenter – and immediately cut a striking figure on the Los Angeles club scene. Brothers Phil and Dave Alvin, drummer Bill Bateman, and bassist John Bazz blended muscular rock appropriate to the punk era with rockabilly, early rock-and-roll, and a rootsy sensibility that sounds timeless today. They were able to share bills and win over audiences with…
Feel Every Beat: Electronic Add Rarities to ‘Get the Message’ Collection
Rhino will next month urge fans to “get the message” by reissuing and expanding their collection devoted to British dance-pop supergroup Electronic. Get the Message: The Best of Electronic, originally released in 2006, will be revisited as a new double-vinyl pressing or a 2CD edition pairing the original 15-track compilation alongside another 15 rare remixes and B-sides. The acclaimed sound of the group was almost tailor-made to surprise fans who came across early U.K. hits like “Getting Away with It” and “Get the Message” at the tail end of the ’80s. Though…
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Keats and Yeats Are On Your Side: The Smiths’ ‘The Queen is Dead’ to Be Expanded
The Smiths’ The Queen is Dead–a towering album of ’80s British rock and arguably the definitive statement by the Manchester band–will be reissued and expanded October 20. Produced by frontman Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr with assistance from engineer Stephen Street, The Queen is Dead has become quintessential Smiths: packed with biting, witty lyrics and catchy, densely layered instrumental hooks (thanks not only to Marr but bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce). While Morrissey and Marr have both proclaimed Strangeways, Here We Come (1987) to be their favorite of their albums,…
