Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs.
ARTIST : Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
RELEASE: English Electric
BACKSTORY: The synthpop favorites this week release their follow-up to 2010′s History of Modern, which was OMD’s first with its classic lineup — original members McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper and Malcolm Holmes — since 1986’s The Pacific Age (stream full album).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, CD+DVD, vinyl, digital)
ARTIST : Big Country
RELEASE: The Journey
BACKSTORY: The reconfigured Big Country — with The Alarm’s Mike Peters filling in for the late Stuart Adamson and the new addition of original Simple Minds bassist Derek Forbes — this week releases, in the U.K., its first new album in 14 years. The album is out in the U.S. on April. 30.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (CD, digital)
ARTIST : Morrissey
RELEASE: Kill Uncle, “The Last of the Famous International Playboys”
BACKSTORY: The former Smiths singer this week reissues, in the U.K., his sophomore album, from 1991, along with his 1989 single, the latter of which features three new, previously unreleased songs as B-sides (full tracklist).
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (Kill Uncle, “The Last of the Famous International Playboys”)
ARTIST : Electronic
RELEASE: Electronic: Special Edition
BACKSTORY: The 1991 self-titled debut from the indie supergroup — featuring New Order frontman Bernard Sumner and guitarist Johnny Marr of The Smiths — is reissued this week in the U.K. in a 2CD special edition featuring eight previously unreleased bonus tracks (full tracklist).
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (CD)
ARTIST : Sparks
RELEASE: Two Hands One Mouth: Live in Europe
BACKSTORY: Sparks — aka brothers Ron and Russell Mael — this week release their first-ever live album, a 2CD set called Two Hands One Mouth recorded on their European tour last year that found the duo performing for the first time without a full band or computers (full tracklist).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, digital)
ARTIST : The Fall
RELEASE: “Sir William Wray”
BACKSTORY: Mark E. Smith and Co. this week release a three-track 7-inch featuring two alternate versions of songs on their upcoming album Re-Mit (“Sir William Wray” and “Hittite Man”) and an exclusive song called “Jetplane.” The release, on Cherry Red Records, is limited to 1,500 copies worldwide.
BUY: Amazon.com (Vinyl)
ARTIST : The House of Love
RELEASE: She Paints Words in Red
BACKSTORY: The reunited Creation Records standouts this week release, in the U.S., their fifth record overall and second since reuniting in 2005, a 12-track album preceded by lead-off single “A Baby Got Back On Its Feet.” The album was released in the U.K. last month (stream first single).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, digital)
