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 : Ian McCulloch
RELEASE: Holy Ghosts
BACKSTORY: The Echo & The Bunnymen frontman this week releases, in the U.K., a 2CD set that combines the fan-funded studio album Pro Patria Mori he released last year with an unreleased 15-track live set of “orchestral reworkings” recorded last May (see full tracklist).
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (CD, digital)
ARTIST : The Flaming Lips
RELEASE: The Terror
BACKSTORY: The Oklahoma madmen return this week with their 13th studio album, following up 2009’s Embryonic and a pair of Record Store Day releases in recent years. The new album features nine new songs “that reflect a darker-hued spectrum than previous works.”
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, vinyl, digital)
ARTIST : Meat Puppets
RELEASE: Rat Farm
BACKSTORY: The desert-rock legends return this week with their 14th studio album, a 12-track effort that Curt Kirkwood dubs “real blown-up folk music.” Songs include “One More Drop,” “Sometimes Blue,” “Leave Your Head Alone” and “You Don’t Know” (see full tracklist).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, vinyl, digital)
ARTIST : The Replacements
RELEASE: Songs For Slim
BACKSTORY: The reunion EP from the ‘Mats — which already raised more than $100,000 for ailing guitarist Slim Dunlap through auction — is out on 12-inch vinyl this week (it already has been released digitally), marking the first new music from Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson since 2006.
BUY: Amazon.com (Vinyl)
ARTIST : Dead Can Dance
RELEASE: In Concert
BACKSTORY: Dead Can Dance will commemorate its ongoing reunion with a new live CD called In Concert that also will be released in expanded digital and triple-vinyl formats this week, capturing performances from the band’s 2012 U.S. tour (see full tracklist).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, vinyl)
ARTIST : David Bowie
RELEASE: Aladdin Sane: 40th Anniversary Edition
BACKSTORY: The Thin White Duke this week releases a 40th anniversary reissue of his 1973 classic, newly remastered by Ray Staff at London’s AIR Studios. The new release features the original album, but no bonus material. The album features “Drive in Saturday,” “Panic in Detroit” and “Cracked Actor.”
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, digital)
ARTIST : Simple Minds
RELEASE: Celebrate — The Greatest Hits+
BACKSTORY: The British band this week releases, in the U.S., a new career-spanning best-of that features 50 songs spread over three discs, including hits and favorites plus a pair of new songs: “Broken Glass Park” and “Blood Diamonds” (see full tracklist).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD)
