Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs.
Pet Shop Boys
RELEASE: Electric
BACKSTORY: Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe this week release their second album in less than a year, a nine-track, Stuart Price-produced collection is that is far more dance-friendly than last year’s comparatively downbeat Elysium. The album features the singles “Axis” and “Vocal” (see full tracklist).
BUY: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
The Cult
RELEASE: Electric Peace
BACKSTORY: The Cult this week, in the U.S., reissues its third album Electric in an expanded set paired with Peace — the Love follow-up abandoned in favor of the Rick Rubin-produced hard-rock album — in both 2CD and 2LP sets (see full tracklist). The U.K. release is set for July 29.
BUY: Amazon.com
Peter Buck
RELEASE: Peter Buck, “You Must Fight to Live on the Planet of the Apes”
BACKSTORY: The ex-R.E.M. guitarist this week releases a re-pressing of his vinyl-only 2012 solo debut (minus one track), plus a new monkey-themed 7-inch featuring a cover of the Mummies’ “You Must Fight to Live On the Planet of the Apes” plus a B-side called “The Monkey Speaks His Mind”
BUY: Amazon.com
The Style Council
RELEASE: Classic Album Selection
BACKSTORY: This six-disc box set, out this week in the U.K., marks the 30th anniversary of Paul Weller’s post-Jam act, collecting its six studio albums: Introducing the Style Council, Cafe Blue, Our Favorite Shop, The Cost of Loving, Confessions of a Pop Group and Modernsim: A New Decade.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk
Frank Black
RELEASE: Oddballs
BACKSTORY: The Pixies frontman this week reissues his long out-of-print 2000 rarities compilation, once only available for sale at Frank Black & The Catholics concerts. Among the inclusions on the 14-track set are B-sides from 1994’s Teenager of the Year and 1995’s Cult of Ray.
BUY: Amazon.com
