Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs. All releases due out this Friday unless noted.
The Replacements
RELEASE: For Sale: Live at Maxwell’s 1986
BACKSTORY: The ‘Mats raucous gig at Maxwell’s in New Jersey a few months after the release of Tim is issued this week in a 29-song, 2-disc set. Features “Hold My Life,” “Bastards of Young,” “Answering Machine” and more.
BUY: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, iTunes
The Church
RELEASE: Man Woman Life Death Infinity
BACKSTORY: The Australian rockers return this week with their first new album in three years and 26th overall. The 10-song collection features “Another Century,” “Something Out There is Wrong,” “For King Knife” and more.
BUY: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, iTunes
The Blow Monkeys
RELEASE: The Wild River
BACKSTORY: The Doctor Robert-fronted band returns with its 10th studio album and first in two years, a 10-song set that includes “On the Wings of the Morning,” “Crying for the Moon” and “Nothing to Write Home About.”
BUY: Amazon.co.uk, iTunes
a-ha
RELEASE: MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice
BACKSTORY: The un-retired Norwegian hitmakers this week release a document of their acoustic performance for MTV, which includes “The Sun Always Shines on TV,” “The Living Daylights,” and, yes, “Take On Me.”
BUY: Amazon.co.uk, iTunes
The Selecter
RELEASE: Daylight
BACKSTORY: Still fronted by Pauline Black, the classic 2-Tone era ska outfit returns this week with its latest album, which features the songs “Paved with Cold,” “Things Fall Apart,” “Taking Back Control” and more.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk, iTunes
Ian Lowery
RELEASE: Agent Orange ’92 + Drug of Choice Sessions
BACKSTORY: A collection of early ’90s material from the late frontman of post-punk groups Ski Patrol and The Folk Devils. Includes “Bad Feels Good,” “Somewhere to Crash,” “Smother Me” and much more.
BUY: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- This week’s new releases: Giant David Bowie box set — plus Depeche Mode, The Cravats
- This week’s new releases: Marc Almond goes retro, Luna does covers and instrumentals
- This week’s new releases: Gary Numan, Lee Ranaldo, ‘Gary Crowley’s Punk and New Wave’
- This week’s new releases: Sparks, Waterboys, The Dream Syndicate, Living Colour
There’s also a new BLANCMANGE release.
Pleased to report that The Church’s new album is right up there with their best work.
It’s pretty hard to come up with many other artists at this stage of their careers who refuse to rest on their laurels and just keep consistently delivering such exceptional NEW music.