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 : The Fall
RELEASE: Ersatz G.B.
BACKSTORY: Mark E. Smith’s Manchester-bred post-punk legends this week release their 29th studio album in 35 years, via Cherry Red Records. In the U.K., the 10-track album will be available in all formats, including vinyl; in the U.S., though, it appears the record may only be released digitally (see full tracklist here).
BUY: Amazon.com (Digital), Amazon.co.uk (CD, vinyl, digital)
ARTIST : R.E.M.
RELEASE: Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982-2011
BACKSTORY: The now-defunct college-rock superstars this week release their first retrospective to span both their classic ’80s output on IRS Records and their later Warner Bros. material. The 40-track, 2CD best-of also includes three brand-new songs, including single “We All Go Back to Where We Belong” (see full tracklist here).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, digital
ARTIST : Wall of Voodoo
RELEASE: Lost Weekend: The Best of the I.R.S. Years
BACKSTORY: The New Wave oddballs this week receive a nearly career-spanning, 17-track anthology that combines the highlights of the band’s 1980s output recorded with original lead singer Stan Ridgway and the vocalist who later replaced him, Andy Prieboy (see full tracklist here).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD)
ARTIST : Cabaret Voltaire
RELEASE: Johnny YesNo Redux
BACKSTORY: This week sees the release of a new box set of the pioneering electronic act’s soundtrack to the 1982 film by Peter Care comprising the original “Johnny YesNo” film, a new re-imagining of the film alongside 140 minutes of bonus material and two CDs including new mixes by Richard H. Kirk, plus exclusive tracks.
BUY: Amazon.com (CD)
ARTIST : Curt Smith
RELEASE: Mayfield
BACKSTORY: The Tears For Fears co-founder this week reissues his out-of-print 1997 solo album as a digital release and, via Amazon, as an on-demand CD-R. The reissue of the 10-song album includes a new recording of “Trees,” featuring Janice Whaley of The Smiths Project providing the song’s instrumental bed via her vocals.
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, digital)
YAWN nothin bu t a buncxha old shit
Yes, old shit, but the Cabs old shit is pretty exciting!