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Ben Folds

What Matters Most

    "More than anything, I wanted to make an album that was generous, that was useful," says Ben Folds - "I want you to finish this record with something you didn't have when you started" Indeed, Folds' masterful new collection, What Matters Most, isn't so much a statement as it is an offering, an open hand reaching out to all those wounded and bewildered by a world that seems to make less and less sense every day.

    Recorded in East Nashville with co-producer Joe Pisapia, the album marks Folds' first new studio release in eight years, and it's a bold, timely, cinematic work, one that examines the tragic and the absurd in equal measure as it reckons with hope and despair, gratitude and loss, identity and perspective. The songs are bittersweet here, hilarious at times, but often laced with a quiet sense of longing and dread: a text message goes unanswered; an old classmate descends into the dark depths of internet conspiracies; a relationship unravels in the middle of a lake. And yet, taken as a whole, the result is an undeniably joyful record that refuses to succumb to the weight of the world around it, an ecstatic reminder of all the beauty and promise hiding in plain sight for anyone willing (and present enough) to recognize their moments as they arrive.

    TRACK LISTING

    But Wait, There’s More
    Clouds With Ellipses (feat. Dodie)
    Exhausting Lover
    Fragile
    Kristine From The 7th Grade
    Back To Anonymous
    Winslow Gardens
    Paddleboat
    What Matters Most
    Moments (feat. Tall Heights)

    Indies Exclusive CD Bonus Tracks
    Happy Clapper
    Why Did You Tell Me Everything
    A Million Years Or So

    Acetone

    If You Only Knew - 2023 Reissue

      Originally released in 1995 on Vernon Yard Recording - If You Only Knew
      is now available for the first time on vinyl - New West Records is proud to
      present this record pressed across two LPs and packaged in a full color
      gatefold.

      STAFF COMMENTS

      Laura says: Another classic from Acetone and the first time ever on vinyl for this one.

      TRACK LISTING

      If You Only Knew
      I Don't Really Care
      In The Light
      I've Enjoyed As Much Of This As I Can Stand
      The Final Say
      When You're Gone
      Hound Dog
      99 / What I See
      Nothing At All
      Esque
      Always Late

      Acetone

      York Blvd. - 2023 Reissue

        Originally released in 2000 on Vapor Records - York Blvd was Acetones last record that they recorded - New West Records is proud to present this reissue with an expanded audio format pressed across two LPs and packaged in a full color gatefold

        STAFF COMMENTS

        Andy says: Simply wonderful laid back rock with irresistible guitar lines weaving melodies under cool vocal harmonies. Mark Lightcap, Richie Lee and Steve Hadley have recorded a perfect album - steel pedal guitar and Hammond organ add to the rich mix. Previously only available on import, this is a long-time Piccadilly favourite.

        TRACK LISTING

        Things Are Gonna Be Alright
        Wonderful World
        19
        Vibrato
        Like I Told You
        It's A Lie
        Bonds
        One Drop
        Vaccination
        Stray

        Acetone

        Acetone - 2023 Reissue

          Originally released in 1997 on Vapor Records - Acetone (Full Album) was the bands most identifiable record - New West Records is proud to present this reissue with an expanded audio format pressed across two LPs and packaged in a full color gatefold.

          STAFF COMMENTS

          Laura says: An absolute gem of a record! Fragile, hushed vocals over brushed drums and delicate finger picked guitars. On this album they had that slowcore, slacker feel, but intertwined with Americana and a warmth that many of their contemporaries lacked and they sounded like no-one else at the time. Everyone from Jason Pierce to Hope Sandoval has since cites them as an influence and 25 years on from it's original release this LP still sounds incredible.

          TRACK LISTING

          Every Kiss
          All The Time
          Germs
          Might As Well
          Shobud
          All You Know
          Good Life
          Dee
          Waltz
          Another Minute
          So Slow
          Chew

          Acetone

          Cindy - 2023 Reissue

            Originally released on vinyl in 1993 via Hut Recordings (UK), Acetone's debut album is now available in an expanded 2LP format and packaged in a gatefold - The is the first pressing in over 30 years.

            STAFF COMMENTS

            Laura says: Originally released in the UK in 1993 on the long defunct Hut Recordings, everyone at the shop instantly fell in love with this album. Velvets infused slacker rock interspersed with shimmering, Americana tinged melancholy. Amazing!

            TRACK LISTING

            Come On 
            Pinch 
            Sundown 
            Chills 
            Endless Summer
            Louise
            Don't Cry
            No Need Swim 
            Barefoot On Sunday

            Pernice Brothers

            Overcome By Happiness - 25th Anniversary Edition

              The story of Overcome By Happiness is one of great risk and greater payoff. Its the story of a disgruntled country singer struggling to define himself against prevailing musical trends. It's the story of a songwriter just finding his voice, an artist so desperate to express himself that he scrapped one band to form another, risking his record contract and arguably his career to put the sounds he heard in his head onto tape. Its the story of a musician embracing the sounds of his childhood: AM easy listening, sophisticated chamber pop, baroque lounge music, Bread, the Carpenters, Bacharach, Manilow. It? s the story of a poet driving through Massachusetts in a rusted-out Bonneville with a wooden bumper.

              This time has come for this story to be told on vinyl.

              TRACK LISTING

              Black Vinyl Edition
              Dimmest Star
              Monkey Suit
              Chicken Wire
              Wait To Stop
              All I Know
              Shoes and Clothes
              Wherein Obscurely
              Ferris Wheel

              Double Orange & White Vinyl 
              Crestfallen
              Overcome By Happiness
              Sick Of You
              Clear Spot
              Dimmest Star
              Monkey Suit
              Chicken Wire
              Wait To Stop
              All I Know
              Shoes And Clothes
              Wherein Obscurely
              Ferris Wheel
              Jimmy Coma (1997 Sub Pop Single)
              Monkey Suit (1997 Sub Pop Single)
              Square World (1997 Summershine Single)
              In Plain Sight (1997 Summershine Single)
              Love My Way (Psychedelic Furs Cover / Clear Spot UK CD Single B-Side)
              Sick Of You (Earliest Sketch Demo) 1:48
              Cut You Free (Demo) 4:00
              Overcome By Happiness (Earliest Sketch Demo)
              Clear Spot (Earliest Sketch Demo)
              Dimmest Star (Earliest Sketch Demo)
              Song #2 (The Queen Of NYC) (earliest Demo)
              Courage Up (Demo) 2:40
              Let That Show (Demo) 4:00

              Esther Rose

              Safe To Run

                Everything clicks on Safe to Run, the fourth album from singer, songwriter Esther Rose. It's the quiet culmination of years spent fully immersed in a developing artistry, and presents Rose's always vividly detailed emotional scenes with new levels of clarity and control. As with previous work, her songwriting transfigures the chaos and uncertainty of a life in progress, but here she introduces a newfound pop element that attaches unshakably catchy hooks to even the darkest stretches of the journey. Rose takes an unblinking look at her own vulnerabilities as well as more universal concerns, somehow never taking herself too seriously in the process. This manifests as a critique of the insidious sexism of the music industry on "Dream Girl," but quickly melts into a hazy memoryscape of the dive bar drama and suspended hovering of her early 20s on "Chet Baker." The song "Safe to Run" (a gorgeous duet with Hurray for the Riff Raff's Alynda Segarra) directly merges the personal with the global, superimposing feelings of spiritual displacement onto the larger, looming dread of climate grief. Rose breathes in the ecstasy of the natural world in one line and makes fun of herself a few bars later. There are ghosts in the room for most of her songs, but she's invited them in and is cracking jokes with them over a drink or two. Ultimately all of these new advancements become twinkles of light in the background as they fold into the big picture impact of the songs themselves. Esther Rose translates her world into eleven curious and captivating scenes. While the songs are stunning one by one, absorbing Safe to Run as a whole feels like witnessing something taking shape, experiencing the headspins of the elevation and the slow return to equilibrium as the clouds start clearing.

                TRACK LISTING

                Stay
                Chet Baker
                Spider
                Safe To Run (feat. Hurray For The Riff Raff)
                St. Francis Waltz
                New Magic II
                Dream Girl
                Insecure
                Levee Song
                Full Value
                Arm's Length

                Lily and Madeleine Jurkiewicz create candid music with deep emotional and personal resonance. The sisters, who record under the moniker Lily & Madeleine, boldly explore what it means to be women in the 21st Century and aren’t afraid to use their music to call out injustice or double standards. This fearless approach has permeated their three albums, which are full of insightful lyrics and thoughtful indie-pop.

                With their fourth studio album, ‘Canterbury Girls’, named after Canterbury Park, located in their hometown of Indianapolis, the sisters are coming into their own as women and musicians. Using an eclectic playlist of songs as sonic inspirations - soul tunes and waltzes, as well as cuts from Midlake, ABBA and Nancy Wilson - Lily & Madeleine worked quickly, recording ‘Canterbury Girls’ in just 10 days.

                Although the record contains plenty of Lily & Madeleine’s usual ornate music - including the languid ‘Analog Love’, on which twangy guitars curl around like a kite twisting in the wind - the album also finds the siblings exploring new sonic vistas. ‘Supernatural Sadness’ is an irresistible slice of bubbly, easy-going disco-pop; the urgent ‘Pachinko Song’ hews toward interstellar synth-pop with driving rhythms and ‘Can’t Help The Way I Feel’ is an effervescent, Motowninflected number.

                Vocally, the sisters also take giant leaps forward. The dreamy waltz ‘Self Care’ is a rich, piano-heavy track on which their voices intertwine for soulful harmonies, while the meticulous ‘Just Do It’ has a throwback 70s R&B vibe. “This is the first record Lily and I have ever done where we have full control over all of the songwriting,” says Madeleine. “We did co-write with some people that we really love. But everything on this record is completely ours. I feel like I have full ownership over it, and that makes me feel very strong and independent.” With this growing self-confidence and musical poise, it’s clear that Lily & Madeleine are positioned for even greater things going forward.

                STAFF COMMENTS

                Barry says: Lil & Mads' last outing, 'Keep It Together' was a big hit in the shop, and their latest, 'Canterbury Girls' will surely meet the same reception. Slightly more upbeat this time around, we get an infectious smattering of neo-soul, shimmering synth-pop and even the odd inkling of classic-rock melodies and the ever-present addictive two-part harmonies we've come to know and love. Beautiful stuff.

                TRACK LISTING

                Self Care
                Supernatural Sadness
                Just Do It
                Canterbury Girls
                Bruises Pachinko Song
                Circles
                Can’t Help The Way I Feel
                Analog Love
                Go

                “Hello. I’m Robert Ellis, The Texas Piano Man. I wanted to take a moment to say a few words about this record and what you might expect from it. ‘Texas Piano Man’ is a collection of songs specifically written for my piano driven Rock & Roll band from the great state of Texas. Myself and the guys bring these songs to you in the very spirit of Texas itself; loudly, confidently, over the top, larger than life, at times deadly serious and yet always with a wink and a smile. We invite you to come on in, stay a while, and when you leave take with you the spirit of these songs, the spirit of Texas, and the spirit of The Texas Piano Man himself. Adios!” - Robert

                STAFF COMMENTS

                Barry says: From the grand, cinematic soundtrackery of Elton John or off-kilter college-rock keyfoolery of Ben Folds, Robert Ellis skilfully weaves heartfelt piano minimalism into grand classic rock opuses (opii?) within the space of a couple minutes. Perfectly constructed and brilliantly conceived rock and/or roll.

                TRACK LISTING

                Fucking Crazy
                When You’re Away
                Nobody Smokes Anymore
                Passive Aggressive
                Father
                There You Are
                Let Me In
                Aren’t We Supposed To Be In Love
                Lullaby
                He Made Me Do It
                Topo Chico

                Daniel Romano

                Finally Free

                  ‘Finally Free’ marks Daniel Romano’s eighth long playing album in the last eight years. He has had what understatedly would be considered a prolific output of incredibly entrancing, poignant and creative records in this span of time. Recording, producing, designing and landing his records into the minds and hearts of scores of fans the world over. He has been called a shapeshifter, contrived, a chameleon, a charlatan, the best living songwriter, an asshole and a genius. His last record, ‘Modern Pressure’, received outstandingly high acclaim and praise from every notable publication out there and was acknowledged by a plethora of voguish year-end lists. Despite being the bronze placeholder in most of these dogfights, he is most often noted as a person of astounding influence on all of his musically economic successors.

                  “No matter what he does, everything he puts out is better than anything else being put out by anyone else.” - Unnamed Subjugate

                  Romano’s new effort, ‘Finally Free’, could stand alone as being pivotal if it were only its profound and breath-taking prose on paper. Writing now like an agnostic Whitman in his prime, Romano explores and uncovers new language and meaning for old sentiments grown tired, stating, “these poems are most certainly my finest and most principled efforts to date.”

                  ‘Finally Free’ sings like a radical revelation, exploring the concepts of music as a celestial being, flora as a consequential ancestor and singing, no matter its quality or sound, as the endmost important output of our species. This record contains a vivid religious articulation despite its clear condemnation of a god as a singular ruling white male. New words have replaced old words for new meaning and the definitions have been left up to interpretation.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  Empty Husk
                  All The Reaching Trims
                  The Long Mirror Of Time
                  Celestial Manis
                  Between The Blades Of Grass
                  Rhythmic Blood
                  Have You Arrival
                  Gleaming Sects Of Aniram
                  There Is Beauty In The Vibrant Form

                  Caroline Rose

                  Loner

                    The songs and narrative’s on LONER reflect my life over the last couple years––I joined Tinder, I got my first apartment and painted it teal, I went to par¬ties, I discussed politics, I had a girlfriend, we traveled the country, we broke up. I learned, for better or worse, how to be a member of the modern world. Turns out the modern world is terrifying.

                    Tired of the bottomless pit of sad songs, I decided to put a spin on my greatest songwriting inspirations––misogyny, unplanned pregnancy, Capitalism, anxiety, loneliness and death––and wrap such depressing subject matter in a sprightly, angsty pop burrito…Because it’s hard being serious all the time and sometimes sad songs just need a cocktail. Loner reflects the styles of music I love––pop, folk, punk, electronic, and surf music––all thrown into a blender with a ladle full of cheeky satire. I call it Schizodrift. It sounds like Blondie drunk on mai tais.

                    Loner was co-produced by myself and the wonderful Paul Butler (Deven¬dra Banhart, Michael Kiwanuka, St. Paul & The Broken Bones) and recorded in freezing Northern California, in addition to my parent’s attic and my last apart¬ment. It was mixed by sound guru Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief, Nick Hakim, Show Me The Body) in Brooklyn, NY.

                    Arthur Buck

                    Arthur Buck

                      Sometimes the catalyst for creating great art is simply being in the right place at the right time. For Arthur Buck, the new collaboration between singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur and guitarist Peter Buck, that place was Mexico and that time was the fall of 2017. Specifically, a little town off the Baja coast named Todos Santos, with the Sierra de la Laguna mountains to the east and the bright blue Pacific stretching out infinitely to the west. It is here that Buck has held the Todos Santos Music Festival for the last several years, which he created in 2012 with his wife, Chloe Johnson, shortly after R.E.M. called it a day.

                      Among the many artists who have played the festival is Joseph Arthur, who also happened to leave behind a guitar - a Dobro, specifically - after his last appearance there. And so last year he made the trek down to Todos Santos to pick up the instrument. Which is where he ran into Peter Buck. That was the beginning of Arthur Buck.

                      The creative result of this relationship is a vibrant 11-song collection that captures the spontaneity at the heart of the project - right down to the 1-2-3-4 count off from Buck that opens the record - with sounds and styles meshed together in an easy, almost playful manner.

                      Tchad Blake was brought in to mix the proceedings and the product is the new Arthur Buck - the outcome of a shockingly productive burst of inspiration.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      I Am The Moment
                      Are You Electrified? The Wanderer
                      Forever Waiting
                      If You Wake Up In Time
                      Summertime
                      American Century
                      Forever Falling
                      Before Your Love Is Gone
                      Wide Awake In November
                      Can’t Make It Without You

                      Lily & Madeleine

                      Keep It Together

                      ‘Keep It Together’, the third album in just over three years by Indianapolis-based sisters Lily & Madeleine, is set for release via esteemed New West Records.

                      The spellbinding ten-song statement is the dynamic product of two distinct musical personalities, bound by kinship, melding seamlessly into one ephemeral and dreamy collection.

                      The sisters have come a long way since they began making YouTube videos in 2012, releasing two critically acclaimed albums on Sufjan Stevens’ Asthmatic Kitty Records and selling out myriad shows both in the US and overseas.


                      STAFF COMMENTS

                      Barry says: Cheery jangly Summer-pop on the newest album from singer-songwriting sisters Lily & Madeleine. Upbeat but slightly introspective, minimal pop-pieces for hazy days and sunsets. Beautiful stuff.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      Not Gonna
                      For The Weak
                      Westfield
                      Chicago
                      Hourglass
                      Hotel Pool
                      Smoke Tricks
                      Midwest Kid
                      Small Talk
                      Nothing

                      Daniel Romano

                      If I've Only One Time Askin

                      Not quite country, Americana, folk, songwriter or pop, Daniel Romano’s exquisite and expansive new album - ‘If I’ve Only One Time Askin’’, released on New West Records - is pieces of each but ultimately the work of asingular mind.

                      As hailed by Rolling Stone, the 11 self-produced and largely self-performed new songs “lead their baritone-voiced creator down a path filled with countrypolitan crooning, honky-tonk heartache and midcentury melodrama.”

                      In the two years since his critically acclaimed third full length ‘Come Cry With Me’, Romano has toured North America and Europe extensively, collaborating with and supporting a wide spectrum of artists, including Old Crow Medicine Show, Wanda Jackson, Hurray For The Riff Raff and Caitlin Rose.


                      TRACK LISTING

                      I’m Gonna Teach You
                      Old Fires Die
                      Strange Faces
                      All The Way Under The Hill
                      If I’ve Only One Time Askin’
                      The One That Got Away (Came Back Today)
                      There’s A Hardship
                      Learning To Do Without Me
                      Two Word Joe
                      If You Go Your Way (I’ll Go Blind)
                      Let Me Sleep (At The End Of A Dream)

                      The latest album, 'Heartbreak Pass', by seminal alt-country / rock band Giant Sand marks their 30th anniversary. Individually, each track on the record looms large on its own but, when heard as one complete offering, you know that you are listening to something very, very special.

                      The Arizona desert has been a predominate theme and source of inspiration for Howe Gelb, the indie rock pioneer and frontman for Giant Sand. The group can also be looked at as Howe’s one-man-band with many guests and collaborators. The album features Steve Shelly (Sonic Youth), Grant-Lee Phillips and Ilse DeLange (Common Linnets). 

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. Heaventually
                      2. Texting Feist
                      3. Hurtin' Habit
                      4. Transponder
                      5. Song So Wrong
                      6. Every Now And Then
                      7. Man On A String
                      8. Home Sweat Home
                      9. Eye Opening
                      10. Pen To Paper
                      11. Bitter Suite
                      12. House In Order
                      13. Gypsy Candle
                      14. Done
                      15. Forever And Always

                      For their fifth album, the Athens-bred/Nashville-based power trio the Whigs wanted to find the exact midpoint between raw and rehearsed. After more than a decade together - during which they’ve released four critically lauded studio albums and toured constantly as either headliners or openers for the likes of the Drive-By Truckers, Kings of Leon, and MGMT - the three members all agreed that they wanted to flex their muscles a bit: write some good songs, get them down as tight as possible, hit , and tear shit up.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. You Should Be Able To Feel It
                      2. Asking Strangers For Directions
                      3. The Particular
                      4. Hit Me
                      5. Modern Creation
                      6. Friday Night
                      7. She Is Everywhere
                      8. Too Much In The Morning
                      9. I Couldn't Lie
                      10. The Difference Between One And Two


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