Outside the Heard

	Foy Vance The Wild Swan New Elektra/Atlantic

The Wild Swan, the latest album from the fantastically mustachioed singer-songwriter from Northern Ireland, hangs his songs along on the personal / political axis. It was recorded in Nashville at Blackbird Studios with Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King and under the grand tutelage of Executive Producer Elton John.

	Against The Current In Our Bones WEA/Fueled by Ramen

After four years of touring their asses off, Against The Current have a wrought a debut album, In Our Bones, that encompasses a wide range of big feelings in the form of pop songs. Some of them rock. Some of them bounce. All of them are large anthems of bubblegum rebellion.

	Max Jury Max Jury Marathon Artists

A soft-voiced young piano playing singer/songwriter out of Des Moines, Iowa, Max Jury has struck a rich seam of pure, musical gold. His self-titled debut album is a classic in the making. Think of the bruised Americana of Gram Parsons, the rich piano storytelling of Randy Newman and Tom Waits, and luscious soul with a rough edged gospel heart – like a Midwestern Lana Del Ray.

	The Sachal Ensemble Song Of Lahore Universal Music Classics

Inspired by the film of the same name, Song of Lahore finds The Sachal Ensemble weaving the traditional sounds of their native Pakistan with covers of American Pop, Folk, Jazz and Blues favorites. It’s so good that Wynton Marsalis, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Nels Cline of Wilco, Sean Lennon, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Madeleine Peyroux and acting legend Meryl Streep got in on the fun.

	Carla Bley Andando El Tiempo ECM Records

NEA Jazz Master Carla Bley’s new album, Andando el Tiempo, features new music of an emotional compass so wide that it reinforces her originality and resourcefulness as a jazz composer. This trio – with saxophonist Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow on bass – has been an ideal vehicle for Carla’s writing for more than 20 years and also provides one of the best contexts for her unique piano playing.

	Jack DeJohnette In Movement ECM Records

Fifty years ago, as a guest with John Coltrane’s group, legendary drummer, Jack DeJohnette, played with the fathers of saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and bassist Matthew Garrison – and In Movement opens with the elder Coltrane’s harrowing and still pertinent elegy, “Alabama.” We’re also treated to classics by Miles Davis and Earth Wind, and Fire, as well as a tribute to Jimi Hendrix.

	WOMPS Our Fertile Forever Displaced Records

Nihilism and jaded optimism converge as Glasgow’s WOMPS fashion angst driven, melodic hook-heavy pop songs with garage sensibilities into finely warbled sugar. A hunger to be creatively honest in a country so hell-bent on condemning original ideas and self-expression has driven WOMPS from working supermarket jobs to playing big stages, and Our Fertile Forever yields one gloriously frenetic blast after another. Think Orange Juice, R.E.M. and early Modest Mouse.

	U2 iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Live in Paris Island Records/Interscope Records

U2 iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE - Live In Paris finds this scrappy upstart band from the mean streets of Ireland performing a staggering selection of songs from its timeless catalogue, including jamz from that album you still can’t get off your iPhone. This stunning concert will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and as a Super Deluxe freak magnet.

	Reuben Hollebon Terminal Nostalgia Bright Antenna

Reuben Hollebon’s debut album, Terminal Nostalgia, is a collection of deeply personal stories told with raw, tremulous vocals performed at an urgent clip. The soundscape takes influence from Reuben’s time as a recording engineer for several well-known acts including Basement Jaxx, Courtney Barnett and The London Symphony Orchestra. For fans of Thom Yorke, Joseph Arthur, and Afghan Whigs / Twilight Singers mastermind, Greg Dulli.

	Young Magic Still Life Carpark

Still Life inhabits a gorgeous, kaleidoscopic world, as delicate and intricate, as it is expansive and immersive. It walks the line between organic and mechanic, where dusty field recordings weave between warm Moogs and Prophets, where jazz breaks bump next to broken drum machines. It’s meticulously crafted outsider pop, made by obsessives, for obsessives.

	Four By Fate Relentless The End

The seeds for the formation of Four By Fate were planted some 30 years ago, when GRAMMY® Award winning bassist/producer John Regan met vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter Tod Howarth. Guitarist/songwriter Patrick James Gasperini (Pound, Flywheel) and former Skid Row drummer Rob Affuso then came into the fold and the aptly named quartet came into being. Relentless is expertly shreddy blooze rock with plenty of stunt guitar filigree and a touch of radio grunge. Turn it up – it works!

	Jelly Jam Profit Music Theories

The Jelly Jam consists of Ty Tabor of King's X on guitar, keyboards, and vocals; Rod Morgenstein of The Dixie Dregs and Winger on drums and keyboards; and John Myung of Dream Theater on bass, moog, and Chapman stick. If this sounds like a well-mannered collection of arty prog rock then, well, that’s because it is.

	Kyle Cox Trio & Friends Rock Ridge Music

Kyle Cox is a Nashville based singer songwriter who loves basketball and catchy songs. He’s a road-tested troubadour who’s managed to retain all the right soft spots, which makes for a sound that bridges James Taylor with John Prine. Trio and Friends was recorded live, and its simple, tasteful arrangements will have you swooning.

	Alborosie Freedom & Fyah VP

The first Italian reggae artist to be internationally recognized, Alberto D’ Ascola -- AKA Alborosie – is a force of nature: A talented producer, songwriter, musician, and toaster – dude has a tremendous voice. Freedom & Fyah is Alborosie’s 10th album is a master class in dank. Dude is no joke – he headlines festivals all over the world – and Freedom & Fyah is infectious and banging.

	3OH!3 NIGHT SPORTS Fueled By Ramen

Night Sports is 3OH!3’s most idiosyncratic album yet. Night Sports album retains the duo’s trademark raw humor while also embracing a surprising new edge and eclectic sensibility. Tracks like “Mad At You” and “Freak Your Mind” layer propulsive beats, soaring pop choruses, and spitfire hip-hop energy, their diverse energy fueled by 3OH!3’s extracurricular forays into producing and songwriting for such superstar artists as Ariana Grande, Beck, Maroon 5, Kaskade, Fitz & the Tantrums, and Lil Jon.

	Webbie Savage Life V Atlantic

Baton Rouge’s Webbie has been keeping it trill for over a decade. His latest edition of the Savage Live series – Savage Live 5 – finds our hero reveling in all manner of bad behavior why we, alone in our cubical hellholes, live vicariously through his exploits. Snoop Dogg and Boosie Badazz guest.

	The Monkees Good Times! Rhino Records

The Monkees first album in 20 years finds all three surviving band members (Mickey Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork) in fine form on this collection of new songs. The unmistakable voice of the late Davy Jones is also included with a vintage vocal on the Neil Diamond-penned "Love To Love." Good Times! Also features new songs by Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Andy Partridge of XTC, as well as a song co-written by Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller.

	Brandy Clark Big Day in a Small Town Warner Bros.

"This record is a musical journey that has stretched, inspired and moved me artistically," says country singer Brandy Clark of her new album, Big Day in a Small Town. "I hope that it moves fans when they hear it half as much as it moves me when I play it every night." Big Day in a Small Town tells the stories of the football star, the father, the homecoming queen and the hairdresser because those are the stories and people that Clark grew up knowing in Morton, Wash.

	The Everymen These Mad Dogs Need Heroes Ernest Jenning

New Jersey’s The Evermen decamped to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to track their third LP with Ben Tanner, touring member of Alabama Shakes and co-owner of Single Lock Records. The Shoals were alive with musical and spiritual inspiration for the band as they tracked These Mad Dogs Need Heroes, opening their minds, hearts and ears to allow the swing, spirit, groove, heart and soul of the area without sacrificing their indie weirdo edge.

	Miles Davis & Robert Glasper Everything's Beautiful Legacy

Everything's Beautiful brings Miles Davis' sound into the 21st century, blending a diverse group of master takes and outtakes from across Miles' incredible tenure with Columbia Records (1955-1985) with original reinterpretations. Robert Glasper produced the collaboration. "I didn't want to do just a remix record," Glasper noted when discussing the 11-song set. "My idea was to show how Miles inspired people to make new art." Erykah Badu, Ledisi, Bilal, and John Scofield are among the guests.

	The Highwaymen The Very Best Of Legacy

Frequently referred to as "the Mount Rushmore of country music," The Highwaymen – Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson – were American country music's first bona fide supergroup, an epic quartet comprised of the outlaw country genre's pioneering stars. The Very Best Of The Highwaymen contains the group's best-known songs plus a previously unreleased cover of Bob Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings.”

	Sam Cohen Cool It 30th Century/Columbia

Formerly of Apollo Sunshine, Sam Cohen spent the last decade touring and making records, mostly in Brooklyn, treading the tenuous boundaries between the roughhewn, the psychedelic, and the justplaintimelesslycool. Cool It, Cohen’s solo debut, reaches outward with more directness than ever, dropping a spotlight on Cohen’s arresting and unconventional songwriting. The melodic ebb and flow might call Harry Nilsson to mind, while guitars and synths flicker under song forms, occasionally overtaking them in fits of molten stoner rock.

	The Hotelier Goodness Tiny Engines

Met with universal critical acclaim, Home, Like No Place Is There catapulted Worcester, MA’s The Hotelier from unknowns to indie darlings. Now, The Hotelier returns with Goodness, a record about natural, unnatural, and supernatural love. Goodness proves once again The Hotelier is not content to stand still as it pushes and progresses its art further. Recorded and produced by Seth Manchester (Lighting Bolt, Battles, Fang Island).

	Oscar Cut and Paste Wichita Recordings

After a string of rambunctious, critically acclaimed singles, Cut and Paste is Oscar’s full-length debut. You can hear the clear influence of a West London upbringing in the dub bassline and echo of the anthemic, uplifting “Good Things.” You’re hit by the boom-bap breakbeat of his beloved mid-90s hip hop on “Breaking My Phone” and “Beautiful Words,” before swooning to his more tender side on “Only Friend.” Despite the wide range of influences on display, Cut and Paste is unified by Oscar’s beautiful baritone vocal and a keen ear for a melody.

	Fruit Bats Absolute Loser Easy Sound

Although Fruit Bats has been ostensibly been a solo project since its inception in 1997, Eric D. Johnson ditched the name after 16 years and five successful studio albums. But after a tumultuous 2014, Johnson returned to the comfort of his creative identity. Fruit Bats sixth album Absolute Loser represents a triumphant return to form – a treaty on how to redefine oneself after tragedy.

For anyone who’s been listening to great music during the past half-century, Paul Simon is certainly no stranger. So one of the most remarkable things about his extraordinary new masterpiece, Stranger to Stranger, Paul Simon’s 13th solo record, is that it conjures a vivid and vital new context to his well-established genius as a singer and songwriter. Full of thrilling textures that feel fresh and modern, while still offering subtle and artful allusions to our shared musical past, Stranger to Stranger presents the perfect opportunity to get to know Paul Simon in a new way. A significant sonic breakthrough on Stranger to Stranger came when Simon wrote the song 'Insomniac’s Lullaby,' and found himself reminded of the musical possibilities first suggested by Harry Partch the 20th Century American composer and theorist who created custom-made instruments in microtonal tunings. Besides recording sounds from various Partch instruments, one of the key realizations Simon gathered from Partch was the observation that singing in music is akin to human speech, and Simon started to shape vocal lines on the album that way. It’s the culmination of a sonic path Simon’s been following since 2006’s Brian Eno produced LP, Surprise. Classic yet progressive, Simon still thrills.

Paul Simon -
Stranger To Stranger
Concord

Pure McCartney, a new compilation of music legend Paul McCartney’s solo, Wings and Fireman work, showcases 67 highlights from one of the most-revered catalogues in music - from McCartney in 1970, his debut solo album, right through to “Hope For The Future,” his 2014 track taken from Destiny – the most-anticipated video game of the last decade. Not only is Pure McCartney a monumental mix tape of some of popular music's most memorable moments, it also features curios for the super fans and some of Paul's personal favorites—all handpicked by the man himself. As a songwriter Paul has never stood still, dipping his toe in countless genres and styles. Pure McCartney is testament to that fact. From the song writing master class of 'Maybe I'm Amazed' and adventurous, three-songs-in-one of 'Band On The Run' to the irresistible groove of 'Say Say Say' and ahead-of-its-time electronica of 'Temporary Secretary', described by NME when compiling a list of the greatest ever songs as "not so much ahead of its time, but out of it altogether”, Pure McCartney charts the unstoppable adventures of McCartney's unique and eclectic song writing talents and shines a light on his post-Beatles artistic achievements.

Paul McCartney -
Pure McCartney
Concord

As Colvin & Earle, longtime friends and admirers Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle have united to record their self-titled debut, a true standout in careers already filled with pinnacles and masterpieces. Produced by the masterful Buddy Miller and recorded in his living room studio, Colvin & Earle contains six co-written originals plus some truly inspired covers, including The Beatles’ “Baby’s In Black,” the Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday,” and Emmylou Harris’ “Raise the Dead.” Few things can touch the magic of artists so in tune that they seem to be able to read each other’s minds, and Colvin & Earle is a prime showcase for the duo’s inimitable vocals and mesmerizing guitar playing – a flawless example of the creative process gelling into a gorgeous, cohesive whole. For this pair, both considered to be among America’s greatest living songwriters, Colvin & Earle showcase one of the finest records of these hardcore troubadours’ storied careers.

COLVIN & EARLE -
COLVIN & EARLE
Fantasy

The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) is a group of some of the best independent music stores in America. CIMS was founded in 1995; its current membership is made up of 29 accounts that handle 47 stores in 21 states. Many of the accounts have been recognized by the music industry and their local communities for their outstanding dedication to customer service and developing artist support.

Each member is bound by its shared love of music, a reputation for great selection and customer service in its community, yet each CIMS account is as unique as the market it represents. Most importantly, CIMS member stores continually seek to challenge the jaded, color-by-numbers advertising and marketing of other retailers.