Outside the Heard

	Jeb Loy Nichols Country Hustle Jullian Records/InKind Music

Jeb Lee Nichols is veritable rock and roll Zelig – a guy with knack for being at all the right places at the right times. He caught an original Sex Pistols show in Texas, witnessed Afrika Bambaataa rock Bronx blocks, sold records to Prince Paul, lived with Ari Up in London, etc. Country Hustle is as colorful and multi-faceted as his backstory – a potent, flavorsome gumbo cooked up from southern soul, country, blues, funk and folk, with a soupçon of hip-hop, dub and 80/90s club sounds.

	Red Baraat Bhangra Pirates Rhyme And Reason

Famously dubbed “The best party band in years” by NPR, Red Baraat is a pioneering eight-piece band from Brooklyn. Conceived by dhol player, Sunny Jain, the group has drawn worldwide praise for its singular sound — a merger of hard driving North Indian Bhangra with elements of go-go, rock and jazz. Fueled by three master rhythm makers, a muscular horn section, raucous guitar, and a booming sousaphone – Bhangra Pirates was created with a noble purpose: To bring about unity and joy. And you can dance to it.

	Becca Stevens Regina Ground Up

Always reaching, always expanding, North Carolina-bred, Brooklyn based singer/composer/multi-instrumentalist Becca Stevens reinvents herself once again with Regina. In the years since the release of her critically acclaimed third album, Perfect Animal, Stevens has undertaken a journey that began with a study of Queen Elizabeth I. This expanded into tributes to various queens from history, literature, folklore, and her own imagination, to songs inspired by the regal and divine, and finally to Regina as a voice, like a trusted friend or an alter ego.

	Imelda May Life Love Flesh Blood Verve

Imelda May has long been admired by her peers, including Bono, who says May, “Makes truth telling an invitation to intimacy.” Now May has found a new groove – exploring blues, soul, gospel, folk, rock, and explosive balladry. She is setting a new course with a collection of the boldest, most personal and intimately autobiographical songs she has ever written. “I've called it Life, Love, Flesh, Blood because that encompasses everything,” says May. “It's the story of my life.”

	Jethro Tull Jethro Tull - The String Quartets The End

Jethro Tull – The String Quartets features the Classic songs of Jethro Tull, arranged and orchestrated by John O'Hara performed the Carducci Quartet. Ian Anderson plays flute (naturally) on most of the tracks and even sings a few lines here and there to provide his trademark sounds in the context of classical music traditions. “Living in The Past,” “Aqualung,” “Locomotive Breath,” and “Bungle in The Jungle” are among the album track listing but appear, along with their fellow musical travelers, under more cryptic titles to differentiate them from the original recordings and arrangements.

	Steel Panther Lower The Bar Steel Panther Records

Hailing from Los Angeles – the epicenter for rock n' roll in all its debauched and glamorous glory – Steel Panther has established itself as the world's premier party band, melding hard rock virtuosity with parody and criminally-good looks. Lower the Bar is Steel Panther's fourth studio album and features the band's sexified version of the Cheap Trick’s “She’s Tight,” as well as their future classic, "Poontang Boomerang."

	Diet Cig Swear I'm Good At This Frenchkiss

Diet Cig are here to have fun. They're here to tear you away from the soul-sucking sanctity of your dumpster-fire life and replace it with pop-blessed punk jams about navigating the impending doom of adulthood. Alex Luciano (guitar and vocals) and Noah Bowman (drums) have been playing music together ever since Luciano interrupted the set of Bowman's other band for a lighter. Swear I'm Good at This accumulates their tenacity for crafting life-affirming, relatable tales with a gutsy heart at their core.

	RESISTANCE RADIO: THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE ALBUM Various 30TH CENTURY RECORDS/COLUMBIA

Resistance Radio: The Man in The High Castle Album is the imagined soundtrack to the series (based on author Philip K. Dick's award-winning book). Produced and curated by Danger Mouse and Sam Cohen, the album features 18 songs from 1962 to coincide with theme of show performed by some of today’s most popular Indie and Alternative artists, including Beck, Kelis, Norah Jones, The Shins, Angel Olsen, Benjamin Booker, and Karen O.

	Orchestra Baobab Tribute To Ndiouga Dieng World Circuit Records

After a decade-long absence, Senegal's Orchestra Baobab return with Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng. Dedicated to original vocalist, Ndiouga Dieng, who died in November 2016 (His songs will continue to be sung with the band by his son Alpha), these new songs sound fresh and yet reassuringly familiar – retaining the classic Orchestra Baobab sound but with a renewed vigor (and some surprising twists).

	Chaz Bundick Meets The Mattson 2 Star Stuff Carpark

Star Stuff finds Toro y Moi mastermind, Chaz Bundick, and his new pals, The Mattson 2, exploring psychedelic, jazz, and improvisatory influences ranging from Afrofuturistic Sun Ra, to electric Miles Davis, to groove-fueled Serge Gainsbourg and The Zombies. Grounding the album are break-beats, synthesizers, acoustic strums, and guitar fuzz reminiscent of David Axelrod and Arthur Verocai. With cosmic structures, timeless influences, rich harmonies, and melodic interplays, the trio brings an intergalactic edge to this addictive debut.

	Michelle Branch Hopeless Romantic Verve

Michele Branch’s new album, Hopeless Romantic, is about relationships. “They’re my favorite topic,” she says. “A lot of these songs are about heartbreak, but knowing that it doesn’t mean the end of the world.” Hopeless Romantic is also her first truly autobiographical record. “My first album certainly was written without much real-life experience,” she says. “But this album is about adult, messy love and not teenage love. It’s been a couple of really interesting years.” Hopeless Romantic was produced and co-written with Patrick Carney of The Black Keys.

	Little Hurricane Same Sun Same Moon Mascot

We are all connected in one way or another. This message of unity beats at the heart of Little Hurricane's latest release, Same Sun Same Moon. These twelve new songs retain the honesty and immediacy of Little Hurricane's earlier work, but with new timbres and a broader emotional scope – changes that underscore the band's desire to transcend its dirty blues roots and connect with a wider range of music lovers.

	Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds One More Time With Feeling Bad Seed, Ltd

Originally conceived as a concert film, One More Time with Feeling evolved into something much more significant as director Andrew Dominik delved into the writing and recording of Nick Cave’s most recent album, Skeleton Tree – a collection of songs haunted by the death of his son. Interwoven throughout the performances are interviews as well as Cave's narration and candid ruminations. The result is a raw, fragile glimpse of an artist trying to find his way through the darkness.

	Charlotte OC Careless People Harvest

British artist Charlotte OC's debut album, Careless People, channels the bewitching allure of Stevie Nicks and the big-throated finesse of Alicia Keys. Throughout Careless People, Charlotte matches the stormy intensity of her music with fearlessly intimate lyrics. With its title taken from a passage in The Great Gatsby, the album closely explores her own fascination with careless behavior – and, ultimately, finding out what she should’ve been caring about all along.

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.