urbanlightsmusic

Because of their mix of hellified gangster shit and progressive compositions, I once jokingly called Clipping "Deathrow Tull." Well, it's not a joke anymore. While Clipping's last few projects have been record-long concepts like classic prog rock, their cyberpunk-infused new album Dead Channel Sky is mixtape-like, a carefully curated collection in which every track is a love letter to a possible present. It sounds crisp and classic at the same time. When something strikes us as retrospective and futuristic at the same time, it's a reminder of how slipshod our present moment truly is. Juxtaposing high-tech, corporate command-and-control systems (the "cyber") with the lo-fi, D.I.Y. underground (the "punk"), cyberpunk proper starts in 1982 and ends in 1999, from Blade Runner to The Matrix. Concurrently, hip-hop matured, went through it's Golden Era, then melted into further forms: it went from from Fab 5 Freddy to Public Enemy to Missy Elliott. While other genres flirted with it, hip-hop was fickle and fey. Rap and rock birthed mutant offspring maligned by most, and hip-hop's relations with electronica rarely fared any better.What if someone explicitly merged hip-hop and cyberpunk - those twin suns of the '80s and '90s - into one set and sound? After all, both movements are the result of hacking the haunted leftovers of a war-torn culture that's long since moved on.On Dead Channel Sky, Clipping texture-map the twin histories of hip-hop and cyberpunk onto an alternate present where Rammellzee and Bambaataa are the superheroes of old; where Cybotron and Mantronix are the reigning legends; where Egyptian Lover and Freestyle are debated endlessly, and Ultramag and Public Enemy are the undeniable forefathers; where the lost movements of 1980s and the 1990s are still happening: rave, trip-hop, hip-house, acid house, drum & bass, big beat-the detritus of a different timeline, the survivors of armed audio warfare. Clipping are no strangers to sci-fi: two of their records were nominated for Hugo Awards (one of science fiction's top literary prizes), and a novella spun-off from their music was nominated for a third. On Dead Channel Sky, Clipping's co-conspirators include everyone from the guitarist Nels Cline, to their labelmates Cartel Madras, rapper/actor Tia Nomore, and wordsmith Aesop Rock. Diggs is known for intricate lyrics and rapid-fire rapping, and the tracks that Snipes and Hutson build in the background are no less complex. All of the above serves to give us a glimpse of an adjacent possible present, where hip-hop and cyberpunk are one culture.Binary stars are often perceived as one object when viewed with the naked eye. Like those twin sun systems, it'll take some special equipment and some discerning attention to pull the stars apart on this record. As Diggs barks on the fire-starting "Change the Channel": Everything is very important!

Charley Crockett - Lonesome Drifter - Vinyl

Lonesome Drifter is the new album from GRAMMY Award-nominated artist Charley Crockett. Crockett co-produced the album alongside multi-GRAMMY Award-winning musician and producer Shooter Jennings. Over the course of just 10 days, they cut 12 tracks live at the legendary Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. Crockett's Island Records debut is a culmination of all that has come before, with the same unapologetic spirit, die-hard work ethic, and no nonsense honesty that has driven his artistry across his 14 previous studio albums. In the end, Lonesome Drifter takes stock of Charley's road in the rearview as it paves a path into the future. Available on 180g black vinyl housed in a printed inner sleeve.

A Boy Named Goo is the Goo Goo Dolls fifth studio album, originally released on March 14, 1995. Driven by the smash hit “Name”, the album catapulted the band to mainstream success, and it was certified double platinum within a year of the release. The album also included the singles “Flat Top”, “Naked”,“Only One”, and “Long Way Down”.

Coheed and Cambria presents their forthcoming album, The Father of Make Believe, out via Virgin Music Group. The new full-length marks the 10th studio album from the New York band and continues the narrative of The Amory Wars / Vaxis universe, following their 2022 album, Vaxis Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind.

The complete vinyl works of Ozzy Osbourne's original solo material in a limited edition, numbered black vinyl box set. There will be 2,000 copies made, and it will feature a total of 18 albums including the rarities compilation album, Flippin' The B-Side, as well as his most recent releases Ordinary Man and Patient Number 9. This super deluxe box also includes 10 brand-new full-size posters of vintage photos, a gold bat vinyl slipmat, and an individually numbered vellum certificate of authenticity personally signed by Ozzy Osbourne.

Liverpool-based four-piece Courting's new album Lust for Life, Or: 'How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story,' is centered around duality. The intention is to bring together everything Courting have created thus far into a succinct, direct, record. Each song on the album is 'twinned', with another, existing within the same type of world. Take for example the opening and closing bookends of the record, both featuring the same string melody but with the first serving as an orchestral introduction, and the second as a speeding dance punk track. The aim is clear as Courting balance the indie and pop songwriting of their previous records with their most experimental moments, each detail more refined than the last time.

Steven Wilson - "The Overview" [180g Half-Speed Mint Green LP]Steven Wilson releases his eighth studio album, The Overview, on Fiction Records. Two tracks, 42 minutes, wildly ambitious and brilliantly audacious in equal measure, the album features endlessly engaging conceptual lyrics that move seamlessly between the cosmic and the quotidian, set to genre-defying, ultra melodic music... it promises to be an utterly unique release in 2025. Available on 180g mint green color vinyl and mastered at half-speed. Limited Edition. Indie Exclusive

Croatian folk metal band MANNTRA will release their new album Titans on February 21, 2025, via Napalm Records. Formed in 2012 by Marko Matijevic Sekul, this marks their eighth studio album. MANNTRA combines raw metal riffs and industrial elements with traditional folk instruments, creating catchy metal anthems. They have made a name for themselves live, supporting acts like In Extremo and performing at festivals like Wacken Open Air. Titans opens with the title track and includes energetic songs like “Higher” and “Riders In The Dawn.” The band blends folk with modern sounds in tracks like “My Sandman” and “Teuta,” while the two-part “Forgotten” showcases their genre-crossing abilities. Overall, Titans delivers a high hit density, proving MANNTRA is at the peak of their creative journey!

Join the ranks of Super Earth's finest with the official Helldivers 2 (Original Game Soundtrack) vinyl, composed by Wilbert Roget, II and additional music by Ross Tregenza. This explosive score captures the chaos, camaraderie, and relentless drive of the Helldivers as they bring democracy to the galaxy - one mission at a time. From the high-stakes intensity of battle to moments of triumph, every track immerses you in the fight for freedom. Pressed on a translucent yellow vinyl, this vinyl is a must-have for fans of the game and Wilbert's incredible music. Packaged in a single-pocket jacket with a credit insert, it's the ultimate way to experience the pulse-pounding spirit of Helldivers 2. Enlist now and take home the sound of freedom!

Across a remarkable run of releases in barely half a decade, London's Loraine James has established her identity through a blend of refined composition, gritty experimentation, and unpredictable, intricate electronic programming. While titles released under her given name on Hyperdub tend toward IDM-influenced, vocal-heavy collaborations, James reserves her Ghostly International-signed alias, Whatever the Weather, for an inward gaze that explores innate "emotional temperature" and environment (shown in degree-based track titling). Her second full-length is a markedly warmer outing compared to it's predecessor, as signaled by the shift from LP1's arctic cover photo to LP2's desert climes. Common to both albums is the mastering work of friend and collaborator Josh Eustis (aka Telefon Tel Aviv), who lends his keen ear to James' complexities to craft a strikingly three-dimensional sonic experience. Flowing from hypnotic atmospheres to mottled rhythms to processed collages of diaristic field recordings, Whatever the Weather II is a compelling union of organic and human elements from one of electronic music's most imaginative talents.The lead single and closing track to Whatever the Weather's (Loraine James) new LP, "12°C", drifts from bustling human spaces into a concrete groove, weaving melody and texture into a truly unusual, soul-stirring fullness. In it's final moments, a languid acoustic guitar and gentle, finger-tapped beat join her pitch-shifted voice. Whatever the Weather II is full of such passages, where formal composition appears like a film in negative, and conventions are upturned with wit, intelligence, and skill.

Nels Cline -"Consentrik Quartet" [180g 2xLP] [Signed Insert] Guitarist, sonic explorer, and Wilco bandmember Nels Cline presents the debut recording by his Consentrik Quartet, featuring Ingrid Laubrock on saxophones, Chris Lightcap on bass, and Tom Rainey on drums. Cline's fourth Blue Note album, Consentrik Quartet, features 12 evocative and far-ranging soundscapes composed by Cline. 2 LP set on 180gram Heavy Vinyl with signed insert included. Limited Edition. Indie Exclusive.

Streetcleaner (35th Anniversary Edition) [Yellow LP] Godflesh have been heralded as innovators within the music scene, generating an austere and hypnotic sound that pioneered the formation of the 'industrial' genre. Spawned in Birmingham in 1988 by Justin Broadrick (formerly the guitarist with Napalm Death) and bassist Christian Green, the simplicity of the line-up characterized Godflesh's infamous appeal, with the onstage use of a drum machine and various collaborative contributions from musicians within the industry. 35th Anniversary Edition of their 1989 debut album, Streetcleaner, on limited-edition yellow vinyl. Indie Exclusive.

choke enough, the full-length studio debut from French artist Oklou, is a patient, masterful execution of ephemeral soft club electronic and texturally alluring indie pop. Features Bladee, underscores, with production from Danny L Harle, A. G. Cook, Nick Leon, and more. Her critically acclaimed mixtape, Galore, led her on tours with Caroline Polachek, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Sampha, before being coined “a taste of the future of pop music” by NME.

Double vinyl LP pressing. UK punk band X-Ray Spex co-founder Lora Logic was unexpectedly ousted before the recording of their debut album 'Germ Free Adolescents' in 1977. Undeterred, Lora went on to form and front the post-punk band Essential Logic. With trademark angular sax lines and her unmistakable vocal stylings, she went on to create some of the most liberating and exciting music of the early post-punk era, not only as Essential Logic, but also as a solo artist. 'Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?)' is the band's debut studio album. Lora's solo album 'Pedigree Charm' followed in 1982. This 45th Anniversary 'Deluxe' edition compiles the original studio album together with a bonus album containing the complete Essential Logic studio recordings from 1978 - 1983, including the iconic Cells Records debut single 'Aerosol Burns' (1978), the 'Wake Up' EP (1979), included here for the first time on any physical release since it's original pressing, together with the non-album b-side 'Flora Force' and 3 post album Rough Trade Records single releases: 'Eugene' (1980), 1981's 'Music Is A Better Noise' and 'Fanfare In The Garden', and their respective b-sides.

Blues artist ZZ Ward's album, Liberation, celebrates her love of all things blues. Her third release on Sun Records, features originals like "Mother," a song about her new role as a working mother, with covers of classics like Son House's "Grinnin' In Your Face." ZZ's bold vocals also shine on her take on songs from the historic Sun catalog, like The Jesters' "Cadillac Man," and Alvin Robinson's "Something You Got."

Extended edition. Building on the panoramic dynamism of Snow Patrol's 8th studio album, The Forest Is The Path, the band headed back into the studio with producer Fraser T Smith in the final weeks of 2024. The result was a number of brand-new songs that the band didn't want to sit on any longer than necessary. Led by the anthemic new single "But I'll Keep Trying," the new songs are included on the Expanded Edition of The Forest Is The Path.

• French hard techno indietronic duo Kap Bambino launch an all-out assault on American dancefloors with a deeply compelling and sonically disrupting full-length album!

• KB have been preparing their international invasion for years, honing the aggro beats of Orion Bouvier and the vocal shrieks of Carline Martial into a powerful musical combination that cannot be ignored, and will be embarking on their first ever US tour in support of this release, including stops at SXSW!

• Watch for cutting edge music videos to be released for the singles "Parasite" and the album's title track "No Domination!"

Le Sserafim -"5th Mini Album 'HOT'" [Vol. 1] As a final chapter to the trilogy after EASY and CRAZY, Le Sserafim has returned with their 5th Mini Album 'HOT' available in 3 standard volumes. Contents of the album include: CD, Outer Box, Booklet (80 pages), Lyric Paper, Heat Detecting Tea Coaster, Sticker (3 each), Postcard, Folding Poster and Photocard (1 of 5). US/EU Retail Exclusive: Photo Card. Dimensions: 259 x 192 x 23 mm.

Saxophonist Marion Brown ended his '70s stint at Impulse! Records with this serene and colorful album. It features drummer Ed Blackwell and bassist Reggie Workman, with Stanley Cowell on acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes. Brown wrote the blissful "Vista," and the five other compositions are well-chosen, starting with an inviting version of Cowell's "Maimoun" and an impressionistic, deeply meditative take on Stevie Wonder's "Visions." Verve By Request Series features 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Third Man in Detroit.

Guitarist, sonic explorer, and Wilco bandmember Nels Cline presents the debut recording by his Consentrik Quartet featuring Ingrid Laubrock on saxophones, Chris Lightcap on bass, and Tom Rainey on drums. Cline's fourth Blue Note album, Consentrik Quartet, features 12 evocative and far-ranging soundscapes composed by Cline.