Richard Hell and the Voidoids' 1982 album 'Destiny Street' gets spruced up

Destiny Street was the follow-up album to one of the greatest punk albums of all time, 1977’s Blank Generation. The album was originally recorded in 1981 and released in 1982, but not to Richard Hell’s satisfaction. As he says in his new liner notes to Destiny Street Remixed, “The final mix was a morass of trebly multi-guitar blare.”

Now, for the 40th anniversary of its creation, the album is at last presented improved the way Richard Hell has long hoped and intended: “The sound of a little combo playing real gone rock and roll.”

The resultant Destiny Street Complete, due out via 2-CD set and Digital, is set for January 22, 2021 release on Omnivore Recordings. Omnivore will also release a vinyl version of the new Destiny Street Remixed set for the same date.

Richard Hell co-founded his first band, the Neon Boys, with Tom Verlaine in 1973. That band became Television. When Hell left Television in 1975, he formed, with Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan, both formerly of the New York Dolls, the Heartbreakers. After another year, Richard departed the Heartbreakers and created Richard Hell & the Voidoids, which, along with other CBGB bands of the era, such as the Ramones and Patti Smith, formed the template for punk, the effects of which are still being felt.

Apart from Hell on vocals and bass, the original Voidoids comprised Robert Quine (guitar), Ivan Julian (guitar), and Marc Bell (drums). The Destiny Street-era band retained Quine, but otherwise the backing lineup became Naux (Juan Maciel) on guitar and Fred Maher on drums.

Richard had wished forever that he could remix the original Destiny Street, but was told by the record company that the original 24-track masters had been lost. In the early 2000s, Hell discovered a cassette from 1981 that contained just the album’s rhythm tracks (drums, bass and two rhythm guitars) and he realized he could add new guitar solos and vocals to that to obtain a cleaner, improved version of the songs. He enlisted Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell, and Ivan Julian to overdub the solos (Quine had died in 2004 and Naux in 2009) and he re-sang everything. This was released as Destiny Street Repaired in 2009. Hell was pleased.

Then, in 2019, three of the four original 24-track masters were discovered. Now, at long last, Destiny Street could be fully remixed, and Hell signed on Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) to help him with that. The result became the uncanny centerpiece of the 2-CD Destiny Street Complete extravaganza to be released in January of 2021. Destiny Street Remixed will also be available as a stand-alone vinyl LP.

Besides containing the three faithful versions of the album, the 40th anniversary 2-CD deluxe edition of Destiny Street includes not only Hell’s detailed liner notes, but a fourth LP’s worth of demos and prior studio versions of the album’s material — essentially all of Richard’s songwriting output recorded between the release of Blank Generation in 1977 and the recording of Destiny Street in 1981 — including some of the best playing and singing in the four-part Complete — called Destiny Street Demos.

And for Record Store Day 2021, Omnivore Recordings will proudly offer this special material on its own stand-alone vinyl LP.

Significantly, all the material in this entire collection has been freshly remastered (or in the case of the Remixed, mastered) for these releases by Michael Graves at Osiris Studios.

According to Hell: "I’ve been working on this release for 40 years. Long road! Three different versions of the same ten songs, from the same basic tracks by the same four musicians. I couldn’t help myself, and I’m glad, god damn it. But really, each of the four parts (including the collection of demos) has its points of interest and then the whole is greater than the parts, for my money. It was a good trip, with lots of roadside attractions, but I’m happy to have reached the destination.”

Track Listing:

DISC 1
Destiny Street (1982)
1. The Kid With The Replaceable Head (Destiny Street - 2021 Remaster)
2. I Gotta Move (Destiny Street - 2021 Remaster)
3. Going Going Gone (Destiny Street - 2021 Remaster)
4. Lowest Common Dominator (Destiny Street - 2021 Remaster)
5. Downtown At Dawn (Destiny Street - 2021 Remaster)
6. Time (Destiny Street - 2021 Remaster)
7. I Can Only Give You Everything (Destiny Street - 2021 Remaster)
8. Ignore That Door (Destiny Street - 2021 Remaster)
9. Staring In Her Eyes (Destiny Street - 2021 Remaster)

Destiny Street Repaired (2009)
10. Destiny Street (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)
11. The Kid With The Replaceable Head (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)
12. I Gotta Move (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)
13. Going Going Gone (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)
14. Lowest Common Dominator (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)
15. Downtown At Dawn (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)
16. Time (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)
17. I Can Only Give You Everything (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)
18. Ignore That Door (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)
19. Staring In Her Eyes (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)
20. Destiny Street (Destiny Street Repaired - 2021 Remaster)

DISC 2

Destiny Street Remixed (2021)
1. The Kid With The Replaceable Head (Destiny Street Remixed)
2. I Gotta Move (Destiny Street Remixed)
3. Going Going Gone (Destiny Street Remixed)
4. Lowest Common Dominator (Destiny Street Remixed)
5. Downtown At Dawn (Destiny Street Remixed)
6. Time (Destiny Street Remixed)
7. I Can Only Give You Everything (Destiny Street Remixed)
8. Ignore That Door (Destiny Street Remixed)
9. Staring In Her Eyes (Destiny Street Remixed)
10. Destiny Street(Destiny Street Remixed)
11. Don’t Die (Destiny Street Remixed)

Destiny Street Demos (1978-1980)
12. The Kid With The Replaceable Head (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster) [Single Version]
13. I’m Your Man (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster) [Single Version]
14. Crack Of Dawn (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster)
15. Going Going Gone (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster)
16. Funhunt (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster)
17. I Lived My Life (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster)
18. Ignore That Door (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster)
19. Smitten (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster)
20. Staring In Her Eyes (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster)
21. Time (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster) (Single Version)
22. Don’t Die (Destiny Street Demos - 2021 Remaster) (Single Version)
23. Time (Destiny Street Demos) (Live) [Bonus Track]

Omnivore will offer a very limited supply of clear vinyl editions exclusively at omnivorerecordings.com while supplies last.

Pre-Sale links:
www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/destiny-street-remixed
www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/destiny-street-complete

Vampire Weekend's Chris Baio returns with 'Dead Hand Control' in January

Songwriter-producer Baio (bassist Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend) announces his third studio album Dead Hand Control available January 29 on Glassnote Records.

He just shared the singles “Endless Me, Endlessly” and “What Do You Say When I’m Not There?” The tracks are also accompanied by videos including the one for “Endless Me, Endlessly” which features the artist singing in reverse.

Listen to the singles here 

Pre-order the album here 

Watch the “Endless Me, Endlessly” video here 

Watch the “What Do You Say When I’m Not There?” video here

Recorded over 18 months at Damon Albarn’s 13 Studios in London, as well as Baio’s personal C+C Music Factory (founded with VW bandmate Chris Tomson in Los Angeles), Dead Hand Control takes its name from a rumored Soviet missile system designed to obliterate America (“Dead Hand”), and a legal strategy for attempting to control the beneficiaries of your will after you die (“Dead Hand Control”).

Baio explains, “I was looking at the past five years of American life and obsessing about topics like death, wills and nuclear war,” he says, of the album's origins. “But at its heart, it’s about how the only thing you can control is the way you treat the people in your life.”

“Endless Me, Endlessly” is a proclamation of pure selflessness. Baio adds, “‘Endless Me, Endlessly’ is a simple song about being there in every possible capacity for someone else. Through hard times just as much as good times. In a way, it’s a bit of a fantasy - a single person cannot be everything to someone else. Lately, though, I have found fantasy to be a thing of comfort.” That theme is echoed in the video for the track where he is recorded performing celebratory acts backwards.

Conversely, he describes that, “What Do You Say When I’m Not There?” is “the polar opposite emotionally. It’s an ode to insecurity and the fact that you can never truly know what is going on in someone else’s mind. With this song I tried to strike a pointed contrast between melancholy lyrics and an upbeat, sunny energy.” 

Baio wrote all the songs on the album with the exception of “O.M.W.”, the nearly 10-minute long closing ballad written in collaboration with Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig. The album features a small cast of eclectic collaborators, including Baio’s long time guitarist George Hume, drummer and State Department Jazz Ambassador Robby Sinclair, Future Classic’s Buzzy Lee, and VW touring member Greta Morgan, on backing vocals. The album was made with Baio’s longtime engineer John Foyle and mixed by Lars Stalfors (St. Vincent, Still Woozy). 

While it arrives at a tenuous moment on the national stage, the album marks a banner year in Baio’s career, which saw a Grammy win for Best Alternative Album for Vampire Weekend, the release of an EP from C.Y.M., Baio’s experimental Krautrock project with British producer and DJ Mike Greene (a.k.a. Fort Romeau), and the launch of the popular Ringer podcast The Road Taken (which teams up Baio and Tomson interviewing touring musicians about life on the road).

Tracklisting:

Dead Hand Control

Endless Me, Endlessly

What Do You Say When I’m Not There?

Dead Hand

Take It From Me

Caisse Noire

Never Never Never

O.M.W.

Billy Gilman marks 20th anniversary of 'One Voice' with on-demand livestream

photo courtesy 2911 Media

American Music Award winner Billy Gilman performed a one-hour special livestream last month, 'Coming Home To Country,' in Nashville, Tennessee, where his career started 20 years ago with the release of his debut single “One Voice”.

As a recent (2016) runner-up on NBC’s The Voice, on Adam Levine’s team, Gilman has proven that his vocal style and technique can cross genres, yet, he remains loyal to Country music.

“I had so much fun performing back in Nashville and catching up with old friends,” says Billy Gilman. “It’s so hard to believe it’s been twenty years since my first release. I am really excited about this new music and to offer up this opportunity for fans to watch a concert during these crazy times we are living in.”

Fans can purchase access to the livestream event for $4.99 at: shop.mysongbird.com/collections/billy-gilman. Fans can get a free sampling of Gilman’s performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” as well as check out the new merchandise offerings.

About Billy Gilman:

Billy Gilman is a Grammy nominee, American Music Award winner, Billboard Music Award winner, Artist Music Guild honoree, and has sold over 5 million albums. Gilman became a recognized voice in country music in 2000, at the age of 11, when he released his debut single “One Voice,” on Epic Records (Sony Nashville). The song shot onto the Billboard Top 40 charts making Billy the youngest artist to ever have a top 40 single on the country chart and ultimately reaching top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

In 2016, Gilman auditioned and landed a spot on NBC’s The Voice, where he flipped the chairs of all four judges and ultimately chose to be on Adam Levine’s team. The decision took him to the finals, where Gilman became the runner-up during the finale.

New music from Martin Gore of Depeche Mode

MARTIN GORE, songwriter and founding member of Depeche Mode, has unveiled “Mandrill,” a new track taken from the forthcoming 5-track instrumental EP, The Third Chimpanzee, out January 29.

“Mandrill” is electro and, like the four other tracks, was produced and written by Martin and recorded this year at Electric Ladyboy in Santa Barbara, California.

The accompanying visual can be seen here.

“The first track I recorded had a sound that wasn’t human,” Martin explains. “It sounded primate-like. I decided to name it ‘Howler’, after a monkey. Then, when it came time to name the EP, I remembered reading the book ‘The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee.’ It all made sense to call it that, as the EP was made by one of the third chimpanzees.”

The EP is available for pre-order now on CD, limited edition 12” Azure Blue vinyl (which includes an art print), and digital platforms. Artwork is by Pockets Warhol. Pre-order The Third Chimpanzee here.

It's been five years since Martin released the acclaimed instrumental album MG. “Mandrill” follows the 2017 release of Depeche Mode’s Spirit. Last week the band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Track listing:

1. Howler
2. Mandrill
3. Capuchin
4. Vervet
5. Howler’s End

A final EP from the late Tony Lewis (The Outfield)

Following his unexpected death last month, the family of Tony Lewis, lead singer and bassist of the 1980s rock band The Outfield and successful solo artist and producer, has posthumously released his new EP, More Than I Dared.

PRESS HERE to listen.

Additionally, they've shared the official music video for lead single "Gonna Make You Love Me" as a tribute to Tony.

PRESS HERE to watch and check out the first look with SPIN.

All net proceeds from the initial release of More Than I Dared will be donated to MusiCares, an organization Lewis was very fond of, as he always wanted to support his fellow musicians; PRESS HERE for more info or to donate directly in his memory.

“On behalf of my girls and myself, I’d like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love, affection and sadness for the loss of our adored Tony,” shares Tony’s wife, Carol Lewis. “Following his debut venture as a solo artist, Tony had been in the studio this year working on new music. We had written a new body of work and have decided to release a full EP collection to share with and thank his fans for their continued support of his solo career. Tony’s life was full of music; he was never happier than being on stage connecting with a crowd or meeting fans and listening to their stories. He was truly grateful for his career that started in 1983. I know his distinctive voice and musical legacy will carry on through these new songs. Please remember him with love, laughter and a sense of fun. He is, was, and always will be irreplaceable.”

Lewis, 62, had been working on the 6-song collection this year at his home studio near London, England, where he recorded and produced the songs alongside Carol, who penned the lyrics. More Than I Dared (Madison Records) was engineered/mixed by Wyatt Oates (Blackberry Smoke, Outkast) with additional engineering and drums by Tanner Hendon, and mastered by Ken Lanyon (Fozzy, Neadtobreathe). Lewis had chosen the name of the EP as he felt his solo career was more than he dared would happen. Track listing for More Than I Dared below.

Tony Lewis and the late John Spinks took the ‘80s by storm with The Outfield’s multi-platinum debut album Play Deep and their infectious pop songs, including “Your Love,” “All The Love” and “Say It Isn’t So.” “Your Love” peaked at #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1986 and is still widely known today, with features in various TV spots and commercials and continuous rotation at radio stations across the country. With its unforgettable opening line “Josie’s on a vacation far away…” in Lewis’s signature voice, “Your Love” remains one of the most liked songs more than 30 years since its release, with over 1 billion total streams and 300 million YouTube views and growing.

In recent years, Lewis began writing and recording solo music and playing shows around the world. In 2018, he released his debut solo album, Out Of The Darkness (Madison Records), which took on the spirit of The Outfield while letting his own style shine through. The critically acclaimed album featured the singles “Into The Light,” “Here And Now” and “I’ll Still Be Here,” which are the featured tracks on his Unplugged – The Acoustic Sessions EP, released this past spring. Tony Lewis’s legacy and distinctive voice will live on forever through the treasure trove of catchy pop-rock songs he churned out across his decades-long career.

TRACK LISTING:

1. Gonna Make You Love Me
2. One By One
3. My World
4. I Feel Alive
5. Then There Was You
6. I'm Falling

Country trio Lady A expand 'Ocean'

In celebration of the one year anniversary of Lady A’s critically-acclaimed #1 country album OCEAN, the multi-platinum trio announces details to expand the project into OCEAN DELUXE EDITION (BMLG Records), available this Friday (11/20).

With six additional tracks, the band offers up live renditions of fan-favorites like “Let It Be Love (At Home Version)” and their chart-topping Platinum hit “What If I Never Get Over You (Live from 3rd and Lindsley).” Lady A also recruits ACM “Entertainer of the Year” Thomas Rhett on “Heroes.” Fans can pre-save OCEAN DELUXE EDITION here.

“It’s crazy to think this album is only turning a year old because it has already been part of so many moments for us as a band,” Hillary Scott said. “We wanted to share our appreciation with our fans with a couple of never released tracks we thought they might like and put a spin on some others that have been fun to play around with during quarantine."

Track Listing:

1. "What If I Never Get Over You"
Written by Sam Ellis, Jon Green, Ryan Hurd, Laura Veltz

2. "Pictures"
Written by Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Sarah Buxton, Corey Crowder

3. "Crazy Love"
Written by Charles Kelley, Nathan Chapman

4. "You Can Do You"
Written by Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Corey Crowder, Jordan Schmidt

5. "What I’m Leaving For"
Written by Sam Ellis, Micah Rayan Premnath, Laura Veltz

6. "Be Patient With My Love"
Written by Charles Kelley, Dave Barnes, Ben West

7. "Alright"
Written by Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, busbee, Justin Ebach

8. "Let It Be Love"
Written by Hillary Scott, Jordan Reynolds, Amy Wadge

9. "On A Night Like This"
Written by Dave Barnes

10. "Boots"
Written by Charles Kelley, Ross Copperman

11. "The Thing That Wrecks You" (feat. Little Big Town)
Written by Daniel Tashian, Tenille Townes, Kate York

12. "Mansion"
Written by Chris DeStefano, Hillary Lindsey, Josh Miller

13. "Ocean"
Written by Tofer Brown, Sarah Buxton, Abe Stoklasa

14. "Heroes" (feat. Thomas Rhett) **
Written by Charles Kelley, Thomas Rhett, Julian Bunetta, Sean Douglas, Jesse Frasure, Joe London

15. “Champagne Night (From Songland)” **
Written by Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Patricia Conroy, Ester Dean, Andrew DeRoberts, Tina Annette Gemza, Shane McAnally, Madeline Rae Merlo, Ryan Tedder, Dave Thomson

16. "Underwater" **
Written by Jon Green, Corey Sanders, Laura Veltz

17. "Let It Be Love (At Home Version)" **
Produced by Dave Haywood

18. "Champagne Night (Tiki Bar Version)" **
Produced by Dave Haywood and Dave Thomson

19. "What If I Never Get Over You (Live from 3rd and Lindsley)" **
Produced by Lady A

**new tracks

The band Berlin goes orchestral

Earlier this year, I interviewed Terri Nunn, who told me about the special album Berlin was waiting to release (see elsewhere on this blog).

Now details have emerged about "with strings attached," which arrives Nov. 27.

The synth pop band worked with a full philharmonic orchestra to revisit some of their best known tracks from the 1980s and beyond, including the major hit theme to the movie, Top Gun, Take My Breath Away.

Berlin currently features the classic line-up of Terri Nunn, John Crawford and David Diamond.

Tracklist:

01 Take Your Turn 

02 The Metro 

03 No More Words 

04 Take My Breath Away 

05 Masquerade 

06 Now It's My Turn 

07 Sex (I'm A...) 

08 On My Knees 

09 Like Flames 

10 Will I Ever Understand You 

11 You Don't Know 

12 Hideaway

Django Django is 'Glowing' on next album

British band, Django Django, who I interviewed for its last album, has a new album called Glowing in the Dark due out Feb. 12 via Because Music.

Watch the video for the title track – “Glowing In The Dark” – here: https://youtu.be/JHlEkrsmxS4

NYC artist and illustrator Braulio Amado (Roisin Murphy) made the video at the height of lockdown, directing lead singer Vincent Neff remotely.

Neff explains:

"He gave me some loose directions of what he wanted me to do via email. Then me and my brother in law got a tripod, my phone and a speaker and went to a deserted industrial estate around the back of my house and shot a bunch of stuff then turned the footage over to Braulio. We love what he's done with it and how the energy and vibe of the visuals really lock with the track."

Says Amado on the video:

"I didn't want to be literal and do something *glowing in the dark*, so in my head the video is somewhat an abstract representation of the song title without being too obvious. I wanted it to feel organic, I wanted it to feel trippy, vibrant and colourful. This was done during the pandemic, with Vinny shooting himself on a greenscreen at home with his iphone, so I just wanted to take him out of the weird world and time we are all living through right now and transport him to a more fun place far away from here."

Elsewhere on the album, previous single “Spirals” has received remixes from MGMT and TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek. 

“Waking Up” is mainly acoustic with French legend Serge Gainsbourg’s daughter Charlotte on vocals. 

The album will be released on limited edition glow-in-the-dark vinyl, standard black vinyl, CD and digital download/streaming on all usual platforms. Pre-order the album

Track list:

Spirals
Right The Wrongs
Got Me Worried
Waking Up (feat. Charlotte Gainsburg
Free From Gravity
Headrush
The Ark
Night Of The Buffalo
The World Will Turn
Kick The Devil Out
Glowing In The Dark
Hold Fast
Asking For More

Out now: 'Inlet' by Hum

Hum has released its new album in 22 years, Inlet, via Earth Analog/Polyvinyl Records.

The alt-rock band from Illinois is best known for the top 20 modern rock radio hit "Stars" in 1995. Matt Talbott on vocals/guitar, Bryan St. Pere (drums), Tim Lash (guitar) and Jeff Dimpsey (bass) comprise the lineup.

For vinyl (180g double LP), CD, and shirt bundle availability, check Polyvinyl Record Co. Digital copies can be purchased/streamed at http://humband.bandcamp.com and all major digital platforms.

Track listing:

01. Waves
02. In the Den
03. Desert Rambler
04. Step Into You
05. The Summoning
06. Cloud City
07. Folding
08. Shapeshifter

Listen to Inlet via Bandcamp

Del Amitri set to return with first new material in close to a decade

Del Amitri gained fame in the 1990s via such pop/rock hits as ‘Nothing Ever Happens,’ ‘Always The Last To Know’ and ‘Roll To Me’ - propelling a career that netted five UK Top 10 albums and 6 million sales.

Now the band are set to return with the release of their seventh studio album, ‘Fatal Mistakes’, on April 30th via Cooking Vinyl.

Representing their first album since 2002, the band preview the album by sharing a new track, the state-of-the-nation lament ‘Close Your Eyes and Think of England.’

Frontman Justin Currie commented, “‘Fatal Mistakes’ were made over three weeks in March, in a stately home in deepest England — thirteen of them —resulting in the first Dels’ studio album since ‘Can You Do Me Good.’ A fine time was had by all. It’s a collection of bizarre tales of poisoning, pleading and bitter acceptance, powered by guitars, drums and keyboards played entirely by the quintet who had such enormous fun on the road in 2014 and ‘18. ‘Close Your Eyes and Think of England’, is our European valediction, a ballad of pure bile and remorse, sweetened by a sledgehammer of sarcasm.”

As they approached the second of those two sold-out UK tours, the band’s core duo - Currie and guitarist Iain Harvie - started writing new material. The pair realized that, without forcing it, they had created a bunch of songs that sounded “very Del Amitri.”

Completed by Andy Alston (keys/percussion), Kris Dollimore (guitar) and Ash Soan (drums), Del Amitri recorded those songs with producer Dan Austin (Biffy Clyro, You Me At Six). Their naturalistic approach involved plugging in amps rather than booting up laptops, primarily playing to their strengths by recording live as a five-piece band.

The result is the brilliant sound of a 35-years-young band doing what they do best: melodic rock songs with lyrical bite, soulful comfort and heart-swelling uplift. And just like when they released their breakthrough album ‘Waking Hours’, it feels that it’s a style that only Del Amitri are doing right now.

‘Fatal Mistakes’ will be released on CD, vinyl and digital formats and is now available to pre-order here. The Del Amitri official store offers a selection of exclusive formats including coloured vinyl, cassette and very limited test pressings. It also offers a bonus CD that features five unreleased tracks from the ‘Fatal Mistakes’ recording sessions.

Track list:

1. ‘You Can't Go Back’
2. ‘All Hail Blind Love’
3. ‘Musicians And Beer’
4. ‘Close Your Eyes and Think of England’
5. ‘Losing The Will To Die’
6. ‘Otherwise’
7. ‘It’s Feelings’
8. ‘I'm So Scared Of Dying’
9. ‘Mockingbird, Copy Me Now’
10. ‘Missing Person’
11. ‘Second Staircase’
12. ‘Lonely’
13. ‘Nation of Caners’

Official website

Bob Moses have a live album slated for this month

Electronic music band Bob Moses recently joined forces with Twitch for an exclusive livestreaming partnership which kicked off last month with a major hour-long concert filmed from an abandoned radio tower in Topanga, California.

Starting atop the skyscraping structure as night took over, Bob Moses slowly worked their way down the tower performing multiple sets in a variety of configurations, both as a band and in their original two-piece setup.

The duo of Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance now invite fans to relive the experience with a new live album to be released on November 20, Falling Into Focus – Live 2020, featuring the entire set from the concert. On that day, the full hour-long performance film directed by previous collaborator Owen Brown will also be available to watch online.

To support the announcement of Falling Into Focus – Live 2020, Bob Moses have released “Desire (Band Version – Live 2020),” a never-before-seen and heard version of the title track from their latest project that is exclusive to the live album.

Watch “Desire (Band Version – Live 2020)” here: https://smarturl.it/DesireLiveYT

Listen to “Desire (Band Version – Live 2020)” here:
https://smarturl.it/DesireLivestrm

Falling Into Focus follows Bob Moses’ Desire, a love tale for the digital age: all about the positives and pitfalls of humanity’s driving wants, especially in these technology-driven times. Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance present six continuously mixed tracks, bringing together a thematic style of songwriting with the flow of modern electronic music.

The interactive video for “Desire,” directed by Owen Brown (creative agency CTRL5) with animation by Airplan Studio, is out now, and has garnered over four million views since its release; “Desire (Solomun Remix)” is the latest offering from the project.

Watch the original interactive video for “Desire” here:

https://smarturl.it/BMDesireEkoVideo

Watch the non-interactive video for “Desire” here:
https://smarturl.it/BMDesireYT

Listen to Desire here:
http://smarturl.it/BobMosesDesire

Tune into Bob Moses exclusive livestreams via Twitch here: www.twitch.tv/BobMoses

Track listing:

1. Love We Found - Live 2020
2. The Blame - Live 2020
3. Desire - Live 2020
4. Hold Me Up - Live 2020
5. Outlier - Live 2020
6. Ordinary Day - Live 2020
7. Heaven Only Knows - Live 2020
8. Talk - Live 2020
9. Back Down - Live 2020
10. All I Want - Live 2020
11. Tearing Me Up - Live 2020
12. Enough To Believe - Live 2020
13. Desire (Band Version – Live 2020)

BOYO has second new album of the year on the horizon

BOYO—the artist moniker of LA-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Robert Tilden (they/them)—today announced their new album Alone Together In Los Angeles will be released on December 11th, 2020, via Park the Van Records.

About lead single “Feel”: 

“This song is a back and forth, insecurities flying,” explains Tilden. “Not wanting to feel when feelings are overtaking every inch of you.” Alone Together In Los Angeles is now available for pre-save.

On last June’s acclaimed Where Have All My Friends Gone?, BOYO examined their 2017 health scare. Tilden was eventually diagnosed with and treated for an acute form of frontal lobe epilepsy, but the intense fear and uncertainty of that year resulted in a period of self-isolation during which most of Where Have All My Friends Gone? was written and recorded.

That album was an exercise in catharsis. Alone Together in Los Angeles delves into Tilden’s brighter side. 

Track list:

1. Tough Love
2. OCD
3. Feel
4. Ghost Noise
5. Analyze This
6. Sunday
7. Father
8. Flashbacks
9. Memory Lane
10. Lost & Found
11. Fade Out
12. Paradise

Tori Amos gets into the holiday spirit

Tori Amos has a new festive EP Christmastide, a special collection of four original tracks to celebrate the holiday season with her fans. It will be released December 4th on Decca Records, digitally and on limited edition vinyl with Illustrations by graphic artist Rantz Hosely along with a special Christmas Card and message from Tori.

Christmastide sees the return of her longtime musical collaborators, drummer Matt Chamberlain and bassist Jon Evans.

Tori says, “With ‘Christmastide’ it was important to be positive and to try and lift people’s spirits. It’s a time of year that should be joyful with family and friends but also can sadly be a very lonely place for some. Many families will be unable to be together this year because of the Pandemic as well as many that are also dealing with the aftermath of a long and bitter US Election. I hope these songs contained in this beautiful package can be a small treat to help along the way.”

Like many other artists, Tori was forced to cancel events including her May book signing tour in support of her New York Times Bestseller RESISTANCE. She wants Christmastide to reflect the gratitude she feels towards her fans, who have shown their unconditional support and understanding. She says, “We will get through these tough times together with strength in unity and hope.”

TRACK LIST:

1. Christmastide
2. Circle of Seasons
3. Holly
4. Better Angels

Out now: The Ataris' 'Live In Chicago 2019'

Last year's Ataris tour is documented on Live In Chicago 2019, out now via Cleopatra/Kung Fu. It features the Indiana punk/pop band's gold-certified, multi-radio format hit cover of Don Henley's “The Boys Of Summer,” plus top 30 alt-rock hits “In This Diary” and “The Saddest Song.”

The CD and digital versions come with acoustic performances by front man Kris Roe. The vinyl version is available in a limited edition clear vinyl pressing.

Order the CD/LP: https://cleorecs.com/store/s=the+ataris+live+in+chicago&post_type=product

Stream/download: https://orcd.co/the_ataris_live_in_chicago_2019

Track List:

1. In This Diary

2. Unopened Letter to The World
3. The Hero Dies in This One
4. The Saddest Song
5. Boxcar
6. Summer '79
7. Car Song (Solo)
8. San Dimas (Solo)
9. Takeoffs and Landings
10. Boys of Summer
11. Radio #2
12. Eight of Nine
13. Your Boyfriend Sucks (Solo)
14. So Long, Astoria
15. All Songs At Once

Rick Wakeman’s “Return to the Centre of the Earth” gets expanded reissue

Veteran keyboardist Rick Wakeman’s “Return to the Centre of the Earth” Deluxe and Super Deluxe box sets are now available for pre-order.

“Return to the Centre of the Earth” is a studio album released on March 15, 1999 on EMI Classics. The album is a sequel to Wakeman’s 1974 concept album “Journey to the Centre of the Earth”, itself based on the same-titled science fiction novel by Jules Verne.

Wakeman (best known for his work with YES) wrote a new story of three unnamed travelers who attempt to follow the original journey two hundred years later, including the music which features guest performances from Ozzy Osbourne, Bonnie Tyler, Tony Mitchell, Trevor Rabin, Justin Hayward, and Katrina Leskanich. The story is narrated by Patrick Stewart. Upon release, the album reached number 34 on the UK Albums Chart.

Formats:

“Return to the Centre of the Earth” Deluxe:

Signed and Numbered Certificate
“Return to the Centre of the Earth” CD
“Return to the Centre of the Earth” - LIVE double CD from Canadian performance where the narration is in french.
CD of Radio Edits
DVD of;
surround sound mix and enhanced stereo by Simon Heyworth
Approximately 80 minutes unseen footage filmed in the studio, at the album launch as well as featuring Rick includes Bonnie Tyler and Justin Heywood
Reproduction Press Pack
Reproduction Press Photo
Reproduction ticket to the album launch
2 x A3 Posters

To pre-order: https://www.rickwakemansmusicemporium.com/products/return-to-the-centre-of-the-earth-deluxe-box-set

“Return to the Centre of the Earth” Super Deluxe:
Signed and Numbered Certificate
180 gram double vinyl album
“Return to the Centre of the Earth” CD
“Return to the Centre of the Earth” - LIVE double CD from Canadian performance where the narration is in french.
CD of Radio Edits
DVD of;
surround sound mix and enhanced stereo by Simon Heyworth
Approximately 80 minutes unseen footage filmed in the studio, at the album launch as well as featuring Rick includes Bonnie Tyler and Justin Heywood
Reproduction Press Pack
Reproduction Press Photo
Reproduction ticket to the album launch
2 x A3 Posters

To pre-order: https://www.rickwakemansmusicemporium.com/products/return-to-the-centre-of-the-earth-super-deluxe-box-set

Barry Gibb assembles all-star lineup for next album

A lifelong bluegrass and country music fan, former Bee Gees leader Barry Gibb has long dreamed of a project that would bring him together with some of the artists he admires the most.

Assisted by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, it became a reality with GREENFIELDS: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1—out January 8 on Capitol Records (pre-order/pre-save). Watch the album’s official trailer HERE.

The album features collaborations with Alison Krauss, Brandi Carlile, David Rawlings, Dolly Parton, Gillian Welch, Jason Isbell, Jay Buchanan, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, Olivia Newton-John, Sheryl Crow and Tommy Emmanuel.

In advance of the release, “Words of a Fool,” featuring Grammy Award-winning Jason Isbell, is out now (listen HERE).

Of the experience, Barry Gibb says, “From the first day we stepped into RCA Studios in Nashville (the very place where Elvis, Willie, Waylon, Roy, the Everly Brothers and so many other legends madetheir magic) the album took on a life of its own. I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to work with Dave and all the artists who stopped by. They were all incredibly generous with their time and talent. They inspired me more than words can express. I feel deep down that Maurice and Robin would have loved this album for different reasons. I wish we could have all been together to do it…but I think we were.”

Dave Cobb comments, “It was truly an honor to work with one of my heroes. The Bee Gees’ first album has always been a staple for me and it was surreal to get to witness the genius of Barry Gibb in the studio—he’s one of the greatest of all time!”

Jason Isbell adds, “Barry Gibb is one of the greatest songwriters and singers in popular music history, and I’m happy to say he still has that beautiful voice and that magical sense of melody. Working with him on this project has been one of the great honors of my career. He’s a prince.”

TRACK LIST:

1. “I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You” with Keith Urban
2. “Words of a Fool” with Jason Isbell
3. “Run to Me” with Brandi Carlile
4. “Too Much Heaven” with Alison Krauss
5. “Lonely Days” with Little Big Town
6. “Words” with Dolly Parton
7. “Jive Talkin’” with Miranda Lambert, Jay Buchanan
8. “How Deep Is Your Love” with Tommy Emanuel, Little Big Town
9. “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart” with Sheryl Crow
10. “To Love Somebody” with Jay Buchanan
11. “Rest Your Love On Me” with Olivia Newton-John
12. “Butterfly” with Gillian Welch, David Rawlings

Duncan Sheik's first live album due next month

Singer, songwriter, and composer Duncan Sheik announced his first live album Live at the Cafe Carlyle, out December 4th via Sneaky Records / Missing Piece Records. The album was previewed with the release of “Circling” and “Touch Me,” two live renditions of songs representative of different aspects of Sheik’s career.

The initial unveiled track is originally from his 2015 critically acclaimed album Legerdemain, while “Touch Me” is from Sheik’s Tony and Grammy winning musical Spring Awakening, and features guest vocals from Tony nominee Kathryn Gallagher.

“When Spring Awakening gets to the moment of ‘Touch Me,’ I start to feel like the show really coalesces into something with its own fulsome magic,” Sheik told Playbill. “Musically, I like the way you feel the various rhythmic subdivisions in the 6/8 time signature and the chord progressions illicit both yearning and hope.”

Listen to “Circling” HERE

Listen to “Touch Me” HERE

Duncan Sheik launched his career in 1996 with his self-titled debut album. The full-length featured Sheik’s breakthrough hit “Barely Breathing,” which racked up 55 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. In the years since, Sheik has released seven full-length albums including 2015’s Legerdemain.

Sheik’s work as a composer has also garnered numerous awards and acclaim. His 2007 Broadway musical Spring Awakening won eight Tony Awards and a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. Projects that followed include American Psycho, Alice By Heart, Secret Life of Bees, Because of Winn Dixie, and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.

Live At The Cafe Carlyle was recorded during a week of shows in early October 2017, and features songs that span Duncan Sheik’s wide ranging career. The live album’s setlist includes his hit debut single “Barely Breathing,” songs from Spring Awakening (“Touch Me” and “Mama Who Bore Me”), “This Is Not An Exit” from his musical adaptation of American Psycho, and previously unreleased covers of songs by Tom Petty, Radiohead, and more.

Track listing:

1. Introduction
2. Circling
3. Half A Room
4. Memento
5. Such Reveries
6. For You
7. Lay Down Your Weapons
8. Forbidden Colours
9. Stripped
10. Face In The Crowd
11. Mama Who Bore Me
12. Touch Me
13. Afternoon
14. Barely Breathing
15. Fake Plastic Trees
16. This Is Not An Exit
17. So There

Scottish pop group Deacon Blue have new music set for February

DEACON BLUE will release Riding on the Tide of Love, which features eight new songs, on February 5 via earMUSIC. The record is a lockdown-recorded companion to the veteran Scottish pop band's 2020 release City of Love. The new album will be available on CD, LP, limited edition DTC colored vinyl LP, and digital. The title track drops on November 27. 

Pre-order the album here.

"We never expected to be here, but here we are, with Riding on the Tide of Love," says the band's Ricky Ross. "When we released City of Love back in March, we celebrated it getting to No. 1 in Scotland and No. 4 in the UK, we were looking forward to a summer of festivals followed by a big tour at the end of the year. As we all know, that didn't happen and once the dust had settled, we realized we weren't going to be going out on the road any time soon. Riding on the Tide of Love is a continuation of City of Love, a companion piece that we recorded piece-by-piece, going into the studio one-by-one to record our individual parts. In its own way, it brought us all together. We hope it will bring you together, too. Three of the tracks that feature on this record, 'Look Up,' 'Send a Note Out,' and ‘She Loved the Snow,' were recorded during the City of Love sessions, and the other tracks were started around the same time but have been finished during lock down for this release."

City of Love album was the fourth full album released during a prolific eight-year period (and tenth overall) for Deacon Blue and gave the band their highest charting album in 23 years.

A limited colored vinyl edition + signed print will be available exclusively on the Deacon Blue Shop here.

TRACK LISTING:

"Riding on the Tide of Love"
"She Loved the Snow"
"Nothing's Changed"
"Look Up"
"Time"
"Send a Note Out"
"Not Gonna Be That Girl"
"It's Still Early"

Eighties reissue news: Frankie Goes to Hollywood classics heading to vinyl and CD soon

Here is some exciting news for 1980s pop and rock music fans like myself - especially ones who don't own the following three titles on physical formats.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood will be reissuing their catalog of releases on CD and vinyl in America on January 22, 2021 (it will be released everywhere else on Dec. 11, 2020).

Their legendary debut Welcome to the Pleasuredome was produced by Trevor Horn and originally released on October 29, 1984. A chart topping album, it included the hits “Relax”, “Two Tribes” and “The Power Of Love” - plus an audacious cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run."

Released in October 1986 and proving to be their second and final album, Liverpool was produced by Trevor Horn’s studio engineer, Stephen Lipson and yielded the UK hits “Rage Hard”, “Warriors of The Wasteland” and “Watching The Wildlife.” After a lengthy world tour that saw the album reach the Top 10 charts worldwide, Holly Johnson left the band, thus ending their short but indelible reign of the charts.

Bang! The Greatest Hits of Frankie Goes to Hollywood was released a few years after in 1993 and collects all their hits.

Gary Barlow enlists Michael Bublé, Barry Manilow for '‘Music Played By Humans'

Gary Barlow has shared ‘Incredible,’ the second track taken from his upcoming solo album ‘Music Played By Humans,’ out Nov. 27. Listen to ‘Incredible’ here and pre-order ‘Music Played By Humans’ here.

With an 80-piece orchestra, the song nods to the orchestral and big band music which captured Gary’s imagination and led to the album of original compositions.

Reflecting on the process of recording ‘Incredible’ and the album, Gary says, “Looking back, little did I realize how poignant this album would be in a time now that orchestras can’t sit in a room together. We finished our last session 2 weeks before lockdown and when I listen to the album now, it brings back some great memories. We have some of the best musicians in the world in London...and they’re on my recordings - I’m so lucky.”

Last month, Barlow, Michael Bublé and Sebastián Yatra unveiled a video for ‘Elita’ - a Latin-pop fusion track that sees the three collaborate for the first time.

Directed by Vaughan Arnell (Sam Smith, Paloma Faith, Pet Shop Boys, Spice Girls), the video was filmed remotely with Gary in London, Michael in Vancouver, and Sebastián in Miami.

Watch the official music video for ‘Elita’ HERE.

‘Music Played By Humans’ also features special guest collaborations from Barry Manilow, James Corden, Chilly Gonzales and others.

“My ambition when we started this album,” said Gary, “was to create something really bright, a celebration of music and the wonderful musicians we have in the UK and around the world. Some of it is recorded with an orchestra, some with quartets, a Latin band, and some of the tracks have jazz and big band sections - it really is music played by people, hence the title of the album - Music Played By Humans.”

Gary wanted to bring together a group of musicians and collaborators, some perhaps a surprise to his audience, in an album brimming with flavor, emotion and a big, beautiful sound.

“This is the first album I’ve made that’s really given me the opportunity to collaborate with this caliber of musicians on my songs, and they’re all so different in their own right. ‘Elita’ began as a duet with Michael until he suggested bringing Sebastián onto the record and that gave the song a whole new dynamic. ‘The Kind Of Friend I Need’ with Corden was just fun to record from the beginning - it's a warm, good-humored, funny song that really celebrates British humor - in a northern way!”

On ‘Eleven’, Gary teams ups with French-Lebanese Jazz Trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf; Avishai Cohen, the acclaimed jazz musician who Gary is a longtime fan of, features on ‘Before We Get Too Old’; and the GRAMMY Award-winning pianist and all-round entertainer, Chilly Gonzales appears on ‘Oh What A Day’.

British vocalist Beverley Knight guests on ‘Enough and Enough’ and on ‘What’s Leaving All About’ Alesha Dixon duets with Gary to muse the breakdown of a relationship. Long-time friend and legendary performer, Barry Manilow plays the piano on the aptly titled ‘You Make The Sun Shine’, an upbeat number.

“Looking back, little did I realize how poignant this album would be in a time now that orchestras can’t sit in a room together. We finished our last session 2 weeks before lockdown and when I listen to the album now, it brings back some great memories. We have some of the best musicians in the world in London...and they’re on my recordings - I’m so lucky.”

TRACK LIST:

1. Who’s Driving This Thing
2. Incredible
3. Elita (ft Michael Bublé & Sebastían Yatra)
4. The Big Bass Drum
5. This Is My Time
6. Enough Is Enough (ft Beverley Knight)
7. Bad Libran
8. Eleven (ft Ibrahim Maalouf)
9. Before We Get Too Old (ft Avishai Cohen)
10. Supernatural
11. Oh What A Day (ft Chilly Gonzales)
12. What Leaving’s All About (ft Alesha Dixon)
13. The Kind Of Friend I Need (ft James Corden)
14. I Didn’t See That Coming

DELUXE
15. Let’s Get Drunk
16. The Day The World Stopped Turning
17. You Make The Sun Shine (ft Barry Manilow)
18. Incredible (Live)
19. Incredible (F9 Charleston Remix)

Matthew Sweet unveils details for 'Catspaw,' slated for January '21

Here is some exciting news. I've interviewed Matthew Sweet several times over the years, most recently for 2017's Tomorrow Forever. Read tidbits about the upcoming album below...

Before the gold and platinum albums, before the MTV hits and critical renown, power-pop and alternative-rock veteran Matthew Sweet was just a 13-year-old bass player sitting alone in his Nebraska bedroom, daydreaming of a life spent making music.

“I was just starting to write songs and play a little guitar and I had this thought: I wonder if when I’m old and I’ve been around music a really long time, I might suddenly just be able to play lead guitar without ever properly learning how. Maybe if you just play a really long time, it just kind of comes together? And the funny thing is, it did. I’m able to.”

On Catspaw, his 15th studio album, due out January 15, 2021 on Omnivore Recordings, Matthew Sweet cranks his vintage amplifiers and steps into a role previously played by some of his generation’s most unique and incendiary lead guitarists from Richard Lloyd (Television) to Robert Quine (Lou Reed) and Ivan Julian (Richard Hell & the Voidoids). Though Catspaw is absent of his famous collaborators, their presence is felt in the mark they left on Sweet’s guitar work.

“I play free form,” he says. “Nothing is too labored over and that was important. It’s spontaneous. The more you can do that, the more organic it is.” He refined his style over decades of collaborating with great guitarists. “Richard’s [Lloyd] playing influenced me a lot — the ambition he has, that feeling when he just lets loose. I not only related to the approach, I related to it musically. I was also developing my ear over time. Now I can hear where I want a lead line to go.”

In true Sweet fashion, Catspaw’s mischievous title was born from equal parts grappling with his own mortality and some television obscura from his childhood. “I learned the term from a 1967 Star Trek episode I adored as a kid. (The storyline features a gigantic feline villain.) “Recently I heard “catspaw” again and started looking up definitions. I really connected to the idea of the certain and deadly inevitable — the pounce. Don’t ever forget life is totally cruel and the catspaw is already coming down on you.”

But despair is not the conclusion of Catspaw; one song, “Challenge the Gods,” urges quite the opposite. “That song is about defiance. I’m saying, ‘to hell with fate and gods and things like that.’ Like Dylan Thomas said, ‘Rage against the dying of the light.’”

Catspaw was finished just before COVID-19 struck.

“It really feels like the fruit of the pandemic,” says the artist. This is at least partially due to how it was written and recorded: aside from drumming by longtime collaborator Ric Menck (Velvet Crush), this is Matthew Sweet’s first entirely solo effort. Sweet handles all of it: recording, mixing, Höfner bass, electric guitars, and background vocals. Catspaw was recorded in his home studio Black Squirrel Submarine (named in part for the dark wooden interior). 

“For me, being an artist is ultimately a solitary thing,” he says. “I’ve taken comfort in that as I’ve grown older. Success and people come and go in life, but I know I will always be making music and that it continues to be fun and intriguing — that mystery of discovering what a song is going to become.”

Catspaw is the latest product of a productive period that began when Matthew and his wife returned to his native Nebraska in 2013 after two decades of living and working in the Hollywood Hills.

As for his label Omnivore Recordings, he says “they loved the wholeness of it (and) understood it and for that reason I was really excited to give it to them.”

Matthew Sweet’s journey began with a move to Athens, Ga. in the early 1980s at the urging of his pen pal, R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. As a student at University of Georgia, he was immersed in the college town’s burgeoning alternative rock scene, playing in pioneering acts like Oh-OK and the Buzz of Delight.

At 20, he left Georgia for New York City and a major deal with Columbia, where he released his debut solo album, Inside, in 1986. Earth, his 1989 follow-up on A&M, showcased a songwriter with extraordinary pop sensibility on the cusp of something greater. A year later, amid the smoldering ashes of heartbreak and divorce and an escape from New York to the outskirts of Princeton, New Jersey, Sweet composed the songs that became 1991’s Girlfriend, lighting the fuse for the creative triumph and commercial breakthrough that his longtime supporters in the industry knew to be inevitable. “When you’re young, you feel it differently. It’s life or death. I remember it so clearly.” Singles “Girlfriend” and “I’ve Been Waiting,” paired with their Japanese anime-laced music videos (a novelty to the American market at the time), won Sweet a lifelong international following. Altered Beast (1993) continued the hot streak with singles “Ugly Truth” and “Time Capsule,” while 1995’s 100% Fun single “Sick of Myself” reached #2 on rock radio, breaking him even wider. 

Sweet continued to evolve over a string of well-received albums in the early 2000s. In 2006, he joined forces with Bangles frontwoman Susanna Hoffs to record a series of covers from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, Under the Covers, Vol. 1–3. Sweet’s music has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and games, including Austin Powers, Guitar Hero II, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Simpsons, and Scooby-Doo, among many others. Sweet was a lead consultant on Tim Burton’s Margaret Keane biopic Big Eyes in 2014. 

And he’s still checking accomplishments off the list — Catspaw is the latest. “I realized after I’d finished the record that I had made it just after turning 55 and that was coincidentally the exact age I fantasized I would be all those years ago when I was hoping someday I’d be able to play lead guitar on my own album.”

Track Listing:

1. Blown Away
2. Give A Little
3. Challenge The Gods
4. Come Home
5. Drifting
6. Best Of Me
7. Stars Explode
8. Hold On Tight
9. At a Loss
10. No Surprise
11. Coming Soon
12. Parade Of Lights

Matthew Sweet Selected Discography:

Inside (1986)
Earth (1989)
Girlfriend (1991)
Altered Beast (1993)
100% Fun (1995)
Blue Sky on Mars (1997)
In Reverse(1999)
Time Capsule: Best of 90/00 (2000)
The Complete Recordings (by Oh-OK) (2002)
To Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew Sweet (2002)
Kimi Ga Suki* Raifu (2003)
The Thorns (by The Thorns: Matthew Sweet, Pete Droge and Shawn Mullins) (2003)
Living Things (2004)
Sunshine Lies (2008)
Modern Art (2011)
Tomorrow Forever (2017)
Tomorrow's Daughter (2018)
Wicked System of Things (2018)

With Susanna Hoffs:
Under the Covers, Vol. 1 (2006)
Under the Covers, Vol. 2 (2009)
Under the Covers, Vol. 3 (2013)