Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs.
ARTIST : Various Artists
RELEASE: Please, Please, Please: A Tribute to The Smiths
BACKSTORY: American Laundromat Records enlisted a herd of indie-rock luminaries — including The Wedding Present, Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch, Tanya Donelly, Telekinesis and Stars — to contribute covers of more than 20 classic songs by The Smiths for a new tribute album out this week (see full tracklist here).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, digital)
ARTIST : The Lucy Show
RELEASE: Remembrances
BACKSTORY: A long-planned rarities compilation from the overlooked post-punk outfit is released this week by Words On Music, collecting 17 tracks that never have been released on CD, including the band’s 1983 debut single, alternates takes and five demos of tracks that appeared on 1985′s …undone. (see tracklist here).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, digital
ARTIST : X
RELEASE: “The Unheard Music”
BACKSTORY: The Southern California roots-punk legends this week re-release their 1986 concert film“The Unheard Music” — which they’ve been screening at shows recently prior to playing their Los Angeles album in full — on both DVD and, for the first time, Blu-ray in special “Silver Anniversary” editions stocked with extras.
BUY: Amazon.com (DVD), CD Universe (Blu-ray)
ARTIST : Gary Numan
RELEASE: 80-81 Box Set
BACKSTORY: Reissue imprint Vinyl 180 this week releases a 5LP box set that completes the synth pioneer’s “Machine Series” started in 1978, and includes Telekon spread over two 180-gram records and the Living Ornaments ‘81 live album as a 3LP set. The five discs are packed in a matte black box.
BUY: Amazon.com (Box set)
ARTIST : The Lemonheads
RELEASE: Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners: The Best Of
BACKSTORY: Evan Dando and Co. this week are treated, in the U.K., to a new two-disc, 47-track, career-spanning best-of set that includes such tracks as “It’s a Shame About Ray,” “Luka,” “If I Could Talk I’d Tell You,” “My Drug Buddy,” “Just Can’t Take It Anymore” and “Mrs. Robinson.”
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (CD)
