BEACH BOYS ‘SMILE SESSIONS’ AND OTHER NEW CD RECOMMENDATIONS!

BUY THE CD HERE
BUY THE DELUXE EDITION HERE

Goodbye surfing, hello God! The title of Jules Siegel’s 1967 magazine feature on Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys sums up how well the group was outliving the early-’60s beach fad — and revolutionizing pop music in the process. During 1966, the twin shots of Pet Sounds in May and “Good Vibrations” in October announced first that the group had entered the vanguard of pop music and then, not content with mere critical praise, seized control of the singles charts with a chart-topper as catchy as it was complex and costly to record. Early on, though, “Good Vibrations” had actually been slated to appear on Pet Sounds, which reveals the long odds on whether Wilson could ever finish an entire album of his pocket symphonies (at least, in the time frame of a label circa 1966).

Nevertheless, beginning in August of 1966, he began planning a new album project, first called Dumb Angel and later SMiLE. Working from the ideas in his head, he and his studio musicians and band mates recorded continually during late 1966 and early 1967, putting down hours of tape during dozens of sessions. He labored over every note and, more than that, every tone, often asking his musicians or the Beach Boys themselves to revise when the results didn’t match his conception of the music going on inside his head. Such care and control produced music that was far beyond Pet Sounds, and when the impressionistic themes and lyrics of collaborator Van Dyke Parks were added, SMiLE began shaping up as the most unique LP ever produced by a pop group. That much is perfectly clear after listening to Capitol’s release of The SMiLE Sessions, the first official SMiLE release ever. (As most music fans know, the album was never completed, although elements of the whole have trickled out ever since.) Each version of the SMiLE Sessions set begins with a re-creation of what a mono release of SMiLE could have sounded like, with a track listing patterned after Wilson’s 2004 recording, Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE. Each version also includes some SMiLE sessions in stereo, in order to hear Wilson’s working method in the studio. Peeling away the layers from these tracks, several instruments at a time, reveals more of the music’s magnificence, how each element combined in ingenious ways to become the songs that have entranced Beach Boys fans over the years. The sessions and studio chatter also reveal how much of the SMiLE sessions were a family affair; far from the previous conception of Wilson holed away in the studio with a coterie of handpicked musicians, virtually all of the Beach Boys make themselves heard with suggestions and contributions both vocal and instrumental (and beside the infamous credits of Paul McCartney, even Brian’s wife Marilyn, a singer in her own right, is heard on backing vocals).All Music

OTHER NEW CD RECOMMENDATIONS:

Susan Boyle Someone To Watch Over Me
Miranda Lambert Four The Record
Lou Reed & Metallica Lulu
Decemberists Long Live The King
Megadeth Th1rt3en
Justin Bieber Under The Mistletoe
Girl In A Coma Exits & All The Rest
Vallenfyre Fragile King
U2 Achtung Baby
Brite Futures Dark Past
Carole King Holiday Carole

NEW RELEASE OF THE WEEK: FLORENCE & THE MACHINE ‘CEREMONIALS’

BUY THE CD HERE
BUY THE DELUXE EDITION HERE

While there’s no denying that the voice of Florence Welch is a bit like Marmite, the last two years have shown that she has many more lovers than haters, and deservedly so. Her unique sound and original lyrics paint stunning images of a spiritual world, where the joy of being alive is palpable.

The follow-up to debut album ‘Lungs’ is a confident, cohesive effort. The steady hand of Paul Epworth on production has helped Florence & The Machine to take the winning formula of her distinctive vocals and melodies, the twinkling harps and thundering drums, and augment it with string arrangements, subtle electro touches, and gospel choirs.

Ceremonials’ boasts no less than six massive anthems – the power balladry of first single ‘Shake It Out’, the beautifully wistful pop song ‘Never Let Me Go’, the uplifting and typically Florence-sounding ‘No Light No Light’ and ‘Spectrum’, the primitive tribal rhythms of ‘Heartlines’ and the dramatic gospel closer ‘Leave My Body’. That’s not to say that the remaining songs are disappointing; far from it. They’re still beautifully crafted, but take the energy down a few notches.Clash

BUY STUFF, GET FREE STUFF: PATRICK STUMP, MEGADETH, MIRANDA LAMBERT!

At The Record Exchange, you give a little, you get a little, and we have tons of free stuff to give away when you slap your dirty money down on the barrelhead.

NEW FREEBIES THIS WEEK:

• 7-inch (“This City”/”Saturday Night Again”) with purchase of Patrick Stump‘s Soul Punk.
• Metal Club trading card with purchase of Megadeth‘s Thirteen.
• Luggage tag with purchase of Miranda Lambert‘s Four the Record.

OTHER RECENT FREEBIES:

• Limited-edition color photo/interview booklet with purchase of Pearl Jam‘s Twenty DVD.
• Stencil set with purchase of Deer Tick‘s Divine Providence.
• Signed and numbered (limited to 300) lithograph with purchase of The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams.
• Autographed lithograph with purchase of Mason JenningsMinnesota.
• Stainless-steel water bottle with any Comedy Central Records purchase (more info HERE).
• Limited-edition lithograph with purchase of Evanescence‘s self-titled third album (available Tuesday, Oct. 11).
• Four-song Llama Blues CD EP with purchase of Rich Robinson‘s Through a Crooked Sun (available Tuesday, Oct. 11).
• Lyric book with purchase of Ryan Adams’ Ashes & Fire (available Tuesday, Oct. 11).
• Lithograph with purchase of Peter Gabriel‘s New Blood (available Tuesday, Oct. 11).
• Lithograph with purchase of Five Finger Death Punch‘s American Capitalist (available Tuesday, Oct. 11).
• 7-inch with purchase of Dum Dum GirlsOnly in Dreams.
• Paint-by-numbers lithograph with purchase of Feist‘s Metals.
• Large (24″x36″) poster with purchase of Mastodon‘s The Hunter.
• Four-pack of postcards with purchase of Nirvana‘s Nevermind 20th Anniversary Edition.
• Lithograph with purchase of Kasabian‘s Velociraptor.
• Limited-edition color lithograph with purchase of Grateful Dead‘s Europe ’72 Volume 2.
• Magic playing cards with purchase of Nick Lowe‘s The Old Magic. READ MORE HERE.
• Exclusive DVD with purchase of Ladytron‘s Gravity the Seducer.
• Covers EP (Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Talking Heads and The Rolling Stones) with purchase of Umphrey’s McGee‘s Death By Stereo.
• Lenticular asterisk logo pin with purchase of Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ new album I’m With You and any RHCP Warner Bros. catalog title!
• T-shirt with purchase of a Volbeat Knitting Factory ticket (show is Sunday, Aug. 28). Tee is only available at the RX!
• Two-track 7-inch (featuring two live acoustic tracks) with purchase of Zee Avi‘s Ghostbird.
• T-shirt with purchase of All Shall Perish‘s This is Where it Ends.
• Lithograph with purchase of We Are AugustinesRise Ye Sunken Ships.
• Color lithograph with purchase of Drive-By TruckersUgly Buildings, Whores and Politicians: Greatest Hits 1998-2009.
• Leather keychain with purchase of the Wood BrothersSmoke Ring Halo.
• 5-song ‘Roarities’ EP with purchase of The Joy Formidable‘s The Big Roar.
• 7-inch (non-album tracks) with purchase of Release the Sunbird‘s (Rogue Wave) Come Back to Us.
• T-shirt with purchase of All Shall Perish‘s This is Where It Ends.
• 7-inch (featuring two non-album tracks) with purchase of Washed Out‘s Within and Without.
• Lithograph with purchase of Incubus If Not Now, When?
• Button pack with purchase of Rave On Buddy Holly compilation.
• Button pack with purchase of Taking Back Sunday‘s self-titled album.
• Seven-track EP (six exclusive demos, one unreleased b-side) with purchase of Gomez‘s Whatever’s on Your Mind.
• Limited-edition letterpress print with purchase of Arctic MonkeysSuck It and See.
• Indie-store-only 12-inch EP (exclusive tracks) with purchase of 3CD Deluxe Edition of Depeche Mode‘s Remixes 2: ’81-’11.
• Three-track Suitcase EP (exclusive tracks) with purchase of DawesNothing is Wrong.
• Signed CD booklet and two-sided glossy poster with purchase of Peter Murphy‘s Ninth.
• Limited-edition color lithograph with purchase of Tedeschi Trucks Band‘s Revelator.
• Limited-edition postcard pack (featuring artwork by Tessa Farmer) with purchase of Amon Tobin‘s ISAM.
Color lithograph with purchase of Ben Harper‘s Give Till It’s Gone.
Fan with purchase of Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi‘s Rome.
T-shirt with purchase of Peter Bjorn and John’s Gimme Some. Have a look!
Silkscreen poster (pictured) with purchase of Fleet FoxesHelplessness Blues.
Tour photo scrapbook with purchase of The Head and the Heart‘s self-titled album.
• Five-song EP with purchase of Low‘s C’mon
• Color lithograph with purchase of Panda Bear‘s Tomboy.
• Color movie poster with purchase of TV on the Radio’s Nine Types of Light
• Color lithograph with purchase of Paul Simon’s So Beautiful or So What
• 19×19 inch lithograph with purchase of Radiohead’s “The King Of Limbs” album (available 3/29).
• Lithograph with purchase of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart‘s Belong (available 3/29).
• Download card for a cover of System Of A Down’s “Aerials” with purchase of Amon Amarth’s “Surtur Rising” album (available 3/29).
• 7-inch with purchase of Elton John and Leon Russell’s Grammy-nominated album The Union.
• 7′ with picture sleeve featuring two non-CD tracks when you buy G. Love’s Fixin’ to Die
• Hand-written lyric book with purchase of Adele’s 21
• Limited edition 7″ with vinyl. Free with purchase of PJ Harvey‘s new album, “Let England Shake”. Limited edition 7″ with vinyl includes the songs “The Words That Maketh Murder” and “The Guns Called Me Back Again”! (If you purchased the album Monday or Tuesday and did not receive this just bring your receipt in and we will provide you with one.)
• Six track EP (Sometimes Late at Night) with purchase of the Drive By TruckersGo Go Boots (available Tuesday).
•Limited edition color lithograph with purchase of The JayhawksHollywood Town Hall or Tomorrow the Green Grass. Available on CD and Vinyl.
•Button pack with purchase of Bob Marleys Live Forever.
• Button pack with purchase of Iron and Wine‘s Kiss Each Other Clean.
• Color lithograph with purchase of Deerhoof‘s Deerhoof vs. Evil.
• Color lithograph with purchase of the Get Up Kids’ There are Rules.
• Color poster with purchase of Cloud Nothings‘ self-titled album.
• Limited-edition color lithograph with purchase of The DecemberistsThe King is Dead.
• Extremely limited sticker/button set with purchase of Social Distortion‘s Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes.
• Career-retrospective sticker set (all album covers and other images) with purchase of any Weezer album!
• Limited-edition color lithograph with purchase of Cage the Elephant‘s Thank You Happy Birthday.
• Hand-numbered, extremely limited-edition color lithograph with purchase of Tapes ‘n TapesOutside.
• CD single featuring a collaboration with The Cure’s Robert Smith with purchase of Crystal CastlesCrystal Castles.
• Fall 2010 Anti- Records sampler CD with purchase of select Anti- titles (on sale for $9.99 each).
Nobunny/Jacuzzi Boys Scion A/V 7-inch absolutely free — just come in and ask for one. No strings attached!
Band of Horses “Dilly” movie poster with purchase of Infinite Arms.
• CTI 40th Anniversary sampler CD with purchase of one of four 180-gram vinyl CTI Black Friday reissues (DeodatoPrelude, George BensonWhite Rabbit, Freddie HubbardRed Clay, Stanley TurrentineSugar).
• Psychiatric ward ID bracelet with purchase of Disturbed‘s Asylum.
• Black and white 8×10 lithograph with purchase of Bruce Springsteen‘s The Promise — indie store exclusive!
• Large, two-sided color poster with purchase of Underoath‘s O (Disambiguation).
• 7-inch with purchase of Matt and Kim‘s Sidewalks.
• Remix EP with purchase of N.E.R.D.‘s Nothing.
• Color lithograph with purchase of Good Charlotte‘s Cardiology.
• Button pack with purchase of Four Year Strong‘s Enemy of the World.
• T-shirt with purchase of Rise Against‘s Another Station: Another Mile DVD.
• 7-inch (two non-album tracks) with purchase of Belle and Sebastian‘s Write About Love.
• Turntable mat or lithograph with purchase of Slayer‘s The Vinyl Conflict box set or any Slayer catalog title!
• T-shirt with purchase of David Bowie‘s Station to Station Deluxe Edition.
• Postcard set with purchase of Soundgarden‘s Telephantasm.
• 7-inch with purchase of Jimmy Eat World‘s Invented.
• Poster and button pack with purchase of The PosiesBlood/Candy.
• 7-inch with purchase of Salem‘s King Night.
• Plastic beer cup and paper koozie with purchase of Billy Currington‘s Enjoy Yourself.
• Puffy sticker set and red balloon with purchase of Maximum Balloon‘s self-titled debut.
• 7-inch (two live tracks) with purchase of Matt Costa‘s Mobile Chateau.
• 7-inch with purchase of Les Savy Fav‘s Root for Ruin.
• Yep Roc/Bella Union CD sampler with purchase of Jukebox the Ghost‘s Everything Under the Sun or The Acorn’s No Ghost.
• Lithograph with purchase of Serj Tankian‘s Imperfect Harmonies.
• Numbered, appropriately psychedelic lithograph with purchase of The Black AngelsPhosphene Dream.
• Jean jacket-ready button with purchase of Of Montreal‘s False Priest.
• Extremely limited cloth wall banner with purchase of Justin Townes Earle‘s Harlem River Blues.
• Two-track 7-inch with purchase of The Walkmen‘s Lisbon.
• Lanyard redeemable for a free mix CD with purchase of Cloud Cult‘s Light Chasers.
• Lithograph with purchase of The Drums‘ self-titled album.
• Autographed poster or CD booklet with purchase of The Gracious Few‘s self-titled album.
• Rare single — one side vinyl, one side CD/DVD (no kidding) — of “Impossible,” featuring an unreleased track and video, with purchase of Anberlin‘s Dark Is the Way. Light Is a Place.
• 45 adapter with purchase of limited-edition 45-rpm vinyl version of Interpol‘s new self-titled album.
• 4-song 12-inch vinyl EP (including Four Tet and Born Ruffians remixes) with purchase of The Acorn‘s No Ghost.
• Button pack with purchase of Jenny & Johnny‘s I’m Having Fun Now.
Arts & Crafts sampler CD with purchase of any Arts & Crafts title.
• Calendar with purchase of Hey Monday‘s Beneath It All.
• Hand fan with purchase of Katy Perry‘s Teenage Dream (extremely limited).
• Lithograph with purchase of Disturbed‘s Asylum.
• Free split 7-inch featuring Cheap Time and Bad Sports, courtesy of Vice Records and Scion AV — no purchase necessary, just come in and ask for it!
• 7-inch with purchase of Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah DogsGod Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise.
• Lithograph with purchase of Brian Wilson‘s Reimagines Gershwin.
• Limited-edition 7-inch (with non-album tracks) with purchase of The Budos BandsIII.
• Out-of-print Casual Nostalgia Fest Sub Pop 20th anniversary live compilation with purchase of any August Sub Pop Sale title.
• Sassy large-sized lithograph with purchase of Queens of the Stone Age‘s Rated R Deluxe Edition.
• Sticker with purchase of Los LobosTin Can Trust.
Range mixtape (hosted by DJ Drama) with purchase of any hip-hop title.
• Lithograph with purchase of Sky Sailing‘s (Owl City) An Airplane Carried Me to Bed.
• Mixtape with purchase of Capone-N-Noreaga‘s The War Report 2.
• Magnet with purchase of Wolf Parade‘s Expo 86.
• Full-sized movie poster with purchase of Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse‘s Dark Night of the Soul.
• Free pink vinyl 7-inch featuring two versions of “XXXO” (the album cut plus a Blaqstarr remix) with purchase of M.I.A.‘s Maya (only $9.99!)
• Hand-numbered lithograph with purchase of Paul Thorn‘s Pimps and Preachers.
• Autographed CD booklet with purchase of Jackie Greene‘s Till the Light Comes.
• 7-inches with purchase of Sleigh BellsTreats or Tokyo Police Club‘s Champ.
• Autographed lithograph with purchase of Local NativesGorilla Manor — seriously limited quantities!
• Lithograph with purchase of Derek Trucks Band‘s Roadsongs.
• Indie-exclusive numbered lithograph with purchase of Ozzy Osbourne‘s Scream.
• Sticker with purchase of The Chemical BrothersFurther.
• Lithograph with purchase of Nas and Damian Jr. Gong Marley‘s Distant Relatives.
• Indie-exclusive lithograph with purchase of the Iron Man 2 soundtrack.
• Postcard set with purchase of The Gaslight Anthem‘s American Slang.
• Poster with purchase of The Cure’s Disintegration Deluxe Edition.
• Limited-edition concert poster with purchase of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals‘ new self-titled album.
• Etched blue vinyl 7-inch with purchase of Jack Johnson‘s To the Sea.
• White vinyl 7-inch with purchase of The FutureheadsThe Chaos.
• Lithograph with purchase of Marina and the DiamondsThe Family Jewels.
• 3D lenticular poster (5×5 for CD buyers, 12×12 for vinyl buyers) with purchase of Widespread Panic‘s Dirty Side Down.
• Limited-edition lithograph with purchase of LCD Soundsystem‘s This is Happening.
• Button set or laminate card with purchase of The Dead Weather‘s Sea of Cowards.
• Two-sided color poster with purchase of Everest‘s On Approach.
Record Exchange exclusive autographed Josh Ritter CD booklet with purchase of So Runs the World Away.
Togetherness 7-inch, featuring three covers of songs by the Detroit band Outrageous Cherry, with purchase of The New PornographersTogether.
• Limited-edition autographed poster with purchase of Minus the Bear‘s Omni.
• Limited-edition autograph poster with purchase of Plants and AnimalsLa La Land.
La Blogotheque: A Take Away Show Barcelona, Spain limited-edition DVD with purchase of Josh Rouse‘s El Turista.
• Whoopee cushion — that’s right, a whoopee cushion — with purchase of comedian Brian Posehn‘s Fart and Wiener Jokes. Whoopee!
• 12-inch, six-track EP with purchase of The Apples in Stereo‘s Travellers in Space and Time.
• 7-inch with purchase of Freelance WhalesWeathervanes.
• Numbered lithograph with the purchase of MGMT‘s Congratulations.
• Numbered lithograph with purchase of Coheed and Cambria‘s Year of the Black Rainbow.
• Lithograph with purchase of Rogue Wave‘s Permalight.
• Lithograph with purchase of LiarsSisterworld.
MVD Visual DVD sampler with purchase of any new music DVD or Blu-ray disc.
• Poster with purchase of John Butler Trio‘s April Uprising.
• 7-inch with purchase of Sharon Jones and the Dap-KingsI Learned the Hard Way.
Gorillaz postcard set with purchase of Plastic Beach.
• Lithograph with purchase of FlobotsSurvival Story.
• Lithograph of original Jimi Hendrix artwork with purchase of Valleys of Neptune.
• Lithograph and sticker with purchase of Johnny Cash‘s American VI.
• Mixtape CD (choose from two) with purchase of RDJ2‘s The Colossus.
• 7-inch with purchase of Hot Chip‘s new album One Life Stand.
• Digital download card for a free bonus EP (“Mistake” remixes) with purchase of Moby‘s Wait For Me.
• Many more — just ask an RX clerk!

NEW DVD/BLU-RAY: PEARL JAM ‘TWENTY’

BUY THE DVD HERE

In honor of Pearl Jam‘s twentieth anniversary, Academy Award®-winning director and music journalist Cameron Crowe created a definitive portrait of the seminal band carved from over 1,200 hours of rarely and never-before-seen footage, plus 24 hours of recently shot concert and interview footage. Pearl Jam Twenty chronicles the years leading up to the band s formation, the chaos that ensued soon after their rise to megastardom, their step back from center stage, and the creation of a trusted circle that would surround them giving way to a work culture that would sustain them. Told in big themes and bold colors with blistering sound, the film is carved from over 1,200 hours of rarely seen and never before seen footage spanning the bands career. Pearl Jam Twenty is the definitive portrait of Pearl Jam: part concert film, part intimate insider-hang, part testimonial to the power of music and uncompromising artists.
DVD includes the feature-length documentary plus 26 minutes of never-before-seen bonus features.
OTHER NEW DVD/BLU-RAY RELEASES:
Medeski Martin & Wood Fly In A Bottle
Ray Charles Live In France
Deep Purple Live & Rare

THE VINYL WORD: DEER TICK ‘DIVINE PROVIDENCE’ AND MANY MORE!

PREVIEW THE ALBUM HERE

John McCauley’s career in music has been fixed on a path of steady evolution ever since the release of Deer Tick’s studio debut War Elephant in 2007. With each subsequent record, his band has risen to the self-imposed challenge to outdo themselves—to do something they haven’t done before. Following last year’s brooding Black Dirt Sessions comes Divine Providence, a double-shot, rough-and-tumble rock ‘n’ roll record that only McCauley and company could craft.

The frontman has stated that with Divine Providence, the band set out to capture their live sound on record. If you’ve ever been to a Deer Tick show, you know exactly what that sounds like, and if you haven’t, you could probably guess. Loud, raw, gritty? Check. Sometimes silly, often earnest lyrics ripping from whiskey-soaked vocal chords? Got that, too. Everything one would come to expect from the band that lovingly performed an entire set in tribute to their grunge heroes under the moniker “Deervana” is represented on the record.Paste Magazine

OTHER NEW VINYL RELEASES:

Tom Waits Bad As Me
Dntel Life Is Full Of Possibilities
Blink-182 Neighborhoods
Devil Makes Three Stomp & Smash
Bjork Biophilia
Magnetic Fields Holiday
Dntel Anywhere Anyone (Remix)
Russian Circles Empros
Smiths Complete
Puscifer Conditions Of My Parole