Rubel - Pearl - VINYL LP

Double vinyl LP pressing. 2010 album from the multi-platinum Alt Rockers. For months, they had been destroying and rebuilding the band. The experiments that resulted filled the studio hard drive with diverse, abstract sounds. Amorphous echoes, cacophonous samples, and handmade staccato merged into wandering, elusive melody. Sitting together in the same studio where they made their first album, all six members voiced a commitment to going out on a limb, to making something truly daring. A Thousand Suns grapples with the personal cycle of pride, destruction, and regret. In life, like in dreams, this sequence is not always linear. And, sometimes, true remorse penetrates the devastating cycle. The hope, of course, springs from the notion that the possibility of change is born in our most harrowing moments.

Brazilian artist Rubel isn't one to be pigeonholed and typecast into staying in one sound. Casas, the follow-up to his debut album Pearl from 2015, brought a bigger, more epic, and richer production quality to the table. Fusing the worlds of MPB and hip hop, Rubel's sophomore LP built on the momentum of it's predecessor, gaining a Latin-Grammy nomination along the way. Mr Bongo is proud to be giving Casas it's first worldwide on vinyl and CD outside of Brazil and Japan.The cliché they say is that the second album is always the trickiest; however, Rubel doesn't seem to have had any problems on Casas. It's a fountain of creativity and originality, marking an artist in full flow. Conceived after Rubel spent six months living in Los Angeles, Casas is MPB-leaning at it's core but is also driven by a hip hop inspired pulse. There is a clear influence from hip hop's aesthetic across the 2010s woven subtly but fundamentally throughout. Nods to Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, The Creator can be heard across an album full of playful edge and personality. Luscious string-led arrangements and tracks that explore the rich folkloric rhythms of Brazil, sit next to songs with low-fi drum machines and features from acclaimed Brazilian rappers. One of the highlights of the album, 'Mantra', starts with a traditional Brazilian rhythm that morphs into a hazy hip hop beat. A sublime song with a hooky call and response chorus, it features a guest appearance and verse by the Brazilian MC Emicida. Another highlight is the epic 'Colégio' (College) which further showcases the melding of stripped back drum machine beats with cinematic, sweeping arrangements. Elsewhere, 'Partilhar' is a swaying, heartwarming hug. A tale of longing and love that has become a singalong fan favourite at Rubel's concerts.Casas also shines a light on a string of key players in Brazil's new vanguard, such as P

GRAMMY Award winning singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster returns to Sun Records with Just Say Yes, produced by Tyler Bryant. Featuring tracks written by Ruthie with Bryant (The Shakedown) and Rebecca Lovell (Larkin Poe), Just Say Yes captures Ruthie's open embrace for all of life's offerings quiet moments, bold connections, and inevitable challenges, all told through her perspective as a queer Black woman in her signature style blending rock, soul, blues, and the sound of her Texas roots. 180g Bronze Swirl Vinyl in Single Jacket with Printed Inner Sleeve