One of the more intriguing Record Store Day releases this year comes from Sonic Youth who worked with John Oswald for this unique offering. Back in the early 90's Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead approached Oswald about a project using his "plunderphonics" style, the result was Greyfolded, By piecing together various live versions of the Grateful Dead classic "Dark Star" Oswald managed to create something new and exciting (RtBE has been a fan of this since it's release). Now he shifts his talents to SY doing the same thing for their most experimental jam, "The Diamond Sea".
The newest offering from Tipitina's Record Club is a reissue of Shannon Powell's debut solo album, Powell's Place. The gorgeous peach vinyl brings the hard to find release to a larger audience as the drummer unites a cross section of Crescent City players for a jazzy/funky affair.
The newest release from Tipitinas Record Club is also their most recent recording as Dumpstaphunk'sLive at Tipitina's 2025 was captured at the venue's final late night show from last year's Jazz Fest. The gorgeous yellow and black splattered vinyl finds the funk band playing to their strengths with a surprise guest as they wrapped up another great Festival weekend in New Orleans.
One of 2025's releases from Tipitina's Record Club was the reissue of Hal-Mel'sAlone Together, a partnership between Harold Battiste and Melvin Lastie. The luxurious smokey gray vinyl contains jazzy/funky instrumental outings, finding the two men playing all the parts themselves.
Each year the music industry dips into the past to deliver box sets, live albums, re-masters and outtake collections to sell to the music loving masses (present company included). This look back will round up some of RtBE's favorite archival releases from the past year.
Usually these releases can fall into the money grab category, not really adding much outside of revenue for the label and (hopefully) the artist. Every now and then though some spectacular collections are unearthed and are worth any price.
RtBE includes live albums in this category, since they were recorded in the recent or distant past and thus fall into archival release status.
With the increase in vinyl, and enhanced Record Store Days to help smaller sellers, there are more and more archival releases each year. RtBE are sure to miss a lot of them, but the quality and abundance is exciting. Post your favorites, or any we may have missed, in the comments.
These were our favorite archival releases of 2025, click the link in the title for full reviews.
For their newest vinyl release, the fantastic Tipitina's Record Club delivers a reissue of Jessie Hill's 1971 solo album, Naturally. The purple vinyl reissue includes the original innovative gatefold cover design, which included a rotating wheel.
For the most recent Vault release from Third Man Records, the company focuses on their founder via Jack White's Break It All Down. The triple vinyl offering showcases White's recent (wellreviewed) No Name Tour, as Jack and company stripped it down and went back to basic, heavy, rock and roll.
So this weekend finds Record Store Day rolling around again and you can find a full listing of all the amazing offerings here. This is a great opportunity to support record stores and enhance your vinyl collection
There are a ton of special things on that list that we would love to own and hope you can help support this great cause as well.
It is of The Wild Tchoupitoulas featuring The Neville Brothers - New Orleans '77. RtBE was so happy to receive this installment from the Tipitina's Record Club. The vinyl itself is super cool and has a "king cake" paint splatter that is unique and great. Perfect for Mardi Gras day.
As stated in the review, a historic and funky show.
The newest entry into the excellent Tipitina's Record Club, is this yellow vinyl collection of music from New Orleans based drummer James Black. The record is split between his sideman work on side A and a few tracks from his unreleased solo album on the B side.
Miles '54: The Prestige Recordings Box Set was released in December 2024 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of these recordings on the Prestige label, which capture Miles Davis in a transitional year of his career. Remastered from the original recordings the sound is crisp and lively as Davis, and a rotating cast of players, still sound fresh all these years later.
Each year the music industry dips into the past to deliver box sets, live albums, re-masters and outtake collections to sell to the music loving masses (present company included). This look back will round up some of RtBE's favorite archival releases from the past year.
Usually these releases can fall into the money grab category, not really adding much outside of revenue for the label and (hopefully) the artist. Every now and then though some spectacular collections are unearthed and are worth any price.
RtBE includes live albums in this category, since they were recorded in the recent or distant past and thus fall into archival release status.
With the increase in vinyl, and enhanced Record Store Days to help smaller sellers, there are more and more archival releases each year. RtBE are sure to miss a lot of them, but the quality and abundance is exciting. Post your favorites, or any we may have missed, in the comments.
These were our favorite archival releases of 2024, click the link in the title for full reviews.
The 1974 Live Recordings: The Missing Songs From Before The Flood
****and1/2 out of *****
The 61st release from Third Man Records Vault Series is a doozy, a triple vinyl collection The 1974 Live Recordings: The Missing Songs From Before The Flood from Bob Dylan and The Band. The title says it all as these are the songs that did not make the classic 1974 live album but were played live that tour. Each show was professionally taped so the quality and performances are top notch throughout.
"Keep those 'shoo-be-doo-be's' going" Taj Mahal implores the crowd during the opening number, "Gonna Move Up To The Country", captured her on Live at Tipitina's New Orleans 1980. The album comes from the Tipitina's record club on a gorgeous turquoise platter with pristine sound and production that captures the artist and crowd energy on this night.
The fantastic Tipitina’s Record Club’s newest release is a reissue of Sister Gertrude Morgan's only full length release, 1971’s Let’s Make A Record. This singular gospel rarity arrives on white vinyl, the same color Morgan wore once she became a bride of Jesus, preaching her sermon throughout New Orleans.
The newest release from the Tipitina's Record Club is a reissue of the Rebirth Brass Band's classic album Feel Like Funkin' It Up presented on super cool, cream soda colored vinyl. This is the first vinyl release of the record since it was originally offered in 1989.
The most recent release from the fantastic Tipitina's Record Club is this unique capturing of the legendary Clifton Chenier who played zydeco, R&B, and Cajun music in a distinct fashion; keeping dance floors throughout the south good and sweaty. This vinyl release is from a warm night in 1980 as his Red Hot Louisiana Band display their dynamic range.
One of the interesting things about this capturing is the band Chenier plays with. His core partners of his son CJ on alto sax and Cleveland his older brother on Frottoir, had been playing with Clifton for years. They are here with longtime collaborators Robert St Julien on drums and Jumpin' Joe Morris on bass but this show also has featured the killer Sonny Landreth on guitar along with Jerry Conrad on B3.
This impressive collection of musicians dive right in with the upbeat Cajun blues of the strolling "Calinda". Clifton sings in French as he commands the stage, vamping and moving with ease while the sax work and organ pair beautifully; a reoccurring theme throughout this show. The accordion great gets his full on zydeco pumping for "Louisiana Two Step" before the blues pour out on the cooking "Everybody Calls Me Crazy" which finds emotive singing from Clifton.
The bands first true cover pops up next with their take on Ray Charles' classic "What I'd Say" and they do not disappoint. The revved up take uses energetic singing, a smoking tempo, and hip shaking goodness all around as the full band hit their stride.
Side two starts with Clifton's take on the Coasters "I'm A Hog For You Baby" as the Cajun blues gets some zydeco touches before "Party Down (At The Blue Angel Club)" once again goes full bore with zydeco letting Clifton, CJ, and Cleveland dominate the stage. While Landreth had impressive moments, he steals the spotlight on the hardcore "Three O'Clock Blues" as his lead slide runs and dynamite guitar playing shines bright, while Conrad's B3 work is also majestic.
The album wraps up with Clifton's version of "Feelin' Happy" which pays tribute lyrically to Blind Lemon Jefferson and Big Joe Turner, pulling the blues into the swamps as the group gets down in 50's R&B style to close the night.
Almost as impressive as the music is the detailed linear notes from Todd Mouton, author of the book Way Down in Louisiana: Clifton Chenier, Cajun, Zydeco, And Swamp Pop Music. The notes give historic context to the performance, as well as dive into this musical world with vigor.
Another excellent release from Tipitina's Record Club, Clifton Chenier and his Red Hot Louisiana Band's Live at Tipitina's is recommended to those who are longtime fans of the artist and those who are brand new to his zydeco sounds as well.
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Join the record club and peep some video below from "Louisiana Two Step" live from 1982:
The final US show the fantastic Sonic Youth ever played is captured on this special release as the August 12th 2011 Williamsburg, NYC Waterfront set from the noise rock legends is now available on vinyl from Silver Current Records.
Having attended this show, which at the time no one knew would be the bands last, there was a sense of something special in the air. The previous few years found the band revisiting past albums with strong shows, but this career ranging affair was unique and powerfully played. Lovingly captured here, this gorgeous night from the hometown band will now live on.
The setlist was created by drummer Steve Shelley and as he explains it:
“This show was a culmination of a run of really special outdoor summertime shows in New York City for us, starting in ’92 with Summerstage in Central Park when we played with Sun Ra. For the Williamsburg Waterfront show I wrote out the set list to present to the band and it was a lot of material we hadn’t played in a while, a lot of deep cuts, so I wasn’t sure if everybody would feel like doing it. After worrying about which songs the band might say yes or no to, I threw those concerns out the window and I just made a list of songs that I thought would be a great set. We practiced the week of the show at our space in Hoboken and put the set together. First we’d try and make sure we had a guitar in the song’s tuning, then we’d try to remember the arrangement and try and put it together, sometimes re-learning bar by bar. In the end I think the whole song list made it through. Even as early as ’86 and ’87 we stopped playing ‘Death Valley 69’ and ‘Brave Men Run’ with any regularity. We’d just get excited about new material coming into the set and songs would get ‘retired’ and wouldn’t get played again for years. So on this particular night in Brooklyn a lot of those retired songs and deep cuts got dusted off and played for this show. It turned out to be a pretty special event with a really special song list.”
The band (Kim Gordon - voc, gtr Mark Ibold - Bass Thurston Moore - voc, gtr Lee Ranaldo - voc, gtr Steve Shelley - drums) tore into this old material right off the bat with that combo of "Brave Men Run (In My Family) > "Death Valley ’69" deploying scratchy layers of guitars, feedback, rumbling low end, and desperate vocals to recall the groups early noise days with passion and energy.
Another old warhorse noise number "Kotton Krown" found Moore singing the prophetic words for this night, "New York City is forever, kitty I'm wasted in time and you're never ready Fading, fading, celebrating". Shelley puts his powerful drums to work with the head banging "Kill Yr. Idols" while Ranaldo gets the crowd revved up to go on "Eric's Trip". The muscle car guitars and motoring sounds continue for "Sacred Trickster", the cataclysmic "Calming The Snake", and the grooving "What We Know" all off of the bands final album (the underrated The Eternal), these were the newest song played on this evening, yet all fit in with the deep cuts/classics wonderfully.
Speaking of deep cuts, "Starfield Road" is up next with crushing bass from Ibold, while the free jazz gets rolled out for the extended screeching and pounding of old school tunes "I Love Her All The Time" and "Ghost Bitch" from the early days of SY. The slow burn of "Tom Violence" builds with sexy power while the unhinged screaming guitars and Gordon's strong vocals slam on "Drunken Butterfly" ending the main set of tunes.
The encores on this night were special as the group continued to delve into their past with feminist force of "Flower" and a rare "Psychic Heart" from Moore's solo career. Both were nice, but it was a gorgeous rendition of the band's "Sugar Kane" that really hit the sold out summer crowd squarely in the chest, the highlight of the whole night.
Feeling extra giving the band returned for a second encore that saw them dig deep and unleash the chugging, noise rock blast of "Inhuman", ending the night, and basically their whole career, on loud clanging feedback, just the way these legends should.
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On a personal note, Sonic Youth are one of our all-time favorite acts, and RtBE has owned an audience taped copy of this show since it happened, so the music is well loved to these ears. It is nice to now own a soundboard recording on vinyl, but it is also bitter sweet as the band was still kicking ass at such a high artistic level when they broke up. It is another reminder, like with the recently broken up Screaming Females, enjoy this amazing music live while you can.
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