Release Day Picks: January 20th New Album Highlights

Each week Release Day Picks profiles new LPs and EPs Team JamBase will be checking out on release day Friday. This week we highlight new albums by Keller Williams, Foxygen and the Grateful Dead. Read on for more insight into the records we have all queued up to spin.

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Keller Williams KWahtro – Sync

The Scoop: After performing 35 shows together last year, Keller Williams had the idea to record a studio album with his Keller Williams Kwahtro project by sharing tracks and back and forth with one another. The band finds Keller joined by bassist Danton Boller, drummer Rodney Holmes and guitarist Gibb Droll. Williams enlisted special guests Mike Dillon and The Accidentals to contribute to “Whatchowantgurl” and “Hategreedlove” respectively. Check out a rendition of the track which kicks off Sync, “Ripped 6-Pack”:

Label:

Producer: Keller Williams

Number Of Tracks:Freeky Disc 8

Running Time: 38:59

Guest Musicians: Mike Dillon / The Accidentals

Tracklist:

1. Ripped 6-Pack
2. Cheaper By The Bale
3. Watchowantgurl
4. Baby Mama
5. Hategreedlove
6. Missing Remote
7. In The Middle
8. Running On Fumes

Stream / Download / CD/LP

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Grateful Dead – Grateful Dead

The Scoop: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead releasing their self-titled debut studio album. Today, the band has issued a deluxe version of the David Hassinger produced effort in honor of the 50th anniversary. Not only does the 2-CD version include freshly remastered audio, it also features previously unreleased live audio from a pair of 1966 shows in Vancouver. Listen to “Good Morning Little School Girl” from the live portion of the set:

Label: Rhino

Producer: David Hassinger (Studio Portion)

Number Of Tracks: 26

Guest Musicians: N/A

Tracklist:

CD1 – Original Album Remastered:

1. The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)
2. Beat It On Down The Line
3. Good Morning Little School Girl
4. Cold Rain And Snow
5. Sitting On Top Of The World
6. Cream Puff War
7. Morning Dew
8. New, New Minglewood Blues
9. Viola Lee Blues

CD2 – Live at P.N.E. Garden Auditorium, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 7/29/66

1. Standing On The Corner
2. I Know You Rider
3. Next Time You See Me
4. Sitting On Top Of The World
5. You Don’t Have To Ask
6. Big Boss Man
7. Stealin’
8. Cardboard Cowboy
9. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
10. Cream Puff War
11. Viola Lee Blues
12. Beat It On Down The Line
13. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
14. Cold Rain And Snow (7/30)
15. One Kind Favor (7/30)
16. Hey Little One (7/30)
17. New, New Minglewood Blues (7/30)

Stream / CD/LP

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Keller Williams – Raw

The Scoop: One of two new KDub albums out today, work on the entirely solo Raw began back in 2011. The stripped down, “all solo acoustic on one guitar, no looping or pedals or bands” album features 10 songs mixing reworked favorites, new tunes, instrumentals, a cover and more. Keller’s co-headlining Shut The Folk Up Tour with Leo Kottke inspired Williams to revisit the guest-less project. Here’s “Thanks Leo” that was written for Kottke:

Label: Freeky Disc

Producer: Keller Williams

Number Of Tracks: 10

Running Time: 34:52

Guest Musicians: N/A

Tracklist:

1. Cookie’s
2. Short Ballad of Camp Zoe
3. 2BU
4. Right Here
5. Return to the Moon
6. Ella
7. Thanks Leo
8. I Forgot
9. Short Show
10. Ticks When Told

Stream / Download / CD/LP

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Foxygen – Hang

The Scoop: Sam France and Jonathan Rado’s follow-up to their sprawling 2014 double album …And Star Power features a 40+ piece symphony orchestra on each of the LP’s eight tracks conducted by Spacebomb’s Trey Pollard with arrangements provided by Matthew E. White. Rado and France also incorporated contributions from The Flaming Lips’ Steven Drozd and Lemon Twigs members Brian D’Addario and Michael D’Addario. Foxygen’s first album recorded in a proper studio, the all-analog recording sessions for Hang were held at Electro Vox Studios In Los Angeles. Check out the lo-fi official video for “On Lankershim”

Label: Jagjaguwar

Producer: Foxygen

Number Of Tracks: 8

Running Time: 32:15

Guest Musicians: Steven Drozd, Brian D’Addario, Michael D’Addario, 40+ piece symphony orchestra

Tracklist:

1. Follow The Leader
2. Avalon
3. Mrs. Adams
4. America
5. On Lankershim
6. Upon A Hill
7. Trauma
8. Rise Up

Stream / Download / CD/LP

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Compiled by Andy Kahn and Scott Bernstein.