New Music CDs

In 1920 Ferdinand Ingold, a poor but visionary Swiss settler in the small Wisconsin town of Monroe, audaciously launched a record label, Helvetia—invoking his homeland’s ancient name and celebrating its musical heritage. Praised in the immigrant press yet beset by fiscal challenges, Helvetia issued a scant 36 sides. Scattered, scarce, and nearly forgotten, Ingold’s entire catalog, newly restored and remastered, is offered here. Rollicking and somber, sentimental and lusty, these Swiss, German, and Tyrolean tunes and songs feature virtuoso instrumental combos, vocal quartets, and especially yodelers from Swiss communities in New Jersey, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

A trifecta of inimitable Hawaiian acts descended upon Honolulu's state-of-the-art Broad Recording Studio in late 1979 to create what have now become the most coveted Hawaiian funk/soul/jazz albums of the era.

Nnenna Freelon's voice is a reflection of life, filled with personal stories, deep emotion, and quiet wisdom. Since her 1992 debut on Columbia, the seven-time Grammy nominee has used her unique perspective to tell familiar stories, from reimagining Billie Holiday to paying tribute to Stevie Wonder. On this release, she goes the extra step, reaching in to create heart-spoken songs, born from curiosity to more closely visit stories inhabiting her own life. With co-arranger and pianist, Alan Pasqua, Nnenna's created her most personal musical statement to date. Freelon's vocal artistry, rooted in tradition but always forward-thinking, has captivated audiences around the world, and this album is sure to do the same.

From the deep woods now emerges Wardruna's sixth studio album, scheduled for January 24,2025 through Sony Music and By Norse Music. Through his never resting dialogue with nature, main composer Einar Selvik has been searching for the voice of the bear. Birna, the she-bear in Old Norse, is a work of art dedicated to the warden of the forest, nature's caretaker, and her battles here on earth.

A tribute album to the late honky-tonk legend Lefty Frizzell which features songs he wrote and/or recorded. Giving the songs new life, Jinks takes the music, a cornerstone of traditional country and honky-tonk and makes it his own with the same sincerity and emotional depth that captured fans throughout Lefty's career.

Critically acclaimed French singer-songwriter Laura Cahen is inspired by the likes of Laurie Anderson, Laura Marling and Adrianne Lenker. Her music fuses acoustic and electronic to create emotionally rich, self-reflective sonic landscapes. In the form of poetic love songs, she tackles subjects such as womanhood, ecology, homosexuality and equal rights. Her previous album, Des Filles (2023), featured guest artists including Juliette Armanet, Jeanne Added and Yael Naim. Three songs from her 2021 album Une Fille were featured in major TV shows and films, including: You (Netflix), Tales of the Walking Dead (AMC) and Oscar-nominated Lost My Body. This is her third studio album and was co-produced together with Mike Lindsay (Tunng, LUMP) and Josephine Stephenson (Ex: Re, Damon Alban, Arctic Monkeys).

Fred Schneider & the Superions Christmas album is the perfect holiday party dance album every household needs. If the voice sounds familiar, yes it is that same Fred Schneider of the B-52s. It is equal parts disco bangers, sensual French pop, comedic holiday numbers, suggestive lyrics, and never a dull moment. An album that Keeps the Xmas party going through new year's. If your party is a bore and the guests are falling asleep or leaving early, just put on this album and pull out the rum soaked Fruitcake and get the party in full swing. All the songs here are all originals, so get ready for all new Christmas holidays classics.

Désert was born in Joshua Tree, California as a series of improvisations between harpist Lara Somogyi and pianist-composer Jean-Michel Blais. Personifying the cover photo, the album reminds listeners that there is life in the desert, springing from the hardscrabble ground. The timing of the release is serendipitous, as it arrives five days before Lent, a season of sacrifice remembering Jesus’ 40-day journey into the desert and the strength gained through spareness.

Heather Maloney's new album was never intended to be released. Written after the death of her father, the songs were the most vulnerable body of work she had ever created, meant and written only for her. The idea of releasing an album went against her instincts to keep this art close. Luckily for us, her family convinced her otherwise. Maloney was able to track for two days in her childhood home, recording songs, backing vocals, the crickets in the yard and even percussion played directly on the walls and floors of the house itself. Maloney also played her father's guitar and a keyboard that she had had since she was a child. The result is raw and exquisitely personal, a collection of twelve songs urgently written at the time to help ease the "greatest heartbreak" of Maloney's life but are thankfully and transcendentally now ours as well.

Rolf Kühn's decades-long presence on the jazz scene was a stroke of luck and a gift. Rolf Kühn was an exceptional artist, a German jazz musician of the highest caliber, one of the very few with international standing. Kühn had no idea it would be his last recording when he met with his quartet at Berlin's Hansa Studio in late June 2022. In August that year he sadly passed away. His compositions, whether balladic or fast-paced and driving, always left room for what jazz meant to him: creating music together, letting it take flight through improvisation that thrived from listening and feeling.

The six-track debut holiday EP from Sabrina Carpenter is a collection of five original songs alongside fan-favorite and previously released "A Nonsense Christmas," a festive lyrical twist on her first Top 40 Radio #1 hit, "Nonsense." Just sayin,' we've never seen Santa Claus and Sabrina Carpenter in the same room.

Dancing Cat Records' second slack key guitar compilation draws from the ongoing Hawaiian slack key guitar masters series, including two previously unavailable bonus tracks. The many artists on this album represent the very best from Hawai'i. This collection contains both vocal and instrumental tracks, demonstrating how slack key can be played solo, in duets or with varying accompaniment ('ukulele, acoustic steel guitar and two or more guitars).

Following the success of his 2022 album, Life After Death, TobyMac explores what happens after we have been through a season of wrestling with God.

Mackenzie Carpenter's debut album showcases her multi-dimensionality while paying homage to the beloved "Country Queens" that paved the way for the tongue-in-cheek singer/songwriter to boldly speak her mind and write her truth.

Iceland acoustic sensation Arny Margret will release her amazing new record I Miss You, I Do in the Spring via One Little Independent Records. Arny Margret has been making waves not only in her Icelandic hometown but across Europe and the US, touring extensively, supporting Leif Vollebekk, Passenger, Blake Mills, Ásgeir and more, as well as playing the likes of SXSW, The Great Escape, Newport Folk Festival, Reykjavik Calling, and Iceland Airwaves. Her gorgeous debut album, 'they only talk about the weather' was released in October 2022. She cites influences from the likes of Andy Shauf, Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver and Gregory Alan Isakov. Born and raised in a small town called Ísafjörður, she attended music school from the age of 6 learning to play the piano and gradually taught herself guitar. She recorded at studio Hljóðriti in Hafnarfjörður and continues to make her mark globally with her intimate and affecting live performances.

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco team up to release their first project as a couple. The album celebrates the pair's love story, giving fans a unique window into their relationship. This album came together organically as a direct result of the comfort they both felt when working together creatively, allowing them to produce art that authentically reflects their experiences. It chronicles their entire story: before they met, falling in love, and looking to what the future holds.

The new album by Grammy Award-nominated artist Charley Crockett. Crockett co-produced the album alongside multi-Grammy Award-winning musician and producer Shooter Jennings. Over the course of just ten days, they cut twelve tracks live at the legendary Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. Crockett's Island Records debut is a culmination of all that has come before, with the same unapologetic spirit, die-hard work ethic, and no- nonsense honesty that has driven his artistry across his fourteen previous studio albums. In the end, this album takes stock of Charley's road in the rearview as it paves a path into the future.

Thirteen-time Grammy winner, Academy Award winner, and two-time Golden Globe winner Lady Gaga releases a new album that includes the singles Die with a Smile and Disease.

Ella Fitzgerald virtually invented the live album. The reason is simple: her performances were so consistently great that almost any live show was special enough to release as a record. In a sense, for Ella Fitzgerald, every night was The Moment of Truth. But this previously unknown concert stands out from the pack.

Named Billboard's Country Rookie of the Month for November, McNown releases his debut album, featuring hot country song A Lot More Free.

Bloodywood is a metal band from India known for pioneering a sound that seamlessly fuses Indian folk instruments with metal to devastating effect. Expect to hear the percussive power of the mighty Dhol, the melancholic flute, the single stringed Tumbi and several other uncommon, yet distinctly characteristic sounds from India. A combination of thunderous Hindi/Punjabi choruses and meaningful yet unforgiving rap verses along with the ethnic instrumentation makes Bloodywood a truly unique experience.

Starring two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster as Princess Winnifred, this musical is an uproarious update of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Princess and the Pea".

It's no secret that we can be a little bit geeky. On this release we indulged our fandom a bit and chose twelve essential anime themes that we hold near and dear to our nerdy hearts. From the emotive yearning of Neon Genesis Evangelion's "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" to the wild frenzy of "JoJo (Sono Chino Sadame)" from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, we reimagined these timeless openings with all the lushness and tranquility a string quartet can provide. Something of a spiritual successor to our fan-favorite VSQ: The World of Studio Ghibli, this was our chance to revisit some old favorites and bring them to a new light.

A showcase of the scintillating spirit of Sabrina Carpenter, the pocket-sized popstar with a larger than life artistic presence. One gold album & multiple platinum singles later, it's no wonder that "Espresso," the debut single from the forthcoming album, has it all: lyrics that make you giggle and blush and songwriting that makes you wish you'd thought of it first.

The third studio album by Tate McRae represents the journey of growing up when the road ahead feels infinite and the destination increasingly elusive.

Kip Moore's sixth album Solitary Tracks, featuring 23 songs, proves Moore's internal compass is as strong as ever. An album of intensity on all levels - vocally, lyrically, and sonically - Moore focuses his incisive pen inward, writing or co-writing all but one song and wrapping a defiant sense of personal growth in a raw, roots-and-soul package.

Introducing the Mark Lowry Vocal Band! As seen on the Mark Lowry & Friends 2024 Tour, the Lowry Vocal Band is comprised of Riley Harrison Clark, Jay Griggs, Mark Lowry & Jason Griggs. After much demand, the impromptu quartet made their way into a studio to put their signature vocals on some Gaither classics, plus a few bonus live cuts added in as well!

Aloe Blacc's powerful exploration of unity, connection, and humanity. Known for his breakout hits like "I Need a Dollar'" and the chart-topping "Wake Me Up" with Avicii, Aloe brings his signature soulful sound to this compelling collection. Each song is dedicated to a different organization or cause for social change while weaving themes of love, empowerment, and togetherness. With this album, Aloe Blacc delivers a record that uplifts and inspires both new listeners and lifelong fans while driving meaningful action.

Released 20 years ago, in 2004, Taima is the result of a collaboration between Inuk singer Elisapie Isaac and Abitibi-born composer Alain Auger. The duo's first and only album stands out for its unique blend of musical styles, including alt-folk, alternative pop, rock, trip-hop and traditional Inuit music. Its title, Taima, means "enough is enough" or "let's move on" in Inuktitut, an idiom that embodies the spirit of the album. Made up of eleven songs, the record features lyrics in Inuktitut, French and English, and deals with themes such as love, solitude, reconciliation and identity. It also explores the relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous people, as well as the relationship between humans and nature.

The sixth full-length album of new material from Cambodian/American band Dengue Fever, and their first album in more than eight years. In Khmer folklore, a Ting Mong is a decoy or mannequin, similar to a scarecrow, used to fight away evil spirits and plagues.

Wapna'kik (The People of the Dawn) by Mi'kmaw musical group Sons of Membertou foregrounds the powerful voices of their people. First released in 1995, Wapna'kik documents a vital resurgence of the Membertou community’s music practices. The 2025 updated edition by Smithsonian Folkways includes "Mi'kmaq Honour Song" and "500 Years," introducing a new generation of singers and musicians. Their addition to the album exemplifies the diversity of Mi’kmaw sonic and poetic expressions, which continue, as they have for centuries, to incorporate global influences. Drums play a central role throughout the album, uniting generations of those who strengthen Mi’kmaw language and culture through these songs.

The legendary vocalist's debut album! The first time Candid founder Nat Hentoff heard Harrow sing, he decided on the spot that if he were to ever have a label of his own, he would have to cut a record with her. Both of his dreams came true, resulting in a jazz vocal album as easily appealing as anything you're likely to hear. Despite its accessibility, it's also a showcase for Harrow's utterly unique style. One of the few vocalists of her generation that didn't emulate the voices of the icons that came before her. After this album, Harrow went on a twelve-year hiatus to raise her children (one of which is Galaxie 500's Damon Krukowski) before re-emerging to even greater acclaim on the jazz scene. This reissue finally gives her debut the shot it always deserved to find its way into the collections of aficionados and casual listeners alike.