Editors' Choice for June 2017
Jazz Village / JazzBook
A gorgeous, dreamlike homage to the coastal French city that clearly holds a special place in the pianist's heart.
BIS
A historical-performance release where the talents of instrument maker, performer, and composer seem to converge.
Matador
On their militant second album, the quartet and producer Adrian Utley offer a soundtrack for the apocalypse, yet refuse to be swallowed by it.
Cooking Vinyl
A confident, intelligent ninth LP that shares The Minutes' dramatic flare while adding acoustic instrumentation to electronics.
Atlantic / Fueled by Ramen Records
Surprising seventh set that finds the pop-punk quartet venturing into the pop mainstream with fun, satisfying results.
Omnivore
This definitive reissue of Allen Ginsberg's musical rendering of William Blake's work includes a slew of indispensable unreleased material.
Columbia / Sony Music
The former Dirty Projectors member goes solo with a beguiling post-breakup set full of sunny self-motivation and lush melancholia.
Blue Note
A challenging, sprawling live album of all-original material from the trumpeter and his quartet.
Kscope
Reaching back to 2001's A Fine Day to Exit for their muse, the Liverpool rockers push at the future to explore new possibilities.
BSO
Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra present mainstream interpretations of the four symphonies of Johannes Brahms.
Deutsche Grammophon
Andris Nelsons leads the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig in a committed performance of the 1888/1889 version of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 3.
Omnivore
The two Stan Kenton alums paired for this emotive, early-'80s date originally released on Japan's Atlas label.
Omnivore
The great saxophonist in a quintet setting with savvy trombonist Bill Watrous and pianist Russ Freeman. This may be the best volume in this series.
Rune Grammofon
The Norwegian trumpeter and some longtime collaborators continue their exploration and discovery in expanding the boundaries of jazz.
Bayonet Records
Beach Fossils' third album adds more collaboration and expanded instrumentation, both of which give their sound an impressive makeover.
Sub Pop
The duo's odds 'n' sods collection reaffirms just how consistent -- and consistently beautiful -- its music is.
ATO
A musically expansive and politically charged second effort from neo-bluesman Benjamin Booker.
Naxos
For Vol. 46 of Liszt's Complete Piano Music, Feng Bian plays several transcriptions of music by Berlioz that Liszt tirelessly promoted.
Savoy Jazz
A vivaciously delivered tribute to the California outfit's three biggest influences: Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, and Louis Jordan.
Hyperion
The 100 Years' War provides the framework for this album of Medieval and Renaissance music, sung by the Binchois Consort.
Columbia / Sony Music
Leaving EDM behind, the Scottish producer assembles an all-star roster of rap, R&B, and pop guests for his nostalgic beachside getaway.
Mute
Collecting all of Can's 7" singles in one place, this compilation spotlights the Krautrock legends at their most immediate, energetic, and enjoyable.
Big Machine Records
The veteran rockers sound tight, rowdy, and energetic on this set that's as fun as anything they've cut in a decade.
VDSQ
The guitarist-composer switches to pedal steel for this album-length series of tender, atmospheric songscapes.
Ghostly International
Composed as Seth Haley was adjusting to his new life in California, Iteration is the high-definition conclusion to the Com Truise saga.
Easy Eye Sound / Nonesuch
A cheerful, bright salute to Jeff Lynne pop and '70s songcraft.
Agitated
Dion Lunadon, member of A Place to Bury Strangers and former leader of the D4, steps out with his arresting solo debut.
Bomber / Bomber Records
The New England roots rock power trio take a West Coast trip on their strong sixth LP.
Planet Mu
Nick Edwards' fourth full-length for Planet Mu is slightly less hissy than prior releases, and subtly alludes to early-'90s acid house and bleep techno.
Nonesuch
Following a lengthy hiatus, the band's debut for Nonesuch is dense, ambitious, and ultimately rewarding.
Harmonia Mundi
François-Xavier Roth and his period instruments ensemble Les Siècles re-create Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé with the sounds of its 1912 premiere.
Alive Naturalsound Records / Alive Records
Chiming slice of warm West Coast guitar pop with some serious Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers influence.
Fantasy
On their first record in four years, the quartet delivers their signature brand of heavy blues-rock tempered by soul, psych, and jazz.
Heavenly
Adding more keyboards to his off-kilter guitar pop makes the Welsh singer/songwriter's fourth album his most accomplished and expressive to date.
Channel Classics
Iván Fischer leads the Budapest Festival Orchestra in a compelling performance of Mahler's longest symphony, the Symphony No. 3 in D minor.
Paradise of Bachelors
The debut solo album of progressive '60s- and '70s-style folk from the British-born, Chicago-based singer/songwriter.
Southeastern Records / Thirty Tigers
The gifted songwriter aims for a more eclectic sound here, and he and his band deliver the goods with passion and skill.
Mexican Summer
The follow-up to the astonishing A Year with 13 Moons finds experimental guitarist Jefre Cantu-Ledesma increasing his pop sensibility.
Instant (UK) / Instant Records
On their sophomore album, these rocking Detroiters up the ante with craftier songwriting, better production, and the addition of tough Latin rhythms.
Atlantic / Rhino
An enjoyably concise, single-disc thumbnail sketch of the legendary saxophonist's innovative Atlantic years.
Decca
The neglected arias of Carl Heinrich Graun receive sparkling world-premiere recordings from Julia Lezhneva and Concerto Köln.
Naxos
A highly recommended recording of music that is not really obscure, although it has been deemed so for a time.
Dead Oceans
The L.A.-based singer/songwriter returns to his New York muse, this time evoking a darker, rawer tone.
Sony Classical
Khatia Buniatishvili plays Rachmaninoff's Second and Third Piano Concertos with extraordinary clarity, brilliance, and sensitivity.
Terrible
The sophomore outing from the Aussie pop provocateur finds Callinan flexing his EDM muscles, while maintaining the nervy post-punk foundation that made his 2013 debut such a prickly affair.
Brainfeeder
British producer Lapalux boldly reinvents his sound with third full-length Ruinism, a fascinating work which ponders the space between life and death.
Erato
Equilbey forges clean contrasts between the rich choir and the vibrato-free strings for a superb reading of the Mozart warhorse.
Dirtnap Records
The second record by the duo of the Marked Men's Jeff Burke and Suspicious Beasts' Yusuke Okeda is a power pop meets garage punk delight.
Castle Face
The band's third album in three years is a reliably hammer-tough, hatchet-sharp, gnarly-sounding slice of garage punk.
Erato
Minkowski and musicians deliver an interpretation that is sharp and biting.
Sub Pop
Marika Hackman's shift to a grungier sound on I'm Not Your Man is also a triumph of wit and heart.
Decca
This is a satisfying, high-spirited Shostakovich album that runs counter to the composer's grimly ironic tone.
IHM / Invisible Hands
The L.A. songwriter and successor to the Laurel Canyon sound delivers lush psych-folk and timely protest songs on her fourth LP.
Legacy / Songs of the South Records / Sony Legacy / Sony Music
The Dickinsons dig deep into their roots on a set of originals and covers of blues, gospel, and folk with reckless abandon, and select friends.
Erato
The unusually satisfying program alternates between fun and intellect, with a bright, slightly splashy sound reminiscent of E. Power Biggs.
Resonus
Listeners are taking pleasure in discovering these obscure treasures that deserve to be better known.
![Halt and Catch Fire [Original Television Series Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0004685729/front/220/hyOeqEjs4YB2hzvX94WtQlWnbEN5fCjifro6xhIBuB4=.jpg)
Lakeshore Records
A refreshingly back-to-basics score for the AMC drama series, composed by former Tangerine Dream member Paul Haslinger.
Domino
The first solo album by the former Only One spins tales of drugs, love, and politics shot through with hard-won wisdom and slashing guitars.
![Purple Rain [Deluxe Expanded Edition]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0004713675/front/220/IrXQX22t2kXIl7rsJl3jlN_M69_UI9rrJSVvWL2-yAg=.jpg)
GC / Rhino / Warner Bros.
The expanded Purple Rain marks the first deep dive into Prince's legendary Vault.
![OK Computer: OKNOTOK 1997 2017 [2 CD]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0004714790/front/220/FnEtFEhN-aRuM1ajKObTNIAf7E_1E-2MlBBPmPAXRBU=.jpg)
XL
A complex, textured release that finds the group moving into new realms and leaving the Britpop tag behind.
Decca
Motets of Monteverdi have been combined with music of his near contemporaries to create a work to compare with his Vespers of 1610.
NMC
Despite a sparsity and the unchanging rhythm of Coleridge's quatrains, the narrative drama of the poem is realized in full.
Columbia / Sony Music
A politically charged album that harkens back to prime mid-'70s Pink Floyd.
ECM
Recorded at Chicago's Museum of Modern Art, four of the artist's trios play separately and in various combinations to deliver a monolithic and inspired document.
SideOneDummy
A tuneful slab of deeply entertaining, '90s-indebted fuzz-pop from this West Virginia quartet.
Heavenly
Produced by Shawn Lee, the band's ninth album is a comforting nostalgia trip that sums up their career in lovely fashion.
Joyful Noise
The Joyful Noise debut of Brian Batz's established post-rock project can double as surreal background music or engrossing headphone material.
ATO
Late-night soft rock that sounds like it was made of half Christopher Cross and half Van Morrison.
Signum Classics
Soprano Sophie Bevan sings recitatives and arias by the young Mozart and Beethoven, as well as the mature Haydn.
Warner Bros. / Warner Music
The uncompromising singer/songwriter looks back to his country-rock days without forgetting what he's learned since then.
Hallé
Sun-Wook Kim and the Hallé Orchestra, led by Sir Mark Elder, deliver expressive performances of Brahms' two piano concertos.
Moshi Moshi Records / Moshi Moshi Singles Club
An optimistic and affectionate sixth LP from the whimsical tunesmith intended as a small tonic for the turmoil of 2016 and its aftermath.
Upset the Rhythm
The Australian group's second album is another low-key charmer made up of scrappy indie pop, singalong tunes, and hooky chants.
Capitol / Virgin EMI
A clearinghouse of strong outtakes and live material from the Smiley Smile/Wild Honey era.
Caroline / The Chain Gang of 1974
An uplifting, deeply emotive fourth album from Kamtin Mohager's synth pop outfit, featuring production from the Naked and Famous' Thom Powers.
Novum
This album of choral music by British singer and composer William Petter is a memorial tribute, with proceeds going to Sarcoma UK.
New West
Produced by Brandi Carlile, the Rogers sisters' third LP is a marvel of quiet grandeur and steely Southern pragmatism.
Saga / Sam Records / Universal
Long thought lost to time and previously unreleased, this revelatory soundtrack to Roger Vadim's painstakingly restored film is offered in a deluxe package.
Arbutus Records
The Montreal indie electronic outfit returns the heavy-hearted sophisti-pop sound established on 2014's Picture You Staring.
HHBTM
Sprawling, brawling, and sweet experimental noise pop from an adventurous Athens, Georgia quartet.
![The Joshua Tree [30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0004691853/front/220/kpAN9ITS5lZwkvq6CF0rUwSijaXJlYnq0St31qpAJWo=.jpg)
Island
U2's crowning moment and the definitive sound of late '80s mainstream rock.
Various Artists
Numero
Brilliantly chosen, well-documented deep dive into a bevy of private press and barely heard soft rock treasures from the '70s.
Various Artists
Now-Again
Now Again's second collection exploring the distinctive mid-'70s rock scene in Zambia.
Def Jam / Virgin EMI
Long Beach rapper's sophomore LP features an impressive list of guests on a footwork-inspired set.
Accent
A major Baroque release of music by a composer who looks better and better with each passing decade.
Moshi Moshi Records
A colorful guitar-absent debut that pulls from a panoply of influences from the Beatles to Donny Hathaway to XTC.