Tunes - Now Hear This! - February 2021

Sam Amidon
Sam Amidon
Nonesuch

Sam Amidon considers his new self-titled album the fullest realization to date of his artistic vision. It comprises his radical reworkings of nine mostly traditional folk songs, performed with his band of longtime friends and collaborators. Amidon produced the record, applying the sonic universe of his 2017�The Following Mountain�to these beloved tunes, many of which he first learned as a child.

The Staves
Good Woman
Nonesuch

The Staves' first album in five years is an accumulation of everything that life has thrown at them in that time. It's a decade since The Staves self-released their first EP and a lot has happened since then. Their third album Good Woman was written and recorded amid major upheaval, heartbreak and bereavement. The new-found boldness, loudness and lyrical directness on this record are indicative of lives forced to become a serious concern.

Tyler Childers
Long Violent History
RCA Records

Long Violent History is the powerful and poignant new album from Tyler Childers, which finds the singer addressing civil unrest and systemic racism with unflinching candor. 100% of net proceeds from Long Violent History will support underserved communities in the Appalachian region through the Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund.

ROYCE DA 5'9"
ALLEGORY
E1

Most known for his confident wordplay, revealing accounts of his life growing up in Detroit, overcoming addiction, and holding Rap peers accountable, Royce sits with Hip-Hop's elite and continues to be one of raps most trusted brands. The once self-proclaimed "best-kept secret" of Rap, this platinum-selling, list-topping MC continues to earn his accolades though his ability to release new music with an unmatched consistency.

Moon Taxi
Silver Lining
BMG

The stage for Silver Dream was set with the radio hit "Hometown Heroes"- heralded by Uproxx as "an alt-rock track that sounds like it was made for the radio." On fellow single "One Step Away," dusty guitar rings out over a steady beat and luminous keys as a chantable chorus sails over an unshakable groove. "Light Up" which Alternative Press called, "the uplifting track everyone needs to hear right now," rounds out the band's sixth full length.

Robin Thicke
On Earth, and in Heaven
Lucky Music / EMPIRE

Marking his first full-length album in six years, Five-Time GRAMMY Award nominee and diamond-selling performer Robin Thicke makes a return in 2021 with the long awaited new album, On Earth, and in Heaven. Setting the stage for the record, the scorching single "That's What Love Can Do," ignited this new flame and hit #1 on the charts. Presenting the same bold, bright, and boisterous R&B that turned him into a household name, Thicke ascends to new heights on his eighth full-length album.

The Weeknd
The Highlights
XO/Republic

Two days before his half-time performance at this year's Super Bowl, The Weeknd will release a highlight reel of his own. The career-spanning The Highlights includes five songs each from 2020's After Hours and 2015's Beauty Behind the Madness, three Starboy tracks, two House of Balloons cuts, one My Dear Melancholy song, and two songs that were not on Weeknd projects (Black Panther's "Pray for Me" and Ariana Grande's "Love Me Harder").

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Foo Fighters
Medicine At Midnight
RCA

Medicine at Midnight, the new album from Foo Fighters, packs nine new songs into a tight-ass 37 minutes. This collection (their 10th full length) shows the usually more�rock-focused group return with an expanded sound, incorporating pop, R&B and more, including the smoldering new single, "Shame Shame." Produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters. *Available on limited edition blue vinyl.*

Common
A Beautiful Revolutions
Loma Vista

A Beautiful Revolution finds Common returning to his hip-hop roots. A full length continuous listening experience, it features two interludes and seven new songs that Common refers to as movement music; "music to uplift, heal, and inspire listeners dealing with racial and social injustices. It's recognition. It's elevation. It's music to go with a movement. To help channel pain and outrage into something productive, inspirational and good."

The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) is a national level organization comprised of the best independent record stores in America. CIMS was founded in 1995 with the goal of uniting like minded independent store owners, giving them a more powerful voice in the music industry. The stores that make up CIMS are all very different, but we share the same desires � to be the heart of our communities, to super-serve our customers, to support and develop artists, and to share our love of music.

For more information about CIMS and the stores in our organization, please visit cimsmusic.com or find us through social media with the #cimsmusic hashtag. And please remember to always shop local by supporting your neighborhood record store.