Recs with Merritt flips through the finest new vinyl releases for June 2024, including Eels, Pond, and more

Recs With Merritt. // Art by Cassondra Jones

Records with Merritt is Marion Merritt’s vinyl store in Westport [1614 Westport Rd] with partner Ann Stewart. As a staple in our community for nearly a decade, we’ve partnered with Merritt for a monthly column, where the tastemaker shares her picks for the best wax releases to look forward to grabbing, divided by release date.

Here’s Marion Merritt’s rundown of the most exciting offerings in June 2024.

July 7, 2024

Eels—the musical project of singer-songwriter E (Mark Oliver Everett)—is set to release its fourteenth studio album Eels Time!. The ever member changing band’s journey started with the 1997 debut album Beautiful Freak.  Eels Time! features twelve brand new tracks, with E sharing some of his most introspective and personal material. Eels Time! is scheduled to be released June 7, 2024 via E Works Records.

Other albums of note for the week:

Nxworries Why Lawd?
$Uicideboy$ New World Depression
Bad Bunny Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Manana
Charli XCX Brat
The Cure Japanese Whispers :The Cure Singles Nov 82/Nov 83
The Ghost Inside Searching for Solace
Vacations No Place Like Home
Man Man Carrot on Strings
Pedro the Lion Santa Cruz
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats Nell’Ora Blu
Anamanaguchi Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Original Soundtrack)
Koe Wetzel Noise Complaint
Carly Pearce Hummingbird
The Antlers Burst Apart
Bonny Light Horseman Keep Me On Your Mind/See You Free
Margo Guryan Words and Music
Sega Bodega Dennis
LØLØ Falling for Robots and Wishing I Was One
Various Artists Tank Girl (Original Soundtrack)
Strand of Oaks Miracle Focus
Fantastic Cat Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat
Max I Million Uncut Gems

June 14, 2024

Hermanos Gutierrez, brothers Alejandro and Estevan’s new release, Sonido Cosmico, is a continuation of their sonic adventure—a meditative journey, one that has no boundaries and where genres freely mix. Produced by Dan Auerbach, the tracks wash over us with Latin rhythms and desert guitar reverb. Sonido Cosmico is scheduled to be released June 14, 2024 via Easy Eye Sound.

Other albums of note for the week:

David Bowie Rock N Roll Star
Lizzy McAlpine Older
Black Uhuru Brutal
The Church Eros Zeta & the Perfumed Guitars
Little Feat Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
McCartney, Paul & Wings One Hand Clapping
Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O True Story
Monsters of Folk Monsters of Folk
Crumb Amama
James Vincent McMorrow Wide Open, Horses
John Grant The Art of the Lie
The Decemberists As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits
Moby Always Centered At Night
Lindsey Stirling Duality
Naoki Sato Godzilla Minus One (Original Soundtrack)
Black Country Communion V
Malcolm McLaren Paris
John Williams:  Star Wars: A New Hope (Original Soundtrack) Japanese Jacket Version
                             Star Wars: Return of The Jedi (Original Soundtrack) Japanese Jacket Version
                            Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Original Soundtrack) Japanese Jacket Version

June 21, 2024

Australian psychedelic/rock band Pond’s fifth release, Stung!, is the longest of the band’s career. Band member, Nick Allbrook has said, “The modern paradox of being disappointed in or even disconsolate over a world that we know more about than any prior generation but also being in awe of it and (sometimes) each other, too. There are so many reasons to cry and so many reasons to marvel.” Pond has decided to sing about it all. Stung! is scheduled to be released June 21, 2024 via Spinning Top Records.

Other albums of note for the week:

Gracie Abrams The Secret Of Us
Alcest Les Chants De L’Aurore
Popa Chubby Emotional Gangster
Lake Street Dive Good Together
Charlie Bereal 11-11-11
Sam Reider & the Human Hands The Golem and Other Tales
Kehlani Crash
Passion Pit Manners (15th Anniversary)
Team Sleep Team Sleep
Cody Dickinson Homemade
Jim Lauderdale My Favorite Place
The Story So Far I Want To Disappear
The Head Cat Rock N’ Roll on the Sunset Strip
Noahfinnce Stuff From My Brain/My Brain After Therapy
Sufjan Stevens Seven Swans (10 Year Anniversary)
Chicha Libre Tequila Y Aguardiente
Mourning Noise Screams/Dreams
Kittie Fire
Daniel Davies Ghost of the Heart
Swim Surreal In The Half Life
Daryl Hall D.
Rich Ruth Water Still Flows
Sara Evans Unbroke
Engelwood Crust Fm
Black Decelerant Reflections Vol 2: Black Decelerant
Sade Re-issues: Promise
                             Stronger Than Pride
                             Diamond Life

June 28, 2024

Isobel Campbell—former cellist for the band Belle and Sebastian and former collaborator with the late Mark Lanegan on three albums—is releasing her first new record in four years, Bow To Love. The songs on this album were “inspired by the challenges faced by the world and created by many of its predators and oppressors.”  Yet, she sees and shares that there is hope for a better future and how to navigate what is in front of us now. Bow To Love is scheduled to be released June 28, 2024 via Cooking Vinyl.

Other albums of note for the week:

Washed Out Notes From A Quiet Life
Johnny Cash Songwriter
Lupe Fiasco Samurai
Nothing More Carnal
Neil Young & Crazy Horse Early Daze
The Vaselines The Way of the Vaselines
Loma How Will I Live Without A Body
Omar Apollo God Said No
Aaron Frazer Into The Blue
Previous Industries Service Merchandise
P.O.D. Veritas
Lorrie Morgan Dead Girl Walking
Imagine Dragons LOOM
Hot Mulligan You’ll Be Fine
Ahmad Jamal Live At Bubba’s
Madeline Hawthorne Tales From Late Nights & Long Drives
Deadmau5 Random Album Title
Kilo Kish Reflections In Real Time
Madeleine Peyroux Let’s Walk
Jorge Ben Africa Brasil
Jello Biafra & the Guantanamo School of Medicine Audacity of Hope
Janel Leppin Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is To Love
Steve Lacy Reflections: Steve Lacy Plays Thelonious Monk