Let’s just start with a quote from our friend Laurie Pepper, “Art hated the idea that people put jazz in a pigeonhole. He wanted to make people forget the categories and ‘make them open up and listen.’”

That’s Omnivore Recordings mission in a nutshell, and if you’re here, reading this, you’re probably a musical adventurer, a seeker, an omnivore—just like we are. The goal is to “open up and listen.” And experience, and learn, and dance, and swing!

So to that end, we are overjoyed to announce today, our first title by Art Pepper, Neon Art: Volume One (with two more volumes to follow). All three volumes will be vinyl-only releases with download cards, containing previously unreleased live recordings, and all three will be pressed on hot, neon-colored vinyl with a see-through jacket.

Neon Art: Volume One, available August 28, showcases the song that was the catalyst for the series, “Red Car.” When we heard this track, recorded by Laurie Pepper in 1981 at Parnell’s in Seattle, we knew we had to do something special to share this exhilarating live performance. The flip is an equally playful and swingin’ version of “Blues For Blanche.”

Jump in, open up, and listen.

Fifteen years have flown by since the Old 97’s major label debut, Too Far To Care, first hit the shelves, and because this record is an Omnivore Recordings favorite, we decided to raise a ruckus for the anniversary in true Omnivore fashion. We expanded the original album to include four session outtakes to release as the first disc of the new 2-CD package. Then, when band gave us access to their pre-Too Far To Care demos, we put those all on Disc 2 of the new edition. Happy anniversary!

We’ve also cooked up a whole lotta special vinyl too. The original album plus the four session outtakes will be released as a double-LP (first time on vinyl!!!), with a first pressing limited-edition run of 1,500 on translucent aqua-blue vinyl. We’ll have standard black vinyl pressings after that. All the demos will also be released on as a stand-alone album called They Made A Monster: The Too Far To Care Demos on LP and Digital. The LP will start out life as a first pressing limited edition of 1,500 on translucent yellow vinyl (again, black thereafter). The demos album features a cover that shows alternate versions of the original album art. From the music to the artwork, this will be an entirely new take on Too Far To Care! Finally, if you’re a vinyl junkie like us, we’ll bundle the two LP releases together at a special price, available exclusively in our webstore.

The Old 97’s tour starts 8/23 in Houston and continues well into October (check specific dates on the Old 97′s gig list).

The Too Far To Care anniversary releases will be hitting stores and turntables, blowing up iPods and car stereos, on October 9. If that seems to far away, then be sure you pre-order now in the shop and sleep well at night.

Today we’re excited to announce that September 11 we release Rock & Roll Is Good For You: The Fieger/Averre Demos!

Sixteen previously unissued tracks by Doug Fieger & Berton Averre recorded in the mid-’70s including demos for well-known Knack songs like “Good Girls Don’t” and “That’s What The Little Girls Do.” We’re releasing this across all configurations (CD, digital, LP) and the first pressing of the LP will be a limited-edition of 1,000 on clear vinyl. Further, we get even geekier in our webstore where we will have a very limited-edition bundle of the clear vinyl LP coupled with a bonus 7″ of two additional demos you can’t get anywhere else (in a very cool picture sleeve). The vinyl bundle is limited to 500 and you can only get it here! Pre-order now!

If you’re a fan of mid-’70s funk/R&B/soul and jazz, then you’re probably already hip to our Darondo and Two Things In One releases. Now, drawn from that same catalog, are three LP-only various artist compilations, each with a download card.The Music City Sessions, Volume 1: Richmond Experience is coming to your turntable August 14. Check out The Music City Sessions page for more details and info one the next two volumes!

Coming soon from Omnivore:
The Music City Sessions, Volume 2: Super Strut and Volume 3: Soul Show.

Not one, not two, but all three original Spain albums finally available on vinyl! All are 180-gram, and a limited-edition colored vinyl pressings to start things off. The color vinyl pressing will be limited to 1,000, after which we’ll press 180-gram black vinyl, so grab them now if you want the extra pretty ones! The Blue Moods Of Spain will be on translucent blue vinyl, naturally. As if in a dream, She Haunts My Dreams will appear on clear vinyl, and I Believe will be on translucent orange vinyl for its first pressing. In addition, The Blue Moods Of Spain features a bonus track, the original 7″ b-side, “Phone Machine” is included as the last track.

As an Omnivore webstore exclusive, we are offering all three Spain LPs as a bundle at a special low price. Order the bundle, or the individual titles in our webstore now!

Guitarist for The Two Things In One, Michael Griggs, passed today. Before doing so he gave us some great music, for that we thank and remember him.

We hope everyone had a great 4th! Our fireworks went off the day before with the release of Jellyfish, Live At Bogart’s, on CD and laser-etched limited-edition double LP on translucent-blue vinyl (wow!). The blue vinyl first pressing is likely to go fast, so track one down soon if you want one for your collection. Up next, on Tuesday, July 17, is the brilliant Sam Phillips album, Martinis & Bikinis on CD and limited-edition double LP on white vinyl! Sweet! Sam gave us four bonus tracks for this reissue, one of which, a new version of the great, “Strawberry Road,” she recorded specifically for this release! Uh, she’s awesome! Next release announcements coming this week, lots of great stuff coming up, stay tuned!