On their self-funded debut, Slayer hit the ground running, unleashing their innovative rage of punk-inflected metal upon the world. Indeed, 1983’s Show No Mercy introduced the edgy Huntington Park rockers as a force to be reckoned with.

A solo recording in name only, 1977’s Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs saw virtuoso Eddie Hazel recruiting the services of his former Parliament-Funkadelic bandmates in crafting this electrifying cult funk rock masterpiece.

With Apple, Spotify, Tidal, and Amazon all vying to tempt the big stars into recording a festive cover or indeed conjuring a Christmas original, contemporary festive music has never been easier to find. The Nettwerk Music Group was well ahead of the curve in this respect and has been releasing seasonal music for many years.

When David Crosby began work on his first solo album in 1970 he was still grieving the loss of his longtime girlfriend from a car accident the year before, and friends began dropping by regularly to join in in what became a true labor of love during a healing period for Crosby. Though that original emotional framework was essential in the creation If I Could Only Remember My Name, released in 1971, there’s a value in having listeners hear it with fresh ears 50 years later to consider it on its own merits. This anniversary edition adds a bonus track to the original album, along with a second disc of demos and session tracks.

A cheese sandwich in the bottom of your bag, smiling at the moon, the journey of a single drop of water—these are life’s salient enthralls. At least according to Jay McAllister, the singer/songwriter who’s been releasing music under the full English moniker Beans on Toast since 2009’s Standing on a Chair.

Fundamentally the tale of a 19th century Texan cowboy transported one hundred years into the future as a result of an extraterrestrial abduction, Jason Boland & The Stragglers’ Red Dirt country concept album The Light Saw Me explores heavier topics less typical of modern country music.

Sometimes a record grabs you from the get-go and doesn’t let go. That’s what happened to me with Best & Worst of Times the debut from Secondhand Sound, a rising indie rock quartet of two sets of best friends based in Nashville.

Pop punk mainstays New Found Glory are open to novelty. They’ve given the world three albums of movie soundtrack covers (the From the Screen to Your Stereo series) and even formed a superhero-themed side project. The band is also confident in its Christmas adoration, proffering numerous Christmas songs over the years. This year, that idolatry manifests in a full-length album of original Christmas tunes, including a holiday version of “It Never Snows In Florida” from their scruffy 1999 debut.

Over 50 years after Emerson, Lake & Palmer performed their second concert at Isle of Wight Festival 1970 before a crowd estimated at roughly 600,000, the 7-CD (or 10-LP) box set Out of this World: Live (1970-1997) takes a look back at the prog-rock giants’ strengths as a performing outfit over multiple decades.