The Breeders, Last Splash (30th Anniversary Edition)
American indie rock band The Breeders 1993 album Last Splash has finally gotten the deluxe reissue treatment for its 30th anniversary. The album, of course, features the alt-rock classic “Cannonball,” which reached the top 10 in the UK and was certified platinum in America. But the real news here is that the reissue is from the original analog tapes, which were discovered in Warner Music Group’s vaults. Furthermore, two unreleased songs from the Last Splash sessions — “Go Man Go” and “Divine Mascis” — will be included on the reissue. “Go Man Go” was a Kim Deal co-write with her Pixies bandmate Black Francis, and “Divine Mascis” was a rework of “Divine Hammer” with Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis on lead vocals. -- Amy Hughes
Kylie Minogue, Tension
After two consecutive albums that saw Australia’s most indefatigable pop diva try her hand at country (serviceably) and disco (gloriously), Minogue has settled back into her comfort zone with this return to straight-ahead electro-pop. Not that this is in any way a bad thing. With lead-off single “Padam Padam” soundtracking countless summer Pride parades, and “Vegas High” shamelessly promoting her upcoming Sin City residency, Tension manages to hit all the right notes with disarming effortlessness. -- Andrew Barker
Teenage Fanclub, Nothing Lasts Forever
Seemingly trapped forever in a wonderful world of alt-rock and jangly guitar pop, the Scottish band is back with a new album with relative rapidity. No, seriously, it’s only been two years since their last LP, Endless Arcade, and it’s literally been two decades since the last time they’ve delivered that kind of turnaround. Maybe it’s the addition of former Gorky’s Zygotic Minci member Euros Childs to the lineup – this is his second record with the band – but whatever the case, it’s ten new songs of Teenage goodness in short order, so consider us signed up. -- Will Harris
The Replacements, Tim (Let It Bleed Edition)
If you’ve ever encountered the Replacements’ 1985 album Tim (and it you haven’t, where have you been?), it’s likely that you reached two conclusions rather quickly. First, that Tim is one of the greatest collections of rock songs written and recorded in that or any other era. And second, that it’s also one of the most poorly mixed collections of rock songs recorded in that or any other era. Finally, someone has elected to do something about the latter. Painstakingly remixed by Ed Stasium, Tim (Let It Bleed Edition) loses the muddy drums and sterile washes of echoey guitar that marred the original release, restoring a sense of immediacy and intimacy that makes deathless anthems like “Bastards of Young,” “Left of the Dial” and “Little Mascara” sound brand new. -- AB
