Rare Reigning Sound Record Gets Wide Release

Corporate rock may still suck, but corporations have been funding rock bands since it was made clear rock ‘n’ roll was marketable and profitable. So it should come as no great shock that Reigning Sound released a promotional mini-album for Toyota’s Scion imprint back in 2011, paid for completely by the company.

Recorded during a lineup disruption for Greg Cartwright’s ongoing garage punk juggernaut, five of the eight songs on Abdication…For Your Love were cut with the current lineup of the band under the production of Dan Auerbach, with the remaining three being outtakes from the previous RS album, Love and Curses. The result was released primarily as a free digital download, with a handful of limited-edition vinyl LP and promo CDs pressed.

Now Merge Records is giving Abdication a proper wide release, issuing it on CD and red vinyl on April 26.

Greg Cartwright photo by Alysse Gafkjen.