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PRE-ORDER: Gentle Leader XIV "Joke in the Shadow" LP

PRE-ORDER: Gentle Leader XIV "Joke in the Shadow" LP

$24.99 USD
$24.99 USD
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Pickup available at 420 40th Street #5

Usually ready in 24 hours

THIS IS A PRE-ORDER: We expect this to ship on or around APRIL 18th, 2025. Any items ordered with this will be held until they can ship together. If you need other items faster please place a separate order. 

End days pop. Electronic extinction rock. No future for sure, surf’s up dude.

Gentle Leader XIV (jen-tul lee-der ex-ivy) is a post-punk synth-pop band from the ends of Ohio. The Cincinnati/Cleveland trio is comprised of long-time scene vets Jeffrey Tucholski (Running), Matt Hallaran (Glass Traps), and Maria Jenkins (Hollows). The band originated in 2016 out of what would become the ashes of the Chicago music scene in the “Teens”. Their first album, Channels, was released on Moniker Records in 2018 to critical acclaim by one French outlet. Serving in a support capacity for acts such as Fuzz, Exploded View, Tropical F*ckstorm, The Serfs, Cloud Nothings, Ryley Walker, Timmy’s Organism and EXEK; Gentle Leader XIV is a chameleon, a band’s-band that may change color but never loses its shape.

Joke in the Shadow sees the band shift from their Julee Cruise / Cocteau Twins inspired brand of ethereal dream pop towards a darker, bleaker, more industrial bend in the burning river of their collective consciousness. This record has the vibe of a lost Depeche Mode acetate found at an Ohio flea market, repackaged and resold to play as background for a yet to be made Lynchian remake of Terminator VIII.

Recorded in Louisville, KY, co-produced with Ryan Patterson (Fotocrime/Coliseum) at his studio, the House of Foto, Joke in the Shadow spans an array of sonic textures while sticking to a core, omnipresent tension between despair and possibility. Jenkins’ bellowing vocal is both sobering and captivating, careful not to crowd space while lyrically reflecting a deep poetic sophistication. Her key leads, accompanied by Hallaran’s low end and dynamic synth work create a mercurial melodic vibe present throughout the album. Tucholski’s searing guitar, at times percussive, at times beguiling, is delivered with care and a cutting killer instinct. Drums composed collectively set the backbone for minimal moody jams and up-tempo kraut and industrial bangers. In Joke in the Shadow, Gentle Leader XIV have made a damaged 21st century pop record that consistently brings the heat and the hooks. It’s full of grim reality with just a fleeting dash of hope draining through the hourglass.

SHIPPING:

We ship Monday through Friday. Orders typically ship within 24-72 hours. Tracking is sent to the email you provide at check out and may take a few days to become active.

Any items ordered with Pre-Orders will be held until they can all ship together. If you need in stock items faster please order them seperately.

RETURNS:

Returns are only accepted on damaged or defective items. Return requests must be made within 7 days of delivery. Please save the original packaging.

If you own a Crosley, Victrola or any other lower end turntable that has no ability to adjust the weight of the tone arm and are experiencing skipping on a new record please try the "Penny Trick". Simply place a penny on the top of the cartidge and it should provide enough weight to resolve your issues. While a great entry to the world of vinyl we do recommend upgrading to a turntable with a tone arm that can be adjusted as this issue will randomly occur. We do not take returns in these cases.

Resellers: If you are buying from us for resale we honestly don't mind. However, please don't panic if something you bought suddenly isn't flipable for more money and then try to return stuff to us because you feel like you made a bad investment choice. Despite our outsized reputation we're a small shop, not amazon. Absorbing these costs adds up on places like ours. Plus a little patience always tends to pay off.

CANCELLATIONS:

Due to an increasing number of payment processors no longer returning transaction fees to sellers on cancelled orders and rising labor costs any orders or pre-orders that need to be cancelled before shipment will be assessed a 5% cancellation/restocking fee on the order total including shipping and any other taxes or fees associated with the order.

Thank you for your understanding.

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