Welcome to Sonic Sherpa
Sonic Sherpa is an Australian record store that’s been brightening the Brisbane suburb of Stones Corner since 2015 (although the team has over a decade’s shared music retail experience from owning/running Skinnys in the Brisbane CBD back in the day).
We have a large and eclectic range of new and pre-loved vinyl on hand, as well as stocking turntables, CDs, books, DVDs and music-related t-shirts and paraphernalia. Sonic Sherpa also curates ranges for the region’s larger music festivals such as Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival (Byron Bay), CMC Rocks, Gympie Muster, Tamworth Country Music Festival and many more such gatherings.
New Arrivals
Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison
US indie rock behemoth The National’s frontman Matt Berninger makes his first solo statement, comes with a free green slipmat (while stocks last).
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Mr Bungle – The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo
The first new Mr. Bungle release since 1999 is the band’s re-recording of their original 1986 high school thrash metal demo tape, first pressing on 2-LP red vinyl.
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Midnight Oil – The Makarrata Project
New Midnight Oil release The Makarrata Project is a themed mini-album of collaborations with Indigenous artists, first pressing on limited edition yellow vinyl.
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Deftones – Ohms
Deftones have announced the release of their hugely anticipated new album ‘Ohms’, on limited edition gold vinyl.
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Lana Del Ray – Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass
An unprecedented spoken word audiobook which features Lana Del Rey reading 14 select poems from the book accompanied by music from Grammy Award-winning musician Jack Antonoff.
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Various Artists – Wilcovered
This 2-LP collection comprises 19 Wilco covers recorded by notable artists such as Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile, Sharon Van Etten, Low, Cate Le Bon and Parquet Courts.
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Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple’s fifth studio album is the sound of a woman freeing herself from the constraints of form, expectation, and establishment — burning everything down to make a profoundly singular work unlike anything that’s ever existed.
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Idles – Ultra Mono
For their third album belove UK post-punks IDLES decamped to Paris and set out to capture the feeling of a hip hop record, with typically scabrous results.
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Guided By Voices – Mirrored Aztec
Like its immediate predecessors, ‘Mirrored Aztec’ is both its own entity and unmistakably Guided By Voices. It’s also their most immediately welcoming and inviting offering in years.
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Pavement – Sensitive Euro Man Picture Disc
Pavement celebrate the 25-year anniversary of Belly’s favourite album ‘Wow Zowee’ with a limited edition picture disc!
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Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness 2020 reissue
Due: 30 Nov
New limited edition 4-LP box set, the re-mastered edition of the US alt-rock quartet Smashing Pumpkins’ 1995 career-defining double album.
TISM – On Behalf Of TISM I Would Like To Concede That We Lost The Election
Due: 4 Dec
They’re back! Oz rock’s fave masked marauders return with a 2-LP live album recorded at their final ever gig back in 2004, first pressing on limited edition blue vinyl!
Guns N’ Roses – Greatest Hits
Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Greatest Hits’ is being released on 2-LP vinyl for the very first time, with the first pressing on limited edition Gold/Red/White splatter vinyl!
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Halfway – Rain Lover 2020 reissue
Due: Xmas, 2020
To celebrate their 20th anniversary much-loved Brisbane-via-Rockhampton alt-country outfit Halfway are releasing their lauded sixth LP ‘Rain Lover’ on limited edition 2-LP coloured vinyl!
Magic Dirt – What Are Rock Stars Doing Today (20th anniversary)
Due: 13 Nov
What Are Rock Stars Doing Today is the 2000 third studio album by legendary Australian rock band, Magic Dirt, and the 20th anniversary version is on limited white vinyl.
Powderfinger – Unreleased (1998-2010)
Due: 27 Nov
Brisbane rock icons Powderfinger are dropping a collection of new music called ‘Unreleased’ – songs from 1998-2010 which never found a home – and the first pressing on limited bone vinyl!
AC/DC – PWR/UP picture disc
Due: 13 Nov
AC/DC’s seventeenth full-length album PWR/UP is available on gatefold single limited edition picture disc vinyl.
Nick Cave – Idiot Prayer: Nick Cave Alone At Alexandra Palace
Due: 20 Nov
The soundtrack to Nick Cave’s frankly incredible solo film performance ‘Idiot Prayer: Nick Cave Alone At Alexandra Palace’ is being released on 2-LP vinyl.
Kurt Vile – Speed, Sound, Lonely KV EP
Due: 15 Jan 2021
Kurt Vile’s ‘Speed, Sound, Lonely KV (EP)’ was recorded and mixed in sporadic sessions that spanned four years at The Butcher Shoppe studio in Nashville, TN.
Tom Petty – Wildflowers & All The Rest
Due: 16 Oct
Tom Petty’s 1994 masterpiece ‘Wildflowers’ now revisited and reissued as ‘Wildflowers & All The Rest’, the entirety of the sessions available on numerous different formats and variations.
Angie McMahon – Piano Salt
Due: 2 Oct
Angie McMahon’s new EP ‘Piano Salt’ a collection of reimagined piano versions of Angie’s original songs, as well as a new song and two of her favourite covers.
Rancid – …And Out Come The Wolves 25th Anniversary Reissue
Due: DELAYED UFN
25th Anniversary edition of Rancid’s 1995 punk classic ‘…And Out Come The Wolves’ comes on limited edition opaque silver vinyl.
Wil Wagner – Spiralling
Due: 9 Oct
Spiralling is the new 7 track mini-album from The Smith Street Band frontman Wil Wagner, first pressing on limited edition clear vinyl.
Bruce Springsteen – Letter To You
Due: 23 Oct
‘Letter To You’ is Bruce Springsteen’s new studio album with the E Street Band, and is a rock album fueled by the band’s heart-stopping, house-rocking signature sound.
Something For Kate – The Modern Medieval
Due: 20 Nov
Something For Kate have revealed the title of their seventh studio album The Modern Medieval, their first new album in eight years and on extremely limited edition indie exclusive coloured vinyl!
L7 – Smell The Magic 2020 Reissue
Due: 18 Sep
Originally released in 1990, ‘Smell The Magic’ by LA outfit L7 is a landmark of ’90s feminist rock, first pressing on limited edition indie exclusive clear/orange/blue/grey splatter vinyl!
Coming Soon
Kate Miller-Heidke – Child In Reverse
Due: 30 Oct
Brisbane songstress Kate Miller-Heidke returns with her fifth studio album Child In Reverse – her first pop album in six years and possibly her most pop album yet.
EELS – Earth To Dora
Recorded at the EELS’ Los Feliz, California studio, Earth to Dora was produced by band leader Mark Oliver Everett just prior to – and partly during – the early days of the pandemic.
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Jeff Tweedy – Love Is The King
Due: 23 Oct
Wilco lynchpin Jeff Tweedy will release his fourth solo album ‘Love Is The King’, a collection of country-sounding tunes written in isolation to console himself.
Laura Veirs – My Echo
Due: 23 Oct
New album My Echo by excellent Portland alt-folk singer-songwriter Laura Veirs on limited edition 180gm translucent pink vinyl.
Ellis – Born Again
Due: 3 April
The full-length debut from Ellis, “Born Again” takes place in spaces both intimate and vast, ordinary and near-mythic.
Local Releases
Ben Salter – Summer Of The Loud Birds
Much-loved Queensland-bred singer-songwriter Ben Salterhas just released his brand new fifth solo studio album Summer Of The Loud Birds.
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Tia Gostelow – Chrysalis
FNQ-bred, Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Tia Gostelow’s second album ‘Chrysalis’ is a more upbeat, danceable collection showing a whole new compelling side to the artist.
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Grieg – Detritus
Sophomore LP from Brisbane Outsider Metal outfit Grieg, first with new line up. 7 tracks of freakish savagery.
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Gold Stars – Noise Bridge
Emergent local label Zang! Records presents the debut album from Gold Stars, Noise Bridge, on limited run vinyl (100 copies only worldwide)!
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Dollar Bar – Pyrrhic Victory
Pyrrhic Victory is the fourth and final record from underground Brisbane indie rockers Dollar Bar, peddler of catchily ragged, lo-fi nuggets in the vein of authentic ’90s legends such as Guided By Voices, Pavement et al.
Read MoreNews & Blog
Robert Forster ‘Inferno’ interview – Sonic Sherpa Exclusive!
In 2019 the great Robert Forster released his excellent seventh album Inferno, and here’s a lengthy chat he had with Belly (at the time for street press publication The Music) which has never before been public in its entirety!
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Belly’s new podcast Rewind With Steve Bell out now!
Belly’s new podcast Rewind With Steve Bell is up online now, already having peaked at #2 on the Apple Podcast music chart!
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Record Store Day 2020 Revamped Again!
Save the date Saturday 20 June, Record Store Day Australia is back and so is our infamous car park gig!
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PREMIERE: Dollar Bar release film clip for new single ‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’
Most wonderful Brisbane indie rock outfit Dollar Bar have been weaving their catchy magic for the best part of 20 years now, and they’re just releasing their brand new album Pyrrhic Victory! It’s their fourth and apparently final album – the follow-up to their wonderful Hot Ones (2015) – and is another typically scratchy collection … Read More
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Michelle Padovan explains her favourite new sub-genre, “Story Shouting”
Michelle Padovan is a former station manager at 4ZZZ and marketing manager for QMusic – currently co-owner of Brisbane indie label Coolin’ By Sound – and explains to us the advent of the possible new genre, Story Shouting.
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Chris Yates interviews Dave McCormack about Custard’s new album Respect All Lifeforms!
Chris Yates speaks to Dave McCormack about beloved Brisbane-bred indie rockers Custard’s second-phase renaissance and their sterling new eighth album ‘Respect All Lifeforms’.
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Noel Mengel, on indie music and the indie record store
It’s a deep connection, that store, that set, that steaming Brisbane summer day. It never leaves you. It’s a different experience to flicking through your phone..
Read MoreInstore Gigs Coming Up
All Instores Postponed Indefinitely
Due to the current coronavirus pandemic we’ve decided to indefinitely postpone our regular program of free instore gigs, out of concerns for the safety of all involved. As soon as it’s safe we’ll be back bringing you the chance to hear some of Australia’s brightest rising talent up close and personal, ’til then be safe … Read More
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Future Haunts Launch New EP Rushmore with free, all ages instore!
Postponed until new date TBA
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