The Lonely Goatherd Blog And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - Matthew 25:32
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Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
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October 27, 2009
New CD Album Releases, 10-27-2009: Del McCoury, Dolly Parton, Sting, Michael Jackson The big find this week is Los Lobos Goes Disney. Obviously, this outstanding and flavorful band coupled with some of the best pop songs of the last six or seven decades offers many choice goodies. "The Bare Necessities" rocks righteously. They pick also several lesser known songs from the canon, including "Grim Grinning Ghosts" and "The Ugly Bug Ball." I'm particularly pleased to note that they picked two songs from the Robin Hood movie, which is to say Roger Miller songs. I'm a little disappointed though that they didn't take a crack at "The Phony King of England," which would seem like the most obvious song for them there. But it's all good, however you want to look at it.
Sting has a Christmas album, If on a Winter's Night.... It's got two new Sting compositions, but mostly really old stuff, obscure enough stuff that I don't know any of it. Some of this stuff goes back to at least the 14th century, and he's after at least some modern incarnation of very old traditional English sounds. He's obviously consciously avoided anything holly and jolly, looking for somber invocations of the season and the Christ child. I tend to think of Sting as becoming progressively way too precious over his career, but this is perhaps where such traits pay off.
Also, there's the soundtrack to the new film of Michael Jackson's big concert rehearsal film Michael Jackson's This Is It. There seems to be one actual new song, and I'm to understand that the recordings are mostly not new live recordings, but basically backing tracks of the hit recordings to which the live dance rehearsals were set.
Here's the complete list of this week's new CD album releases:
Devendra Banhart What Will We Be Warner Bros. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Acid Folk, Neo-Psychedelia, Lo-Fi
Broadcast & the Focus Group Broadcast & the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age Warp Ambient Pop, Dream Pop, Post-Rock/Experimental, Indie Electronic
Creed Full Circle Wind-Up Post-Grunge
Gov't Mule By a Thread Evil Teen Jam Bands, Hard Rock, Blues-Rock
Heavy Trash Midnight Soul Serenade Big Legal Mess Rockabilly Revival, Garage Punk
Michael Jackson Michael Jackson's This Is It Epic Club/Dance, Pop/Rock, Motown, Dance-Pop
Dolly Parton Dolly [RCA/Legacy] Legacy Country-Folk, Country-Pop, Progressive Country, Traditional Country, Contemporary Country
R.E.M. Live at the Olympia [2CD/1DVD] Warner Bros. Alternative Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
The Swell Season Strict Joy Anti Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
U2 The Unforgettable Fire [Super Deluxe Edition] Island/Universal Album Rock, Post-Punk, Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, College Rock
Wolfmother Cosmic Egg DGC/Interscope/Modular Stoner Metal, Heavy Metal, Alternative Metal, Hard Rock
3 Revisions Metal Blade Alternative Metal, Progressive Metal
Matias Aguayo Ay Ay Ay Kompakt Left-Field House, Club/Dance, Experimental Techno
Tony Allen/Jimi Tenor Inspiration Information, Vol. 4 Strut Clubjazz, Afro-Beat, Contemporary Reggae, World Fusion
Atreyu Congregation of the Damned Hollywood Alternative Metal, Death Metal/Black Metal, Screamo
Between the Buried and Me The Great Misdirect Victory Alternative Metal, Post-Hardcore
Boat Setting the Paces Magic Marker Indie Rock, Indie Pop
James Brown Live at the Garden [Expanded Edition] Hip-O Select Funk, Soul
Sara Davis Buechner Jazz Nocturne: The Collected Piano Music of Dana Suesse E1 Modern Piano Music
A Day to Remember Homesick Victory Post-Hardcore, Heavy Metal
Dave Douglas A Single Sky Green Leaf Post-Bop
Melissa Etheridge A New Thought for Christmas [Deluxe Edition] [CD/DVD] Island Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Christmas
The Blind Boys of Alabama Duets Saguaro Road Traditional Gospel, Southern Gospel, Black Gospel, Reggae Gospel, Country Gospel, Blues Gospel
The Blind Boys of Alabama Enlightenment Great American Traditional Gospel, Southern Gospel, Black Gospel
Rosie Flores Girl of the Century Bloodshot Americana, Alternative Country, Neo-Traditionalist Country, Honky Tonk
Garage a Trois Power Patriot Telarc Post-Bop
Egberto Gismonti Saudacoes ECM Brazilian Folk, Brazilian Jazz, Modern Composition
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Family Go Waggaloo Smithsonian/Folkways Children's Folk, Sing-Along
Everette Harp First Love Shanachie Straight-Ahead Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Hem Twelfth Night RCA/Nettwerk Musicals, Contemporary Celtic
New CD Album Releases, 9-15-2009: Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Hornsby, Mark Knopfler God bless and keep Ricky Skaggs. He's out this week with Solo: Songs My Dad Loved. This is a beautiful bluegrass album. For being old songs his daddy loved, I only recognize one of them. So it's pretty much an album of new songs for most people. His mandolin picking is beautiful and his singing is better than I remember. He's distinctly got a bit of a Ralph Stanley thing going on vocally, which is a wonderful thing. You probably ought to hear this.
Also, Mark Knopfler has his sixth solo album, Get Lucky. Just on the basis of a few samples, this sounds pretty good. He's not Mr Charisma - just a talented songwriter and guitar player. He's rootsy with minimal self-consciousness, quiet and contemplative. This album is as high as #5 currently at Amazon.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases:
Big Star Keep an Eye on the Sky Rhino Proto-Punk, Pop/Rock, Power Pop
Drake So Far Gone Cash Money/Universal Motown Pop-Rap, Contemporary R&B, Hardcore Rap, Southern Rap
Nelly Furtado Mi Plan Universal Latino Pop/Rock
Kid Cudi Man on the Moon: The End of Day Universal Motown Left-Field Hip-Hop, Underground Rap, Alternative Rap
Muse The Resistance Warner Bros. Alternative Pop/Rock, Neo-Prog
Q-Tip Kamaal the Abstract Battery Neo-Soul, Contemporary R&B, Alternative Rap
Pete Yorn/Scarlett Johansson Break Up Atco/Rhino Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Alternative Pop/Rock
Anvil This Is Thirteen VH1 Classics Speed Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash
Armed for Apocalypse Defeat Metal Blade/Ironclad Death Metal/Black Metal
Big Punisher The Legacy: The Best of Big Pun Loud/Legacy Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, Hip-Hop, Latin Rap
The Black Dahlia Murder Deflorate Metal Blade Death Metal/Black Metal
Luiza Borac Chopin: Etudes; Six Polish Songs (transcribed Liszt) Avie Romantic Piano Music
Butterfly Boucher Scaryfragile Nettwerk Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Tyondai Braxton Central Market Warp Experimental, Post-Rock/Experimental, Creative Orchestra
Brownout Aguilas and Cobras Six Degrees Deep Funk Revival, Latin Rock, Afro-Beat
Cafe Tacuba Yo Soy Warner Music Latina Foreign Language Rock, Rock en Español
Cougar Patriot Counter Post-Rock/Experimental, Instrumental Rock, Indie Electronic
Cowboy Troy Demolition Mission: Studio Blue Sessions Winding Road Pop-Rap, Contemporary Country
Charlie Daniels Midnight Wind [Midnight Wind...Plus] Raven Urban Cowboy, Country Gospel, Southern Rock, Country-Rock, Traditional Country
New CD Album Releases, 8-25-2009: Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Queen Latifah The #3 seller currently at Amazon is American Classic, Willie Nelson's latest dip into the deep end of American standards. His jazzy side serves him well with material like this. "Fly Me to the Moon" would seem like it was written just for Willie to jam on while he's smoking up.
I can't remember anything new from Smokey Robinson really getting my attention in the last couple of decades, but the guy who wrote "Tracks of My Tears" and "Being With You" has a new album this week, Time Flies When You're Having Fun. It features input from Carlos Santana and India.Arie among others.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new releases:
New CD Album Releases, 8-18-2009: Sean Paul, Reba McEntire, Delbert McClinton Imperial Blaze isn't particularly burning up the charts right out of the box, but Sean Paul is probably numbers wise the top charting Jamaican artist in the US chart history. "Gimme the Light" was a pretty good hit, among a half dozen or so hit US chart singles.
Reba McEntire is back this week with Keep on Loving You. This is her first album in six years, and her debut with The Valory Music Co. It's #5 at Amazon currently.
Acquired Taste is the lucky 13th album for Texas blues guitarist and all round groovy dude Delbert McClinton.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases:
Brendan Benson My Old, Familiar Friend ATO Pop Underground, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
The Cave Singers Welcome Joy Matador Neo-Traditional Folk, Folk-Rock
Joe Henry Blood from Stars Anti Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Jazz Blues, Folk-Pop
Delbert McClinton Acquired Taste New West Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Americana, Roots Rock, Country-Rock, Electric Texas Blues, Blues-Rock, Rock & Roll
Sean Paul Imperial Blaze VP/Atlantic Dancehall, Pop, Pop-Rap
Jay Reatard Watch Me Fall Matador Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Garage Punk
The Antlers Hospice French Kiss Indie Rock, Chamber Pop, Lo-Fi
As Tall as Lions You Can't Take It with You Triple Crown Indie Rock, Ambient Pop
Black Sheep Kiss My Sweet Apocalypse Invada Experimental Rock, Indie Rock
Terence Blanchard Choices Concord Jazz Crossover Jazz, Post-Bop
Paul Burch And The WPA Ballclub Still Your Man Ramseur Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Americana, Alternative Country, Alternative Country-Rock, Country-Folk, Roots Rock
Lisa della Casa Richard Strauss: Arabella Decca Post-Romantic Opera
Clan of Xymox In Love We Trust Metropolis Darkwave, Goth Rock
The Cult Love [Expanded Edition] Beggars Banquet Alternative Pop/Rock, College Rock, Goth Rock, Hard Rock
Joey DeGraw Say Something Strong National Underground Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
Eliot Fisk Mario Castelnuevo-Tedesco: Guitar Works Nimbus Modern Music for Guitar
GWAR Lust in Space Metal Blade Heavy Metal, Thrash, Comedy Rock
Colin Hay American Sunshine Compass Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
K'NAAN The Dusty Foot on the Road [Bonus Track] Wrasse Alternative Rap, Political Rap, Underground Rap, Hip-Hop
Jim Lauderdale Could We Get Any Closer? Sky Crunch Americana, Alternative Country, Progressive Bluegrass, Progressive Country
Litmus Aurora Metal Blade Stoner Metal, Space Rock
MUTEMATH Armistice Warner Bros./Teleprompt Indie Rock, New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Post-Rock/Experimental
Reba McEntire Keep on Loving You Valory Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Willie Mitchell Ooh Baby, You Turn Me On Fat Possum/Hi Records Memphis Soul, Soul-Blues, Soul
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli Gaetano Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore Decca Romantic Opera
Mount Eerie Wind's Poem P.W. Elverum & Sun Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Alternative Pop/Rock
David Nail I'm About to Come Alive MCA Nashville Contemporary Country
Szymanowski Quartet Paris SWR Modern Music for String Quartet
Original Soundtrack Californication: Season 2 Lion's Gate Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Television Music, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, TV Soundtracks, Hard Rock
Original Soundtrack Mad Men, Vol. 2 Lion's Gate TV Soundtracks, Early British Pop/Rock, Vocal Jazz, Indie Rock, Vocal Pop, Rock & Roll
Otep Smash the Control Machine Victory Alternative Metal, Rap-Metal, Goth Metal
Jack Penate Everything Is New XL Indie Pop, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Pissed Jeans King of Jeans Sub Pop Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock
Sister Hazel Release Rock Ridge American Trad Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Third Eye Blind Ursa Major Mega Collider Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Post-Grunge, Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop/Rock
Richard Thompson Walking on a Wire Shout! Factory Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk, British Folk, Folk-Rock
Various Artists Girls Are At It Again: UK Beat Girls 1964-1969 Universal/Mercury Girl Group, Pop/Rock, British Invasion
New CD Album Releases, 3-11-2009: George Strait, Jessie James Twang is, by my best estimate, the 756th album by George Strait. He's still going strong after something like 30 years. This is currently the #2 album at Billboard.
The eponymous debut album Jessie James makes her the instant presumed new diva. It would appear that she's after a slutty pseudo-country prefab guar-an-teed hit with songs written or co-written with some American Idol judge and people who write Carrie Underwood and Garth Brooks songs. Whatever.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases:
Cobra Starship Hot Mess Fueled by Ramen Alternative Pop/Rock, Dance-Pop, Punk-Pop
Jessie James Jessie James Island/Mercury Pop, Club/Dance, Adult Contemporary, Dance-Pop, Country-Pop
The Rumble Strips Welcome to the Walk Alone Island UK New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Alternative Pop/Rock
Mindy Smith Stupid Love Vanguard Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Americana
George Strait Twang MCA Nashville New Traditionalist, Contemporary Country
Various Artists Woodstock: 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm [Box Set] Rhino Guitar Virtuoso, Boogie Rock, Acid Rock, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic, Roots Rock, Political Folk, Hard Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Folk-Pop, Blues-Rock, Rock & Roll
After Midnight Project Let's Build Something to Break Universal Motown Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
Gato Barbieri Tropico Verve Latin Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Jazz-Pop
The Bottle Rockets Lean Forward Bloodshot Alternative Country-Rock, Roots Rock
Box Elders Alice & Friends Box Elders Garage Rock Revival, Indie Rock, Lo-Fi
Randy Brown Welcome to My Room/Midnight Desire Shout! Memphis Soul, Deep Soul, Southern Soul, Quiet Storm
Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond 1975: The Duets A&M Standards, Mainstream Jazz, Torch Songs, Cool, West Coast Jazz
Rodney Carrington Make It Christmas Capitol Holiday, Christmas, Contemporary Country
Cavo Bright Nights Dark Days Reprise Post-Grunge, Hard Rock
Dead Swans Sleep Walkers Bridge Nine Screamo, Heavy Metal
Destroy All Monsters 74-76 Ecstatic Peace Obscuro, Detroit Rock, Proto-Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock
Devil's Anvil Hard Rock from the Middle East [Bonus Track] Rev-Ola/Pressure Drop Folk-Rock, Psychedelic, Hard Rock
The Dry Spells Too Soon for Flowers Antenna Farm Indie Rock, Americana
Fanny Rock & Roll Survivors Cherry Red Album Rock, Arena Rock, Glam Rock, Hard Rock
Sue Foley Queen Bee: The Antones Collection Retroworld Contemporary Blues, Modern Electric Blues
Robben Ford Soul on Ten Concord Modern Electric Blues, Crossover Jazz
Marcia Griffiths Play Me Sweet and Nice Trojan Contemporary Reggae, Lovers Rock
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live 1968 Paris/Ottawa [CD] Experience Hendrix Guitar Virtuoso, Acid Rock, Psychedelic, Blues-Rock
The Herbaliser Band Session 2 !K7 Clubjazz, Ambient Breakbeat
Stephen Hough My Favorite Things Nimbus Piano Encores & Showpieces
The Housemartins London 0 Hull 4 [Deluxe Edition] Mercury UK College Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Jangle Pop
Tom Jones The Body and Soul of Tom Jones/Tom Jones Sings She's a Lady Dutton Vocalion Adult Contemporary, Pop/Rock, Country-Pop
Tom Jones Close Up/Tom Vocalion AM Pop, Pop/Rock
Tom Jones Somethin' 'Bout You Baby I Like/Memories Don't Leave Like People Do Dutton Vocalion Adult Contemporary, Pop/Rock, Country-Pop
Dave Liebman & the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra Sketches of Spain Live Jazzheads Post-Bop
Liverpool Scene Amazing Adventures Of... RCA British Psychedelia, Psychedelic
John Martyn Solid Air [Deluxe Edition] [Bonus Tracks] Spectrum Audio British Folk-Rock, British Folk, Folk-Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Progressive Folk
Imelda May Love Tattoo Verve Forecast Rockabilly Revival, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Malcolm Middleton Waxing Gibbous Full Time Hobby Indie Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Mojo's Everything's Alright: The Complete Recordings Rpm British Invasion
Nash Ensemble Tavener: Canciones Españolas; Requiem for Father Malachy Lyrita Contemporary Vocal & Choral Music
Willie Nelson Lost Highway Lost Highway Western Swing Revival, Outlaw Country, Progressive Country, Traditional Country
New Christs Gloria Impedance Aussie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
Nisennenmondai Destination Tokyo Smalltown Supersound Post-Rock/Experimental, Instrumental Rock
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Gershwin: An American in Paris; Rhapsody in Blue; Ravel: Bólero; Pavane pour une infante defunte; Debussy: Prelude a Royal Philharmonics Masterwork Modern Orchestral Music
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg Together NSS Modern & Contemporary Music for Chamber Orchestra
Original Soundtrack Bandslam [Original Soundtrack] Hollywood Teen Pop, Soundtracks, Alternative Pop/Rock
The Proclaimers Notes & Rhymes Universal Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
The Reigning Sound Love and Curses In The Red Indie Rock, Garage Punk
Sailor Third Step/Checkpoint Glam/7T's AM Pop, Euro-Pop
Buffy Sainte-Marie Running for the Drum Gypsy Boy Contemporary Folk, Folk-Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Traditional Native American, Contemporary Native American, Progressive Folk, Political Folk, Traditional Folk, Country-Folk
Anna Ternheim Leaving On a Mayday [Verve Bonus Track] Verve Forecast Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Hank Thompson The Quintessential Hank Thompson 1948-1979 Raven Country Boogie, Bakersfield Sound, Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Traditional Country
Merle Travis Merle Travis Guitar/Walkin the Strings... Plus Raven Country Boogie, Traditional Country, Americana, Instrumental Country
Jim Turner Jelly Roll Blues: A Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton Arbors Stride, Ragtime
Various Artists Koyaanisqatsi [Original Motion Picture Score] Orange Mountain Music Contemporary Film Music
New CD Album Releases, 6-30-2009: Levon Helm, Brad Paisley, Wilco After 25 years between releases, Electric Dirt is the second Levon Helm album in three years. Dirt Farmer was an excellent album, and this is intended as a continuation of the idea. But whereas the last album was pretty distinctly acoustic and country, this album looks to fold back in a little more electricity and blues. He does an excellent version of Huey Long's famous "King Fish" campaign song that'll make you forget all about Randy Newman. One of the two songs on the album which he composed is "Growing Trade," which gives some reflection on the mixed feelings of an old farmer who has taken to raising marijuana. A body definitely needs to hear this record.
I can't quite remember any of his songs, but Brad Paisley has sold a buttload of records, so maybe I'm missing something. He's back this week with a new album, American Saturday Night. Maybe it's not just mediocre generic modern commercial country music.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new CD album releases:
Levon Helm Electric Dirt Vanguard Roots Rock, Country-Rock
Moby Wait for Me Mute Alternative Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Ambient Techno
Brad Paisley American Saturday Night Arista Contemporary Country, Neo-Traditionalist Country
Rob Thomas cradlesong Atlantic Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Wilco Wilco (The Album) Nonesuch Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Country-Rock
Ace Hood Ruthless Def Jam Southern Rap, Hardcore Rap
Jon Balke/Amina Alaoui/Jonhassell/Kheir Eddine M'Kachiche/Bjarte Eike Siwan ECM Avant-Garde Jazz, Modern Composition, Modern Creative
Beastie Boys Hello Nasty Grand Royal/Capitol Alternative Rap, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hip-Hop, Underground Rap
Dave Brubeck Essential Standards OJC Cool, West Coast Jazz
Ossie Davis A Voice Ringing O'er the Gale! The Orato Smithsonian/Folkways Spoken Word
Delain April Rain Roadrunner Progressive Metal, Goth Metal, Power Metal
Ensemble devotio moderna Loff unde ere (Praise and Glory): Music from Medingen Convent Cantate Medieval Vocal Music
Bill Evans Essential Standards OJC Post-Bop, Ballads
Fine Arts Quartet Faure: Piano Quintets Naxos Post-Romantic Chamber Music
Elliot Goldenthal Public Enemies [Score] Decca Original Score, Soundtracks, Vocal Jazz, Contemporary Blues
Vince Guaraldi Essential Standards OJC Mainstream Jazz, Cool, Latin Jazz, West Coast Jazz
Robin Guthrie Angel Falls Darla Experimental Ambient
David Jaurequi Fox Bat Strategy: A Tribute to Dave Jaurequi David Lynch Post-Rock/Experimental, Alternative Pop/Rock
Jefferson Airplane The Woodstock Experience Sony Legacy Folk-Rock, Psychedelic, Hard Rock, Album Rock, Pop/Rock
Janis Joplin The Woodstock Experience Sony Legacy Album Rock, Blues-Rock, Rock & Roll
Eleni Karaindrou Dust of Time (Music for the Film by Theo Angelopolous) ECM Original Score, Film Music
Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage [2009] Roadrunner Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Alternative Metal, Grindcore
Joseph Levine American Ballets EMI Classics Modern Ballet Music
Maino If Tomorrow Comes... Atlantic Underground Rap, East Coast Rap
Ted Nugent Motor City Mayhem: 6,000th Concert Eagle Album Rock, Hard Rock
Michael Schųnwandt Nielsen: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5 Naxos Modern Symphonies
Evan Parker/Electro-Acoustic Ensemble The Moment's Energy ECM Improvisation, Structured Improvisation, Modern Composition
Art Pepper Essential Standards OJC Cool, West Coast Jazz, Bop
Santana Woodstock Experience Sony Legacy Latin Rock, Album Rock, Psychedelic, Hard Rock, Blues-Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop/Rock
Andy Sheppard Movements in Colour ECM Modern Creative
Sly & Family Stone The Woodstock Experience Sony Legacy Psychedelic Soul, Pop/Rock, Funk, Soul
Stephen Sondheim Road Show Nonesuch Musicals, Show Tunes
Rod Stewart A Night on the Town [Collector's Edition] Stiefel Entertainment/WB Album Rock, Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Hard Rock, Rock & Roll, AM Pop
Rod Stewart Atlantic Crossing [Collector's Edition] Stiefel Entertainment/WB Album Rock, Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Hard Rock, Rock & Roll, AM Pop
Tanya Tucker My Turn Time Life Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Twisted Sister Stay Hungry: 25th Anniversary Edition Rhino Pop-Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Various Artists Now That's What I Call the 80s, Vol. 2 Sony Pop/Rock, Dance-Pop, Dance-Rock, Club/Dance, Contemporary R&B
Various Artists Now, Vol. 31 [US] Sony Legacy Pop, Dance-Pop, Pop-Rap, Contemporary R&B
Whitesnake Slide It In [25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition] [Bonus Tracks] [CD/DVD] Geffen Pop-Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Arena Rock, Hair Metal
Whitesnake Slip of the Tongue [20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition] [Bonus Tracks] [CD/DVD]] Geffen Pop-Metal, Hair Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Arena Rock
Johnny Winter The Woodstock Experience Sony Legacy Slide Guitar Blues, Modern Electric Texas Blues, Blues-Rock, Modern Electric Blues, Album Rock, Hard Rock
Wu-Tang Clan Playlist: The Very Best of Wu-Tang Clan Legacy East Coast Rap, Hip-Hop
New CD Album Releases, 4-14-2009: John Doe, Jill Sobule Looks kinda thin in the new releases this week. Perhaps there's an obscure group in this mess that I've not heard which is utterly brilliant.
The big name this week is John Doe. He started out as some idea of punk rock, and has been highly touted in some quarters for a quarter century. He's now finally worked his way around to making a full-fledged country album, Country Club. But for all the aclaim, and several attempts at listening to him over the years, I for one cannot remember a single song of this guy ever making any impression whatsoever on me personally - though in theory I should be a good audience for him.
This album consists of new arrangements of classic country songs. Naturally, he's going for real country sounds rather than some modern Garth Brooks crap, so that's to the positive. Also, he's somewhat significantly re-arranging these songs. The Bakersfield sound is invoked to explain some of this, which is to the good. But I'm more taken with the bit of Tex-Mex flavor of, for one, "Stop the World and Let Me Off." That gives the classic track a bit of fresh flavor.
Plus, some of these are less than 100% obvious choices. I am particularly pleased to see some props for my beloved Porter Wagoner through his rendition of "The Cold Hard Facts of Life." This is already getting more interest from me than anything else I've heard from John Doe. I will probably have try to get at least one good listen to this bad boy.
Jill Sobule made at least one really good basic pop song a few years back, "I Kissed a Girl." So that gets her at least some consideration. I've listened to all the samples for this new California Years album. They mostly sound okay. I'd go so far as to say that listening to the whole album probably wouldn't fill me with a strong desire to smash the CD into litle pieces. I was at least amused by the final track, "The Donor Song." According to the opening lyric, apparently she was raising money to record the album, and has her repaying donors by singing their names. Don't know that there's really a tune there, but it's at least cute.
Not particularly exciting, but these two albums would probably be at least half-listenable. That's about as good as we're going to get this week in new stuff.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases:
John Doe & the Sadies Country Club Yep Roc Alternative Country, Neo-Traditionalist Country
Grand Duchy Petits Fours Cooking Vinyl Indie Rock
Metric Fantasies Metric/Last Gang Indie Rock, New Wave/Post-Punk Revival
The Rakes Klang V2 New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Indie Rock, Punk Revival
Silversun Pickups Swoon Dangerbird Alternative Pop/Rock
Roy Ayers Ubiquity He's Coming Verve Soul-Jazz, Instrumental Pop
Gato Barbieri Chapter Two: Hasta Siempre Impulse! Latin Jazz, World Fusion, Free Jazz
Beck One Foot in the Grave [Expanded Edition] Geffen/K/Iliad Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Alternative Pop/Rock
Tony Bennett/Bill Evans The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings Fantasy Standards, Ballads, Vocal Jazz, Modal Music, Show Tunes
Art Blakey Soul Finger Verve Hard Bop
The Boy Least Likely To The Law of the Playground +1 Indie Pop
Bill Callahan Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle Drag City Indie Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Lars Danielsson Tarantella Act Music + Vision Post-Bop, Modern Creative
Dennis DeYoung One Hundred Years from Now DEP Adult Contemporary, Pop/Rock, Album Rock
Death Cab for Cutie The Open Door EP Atlantic Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock
Arne Deforce Morton Feldman: Patterns in a Chromatic Field Aeon Contemporary Chamber Music
Diamond Head Am I Evil?: Anthology Castle New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Dntel Early Works for Me If It Works for You II Plug Research Indie Electronic, Indie Rock
Fastball Little White Lies Mega Force Pop Underground, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop/Rock
Ella Fitzgerald Ella in Hollywood Verve Vocal Jazz, Traditional Pop, Standards, Ballads, American Popular Song
Josh Freese Since 1972 Outerscope Alternative Pop/Rock
Buddy Guy The Definitive Buddy Shout! Factory Electric Blues, Modern Electric Chicago Blues, Electric Chicago Blues, Chicago Blues
The Handsome Family Honey Moon Carrot Top Neo-Traditional Folk, Alternative Country, Alternative Country-Rock, Indie Rock
Alex Harvey/Sensational Alex Harvey Band Live at the BBC Spectrum Audio Glam Rock, Hard Rock, Album Rock
Angela Hewitt Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier Hyperion Baroque Keyboard Music
The House of Love Live at the BBC Universal Indie Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Noise Pop
Freddie Hubbard The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard Impulse! Hard Bop
Ida Maria Fortress Round My Heart Mercury Indie Pop, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Joe Jackson At the BBC Spectrum Pop/Rock, New Wave, Punk
Keith Jarrett Treasure Island Impulse! Avant-Garde Jazz, Post-Bop, Standards
The Juan MacLean The Future Will Come Dfa Left-Field House, Alternative Dance, Club/Dance, Neo-Electro
Life on Earth! A Space Water Loop Subliminal Sounds Neo-Psychedelia
Medeski Martin & Wood Radiolatians 2 Red Ink Jam Bands, Post-Bop, Avant-Garde Jazz, Jazz-Funk, Modern Creative, Soul-Jazz
The Mission UK Live and Last Eyes Wide Shut Alternative Pop/Rock, College Rock, Goth Rock, Dance-Rock
The Monks Black Monk Time Infinite Zero/American Garage Rock, Rock & Roll
The Monks The Early: 1964-1965 Light in the Attic Garage Rock, Rock & Roll
Lee Morgan Lee-Way Blue Note Hard Bop
Mud Rock On/As You Like It [Bonus Tracks] Glam/7T's Glitter, Glam Rock, Hard Rock
Willie Nile Places I Have Never Been [Bonus Tracks] River House Roots Rock, Rock & Roll, Americana
Noisettes Wild Young Hearts Mercury UK Garage Rock Revival, Indie Rock
Anne Sofie von Otter Bach Archiv Production Baroque Vocal Music
Andre Previn Andre Previn: An 80th Birthday Celebration RCA Red Seal Modern & Contemporary Orchestral & Chamber Music
Maurice Steger Venezia 1625 Harmonia Mundi Renaissance & Baroque Music for Recorder
Papercuts You Can Have What You Want Gnomonsong Indie Pop
Pomegranates Everybody, Come Outside! Lujo Indie Rock
Simon & Garfunkel Live 1969 Columbia/Legacy Folk-Rock, AM Pop, Folk-Pop
Siouxsie & Banshees Kiss in the Dreamhouse [Bonus Tracks] Polydor UK/Ume College Rock, Post-Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock, Goth Rock
Siouxsie and the Banshees Nocturne Geffen Post-Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock, College Rock, Punk
Jill Sobule California Years Pinko Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Sun City Girls Napoleon and Josephine: Singles, Vol. 2 Abduction Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Cowpunk, College Rock
Telepathe Dance Mother Iamsound Indie Rock
Trick Pony The Best of Trick Pony Warner Bros. Contemporary Country, Neo-Traditionalist Country
Various Artists Honey and Wine: Another Gerry Goffin and Carole King Song Collection Ace Brill Building Pop, Teen Idol, Surf, Early Pop/Rock, AM Pop, Rock & Roll, Folk-Rock, Doo Wop
Various Artists New Rubble, Vol. 4: Utopia Daydream Past & Present Indie Rock, Alternative Folk, Alternative Pop/Rock
Johnny Varro featuring Ken Peplowski Two Legends of Jazz Arbors Mainstream Jazz
Phil Woods The Children's Suite Jazzed Media Post-Bop
Yonlu A Society in Which No Tear Is Shed Is Inconceivably Mediocre Luaka Bop Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Alternative Pop/Rock, Bossa Nova
New CD Album Releases, 4-7-2009: Rascal Flatts, Neil Young, Billy Ray Cyrus Rascal Flatts are Unstoppable this week, with their fifth album. They've been running since 1999, so a decade now. They've sold something near to 20 million albums, won every kind of industry award repeatedly, and are generally THE face of modern commercial country music. I can't quite remember any of their songs, but I'm sure they're really good. As THE face of modern country music, I can at least say in defense of Rascal Flatts that they are not the traitorous dimwit Dixie Chicks. And Natalie still won't call me.
Neil Young digs cars, and the romance of the open road, as a metaphor for freedom and all that. This week he has an auto themed album, Fork in the Road. It features such songs as "Off the Road" "Fuel Line" and the title song. Preview clips I'm hearing for this sound minimally listenable, but I haven't particularly caught a strong hook out of them.
I am struck more than ever now, however, that Neil Young just cannot sing. He was never a very good vocalist, but with age and chemical abuse, you have to guess at what tune he might be trying to sing. At this point, he honestly cannot carry a tune. But then again that might partly be lack of having composed a distinctive tune to be carried. Listen to him "sing" on this album, and tell me if I'm wrong.
Billy Ray Cyrus is back this week with Back to Tennessee. You have to give a man credit for making and progressing as big a name for himself as he has with such limited talent. Plus, of course, he's raised a lovely young lady who's bigger than he is. So Billy Ray Cyrus is either doing something right, or it's a Bill Hicks thing.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new CD album releases:
Bat for Lashes Two Suns Astralwerks Indie Rock
Doves Kingdom of Rust Astralwerks/Heavenly Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock, Britpop
Jadakiss The Last Kiss Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/Ruff Ryde East Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap
Bob Mould Life and Times Anti Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Rascal Flatts Unstoppable Lyric Street Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Neil Young Fork in the Road Reprise Album Rock, Hard Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Country-Rock
Marta Argerich Martha Argerich and Friends Live from the Lugano Festival 2008 EMI Classics Live Chamber Music with Piano
Hank Ballard & the Midnighters Nothing But Good (1952 - 1962) Bear Family Doo Wop, Early R&B
Beastie Boys Check Your Head Grand Royal Alternative Rap, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hip-Hop
Black Dice Repo Paw Tracks Experimental Rock, Noise-Rock, Indie Rock, Indie Electronic
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone Vs. Children Tomlab Indie Rock, Indie Electronic
Chain and the Gang Down with Liberty... Up with Chains! K Garage Punk, Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Lo-Fi
Ray Charles Genius: The Ultimate Collection Concord Early R&B, Soul
Eddie Cochran Somethin' Else:The Ultimate Collection Bear Family Rockabilly, Rock & Roll
Comet Gain Broken Record Prayers Milou Studios Indie Pop, Indie Rock
Crystal Antlers Tentacles Touch & Go Experimental Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock
Billy Ray Cyrus Back to Tennessee Walt Disney/Lyric Street Contemporary Country
Erasure Total Pop! Deluxe Box [3CD/1DVD] Rhino Club/Dance, Alternative Pop/Rock, House, Dance-Pop, Alternative Dance, College Rock, Pop/Rock
The Felice Brothers Yonder Is the Clock Team Love Americana
Grateful Dead To Terrapin: Hartford '77 Rhino Jam Bands, Album Rock, Roots Rock, Rock & Roll
Grateful Dead Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings Rhino Jam Bands, Country-Rock, Album Rock
Merle Haggard Best of Merle Haggard [Capitol 2009] Capitol Bakersfield Sound, Traditional Country
Roy Hamilton Dark End of the Street 1963-1969: The Operatic Soul of Roy Hamilton Raven Pop-Soul, Uptown Soul, Early R&B, Early Pop/Rock, Soul
I Was a King I Was a King Control Group Indie Rock, Pop Underground, Shoegaze
It Hugs Back Inside Your Guitar 4AD Indie Pop, Indie Rock
Philippe Jaroussky Opium: Melodies françaises Virgin Classics French Art Songs
Joker's Daughter The Last Laugh Team Love Indie Pop, Folk-Pop
Junior Boys Begone Dull Care Domino Indie Electronic, Alternative Dance
Bettye LaVette Do Your Duty Sundazed Northern Soul, Soul
Lady Sovereign Jigsaw Midget Garage Rap/Grime
Micachu & The Shapes Jewellery Rough Trade Indie Electronic, Indie Rock
MIMS Guilt Capitol/EMI Pop-Rap, East Coast Rap
Marc Minkowski Bach: Mass in B minor Naive Baroque Choral Music
Moby Grape The Place and the Time Sundazed Rock & Roll, Country-Rock, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic
Esa-Pekka Salonen Salonen Deutsche Grammophon Contemporary Orchestral Music
Yuja Wang Sonatas & Etudes by Chopin, Scriabin, Liszt & Ligeti Deutsche Grammophon Romantic and Modern Piano Sonatas
Betty Padgett Betty Padgett Luv N Haight Soul
Pontiak Maker Thrill Jockey Experimental Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock
New CD Album Releases, 2-3-2009: Steve Martin, Melinda Doolittle, Wynonna Judd I haven't heard the whole album yet, but The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo from Steve Martin sounds pretty exciting. He's been known for banjo playing in his comedy act from the beginning, but has only just put out his first actual banjo music album. Fourteen of the fifteen songs are original Steve Martin compositions, some of them written decades ago.
The first song "Daddy Played the Banjo" is available for free download from Amazon, and it's quite excellent. It's a beautiful and lonely lament for a past that never was from a banjo player who has no child to share his banjo love with. This song will likely be on my best of 2009 list.
On a much more upbeat note, he sang another song from the album, "Late for School." It's a spritely but touching little number from the point of a boy who's missed the bus and running to make it to class, over the creek, jumping lawn ornaments and such.
Also, unlike most things that carry the name now, this is sounding like real country music. That pretty well tells you it'll never be played on country radio. This is definitely a must-have album.
Melinda Doolittle was the #3 finisher on American Idol in 2007. Coming Back to You is her debut album, an r&b record described as something in the range of Gladys Knight and the Pips.
Sing: Chapter 1 is the seventh solo album from Wynonna Judd. She describes it as a multi-genre collection of standards.
Here's the complete list of the week's major new releases:
Steve Martin The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo 40 Productions Bluegrass
Dierks Bentley Feel That Fire Capitol Contemporary Country
Melinda Doolittle Coming Back to You Hi Fi Neo-Soul, Contemporary R&B
The Fray The Fray Epic Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, American Trad Rock
Graham Nash Reflections [Box Set] Rhino Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Folk-Rock, Soft Rock, Album Rock, British Invasion, AM Pop
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Lonely Road Virgin Alternative Pop/Rock, Emo-Pop, Screamo
Marin Alsop Marin Alsop Conducts MacMillan, Adès & Higdon LSO Live Contemporary Orchestral Music
The Bad Plus For All I Care Heads Up Post-Rock/Experimental, Post-Bop
Bibio Vignetting the Compost Mush Indie Electronic, Post-Rock/Experimental
Larry Blank Rodgers & Hammerstein: Allegro Sony Musical Theater
Ann Hampton Callaway At Last Telarc Vocal Jazz, Standards
Chicago Chicago 18 Rhino Flashback/Warner Bros. Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock
Heartless Bastards The Mountain Fat Possum Indie Rock, Garage Punk
Iran Dissolver Narnack Noise Pop, Indie Rock
The James Gang Bang Rhino Flashback/Atco Album Rock, Hard Rock, Rock & Roll
Wynonna Judd Sing: Chapter 1 Curb Contemporary Country
Ben Kweller Changing Horses ATO Alternative Country-Rock, Indie Rock
Leona Lewis Spirit [Deluxe Edition] [CD/DVD] [Bonus Tracks] J-Records Pop Idol, Contemporary R&B, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary
Majesty Crush I Love You in Other Cities Full Effect Dream Pop, Indie Rock, Shoegaze, Alternative Pop/Rock
Dent May The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele Paw Tracks Indie Pop
Ronnie McNeir Ronnie McNeir [1972] Dusty Groove Smooth Soul, Soul
Willie Nelson/Asleep at the Wheel Willie and the Wheel Bismeaux Productions Western Swing Revival, Western Swing, Traditional Country
Daniel Taylor The Voice of Bach Sony BMG Europe Baroque Vocal Music
David Zinman Mahler: Symphony No. 5 [Hybrid SACD] RCA Red Seal Post-Romantic Orchestral Music
Original Soundtrack He's Just Not That into You [Soundtrack] New Line Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Film Music, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Soundtracks, New Wave, Alternative Pop/Rock
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Slumberland Indie Pop, Noise Pop, Shoegaze
Phosphorescent To Willie Dead Oceans Indie Rock, Alternative Folk, Lo-Fi
Telefon Tel Aviv Immolate Yourself Bpitch Control Experimental Techno, Alternative Dance
Aaron Tippin In Overdrive Country Crossing Truck Driving Country
Two Tongues Two Tongues Vagrant Emo-Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Punk-Pop
Various Artists Money Will Ruin Everything: The Second Edition Rune Grammaphon NW Structured Improvisation, Glitch, Sound Sculpture, Avant-Garde Jazz, Experimental Ambient, Experimental Dub, Electronica, Ambient Techno, Ambient Dub, Electro-Acoustic
Various Artists Yuanlin Chen: Away from Xuan Innova Contemporary Orchestral and Chamber Music
Von Bondies Love Hate and Then There's You Majordomo Garage Punk, Indie Rock, Garage Rock Revival
Jim White A Funny Little Cross to Bear Luaka Bop Americana, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Folk
The Zero Boys History of the Zero Boys Secretly Canadian American Underground, Hardcore Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock
Zero Boys Vicious Circle Secretly Canadian American Underground, Hardcore Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock
New CD Album Releases, 12-23-2008: Dim Lights, Thick Smoke Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, Cowboy Copas, Eddy Arnold This Christmas week I see absolutely nothing in the way of new music of any interest whatsoever. But then, you probably wouldn't be expecting much.
But I see a lovely series of re-issues from the German import Bear Family records, Dim Lights, Thick Smoke & Hillbilly Music. These look really outstanding. They are putting out separate volumes year by year from 1945 to 1970. So you get some depth in 27 selections from 1945, for starters.
These Bear Family imports are expensive as hell - and this stuff should be (and a lot of it probably is) absolutely public domain. But Bear routinely fairly well justify themselves with great musicology, picking good or influential stuff beyond just the obvious artists and hits, and with routinely outstanding notes and documentation. Even if the Porky Freeman Trio is likely public domain, where would you have found it?
Just for starters, the 1945 set has big names (but not necessarily the most obvious songs) from Bob Wills, Gene Autry and Ernest Tubb. But also, I'd be more interested in checking out the unfamiliar Jenny Lou Carson, Wesley Tuttle & Jerry Irby.
Just advancing one year to 1946, you get among 29 songs Eddy Arnold, Tex Ritter and Grandpa Jones - but also folks that even so dedicated a hillbilly musicologist as me doesn't know, like Cousin Emmy and Hank Penny. I'd be particularly interested to hear the Buchanan Brothers sing about "Atomic Power."
1947 brings the familiar Tex Williams "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)" and Bill Monroe - but also Fairley Holden and Clyde Moody. I'm particularly curious what a hillbilly singer named Billy Hughes in 1947 would have to say about a "Cocaine Blues."
You get the point by now that these volumes are all look to be outstanding and thoughtfully put together. You get your Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Roy Acuff and Merle Travis - and also some Arkie Shibley and Skeets McDonald. Still, at $27 a pop for single discs, I got to say they're just ASKING for someone to turn the whole series into one big (free) bittorent.
Still, that's enough music new and/or long forgotten to you for sweet Christmas dreaming.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Eddy Arnold There's Been a Change in Me (1951-1955) Bear Family Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan, Country-Pop, Cowboy, Traditional Country, Honky Tonk
Brutha Brutha Def Jam Urban, Contemporary R&B
The Cadillacs Rock Bear Family Doo Wop, Early R&B
Don Gibson Rocks Bear Family Traditional Country, Country-Pop, Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan
Original Soundtrack Revolutionary Road [Soundtrack] Nonesuch Original Score, Soundtracks
Original Soundtrack Slumdog Millionaire [Soundtrack] Interscope Alternative Dance, Club/Dance, Original Score, Film Music, Soundtracks, Bollywood, Hip-Hop
Lloyd Price Rocks Bear Family New Orleans R&B, Early R&B, Rock & Roll
Shirley & Lee Shirley & Lee Rock Bear Family New Orleans R&B, Early R&B
Sterling Simms Yours, Mine and the Truth Def Jam Urban, Contemporary R&B
Various Artists Dim Lights, Thick Smoke 1945 Bear Family Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Cowboy, Traditional Country
Various Artists Dim Lights, Thick Smoke 1946 Bear Family Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Cowboy, Traditional Country
Various Artists Dim Lights, Thick Smoke 1947 Bear Family Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Cowboy, Traditional Country
Various Artists Dim Lights, Thick Smoke 1949 Bear Family Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Cowboy, Traditional Country
Barger's Boutique - Pins, Magnets, Keychains for Obama, Palin, The Shield, David Bowie, Frank Sinatra, Hee Haw, Hank Williams, James Cagney,South Park Ol' Al's got a brand new bag going at Barger's Boutique, with groovy pinback buttons, refrigerator magnets and keychains representing lots of my favorite things - and maybe a few scarier ones to keep it real.
I wouldn't want to ask people to just give me money cause they like my website, but do please take a quick look at these Barger's Boutique selections. Roll over to find links to sales pages. You might find yourself a little something-something for 2 or 3 bucks that you just can't resist! I mean, where else you gonna find a refrigerator magnet of the Louvin Brother's Satan Is Real album, or a keychain with David Bowie and William S Burroughs?
New CD Album Releases, 11-4-2008: Brad Paisley, Mavis Staples, Harry Connick Jr Looks like pretty thin gruel this election day - and there's not much in the way of good new music either. But Brad Paisley's Play: The Guitar Album might be worth a listen. This album is largely instrumental, and includes contributions from among others BB King and Andy Griffith. I particularly like the CD cover image, which invokes the alternate idea of "playing" in a schoolyard. I'd be particularly interested in hearing the "Cluster Pluck." Besides the clever title, it includes the clustered talents of among others James Burton and Albert Lee.
Mavis Staples recorded Live: Hope at the Hideout this June. This includes classic political/religious songs like "Eyes On the Prize" as well as some new songs co-written with her producer Ry Cooder.
Christmas albums are a Harry Connick Jr specialty. This year we get What a Night! A Christmas Album. It is all vintage holiday songs, including "Holly Jolly Christmas" and "We Three Kings."
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Danielson Trying Hartz Secretly Canadian Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Hinder Take It to the Limit Universal Republic Post-Grunge
Megapuss Surfing Ada/Vapor Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Experimental Rock
Brad Paisley Play: The Guitar Album Arista Nashville/Sony BMG Nas Neo-Traditionalist Country, Instrumental Country, Contemporary Country, Guitar Virtuoso
Q-Tip The Renaissance Universal Motown East Coast Rap, Alternative Rap, Hip-Hop
Drew Andrews Only Mirrors Minty Fresh Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock
Nicholas Angelich Brahms: Piano Quartets Nos. 1-3 Virgin Classics Romantic Chamber Music
Sarah Brightman A Winter Symphony Manhattan Holiday, Adult Contemporary, Christmas
Peter Brotzmann The Brain of the Dog in Section Atavistic Free Improvisation, Modern Free
Dennis Brown The Best of Dennis Brown: The Niney Years Universal Roots Reggae, Smooth Reggae, Lovers Rock
Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 & 2 Inside Singer/Songwriter
Willie Clayton Soul and Blues Malaco Retro-Soul, Soul-Blues, Deep Soul, Southern Soul, Soul, Chicago Blues, Chicago Soul
Harry Connick, Jr. What a Night! A Christmas Album Columbia Traditional Pop
The Corporation Get on Our Swing/Hassles in My Mind Big Beat Psychedelic Pop
Travis Ode to J. Smith Red Phone Box British Trad Rock, Britpop
Various Artists Break-A-Way: The Songs of Jackie DeShannon Ace UK Brill Building Pop, Folk-Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Early Pop/Rock, Sunshine Pop, Folk-Pop
Various Artists J&S Harlem Soul Kent UK Soul
Various Artists Malt Shop Memories: Dancing in the Street Time Life AM Pop, Teen Idol, Girl Group, Early Pop/Rock, Rock & Roll
Various Artists SuperFunk, Vol. 6: The Mighty SuperFunk - Rare 45s and Undiscovered Masters 1967-1978 Beat Goes Public Funk
Various Artists Titan: It's All Pop! Numero Power Pop
Wild Beasts Limbo, Panto [Bonus Tracks] Domino Indie Rock
Wilderness (k)no(w)here Jagjaguwar Indie Rock
James Yorkston When the Haar Rolls In [#1] Domino Alternative Folk, British Folk-Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Progressive Folk, Contemporary Folk, Folk-Rock
ZZ Top Live from Texas Eagle Boogie Rock, Hard Rock, Blues-Rock
New CD Album Releases, 10-28-2008: Hank Williams, Toby Keith, Pink, Ryan Adams The biggest release this week is That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy from Toby Keith. I generally actively avoid modern commercial country music, but Keith has actually had at least a couple of good songs in time. He's definitely above average in such things. Plus, he's perhaps the only person alive who hates the danged Dixie Chicks worse than I do, so I'll have to give him some credit there.
Pink has a new album called Funhouse. Again, I'm probably not particularly the target market for this teen pop radio fodder, but Alecia Moore has definitely had at least several outstanding songs. Apparently she has broken up with her husband, and this is something of a divorce album. I doubt it'll make anyone forget Blood on the Tracks, but it would likely be worth a listen. Apparently she still gets along with the ex well enough to have him in the video, so that's nice.
Beyond any of that, there's a Time/Life box set of Hank Williams Sr, 54 tracks on three CDs of 1951 recordings for Mother's Best Flour Company. You'd think that some 50 years on, they'd have pretty well long since scraped the barrel for Hank Sr. But even the barrel scrapings of Hank the First beat almost anything else going. Plus, I do not recognize a good many of these song titles.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Ryan Adams/The Cardinals Cardinology Lost Highway Alternative Country-Rock, Singer/Songwriter
The Cure 4:13 Dream Geffen Alternative Pop/Rock
Deerhunter Microcastle Kranky Experimental Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental, Indie Rock
Eagles of Death Metal Heart On Universal Hard Rock, Garage Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock
Kaiser Chiefs Off with Their Heads B-Unique/Universal Motown Indie Rock
Pink Funhouse LaFace Dance-Pop, Urban, Pop/Rock
Snow Patrol A Hundred Million Suns Geffen/Fiction Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Dave Alvin The Best of the Hightone Years Shout! Factory Heartland Rock, Americana, Roots Rock
Burt Bacharach Live at the Sydney Opera House Verve Pop, AM Pop, Movie Themes, Film Music, Soundtracks, Early Pop/Rock
Black Milk Tronic Fat Beats Midwest Rap, Underground Rap
Cause Co-Motion! It's Time! Singles & EPs 2005-08 Slumberland Indie Rock
Ry Cooder The Ry Cooder Anthology: The UFO Has Landed Rhino Contemporary Blues, Roots Rock, Country-Rock, Blues-Rock, Album Rock, Americana, Film Music, Instrumental Rock
Cradle of Filth Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder Roadrunner Goth Metal, Heavy Metal, Death Metal/Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal
Crystal Stilts Alight of Night Slumberland Indie Rock, Noise Pop
Diana Damrau Donna: Opera and Concert Arias by Mozart Virgin Classics Classical Vocal Music
Bo Diddley Gold Geffen Rock & Roll, Early R&B, Electric Chicago Blues
Celine Dion My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection Sony Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock
The 88 Not Only... But Also Island Indie Rock, Indie Pop
I Am Robot and Proud Uphill City Darla Indie Electronic, IDM
It's a Musical Music Makes Me Sick Morr/M.M. Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop
Kara Karayev Kara Karayev: Symphony No. 3. Leyla and Mejnun; Don Quixote Naxos Modern Orchestral Music
Toby Keith That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy Show Dog Nashville Contemporary Country
Angelika Kirchschlager My Heart Alone Sony Classical Operetta Arias and Duets
Kottonmouth Kings The Green Album Suburban Noize Rap-Metal, Alternative Metal, Funk Metal
Erich Kunzel Vintage Cinema Telarc Orchestral Film Music
Lady Gaga The Fame Interscope Urban, Dance-Pop
John Legend Evolver G.O.O.D./Columbia Contemporary R&B, Pop
Jerry Lee Lewis The Original Greatest Hits Time/Life Rock & Roll, Rockabilly, Honky Tonk, Traditional Country
Living Colour CBGB Omfug Masters CBGB Alternative Metal, Alternative Pop/Rock, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, College Rock, Album Rock
New CD Album Releases, 10-14-2008: Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, Aretha Franklin, Kenny Chesney Kenny Chesney has a new album out, Lucky Old Sun. Sounds like lazy beach music, from what I've heard about it. I know he's sold some records, but has he ever had a memorable song? I can't remember any.
Lucinda Williams has been rather less commercially succesful, probably largely because she's made something more like real country music. Couldn't play her back to back on the radio with some Shania Twain or Garth Brooks crap, or there'd be riots. She's back this week with Little Honey. Yet as I write this, I find that Chesney's #62 at Amazon - and Miss Lucinda is number frickin' ONE! Yee-haw! She's generally known more for brooding introspection, but her comments, previews and reviews of this album all sound rather happier than usual.
There's a three disc set of Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison. The set includes two CDs, and a vintage documentary of Johnny at Folsom, January 13, 1968.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Kenny Chesney Lucky Old Sun [Deluxe Edition] Blue Chair/BNA/Sony BMG Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Nikka Costa Pebble to a Pearl Stax Neo-Soul, Retro-Soul
Keane Perfect Symmetry Island Alternative Pop/Rock
Ray LaMontagne Gossip in the Grain RCA Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Lucinda Williams Little Honey Lost Highway Alternative Folk, Americana, Alternative Country-Rock
Daniel Barenboim Mozart: Requiem; Bruckner: Te Deum EMI Classics Classical and Romantic Choral Music
Paris Bennett A Royal Christmas CC Holiday, Contemporary R&B, Christmas, Adult Contemporary
Tony Bennett A Swingin' Christmas RPM Records/Columbia Vocal Jazz, Traditional Pop, Christmas
David Bowie iSelect Astralwerks Album Rock, Experimental Rock, Pop/Rock, Prog-Rock/Art Rock
Buena Vista Social Club At Carnegie Hall Nonesuch Cha-Cha, Son, Bolero, Mambo
Buttless Chaps Cartography Mint Indie Rock, Alternative Country-Rock
Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison [Legacy Edition 2CD/DVD] Columbia/Legacy Traditional Country, Country-Pop, Progressive Country
Vic Chesnutt/Elf Power/The Amorphous Strums Dark Developments Orange Twin Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock
Comeback Kid Through the Noise Victory Hardcore Punk
Chris Connelly Forgiveness and Exile Durtro/Jnana Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Post-Rock/Experimental, Improvisation, Structured Improvisation, Avant-Garde
Julian Cope Black Sheep Head Heritage Neo-Psychedelia, Alternative Pop/Rock
Copeland You Are My Sunshine Tooth & Nail Alternative Pop/Rock
Billy Currington Little Bit of Everything Mercury Nashville Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Detroit Grand Pubahs Nuttin' Butt Funk Detelefunk Electro-Techno, Detroit Techno, Club/Dance, Techno
Dillinger Four Civil War Fat Wreck Chord Punk Revival, Post-Hardcore, Punk-Pop
Eroica Trio An American Journey EMI Classics Modern and Contemporary Chamber Music
The Fleshtones Stocking Stuffer Yep Roc Garage Rock Revival, Christmas
The Foreign Exchange Leave It All Behind Hall of Justus/Nicolay Music Contemporary R&B, Underground Rap, Hip-Hop
Aretha Franklin This Christmas [Borders Exclusive] DMI Holiday, Contemporary R&B, Christmas, Adult Contemporary
Bobbie Gentry Ode to Billie Joe/Touch 'Em with Love Raven Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan, Country-Pop, Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop/Rock, Early Pop/Rock
Gloria Dei Cantores Mark O'Connor: Folk Mass Omac Contemporary Choral Music
Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs Dirt Don't Hurt Transdreamer Punk Blues
Gomez Bring It On [10th Anniversary Collector's Edition] Caroline British Trad Rock, Britpop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Paul Hillier Toivo Tulev: Songs [Hybrid SACD] Harmonia Mundi Contemporary Vocal Music
I'm from Barcelona Who Killed Harry Houdini? Mute Indie Pop, Chamber Pop
Al Jarreau Christmas Rhino Contemporary Jazz, Holiday, Vocal Jazz, Christmas, Smooth Jazz, Crossover Jazz
Joe Greatest Hits Zomba Contemporary R&B, Urban, Adult Contemporary
Los Lonely Boys Christmas Spirit Epic Roots Rock, Tex-Mex, Modern Electric Blues
The Louvin Brothers Country Love Ballads/Ira and Charlie Raven Close Harmony, Traditional Country, Traditional Bluegrass, Bluegrass-Gospel
Menahan Street Band Make the Road by Walking Daptone Downtempo, Retro-Soul
Ingrid Michaelson Be OK Original Signal Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
The Mighty Underdogs Droppin' Science Fiction Definitive Jux Alternative Rap, West Coast Rap, Hip-Hop, Underground Rap
John Michael Montgomery Time Flies Rocket Science Contemporary Country
Anne-Sophie Mutter Bach: Violin Concertos; Gubaidulina: In tempus praesens Deutsche Grammophon Baroque and Contemporary Music for Violin and Orchestra
The Organ Thieves Mint Indie Rock, New Wave/Post-Punk Revival
Original Soundtrack How to Lose Friends and Alienate People Island/Mercury Soundtracks, British Invasion, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
Original Soundtrack W [Soundtrack] Lion's Gate Outlaw Country, Soundtracks, Honky Tonk
Teddy Pendergrass Life Is a Song Worth Singing [Total Soul Classics] Sony Legacy Philly Soul, Soul, Quiet Storm
Benoît Pioulard Temper Kranky Indie Electronic, Electronica, Post-Rock/Experimental, Dream Pop
Secret Machines Secret Machines TSM Alternative Pop/Rock
Sixpence None the Richer The Dawn of Grace Nettwerk Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Todd Snider Peace Queer Mega Force Americana, Alternative Country, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Phoebe Snow Live Verve Forecast Singer/Songwriter, Pop/Rock, Contemporary Folk
J.D. Souther If the World Was You Mega Force Jazz-Rock, Soft Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers Inside Tracks Telarc Modern Electric Blues
Various Artists The Big Top Records Story: Classic New York Pop 1958-1964 Ace Brill Building Pop, Doo Wop, Early Pop/Rock, Teen Idol, Girl Group, Rock & Roll, R&B
Various Artists Country Boy's Dream Bear Family Americana, Country Boogie, Instrumental Country, Honky Tonk, Bluegrass, Country-Folk, Rockabilly, Western Swing, Country-Pop, Traditional Country
Various Artists Do-Wah-Diddy: Words and Music by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry Ace Brill Building Pop, Girl Group, Early Pop/Rock
The Vivian Girls Vivian Girls In The Red Noise Pop, Indie Pop
New CD Album Releases, 9-30-2008: Ben Folds, Faith Hill, Todd Rundgren, Mary Chapin Carpenter Way to Normal sounds like the most promising new release this week. After the moody introspection of recent albums, this seems more akin to the classic witty bite of old from Ben Folds Five. For example, the first song "Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head)" is something of an Elton John tribute detailing the story of Ben Folds falling off a stage in Japan. "Bitch Went Nuts" also sounds like a promising title, coming from this guy.
Todd Rundgren has a new album called Arena. It appears to be, as implied by the title, a return to more of a big rock arena sound than in recent albums.
There's a big honkin' new box set of Roy Orbison, The Soul of Rock and Roll. This has 30 odd more songs than the previous Orbison box, including a number of previously unreleased recordings.
There are also several more Christmas albums this week, including yuletide tuneage from Mary Chapin Carpenter, Faith Hill and Melissa Etheridge.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
The Jesus and Mary Chain The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities Blanco Y Negro/Rhino College Rock, Noise Pop, Post-Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock
Mercury Rev Snowflake Midnight V2 Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Roy Orbison The Soul of Rock and Roll Legacy Pop/Rock, Pop, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly
Todd Rundgren Arena Hi Fi Album Rock, Arena Rock, Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
T.I. Paper Trail Grand Hustle/Atlantic Southern Rap, Gangsta Rap
Robin Thicke Something Else Star Trak/Interscope Urban, Contemporary R&B, Neo-Soul
Absentee Victory Shorts Memphis Industries Indie Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Alternative Country-Rock
Anberlin New Surrender Universal Republic Indie Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
The Archies The Archies Christmas Party Fuel 2000 Christmas, Teen Pop
Joseph Arthur & the Lonely Astronauts Temporary People Lonely Astronaut Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Beaujolais Love at Thirty Parasol Indie Pop
Boduf Songs How Shadows Chase the Balance Kranky British Folk, Post-Rock/Experimental, Indie Electronic
Frannk Caliendo All Over the Place Warner/Reprise Standup Comedy
Mary Chapin Carpenter Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas Zoe Country-Folk, Contemporary Country
New CD Album Releases, 8-19-2008: David Byrne, Glen Campbell, Ice Cube Big Love: Hymnal is David Byrne's instrumental score to the second season of the HBO show Big Love, along with some new Byrne songs - his first since 2004. "I had an idea to base my scoring loosely on Mormon hymns. That would presumably hint at the unspoken spiritual underpinnings that motivate many of the characters' actions - or justify them, in some characters' cases. I got hymnals and Mormon Hymns CDs, read up on the Mormon Church and began to practice writing 'fake' hymns."
Coming from David Byrne, this might be interesting - though you'd generally obviously prefer actual religious music rather than an academic approach to any idea of gospel music.
Meet Glen Campbell seems like an odd title for a new album somewhere near 50 years into a career. He's working with modern pop songs, including Tom Petty's under appreciated classic "Walls." Not that it will make you forget Bono, but from the samples, "All I Want Is You" sounds most interesting. It gets at a different flavor from U2 with Campbell's classic production sound, with the folksy picking and string arrangement.
Raw Footage is the newest joint by Ice Cube. As one of the original Niggas With Attitude, his musical act has mostly been noteworthy for his scary Negro shtick, which you can see in the typically cartoonish cover photo. In fairness though, he's had a couple of worthwhile songs out of maybe a dozen and a half albums. "It Was a Good Day" was actually worthwhile. But I'm hearing nothing hear that sounds like any kind of real song.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Laura Marling Alas I Cannot Swim Virgin Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Music Tapes Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes Merge Indie Rock, Lo-Fi
Jennifer O'Connor Here with Me Matador Indie Rock
Andrew Russo Mix Tape Allegro Contemporary Piano Arrangements
Ragna Schirmer Joseph Haydn Revisited Berlin Classics Classical Music for Keyboard
Outrageous Cherry Wide Awake in the Spirit World: The Best of Outrageous Cherry Wicked Cool Indie Pop, Pop Underground, Alternative Pop/Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock
Aaron Parks Invisible Cinema Blue Note Post-Bop, Modern Creative
John Pizzarelli With a Song in My Heart Telarc Vocal Jazz, Standards
Pram The Moving Frontier Domino Experimental Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental, Dream Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock
Ra Ra Riot The Rhumb Line Barsuk Indie Rock, Chamber Pop
The Royal We The Royal We Domino Indie Pop
Xavier Rudd Dark Shades of Blue Anti Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Aussie Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Urban Folk
Wanda de Sah Brasil '65/Softly! DRG Bossa Nova, Samba, Latin Pop, Lounge
Shwayze Shwayze Geffen Pop-Rap
Starling Electric Clouded Staircase Bar/None Chamber Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock
New CD Album Releases, 8-12-02008: Jonas Brothers, Beer for My Horses soundtrack, David Sanborn A Little Bit Longer is the third album from the Jonas Brothers. Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas and Kevin Jonas are the hottest boy band in America in 2008. So far though, as an actual adult fan of music, I haven't heard anything much noteworthy. This is generic pop rock for little 'tween girls.
But they do seem like fine young Christian men. Good luck to fellows in their position in staying true to the purity rings they've been known to wear, indicating a commitment not to have premarital sex. This is at least better than the ugly rutting sounds of, say, Pretty Ricky.
Beer for My Horses is the soundtrack album for a new movie starring and co-written by Toby Keith. It's purportedly a comedy about a couple of goofy deputy sheriff's taking on a drug dealer. This movie features the acting talents and soundtrack contributions of Ted Nugent, David Allan Coe and Willie Nelson.
Here & Gone is the 23rd David Sanborn album. Among others, this album features playing from Eric Clapton, Sam Moore and Joss Stone.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Jonas Brothers A Little Bit Longer Hollywood Pop/Rock, Teen Pop
Janelle Monae Metropolis: The Chase Suite [Special Edition] Bad Boy Alternative Pop/Rock
Bigelf Cheat the Gallows Custard Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Prog-Rock/Art Rock
Bo Diddley Road Runner: The Chess Masters 1959-1960 Hip-O Select Rock & Roll, R&B, Electric Chicago Blues
The Dufay Collective The Play of Daniel Harmonia Mundi Renaissance Vocal Music
The East Village Opera Company Olde School Decca Classical Pop, Classical Crossover, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
The Final Solution Brotherman Numero Blaxploitation, Chicago Soul, Original Score, Soul, Funk
David Geringas Peteris Vasks: Gramata cellam; Partita; Episodi e canto perpetuo Haenssler Classics Contemporary Chamber Music
Zach Hill Astrological Straits Ipecac Noise-Rock, Indie Rock, Experimental Rock, Progressive Metal, Guitar Virtuoso, Neo-Psychedelia
Dave Hollister 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection Hip-O Urban, Contemporary R&B
Jason & the Scorchers The EMI Years Acadia College Rock, Heartland Rock, Cowpunk, Roots Rock, Country-Rock, Rock & Roll, Americana
Jefferson Airplane Bark/Long John Silver Acadia Album Rock, Hard Rock, Acid Rock, Rock & Roll, Psychedelic
Wilhelm Kempff Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3; Haydn: Symphony No. 94 "Surprise" Audite Classical and Romantic Orchestral Music
New Kids on the Block Greatest Hits [Bonus Tracks] Sony Teen Pop, Urban, Dance-Pop
James O'Donnell Francisco Guerrero: Missa Sancta et immaculata Hyperion UK Renaissance Choral Music
Original Soundtrack Beer for My Horses Show Dog Nashville Outlaw Country, Contemporary Country
Original Soundtrack Star Wars: The Clone Wars Sony Classical Original Score, Soundtracks
The Pack A.D. Funeral Mixtape Mint Indie Rock, Garage Rock Revival, Punk Blues, Blues-Rock
Inara George/Van Dyke Parks An Invitation Everloving Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Vocal Jazz
Rosebuds Discoballs: A Tribute to Pink Floyd Collectors' Choice Music Club/Dance, Disco
S.M.V. Thunder Heads Up Smooth Jazz, Crossover Jazz
David Sanborn Here & Gone Decca Smooth Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Contemporary Jazz
Angus & Julia Stone A Book Like This Capitol Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop
Irma Thomas Simply Grand Rounder New Orleans R&B, Soul, Louisiana Blues
Various Artists The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 10: 1970 Hip-O Select Smooth Soul, Motown, Funk, Soul
Various Artists Portland Cello Project Portland Cello Project Arrangements for Cello Ensemble
Leon Ware Moon Ride Stax Smooth Soul, Quiet Storm, Adult Contemporary, Urban
Ben Weaver The Ax in the Oak Bloodshot Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock
Yung Berg Look What You Made Me Koch/Epic Pop-Rap, Hardcore Rap
New CD Album Releases, 7-15-2008: Passing Strange cast album, Randy Travis, John Mellencamp, Dark Knight soundtrack The big deal this week for cool folks comes from the most distinguished composer Stew, The Negro Problem incarnate - and now a Tony award winning Broadway composer and star. The original Broadway cast recording of Passing Strange is out this week. Did I mention that Stew won a Tony for this musical, and was nominated for six others? Spike Lee is filming the show for some kind of movie presentation.
It is an autobiographical tale of the young middle-class boho tripping across Europe. There are fairly many artsy pop music styles here, but early on I'm particularly taken with "We Just Had Sex." It's some kind of light samba or mambo or such, a very catchy and carefully non-chalant by-the-way about how it's no big deal that the characters have just had three way sex.
Brother Stew is one of the greatest songwriters working today. If you don't know Stew, you don't know jack. Download "The Big Game", one of his best songs for free.
Also, here are a couple more outstanding recent Stew songs: DOWNLOAD: Pastry Shop An excellent melody informing a particularly good and understated anti-war sentiment DOWNLOAD: Black Men Ski An outstanding arty pop song
Randy Travis has Around the Bend. That voice is as good as ever. He makes a nice, light fiddle hoedown out of "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright." Hearing his delivery here made me notice what a surprisingly nimble and bouncy touch he can get out of that deep voice.
Life Death Love and Freedom is the newest from our Hoosier hometown hero John Mellencamp. Love the homeboy, but the Little Bastard really hasn't written a song that anyone really needs to hear in at least a decade. The fading of talent isn't so awful. He wrote "Lonely Ol' Night" and "Love and Happiness" if he never wrote another song. But even as one of his biggest fans, I get more disgusted by the year with his increasingly dishonest self-righteous malice in dumb crap like this slanderous "Jena" song.
The less interesting his tunesmithing gets, the more supposedly profound his lyrics become, and the more pronounced his need to establish his cheap sense of righteous superiority over his neighbors. Nothing I'm hearing on this album does anything to change that outlook.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
David Banner The Greatest Story Ever Told SRC/Universal Motown Dirty South, Southern Rap, Hardcore Rap, Gangsta Rap
Dirty Pretty Things Romance at Short Notice Mercury Indie Rock
The Hold Steady Stay Positive Vagrant Indie Rock, American Trad Rock, Rock & Roll
Nas Nas Def Jam Political Rap, Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Hip-Hop
Claudio Abbado Marches and Dances Deutsche Grammophon Marches and Dances for Orchestra
Bajofondo Mar Dulce Vibra Electronica, Tango
Don Braden Gentle Storm Highnote Post-Bop, Modern Creative
Daedelus Love to Make Music To Ninja Tune Indie Electronic, Experimental Techno
Foreigner No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner Atlantic/Rhino Album Rock, Arena Rock, Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons The Motown Years Hip-O Select Pop, Doo Wop
Delta Goodrem Delta Decca Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Gossip Rework It Backyard Indie Rock, Garage Punk, Lo-Fi
The Grascals Keep on Walkin' Rounder Contemporary Bluegrass, Progressive Bluegrass
Honeybus Story Deram Psychedelic Pop, British Psychedelia
The Imagined Village The Imagined Village Real World Neo-Traditional Folk, Alternative Folk, Worldbeat
Jet Black Stare In This Life Island Post-Grunge, Hard Rock
Gunar Letzbor Wenzel Ludwig Edler von Radolt: Viennese Lute Concertos Challenge Classics Baroque Music for Lute and Ensemble
John Mellencamp Life Death Love and Freedom Hear Music Pop/Rock, Roots Rock
The Music Strength in Numbers Polydor Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Trio Wanderer Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du Temps Harmonia Mundi Modern Chamber Music
Original Soundtrack American Teen Almost Gold Soundtracks, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Singer/Songwriter
Original Soundtrack The Dark Knight [#1] Warner Bros. Original Score, Soundtracks
New CD Album Releases, 7-8-2008: Del McCoury in Moneyland, Beck, and Willie Nelson teams with Wynton Marsalis Country music revisits the Dust Bowl this week with the multiple artist concept album Moneyland, re-connecting country music with new and old recordings of songs with themes of economic populism. The album is framed with vintage FDR fireside chats. There are a couple of cuts with Merle Haggard, and also Emmylou Harris singing his "Mama's Hungry Eyes."
Best of all, we get four cuts with Del McCoury. Somehow, McCoury has managed to shoehorn in a country version of "When I'm 64." This seems like pretty much of a stretch conceptually to the idea of the album, but I'm sure glad of it. Turns out that Paul McCartney wrote a classic bluegrass song. Who knew?
Probably the biggest commercial deal this week is Modern Guilt by Beck. It is currently #2 at Amazon. The biggest point of interest to me is that it was produced by Brian Burton aka DJ Dangermouse, half of Gnarls Barkley. Burton's sound palette is not particularly a stretch for Beck, but he's about the best in the business with it. The samples at Amazon sounded pretty good, but probably more for the general production sound rather than anything in the compositions. But that might be subject to further consideration on hearing the full songs.
Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis recorded Two Men with the Blues live at the Lincoln Center on January 12 & 13, 2007. They mostly did old jazz and blues standards, including "Caldonia," an old Louis Jordan favorite of mine. It's not really that much of a stretch for Willie Nelson to play jazz. Even doing country music, his vocal inflections in particular often sound pretty jazzy. What I'm hearing sounds pretty hot. This would definitely be worth a couple of good listens.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Beck Modern Guilt DGC Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Neo-Psychedelia
Albert Hammond, Jr. ¿Como Te Llama? Red Ink Indie Rock
Billy Joel The Stranger [2CD Deluxe Edition] Sony Legacy Album Rock, Pop/Rock, Soft Rock
Willie Nelson/Wynton Marsalis Two Men with the Blues Blue Note Standards
Abe Vigoda Skeleton PPM Indie Rock
Albatros Ensemble Nino Rota: Improvviso Stradivarius Modern Chamber Music
Bad Religion New Maps of Hell [Deluxe Version] Epitaph American Underground, Hardcore Punk, Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock, L.A. Punk
Chiara Banchini Giuseppe Tartini: Sonate a violino solo; Aria del Tasso Zig Zag Territoires Classical Vocal and Chamber Music
The Baseball Project The Baseball Project, Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails Yep Roc Jangle Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Folk-Pop
Black Ghosts The Black Ghosts Southern Fried Indie Electronic, Electronica
The Capstan Shafts Fixation Protocols Rainbow Quartz Indie Pop, Lo-Fi
Diplomats of Solid Sound Diplomats of Solid Sound Featuring the Diplomettes Pravda Deep Funk Revival
Donna the Buffalo Silverlined Sugar Hill Jam Bands, Alternative Folk, Americana, Contemporary Folk, Zydeco
Isabelle Faust Faure: Sonates pour violon & piano Harmonia Mundi Post-Romantic Chamber Music
Jean Grae Jeanius Blacksmith Underground Rap, Hardcore Rap, Hip-Hop
Eddy Grant The Very Best of Eddy Grant: The Road to Reparation Island/Mercury Contemporary Reggae, Reggae-Pop, Urban, Club/Dance, Pop/Rock
Vladimir Horowitz Horowitz In Hamburg: The Last Concert Deutsche Grammophon Classical and Romantic Piano Music
Kerli Love Is Dead Island Alternative Pop/Rock
Leila Blood, Looms and Blooms Warp IDM, Electronica
Little Jackie The Stoop S-Curve Neo-Soul, Urban, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Hip-Hop
Maroon 5 It Won't Be Soon Before Long [US Deluxe Edition] A&M/Octone Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Del McCoury Moneyland McCoury Music Contemporary Bluegrass, Bluegrass, Traditional Bluegrass
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Have Another Ball! Fat Wreck Chord Punk-Pop, Punk Revival, Comedy Rock
Melvins Nude with Boots Ipecac Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal
Mighty Mighty Bosstones Medium Rare Junket Boy Alternative Pop/Rock, Ska-Punk, Third Wave Ska Revival
Mika Miko 666 PPM Punk-Pop, Indie Rock
Opiate for the Masses Manifesto Cma Goth Metal, Alternative Metal
Dennis Russell Davies Philip Glass: Waiting for the Barbarians Orange Mountain Contemporary Opera
Original Soundtrack Weeds: Music from the Series, Vol. 3 Lions Gate TV Soundtracks, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Comedy Rock
Johnny Osbourne Truths and Rights [Deluxe Edition] Heartbeat Roots Reggae, Dancehall, Lovers Rock
Ratatat LP3 XL Indie Electronic, Indie Rock, Indie Pop
Ron Sexsmith Exit Strategy of the Soul Yep Roc Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
Patti Smith/Kevin Shields The Coral Sea TBC Experimental Rock, Poetry
Son, Ambulance Someone Else's Deja Vu Saddle Creek Indie Pop, Indie Rock
Street Dogs State of Grace Hellcat Punk Revival
Sunny Day Sets Fire Summer Palace IAMSOUND Indie Pop, Twee Pop
Telepathic Butterflies Breakfast in Suburbia Rainbow Quartz Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Pop Underground
Vancougar Canadian Tuxedo Mint Punk-Pop, Indie Rock
Various Artists Life Beyond Mars: Bowie Covered Rapster New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Indie Electronic, Tribute Albums, Club/Dance
Doc Watson Americana Master Series: Best of Doc Watson Sugar Hill Traditional Folk, Traditional Country, Old-Timey
Whitechapel This Is Exile Metal Blade Death Metal/Black Metal, Grindcore
Saul Williams The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust Fader Label Hip-Hop, Underground Rap, Poetry, Political Rap
Edgar Winter Rebel Road Airline Boogie Rock, Hard Rock, Blues-Rock
New CD Album Releases, 6-10-2008: Emmylou Harris, Alanis Morissette, Walter Becker Emmylou Harris was just this year inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. It's about damned time. All I Intended to Be is the second Emmylou Harris album on Nonesuch, and the #2 seller currently at Amazon.
Bill Payne of Little Feat and Dolly Parton are among the associates playing on this album. Brian Ahern produced this. He's a veteran Emmylou producer, responsible for among others Blue Kentucky Girl. Along with her own compositions, she does the Billy Joe Shaver classic "Old Five and Dimers Like Me" and songs by Patty Griffin and Merle Haggard.
Circus Money is the first solo album from Walter Becker of Steely Dan in some 14 years, and his second ever. Hey, quality before quantity.
Personally, I tend to be a little skeptical of the cheesy girly psychodrama that Alanis Morissette is known for. Plus, she's apparently writing her diary entries/songs for a recent big breakup. I'm probably just not the target market.
Yet for all that, I've been listening to some of this album, and digging it pretty much. I've heard eight songs from this new Flavors of Entanglement, and they all seem to have at least a little of something to them. Some of the arrangements seem somewhat modern rock generic, but "Incomplete" is a nicely forceful wish and prayer. "Citizen of the Planet" is fairly catchy. I don't know if I'll remember this a month from now, but it's striking me as fairly listenable at the moment.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Walter Becker Circus Money 5 Over 12 Jazz-Rock, Pop/Rock, Soft Rock
Jakob Dylan Seeing Things Sony Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter
The Fratellis Here We Stand Cherry Tree/Interscope/Island Indie Rock
Emmylou Harris All I Intended to Be Nonesuch Alternative Country, Contemporary Country
Joan as Policewoman To Survive Reveal Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock
Lil Wayne Tha Carter III Universal Motown Southern Rap, Hardcore Rap
Alanis Morissette Flavors of Entanglement Maverick Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
My Morning Jacket Evil Urges ATO Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Country-Rock, Neo-Psychedelia
Adele 19 [Bonus CD] Sony Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Afroman Greatest Hitz Live Siccness.net Underground Rap, Alternative Rap, Comedy Rap, West Coast Rap
Priscilla Ahn A Good Day Blue Note Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk
The Bangkok Five We Love What Kills Us Megaforce Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
The Beach Boys US Singles Collection Box: The Capitol Years 1962-1965 Capitol Surf, Pop, Sunshine Pop, Rock & Roll
Jiri Belohlavek Martinu: Violin Concerto No. 2; Toccata & due Canzoni Harmonia Mundi Modern Chamber Music
Haley Bonar Big Star Afternoon Indie Rock
The Boxmasters The Boxmasters Vanguard Psychedelic Pop, Truck Driving Country, Americana, Alternative Country-Rock, Bakersfield Sound, Honky Tonk, Roots Rock, Rockabilly, Country-Rock
The Bridges Limits of the Sky Verve Forecast Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Solomon Burke Like a Fire Shout! Factory Deep Soul, Southern Soul, Country-Soul
The Charlatans UK You Cross My Path [Deluxe Edition] Cooking Vinyl British Trad Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Britpop, Alternative Pop/Rock
Gene Clark Silverado '75: Live & Unreleased Collectors' Choice Music Folk-Rock, Baroque Pop, Country-Rock
Marcus Creed Bruckner: Mass in E minor; Motets [Hybrid SACD] Haenssler Classic Post-Romantic Choral Music
Crusaders Live in Japan 2003 Pra Crossover Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Jazz-Funk
Gas Nah und Fern Kompakt Ambient Techno, Techno, Experimental Techno, IDM
Jeff Gauthier House of Return Cryptogramophon Free Improvisation, Avant-Garde Jazz, Modern Free, Modern Creative
Guillemots Red Polydor Indie Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock
Hil St. Soul Black Rose Shanachie Contemporary R&B, Urban
Hiromi Beyond Standard Telarc Contemporary Jazz, Post-Bop, Fusion
Freddie Hubbard On the Real Side (70th Birthday Celebration) Four Quarters/Times Square Post-Bop
James Hunter The Hard Way Hear Music Retro-Soul, Blue-Eyed Soul
The Infamous Stringdusters The Infamous Stringdusters Sugar Hill Contemporary Bluegrass
Ahmad Jamal It's Magic Dreyfus Jazz Post-Bop
KRS-One Maximum Strength Koch Hip-Hop, East Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap
Patti LaBelle The Essential Patti LaBelle Philadelphia International/Le Soul, Urban
Patti LaBelle Live in Washington D.C. Philadelphia International/Le Quiet Storm, Urban, Soul
Love False Start Collectors' Choice Music Garage Rock, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic, Baroque Pop
Love Out There Big Beat Garage Rock, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic, Baroque Pop
Janiva Magness What Love Will Do Alligator Contemporary Blues, Modern Electric Blues, Soul-Blues
Manfred Mann The Hit Man: Essential Singles 1963-1969 Raven Pop/Rock, British Invasion, Pop, Rock & Roll
Sergio Mendes Encanto Concord Brazilian Jazz, Latin Jazz, Urban, Bossa Nova, Latin Pop
Montgomery Gentry Back When I Knew It All Sony Contemporary Country, Southern Rock, Country-Rock
N.E.R.D. Seeing Sounds Interscope Alternative Pop/Rock, Rap-Rock, Urban
Carla Olson & the Textones Detroit 85: Live and Unreleased Collectors' Choice Music Country-Rock, Roots Rock, Americana
Carla Olson & Mick Taylor Too Hot for Snakes Collectors' Choice Music Roots Rock, Country-Rock, Americana
The Orb The Dream Six Degrees Ambient Dub, Club/Dance, Ambient House, Techno, Electronica
Svoboda, Mike Phonometrie Wergo Modern Piano Music and Contemporary Vocal Music
moderntimes_1800 Sinfonias from the Enlightenment Challenge Classics Baroque Chamber and Orchestral Music
Original TV Soundtrack iCarly: Music from and Inspired by the Hit TV Show Sony Teen Pop, TV Soundtracks
Pentemple 0))) Presents... Southern Lord Doom Metal, Noise, Post-Rock/Experimental
Plies Definition of Real Big Gates/Slip-N-Slide/Atlant Southern Rap, Gangsta Rap
Ponies in the Surf See You Happy Darla Indie Pop, Twee Pop
Rev Theory Light It Up Interscope Post-Grunge, Hard Rock
The Runaways The Runaways/Queens of Noise Raven Hard Rock
Sloan Parallel Play Yep Roc Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Sparks Exotic Creatures of the Deep Lil Beethoven Pop/Rock, Indie Pop
Mark Stewart Edit Crippled Dick/Hot Wax Post-Punk, Experimental Rock, Dub, Alternative Pop/Rock
Styrofoam A Thousand Words Nettwerk Indie Electronic
Supergrass Diamond Hoo Ha EMI Britpop, Alternative Pop/Rock
Chip Taylor New Songs of Freedom Megaforce Folk-Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Country-Rock, Americana
Tyga No Introduction Decaydance Pop-Rap
Various Artists Cash Money Records: 10 Years of Bling, Vol. 2 Cash Money Southern Rap, Hardcore Rap, Gangsta Rap
Various Artists Soirees musicales: Songs & Duets by Rossini Hyperion Romantic Vocal Music
Martha Wainwright I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too Zoe Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Alternative Folk, Folk-Pop
Shannon Walker Shannon Walker DM Nashville Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Country
Tony Joe White Deep Cuts Swamp/Red/Thirty Tigers Pop-Soul, Pop/Rock, Country-Pop, Country-Rock, Rock & Roll
Cassandra Wilson Loverly Blue Note Vocal Jazz, Standards, Contemporary Jazz, Modern Creative
Roy Wood Wizzard Brew [Bonus Tracks] EMI Pop/Rock, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Glam Rock
Dan Zanes Nueva York! Festival Five Modern Son, Norteno, Merengue, Cumbia, Bachata, Latin Folk _____________________________________ ALANIS MORISSETTE IMAGES
New CD Album Releases, 4-1-2008: Willie Nelson box, REM, the Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Moby, Blue Man Group, George Strait, Africa Celebrates U2 There's quite a batch of new big name releases this first day of April, starting with everlovin' Van Morrison. Keep It Simple is counted as his 35th album, and his first album of new material since 2005. Per the title, he has apparently trimmed back the orchestrations, leaving out a lot of the strings and horn sections that he often uses. The record company promo makes special note of the prominent use of ukelele.
For someone who hasn't had a radio hit in a good many years, Van sure seems to keep movin' the product. Keep It Simple is currently #3 at Amazon.
George Strait has been around forever, and hardly makes a headline. But he just keeps making hit album after hit album for a quarter century plus. Troubadour is the #4 album at Amazon, featuring the single "I Saw God Today."
Shine a Light: Original Soundtrack is the soundtrack to an upcoming Martin Scorcese film documenting Rolling Stones concerts from fall of 2006. There's a single CD version, but the two disc version with all the songs from the film and several more besides is going for a modest $12 at Amazon.
For making a big film, they seem to have brought in minimal outside guest stars. Buddy Guy joins the band for "Champagne & Reefer." Christina Aguilera jumps in for some "Live With Me" action, and the chosen one Jack White takes a little sup from the "Loving Cup."
Accelerate is the first new studio album from R.E.M. since 2004. They were never up to their billing as giants in a league with the Beatles and Prince and such, and I quit paying attention a decade ago or so. Nonetheless, this album is the #1 seller currently at Amazon. These 11 songs total about 35 minutes, so at least they get points for concision. If it sucks nads, at least you won't have to listen for an hour and more to figure it out.
Tribute albums are often a particularly disappointing experience to me, but nonetheless In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 sounds intriguing. I'm not familiar with most of these specific artists, but the Soweto Gospel Choir singing "Pride (In the Name of Love)" surely sounds promising.
Willie Nelson turns 75 at the end of this month, and Sony has a 4 CD box set One Hell of a Ride. It contains 100 recordings, going back to 1954 or so. Along with a bunch of hits, Willie songs that were hits for other people, and a couple of unreleased tidbits, there are relatively obscure songs from before he got big. "Bloody Mary Morning" in particular is an old favorite of mine.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
The Black Keys Attack & Release Nonesuch Punk Blues, Garage Punk, Indie Rock
Moby Last Night Mute Electronica, Club/Dance, House, Techno
R.E.M. Accelerate Warner Bros. Alternative Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
The Rolling Stones Shine a Light: Original Soundtrack Interscope Album Rock, Hard Rock, Blues-Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop/Rock
Ahn Trio Lullaby for my favorite insomniac RCA Arrangements for Piano Trio
The Apples in Stereo Electronic Projects for Musicians Yep Roc Indie Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock, Lo-Fi
Blue Man Group Canta Conmigo Rhino Tribal-House, Club/Dance, Dance-Pop, House
Blue Man Group How to Be a Megastar Live! [CD/DVD] Rhino Alternative Pop/Rock
James Brown Singles, Vol. 5: 1967-1969 Hip-O Select R&B, Funk, Soul, Blaxploitation
Buzzcocks Orgasm Addict Live Cleopatra British Punk, Punk Revival, Punk
Los Campesinos Hold on Now, Youngster... Wichita Indie Pop, Indie Rock
Jennifer Cardini Feeling Strange Kompakt Tech-House, Club/Dance, Techno, House
The Carter Family The Acme Sessions, 1952-56 JSP Traditional Country, Old-Timey, String Bands, Appalachian Folk, Close Harmony
Colour Revolt Plunder, Beg, and Curse Fat Possum Indie Rock
Dream Theater Greatest Hit (....And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) Rhino Neo-Prog, Progressive Metal, Heavy Metal, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Hard Rock
Fall Out Boy Live in Phoenix Island Alternative Pop/Rock, Emo, Punk-Pop
Far Cry Far Cry [Fallout] Fallout Jazz-Rock, Psychedelic, Blues-Rock
Ferras Aliens & Rainbows Capitol Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Jim Ford Point of No Return Bear Family Country-Rock
Greg Ginn Goof Off Experts & the Taylor Texas Corrugators SST Experimental Rock, Jazz-Rock, Instrumental Rock
Josh Gracin We Weren't Crazy Lyric Street Pop Idol, Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Merle Haggard Hag: Concepts, Live & the Strangers -- The Capitol Recordings 1968-1976 Bear Family Bakersfield Sound, Honky Tonk, Traditional Country, Western Swing Revival
Robyn Hitchcock Shadow Cat Sartorial Alternative Pop/Rock, College Rock, Folk-Rock, Neo-Psychedelia
Jars of Clay Greatest Hits Essential Alternative CCM, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Karl Jenkins Karl Jenkins: Stabat Mater EMI Classics Modern Music for Chorus and Orchestra
Nigel Kennedy Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4; Horace Silver: Creepin' In Opendisc Classical, Romantic and Modern Music for Violin & Orchestra
Donna Lewis In the Pink Peruzzi Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary, Pop/Rock
Alexander Liebreich Farewell ECM Classical and Contemporary Music for Orchestra
Christa Ludwig The Art of Christa Ludwig EMI Classics Operatic Selections
Ministry Cover Up Megaforce Industrial, Industrial Metal, Alternative Metal
Van Morrison Keep It Simple Exile/Lost Highway Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul, Singer/Songwriter, Celtic Rock, Contemporary Blues, Adult Contemporary, Country-Rock, R&B
Muse H.A.A.R.P. Live from Wembley Warner Bros. Alternative Pop/Rock
Fred Neil Trav'lin Man: The Early Singles Fallout Country Boogie, Honky Tonk, Rockabilly, Rock & Roll
Willie Nelson One Hell of a Ride [Box Set] Sony Legacy Progressive Country
No Use for a Name The Feel Good Record of the Year Fat Wreck Chord Punk-Pop, Punk Revival
The Osmonds Live in Las Vegas 50th Anniversary Reunion Concert Denon Pop
Webb Pierce High Geared Daddy Bear Family Honky Tonk, Traditional Country
Poi Dog Pondering 7 BCD Music Group Alternative Pop/Rock
Matthew Ryan Matthew Ryan vs. the Silver State 2:59 Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Joe Satriani Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock Epic/Red Guitar Virtuoso, Pop/Rock, Fusion, Hard Rock, Instrumental Rock
Sevendust Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow Asylum Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Post-Grunge
George Strait Troubadour MCA Nashville New Traditionalist, Contemporary Country
Sun Kil Moon April Caldo Verde Indie Rock
The Sword Gods of the Earth Kemado Heavy Metal, Doom Metal, Stoner Metal
Tally Hall Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum Atlantic Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Pop Underground
Trina Still da Baddest Sas Dirty South, Southern Rap, Hardcore Rap
Various Artists Bushspeak, Vol. 2: Fore More Years Shout! Factory Political Comedy, Speeches, Novelty
Various Artists In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 Shout! Factory Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Afro-Pop
Various Artists The Very Best of Outlaw Country Sony Legacy Outlaw Country, Americana, Country-Rock, Honky Tonk, Southern Rock
Dionne Warwick Why We Sing Rhino Adult Contemporary
The Wood Brothers Loaded Blue Note Alternative Folk, Americana, Contemporary Folk, Acoustic Blues
Victor Wooten Palmystery Heads Up Crossover Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Fusion, Jazz-Funk, Jazz-Pop, Progressive Bluegrass ************** THE ROLLING STONES
New CD Album Releases, 3-4-2008: Alan Jackson, Carlene Carter, the Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd The main action in this week's new releases comes from the country and the country fried. Alan Jackson's last two albums were a romantic deal (Like Red on a Rose) and a gospel album (Precious Memories). His new album is Good Times, with more of the classic honky tonk sound and song titles such as "I Still Like Bologna." This is the #1 country album in the land, and #7 overall at Amazon currently.
Carlene Carter has apparently her first new album in several years, Stronger. In that time, she's had to deal with the deaths of her famous mother and stepfather, and long time boyfriend Howie Epstein. I can't remember any of her songs, knowing I've listened to her, so I wouldn't expect too much artistically. But I was struck by the album cover, and how much she looks like Mom. It gives me warm fuzzy feelings, even if she isn't as talented as June Carter. I mean, who is?
Moving from country to country-fried, the Black Crowes slap on their Warpaint for their first batch of fresh fried greasy country blues since 2001.
Cooler than anything new, however, is a deluxe 2 CD edition of the last and greatest album by Hall of Fame stalwarts Lynyrd Skynyrd. Besides re-mastering, there's a whole second disc. The original album released three days before their plane crash in 1977 showed the band at the height of their powers and expanding their sound, notably with horns. They had the bright pop of "What's Your Name?" and cast an unearthly deathly pall with "That Smell" that Robert Johnson would have been proud of.
The second disc of this Geffen set has two original songs ultimately entirely left off the original album, "Georgia Peaches" and "Sweet Little Missy." There are five live recordings from one of the very best live American rock bands ever. Also, there are early versions of most of the album songs from discarded sessions produced by Tom Dowd. From the descriptions, I'd be particularly interested in hearing the 7:30 alternate version of "That Smell." Sounds like some seriously charbroiled death.
Like Double Fantasy, the Street Survivors album is popular and well known, but they've both been somewhat artistically underappreciated because people are distracted by the sudden deaths of the creators so unexpected and closely timed. To me, Skynyrd's crash was maybe even a little greater loss than the Buddy Holly crash - but they went out on a hell of a note.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Miss Kittin Batbox Nobody's Bizzne Techno, Neo-Electro, Electro-Techno, Club/Dance
David Russell Air on a G String Telarc Baroque Music for Guitar
Adam Summerhayes Gypsy Strings Chandos Traditional Melodies Arranged for Two Violins & Orchestra
Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands Cody's Dream Bloodshot Americana
Rakim The Archive: Live, Lost & Found Fast Life East Coast Rap, Hip-Hop
The Ruby Suns Sea Lion Sub Pop Indie Pop
The Raymond Scott Quintette Ectoplasm Basta Swing, Third Stream
Ashton Shepherd Sounds So Good MCA Nashville Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Valet Naked Acid Kranky Dream Pop, Indie Rock
Various Artists Cage: The Number Pieces, Vol. 5 Mode Contemporary Music for Two Pianos
Various Artists Conquer the World: The Lost Soul of Philadelphia International Records Philadelphia International/Le Smooth Soul, Pop-Soul, Quiet Storm, Philly Soul, Urban, Soul, Disco, Funk
Various Artists Don't Stop: Recording Tap Numero Post-Disco, Club/Dance, Urban, Old-School Rap
Various Artists The Sound of Philadelphia: Gamble & Huff's Greatest Hits Philadelphia International/Le Smooth Soul, Pop-Soul, Quiet Storm, Philly Soul, Urban, Soul, Disco, Funk
The Waco Brothers Waco Express: Live and Kickin' at Schuba's Bloodshot Americana, Alternative Country, Alternative Country-Rock, Indie Rock
What Made Milwaukee Famous What Doesn't Kill Us Barsuk Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Whiskeytown Strangers Almanac [Deluxe Edition] Geffen Americana, Alternative Country-Rock, Roots Rock
Jim White Transnormal Skiperoo Luaka Bop Americana, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Folk
David Wilcox Airstream What Are? Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter
Mary Lou Williams A Grand Night for Swinging Highnote Standards, Classic Jazz, Stride, Post-Bop, Swing, Bop ******************************** Alan Jackson
New CD Album Releases, 2-26-2008: Dolly Parton, Hayseed Dixie, Erykah Badu, Janet Jackson The top couple most interesting sounding new releases come from the country quadrant. Backwoods Barbie is the first proper commercial country album from Dolly Parton in something like 20 years, after a series of outstanding bluegrass oriented records. Seems like the modern commercial country music industry (far more frightening to me personally than the military-industrial complex) has become even considerably less accepting of aging artists than commercial rock and pop radio.
Thus, it'll be interesting to see if THE most still viable major old country singer still standing can actually be credible with country radio 2008 at the age of 62 - though that's one well preserved old woman on that album cover. In the pink dress spread out across the hay in the back of a pickup, Miss Dolly does indeed look like a backwoods Barbie.
Less exalted on the food chain, Hayseed Dixie have their Cooking Vinyl album No Covers. This comedically oriented bluegrass band has been known for their hot-jammin and surprisingly effective bluegrass covers of hard rock bands, most notably AC/DC. Per the album title, this does appear to be an album of original songs. These guys have shown a lot of creative imagination in their humble jokey interpretations - sort of latter day Homer and Jethro. They're lead by a hillbilly with a PhD who really likes beer, so they're like profound and stuff. But do they have anything to say as songwriters?
Then there is the Jackson family. Michael has apparently abandoned Neverland to foreclosure. Worse yet, Janet Jackson has a new album, Discipline. She was a mediocre talent in her prime, mostly successful because she's a Jackson and because Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis wrote her a few passable hits. But she was at least a nice girl. As her popularity has faded, however, she's become increasingly whorish in her recordings and of course the infamous Superbowl Titty Massacre. Now we have this "discipline" S&M shtick. Shut up, already. Damn. If I might suggest humbly, I think I have a solution.
In the way of re-issues, there's a particularly tasty looking compilation from Stax, Stax Does the Beatles. Booker T and the MGs were digging the Beatles along with other Stax luminaries in Beatle covers. There's an alternate version of Otis Redding's well known version of "Day Tripper." The Beatles were great in many ways, but not particularly a soul band. I'd be particularly interested in Booker T's arrangement of "Got to Get You Into My Life," which is a great soul song.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Erykah Badu New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War Universal Motown Neo-Soul, Urban, Contemporary R&B
Carl Craig Sessions !K7 Detroit Techno, Club/Dance, Techno, House
Goldfrapp Seventh Tree Mute Alternative Pop/Rock, Electronica
Janet Discipline Island Urban, Contemporary R&B
Dolly Parton Backwoods Barbie Dolly Traditional Country, Progressive Country, Honky Tonk, Country-Folk, Country-Pop
The Cardigans The Best Of [Limited Edition] Polydor Indie Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Swedish Pop/Rock, Twee Pop, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Carl St. Clair Villa-Lobost: Symphony No 10 Amerindia CPO Modern Orchestral Music
Cowboy Junkies Trinity Revisited [Bonus DVD] Zoe College Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Country-Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
The Dirtbombs We Have You Surrounded In The Red Garage Punk, Garage Rock Revival
Earth The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull Southern Lord Post-Rock/Experimental
Eugenius Mary Queen of Scots Wounded Bird Indie Pop, Jangle Pop, Indie Rock
Hayseed Dixie No Covers Cooking Vinyl Contemporary Bluegrass
Chris Hicks Dog Eat Dog World Shout! Factory Southern Rock
Missy Higgins On a Clear Night Virgin Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Jefferson Starship Timeless Classics Live Rainman Album Rock, Arena Rock, Hard Rock, Adult Contemporary
The Judybats Native Son Wounded Bird Alternative Pop/Rock
King's Singers The Golden Age Signum Classics Renaissance & Baroque Vocal Music
Ludo You're Awful, I Love You Island Indie Rock
Maria McKee Live at the BBC Polydor Alternative Country-Rock, Country-Rock, College Rock, Roots Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Tift Merritt Another Country Fantasy Alternative Country, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Americana
Morrissey Greatest Hits Polydor College Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Dance-Rock
Jose Serebrier Bizet/Serebrier: Carmen Symphony Naxos Modern Arrangement of Romantic Orchestral Music
Robert Spano Michael Gandolfi: The Garden of Cosmic Speculation [Hybrid SACD] Telarc Contemporary Orchestral Music
New Album Releases, 1-29-2008: Willie Nelson, Joe Jackson, The Five Blind Boys of Alabama New CD releases are starting to pick up a little bit. Most notably, Willie Nelson has Moment of Forever, which features production and performing services of Kenny Chesney. Along with some new Willie originals, he does Dave Matthews' "Gravedigger" and Bob Dylan's big gospel hit "Gotta Serve Somebody."
I haven't been knocked out by a Joe Jackson record in a long time, but then I've missed at least a couple. Still, being the author of Look Sharp and Night and Day should earn a good listen for his new album Rain. This features all but one member from his original band, which seems to represent a back to basics approach.
The Five Blind Boys of Alabama have been one of the top gospel groups since forming in 1939. Their new Down in New Orleans album features at least one original member, Jimmy Carter. As the title suggests, it's a NOLA affair, including participation by luminaries such as Allen Toussaint.
Here's the listing of this week's new album releases, courtesy AMG:
The Five Blind Boys of Alabama Down in New Orleans Time Life Black Gospel, Traditional Gospel, Southern Gospel, Contemporary Gospel
The Helio Sequence Keep Your Eyes Ahead Sub Pop Indie Rock, Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Joe Jackson Rain Rykodisc Pop/Rock
Shelby Lynne Just a Little Lovin' Lost Highway Vocal Pop, Pop, Adult Contemporary
The Mars Volta The Bedlam in Goliath Universal Post-Hardcore, Punk Metal, Progressive Metal, Neo-Psychedelia, Thrash
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend XL Indie Rock
John Anderson All the People Are Talink' Collectors' Choice Music Outlaw Country, Neo-Traditionalist Country, New Traditionalist, Honky Tonk, Country-Pop
John Anderson Eye of the Hurricane Collectors' Choice Music Neo-Traditionalist Country, New Traditionalist, Honky Tonk
Beck Odelay [Deluxe Edition] Geffen Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Club/Dance, Alternative Pop/Rock, Dance-Rock
Andrea Bocelli Vivere: Live in Tuscany [CD + DVD] Decca Music for Tenor & Orchestra
Bonnie "Prince" Billy Wilding in the West Spunk Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock, Lo-Fi
Sarah Brightman Symphony Manhattan Show Tunes, Musicals, Adult Contemporary
Bullet for My Valentine Scream Aim Fire Jive/Zomba Punk Metal, Screamo, Alternative Metal
Popa Chubby Deliveries After Dark Blind Pig Blues-Rock, Modern Electric Blues, Contemporary Blues
Billy Ray Cyrus Love Songs Mercury Nashville Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Dailey and Vincent Dailey and Vincent Rounder Bluegrass-Gospel, Contemporary Bluegrass, Country-Folk
Dimitri from Paris & DJ Muro Super Disco Friends Headphone Heroes Club/Dance, Disco, Funk, Old-School Rap
Dispatch Dispatch Zimbabwe: Live at Madison Square Garden [CD/DVD] Republic Jam Bands, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
The Doors The Future Starts Here: The Essential Doors Elektra/Rhino Album Rock, Psychedelic, Hard Rock, Pop/Rock, Rock & Roll, Proto-Punk
Donna Jean & the Tricksters Donna Jean & the Tricksters Dig Heartland Rock, Jam Bands, American Trad Rock, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic, Country-Rock, Rock & Roll
Human Bell Human Bell Thrill Jockey Experimental Rock, New Acoustic
Ida Lovers Prayers Polyvinyl Sadcore, Indie Pop, Dream Pop
Al Jarreau Love Songs Rhino Adult Contemporary, Vocal Jazz, Contemporary R&B, Smooth Jazz, Crossover Jazz
Paavo Järvi Prokofiev: Lieutenant Kijé Suite; Symphony No. 5 [Hybrid SACD] Telarc Modern Orchestral Music
Jeffrey Lewis 12 Crass Songs Rough Trade Alternative Folk, Anti-Folk, Political Folk
Louis XIV Slick Dogs and Ponies Atlantic Indie Rock, Neo-Glam, Garage Punk
Idina Menzel I Stand Warner Bros. Adult Alternative
Pat Metheny Trio Day Trip Nonesuch Post-Bop, Contemporary Jazz, Folk-Jazz
Charles Mingus The Very Best of Charles Mingus [Rhino] Rhino Early Creative, Hard Bop
Van Morrison Avalon Sunset [Expanded] Polydor Album Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock, Rock & Roll
Van Morrison Back on Top [Expanded] Polydor Album Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock, Rock & Roll
Van Morrison It's Too Late to Stop Now [Expanded] Polydor Album Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock, Rock & Roll
Van Morrison Tupelo Honey [Expanded] Polydor Album Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock, Rock & Roll
Van Morrison Wavelength [Expanded] Polydor Album Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock, Rock & Roll
Willie Nelson Moment of Forever Lost Highway Contemporary Country, Traditional Country
David "Fathead" Newman Diamondhead Highnote Jazz Blues, Hard Bop, Soul-Jazz
Thao We Brave Bee Stings and All Kill Rock Stars Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop
Obituary The Best of Obituary Roadrunner Heavy Metal, Death Metal/Black Metal
Kim Sjøgren Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole OUR Recordings Post-Romantic Music for Violin & Orchestra
Leonard Slatkin Leroy Anderson: Orchestral Music, Vol. 1 Naxos Modern Orchestral Music
Tabia Zimmermann Sally Beamish: The Seafarer Bis Contemporary Orchestral Music
Original Score 27 Dresses [Original Score] Varese Sarabande Original Score
Original Soundtrack Be Kind Rewind Lakeshore Original Score, Soundtracks
Lee "Scratch" Perry Chicken Scratch Heartbeat Dub
Protest the Hero Fortress Vagrant Post-Hardcore, Punk Metal, Progressive Metal, Emo
Sun Ra & His Arkestra Some Blues But Not the Kind That's Blue Atavistic Standards, Post-Bop
Radar Bros. Auditorium Merge Slowcore, Indie Rock
Ed Sanders Beer Cans on the Moon Collectors' Choice Music Proto-Punk, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic, Rock & Roll, Comedy Rock
Ed Sanders Sanders' Truckstop Collectors' Choice Music Proto-Punk, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic, Rock & Roll, Comedy Rock
Various Artists Grammy Nominees 2008 Hip-O Pop/Rock, Pop, Pop Idol, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Jazz, Hard Rock, Contemporary Country, Contemporary R&B, Urban, Dance-Pop
Various Artists Pulse Platinum Razor & Tie Club/Dance, House, Euro-Dance, Euro-Pop
Various Artists Smithsonian Folkways: Classic African American Gospel Smithsonian Folkways Field Recordings, Spirituals, Traditional Gospel, Gospel Choir, Southern Gospel, Black Gospel
Christopher Walla Field Manual Barsuk Indie Pop, Indie Rock
Kate Walsh Tim's House Blueberry Pie Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk
Webb Wilder Born to Be Wilder Blind Pig Roots Rock, Blues-Rock
Larry Willis The Offering Highnote Post-Bop, Modern Creative
Xiu Xiu Women as Lovers Kill Rock Stars Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Yoav Charmed & Strange Verve Forecast Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
New Album Releases, 11-6-2007: Country Blues and String Band Music, Jay-Z, Gram Parsons, David Byrne Way the most intriguing item on this week's release schedule is A Richer Tradition Country Blues & String Band Music 1923 - 1942. This moderately priced four CD boxed set contains 100 songs. Even as a dedicated fan of roots music, I'm not familiar with any of these artists. So unless you're a considerably bigger old-timey music geek than even me, this will all be new stuff to you.
This stuff comes from back before there was anything like an industry, or record company executives thinking they knew what would sell. These people seem pretty much straight off the farm. I can't tell much for sure about the race of the performers, and I strongly suspect that some of these folks are obscured enough that no one does. From the bits that I've heard of this set though, I'd say that most of it sounds closer to Robert Johnson than to the Carters.
It's mostly a lot lighter in tone than the anguish of Robert Johnson though, as evidenced for starters by song titles like "I Heard the Voice of a Pork Chop." Also, a fair amount of this is jug band stylings, as evidenced for starters by the names of several of the artists, ie the Nashville Washboard Band and the Birmingham Jug Band. All in all, this is a fine window into what might seem now like pre-historic times to most of us.
From the famed tape vaults of the Grateful Dead comes Gram Parsons Archive, Vol. 1. It is billed as a Gram Parsons album, but it is specifically the Flying Burrito Brothers. These are never-before-released live recordings from two shows opening for the Dead in April of 1969.
The most interesting thing recorded recently is The Knee Plays by David Byrne. These compositions were written to go with a stage play by Robert Wilson, which seems to be set exploring tensions in the pre-Civil War era. Byrne's songs are largely brass band pieces, maybe kinda New Orleans style. From the bits I'm hearing, I'm particularly interested in "The Sound of Business."
The very likely new #1 album for next week will be Jay-Z, with American Gangster. This was apparently inspired by the American Gangster movie, which is the #1 movie in the land and has a soundtrack album this week as well.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Angels & Airwaves I-Empire Suretone/Geffen Alternative Pop/Rock
Dion Son of Skip James Verve Forecast Modern Acoustic Blues
Jay-Z American Gangster Roc-A-Fella Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, Pop-Rap
Dewey Redman The Struggle Continues ECM Post-Bop, Modern Creative
Tommy Roe Phantasy Fall Out Sunshine Pop, Pop, Psychedelic Pop
60 Watt Kid 60 Watt Kid Absolutely Kosher Indie Rock
Rick Springfield Christmas with You Gomer Holiday, Christmas
Various Artists Art of Field Recording Dust-To-Digital Field Recordings, Traditional Folk, Bluegrass-Gospel, Bluegrass
Various Artists Bullet Records Rhythm & Blues Blue Label Jump Blues, Electric Blues, Piano Blues, R&B
Various Artists Richer Tradition: Country Blues and String Band Music 1923-1942 JSP Prewar Blues, Early American Blues, Folk-Blues, String Bands, Prewar Country Blues, Country Blues, Acoustic Blues
Stevie Ray Vaughan Solos, Sessions & Encores Sony Legacy Album Rock, Modern Electric Texas Blues, Texas Blues, Electric Texas Blues, Blues-Rock, Modern Electric Blues
White Magic Dark Stars Drag City Indie Rock
White Williams Smoke Tigerbeat6 Indie Rock, Indie Electronic ***************** Gram Parsons pictures
New Album Releases, 10-23-2007: Alison Krauss & Robert Plant, Neil Young, Carrie Underwood Robert Plant & Alison Krauss have the most promising sounding new album, Raising Sand. This represents a pretty big reach between the most upscale chick singer in Nashville today and perhaps the greatest heavy metal singer ever, if you wish to frame it that way. It's a pretty big deal, and not surprisingly is the #1 top selling album at Amazon currently.
Previews suggest that Plant is more reaching into her domain rather than Alison Krauss being turned into any kind of rock singer. The big name crew gives a pretty good idea of what to expect. Ever lovin' T Bone Burnett produced this, and among the big name players is guitarist Marc Ribot. Burnett was apparently influential in the choice of material, most of which are lesser known old songs by major writers like Tom Waits, Townes Van Zandt, and at least one new song from Sam Phillips, "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us."
Carnival Ride is the second album by Carrie Underwood. I'm at something of a loss to know what to say to someone who thinks that any of these American Idols are actually legitimate musicians whose records you should buy. Much less would I know where to begin with someone who buys a "country" singer who was on that show. What the hell's even wrong with you people, anyway? On the plus side, at least she's not recording any more god forsaken Diane Warren songs. Still, we're building a special wing for American Idols over at Camp Mimi.
Then there's Neil Young. Chrome Dreams II is the sequel to an album he apparently got too stoned to finish making in the 1970s. The centerpiece is an 18 minute cut called "Ordinary People" based on a 20 year old recording with his Bluenotes horn section.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Coheed & Cambria Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. 2: No World for Tomorrow Columbia Progressive Metal, Album Rock, Hard Rock, Alternative Metal, Emo
Dave Gahan Hourglass Virgin/Mute Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Dance, Alternative Pop/Rock
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss Raising Sand Rounder Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Americana, Contemporary Folk, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Modern Delta Blues, Folk-Rock, Modern Acoustic Blues
Serj Tankian Elect the Dead Warner Bros. Neo-Prog, Progressive Metal, Industrial Metal, Hard Rock
Carrie Underwood Carnival Ride Arista Pop Idol, Contemporary Country
Ween La Cucaracha Rounder Comedy Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Neil Young Chrome Dreams II Reprise Album Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Folk-Rock, Hard Rock, Country-Rock
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals Follow the Lights Lost Highway Americana, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Country-Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Gary Allan Living Hard MCA Nashville Contemporary Country
Babyshambles Shotter's Nation EMI/Parlophone Indie Rock
Bobby Bare Drunk and Crazy [Bonus Tracks] Raven Outlaw Country, Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan, Progressive Country, Traditional Country
Bizarre Blue Cheese 'N' Coney Island KR Urban Hardcore Rap, Underground Rap
Bush Tetras Very Very Happy Roir No Wave, Post-Punk
Cassius 15 Again EMI/Virgin Progressive House, House, Club/Dance
Castanets In the Vines Asthmatic Kitty Indie Rock
Coke Na Na: A Funk Anthology Essential Media Group Latin Rock, Funk, Latin Soul
Justin Currie What Is Love For Wea/Rykodisc Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Bo Diddley I'm a Man: The Chess Masters, 1955-1958 Hip-O Select Rock & Roll, R&B, Electric Chicago Blues
Jermaine Dupri Ya'll Know What This Is...The Hits Island Pop-Rap, Urban, Hip-Hop
Enthroned Tetra Karcist Napalm Heavy Metal, Death Metal/Black Metal
Ghost Overture: Live in Nippon Yusen Soko Drag City Improvisation, Free Improvisation, Experimental Rock, Experimental, Psychedelic, Avant-Garde
Everette Harp My Inspiration Shanachie Crossover Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Instrumental Pop, Smooth Jazz, Contemporary Jazz
Heart Dreamboat Annie Live Shout! Factory Album Rock, Pop/Rock, Hard Rock, Arena Rock
Hurricane Chris 51/50 Ratchet Polo Grounds/J-Records Southern Rap, Hardcore Rap
Shooter Jennings The Wolf Universal South Alternative Country, Contemporary Country, Outlaw Country, Southern Rock, Country-Rock
Paavo Jarvi Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique"; Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy [Hybrid SACD] Telarc Romantic Orchestral Music
Roman Kofman Liszt: Christus MDG Romantic Oratorio
Ulrich Krieger The Marvellous Aphorisms of Gavin Bryars: The Early Years Mode Contemporary Chamber Music
Julie London All Through the Night [Bonus Track] Capitol Traditional Pop, Cool
Taj Mahal Oooh So Good N'Blues/Recycling the Blues Raven Folk-Blues, Electric Country Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues
Motley Crue Carnival of Sins: Live, Vols. 1-2 Eleven Seven Music Hair Metal, Heavy Metal
Susan Narucki Kernis: Simple Songs; Valentines; Songs of Innocents Koch International Classics Contemporary Vocal Music
Lisa O'Kane It Don't Hurt New Light/Universal Contemporary Country
Of Montreal If He Is Protecting Our Nation... Who Is Protecting Big Oil, Our Children? Track And Field Indie Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Original Video Game Soundtrack Guitar Hero 3 Interscope Video Game Music, Soundtracks
Phosphorescent Pride Dead Oceans Indie Rock, Alternative Folk, Lo-Fi
New Album Releases, 9-4-2007: Trojan Country Reggae Box, Patti Scialfa, Ice Cube I see one really interesting album in this week's weak listings, a three CD box Trojan Country Reggae Box Set. As the reggae form was emerging in Jamaica in the 1960s and 70s, they were being blasted with megawatt American radio broadcasts. Thus, they knew the American music as well as the Americans, being exposed to US pop, soul, rock and even country music.
This set compiles vintage Jamaican covers of American country music. I'd bet that Toots and the Maytals did something most groovy with "Take Me Home Country Roads." I'm right interested in hearing the ska version of "Tennessee Waltz" and the reggae version of "Stand By Your Man."
Patti Scialfa has a new album called Play It as It Lays. I've never known of Mrs Springsteen being a big seller in her own rite, but this album is currently #3 at Amazon. Hopefully it'll be better than the tuneless and utterly generic "Radio Nowhere" that her husband has circulating on the net in advance of their upcoming E Street Band album.
O'Shea Jackson aka Ice Cube is "The Wrong (Negro) to (fornicate) With," as per the title of one of his movie soundtrack songs on the new compilation In the Movies. This appears to contain a pretty high percentage of songs not on any of his own albums.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Heavy Trash Going Way Out with Heavy Trash Yep Rock Rockabilly Revival, Garage Punk, Indie Rock
Patti Scialfa Play It as It Lays Columbia Album Rock, Roots Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Rock & Roll
Athletic Automaton A Journey Through Roman's Empire Skin Graft Avant-Prog, Experimental Rock, Industrial Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Albert Ayler The Hilversum Session Coppens Avant-Garde Jazz, Free Jazz, Avant-Garde
Rachel Barton Pine An Italian Sojourn Cedille Italian Music for Violin, Cello & Harpsichord
Joshua Bell Corigliano: The Red Violin Concerto; Violin Sonata Sony Classical Contemporary Music for Violin
Calvin Harris I Created Disco Red Label Alternative Dance, Indie Electronic
The Holloways So This Is Great Britain? [Bonus Tracks] TVT Indie Pop, Britpop
Ice Cube In the Movies Priority West Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, Hardcore Rap
Jars of Clay The Essential Jars of Clay Essential/Legacy Alternative CCM, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Jars of Clay Live Monsters Essential Alternative CCM, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Will Kimbrough EP Daphne Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Americana, Alternative Country
Jenny Lin Nostalghia: Piano Works by Valentin Silvestrov Haenssler Classic Contemporary Music for Piano
Ferraby Lionheart Catch the Brass Ring RCA Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop
McRad FDR Red/Uprising Skatepunk, Hardcore Punk
New Model Army High Attack Attack Post-Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock
Daniel Pollack Colors RCM Romantic Music for Piano
Giora Schmidt Vocalise Endeavour Classics Piano Recital
Patrick Stewart Richard Strauss: Enoch Arden Sony Classical Post-Romantic Orchestral Music with Recitation
PRE Epic Fits Skin Graft Noise-Rock, No Wave, Hardcore Punk
The Perishers Victorious Nettwerk Alternative Pop/Rock
Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn [40th Anniversary 2-CD Edition] Capitol British Psychedelia, Psychedelic, British Invasion, Prog-Rock/Art Rock
Turzi A Kemado Indie Electronic
Townes Van Zandt Be Here to Love Me Tomato Music Americana, Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Progressive Country
Townes Van Zandt For the Sake of the Song: First Album Tomato Music Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Country-Rock, Progressive Country, Americana
Various Artists A Place for Us: A Tribute to 50 Years of West Side Story Masterworks Broadway Musicals, Show Tunes
Various Artists Trojan Country Reggae Box Set Trojan Reggae, Country *********************** Patti Scialfa
New Album Releases, 8-28-2007: Lyle Lovett, Ben Harper, Ringo Starr Best likely sounding pick this week is Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, It's Not Big It's Large. This is Lovett's eight original studio album, and his first in four years. As suggested by the title and the album cover, this goes back to the big band/Western swing of the 1990 Large Band album. He starts with a cover of Lester Young's "Tickle Toe" before heading off into his original songs. Lovett's never particularly been a big commercial powerhouse, but I note that this album is as high as #3 currently on Amazon.
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals Lifeline is Harper's eight album in twelve years. Those criminals on the album cover don't look so innocent, though. The promo guys are making a big point of how this album was recorded quickly (seven days) without much in the way of modern high tech recording gear. Listening to some samples, I don't hear anything particularly memorable. "In the Colors" distinctly sounds like a watered down Van Morrison pastiche. "Needed You Tonight" sounds like imitation Otis Redding. He'd probably have been better off just covering Morrison and Redding.
Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr is the first Ringo solo compilation since 1975. This contains all of those excellent songs, a couple left off that original vinyl album, and a few more recent things. When the Beatles broke up, Ringo was actually the biggest solo act for the first couple of years. That was in significant part because of songs written by his old bandmates. These early solo songs were quite good, and particularly well chosen and engineered for Ringo's voice and personnae. "I'm the Greatest" for one would likely have come off far less effective if it had been sung by John Lennon, the author. This is some excellent stuff.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Aesop Rock None Shall Pass Definitive Jux Underground Rap, Alternative Rap
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals Lifeline Virgin Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Country-Soul, Folk-Rock, Urban Folk
Liars Liars Mute Indie Rock, Experimental Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band It's Not Big It's Large Lost Highway Alternative Country, Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Country
Ringo Starr Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr Capitol Pop/Rock
Leif Ove Andsnes Ballad for Edvard Grieg EMI Classics Post-Romantic Music for Piano
Paul Anka Classic Songs: My Way Decca Vocal Pop, Vocal Jazz, Adult Contemporary
Atreyu Lead Sails Paper Anchor Hollywood Punk Metal, Alternative Metal
Jorge Ben Forca Bruta Dusty Groove America Samba, Brazilian Pop
Dickey Betts & Great Southern Official Bootleg Evangeline Southern Rock, Boogie Rock, Blues-Rock, Rock & Roll
Beyonce Irremplazable Columbia Contemporary R&B, Urban, Latin Pop
Dennis Brown Best of the Joe Gibbs Years Shanachie Smooth Reggae, Lovers Rock, Roots Reggae
Circus Devils Sgt. Disco Ipecac Indie Rock
La Clave La Clave Dusty Groove America Rock en Español, Latin Soul, Salsa, Funk
Joe Cocker Classic Cocker Capitol Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock, Pop/Rock
Simone Dinnerstein Bach: Goldberg Variations Telarc Baroque Keyboard Music
The Fall The Fall Box Set Castle College Rock, Post-Punk, Indie Rock, British Punk, Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock
Fred Frith/Evelyn Glennie The Sugar Factory Tzadik Free Improvisation, Avant-Garde
Frank Frost/Sam Carr The Last of the Jelly Roll Kings SPV Juke Joint Blues, R&B, Electric Delta Blues, Soul-Blues
Stan Getz The Smoothest Operator JSP Cool, Bop, Ballads
Victoria Hart Whatever Happened to Romance? Sony Vocal Jazz, Adult Contemporary, Standards, Vocal Pop
Heaven & Hell Live from Radio City Music Hall Rhino Album Rock, British Metal, Heavy Metal
The Howling Hex XI Drag City Indie Rock
Sarah Johns Big Love in a Small Town SBMG Nashville Neo-Traditionalist Country, Contemporary Country
Cledus T. Judd Boogity Boogity: A Tribute to the Comic Genius of Ray Stevens Curb Country Comedy, Contemporary Country, Novelty
Paavo Jarvi Tuur: Magma Virgin Classics Contemporary Orchestral Music
Emily King East Side Story J-Records Neo-Soul, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
Kottonmouth Kings Cloud Nine Suburban Noize Rap-Metal, Alternative Metal, Funk Metal
Michael McDermott Noise from Words Oli Americana, Contemporary Folk, Roots Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Mr. Vegas Hot It Up Delicious Vinyl Dancehall, Contemporary Reggae
New Young Pony Club Fantastic Playroom Modular Indie Electronic, Indie Rock, Dance-Rock, Alternative Dance
Northern State Can I Keep This Pen? Ipecac Left-Field Hip-Hop, Indie Electronic
New Album Releases, 8-21-2007: Vee Jay box set, Ronnie and the Del MCoury Band, Travis Tritt scheduled for Camp Mimi Actual new music looks pretty thin this week, but we've got one especially tasty looking four CD box set, Vee-Jay: The Definitive Collection out from Shout! Factory. Vee Jay Records was the main top black owned record label of the pre-Motown era, founded by a husband and wife team in Gary, Indiana in 1953. By the time they dissolved in bankruptcy in 1966, they'd recorded all kinds of groovy blues, doo wop, gospel and soul. Among many luminaries among the 86 tracks of this box set are John Lee Hooker, Betty Everett, Jerry Butler, the Staple Singers, the El Dorados, and the Moonglows.
They also did pretty good with their first white act, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It was at Valli's suggestion that they licensed the first Beatles albums in America back before Capitol saw fit to start releasing them - though there's no Beatles on this set.
Between the handful of familiar groovy hits, notably "At My Front Door," and lots of tantalizing stuff unknown, this looks like something people need to hear.
Ronnie McCoury has Little Mo' McCoury, recorded with his dad Del and their band. This is billed as the first bluegrass children's album. Some might be skeptical of what could be done with stuff like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." However, after Springsteen messed up my world singing stuff like "Mr Froggie Went a-Courtin'," I for one am listening to such stuff with new ears. The McCourys have THE top bluegrass band in the world today, and I bet they could kick your ass playing "I've Been Working on the Railroad."
But the real kicker is the first song. They start their "children's album" with a personal fave underrated Dylan song from his Slow Train Coming album, "Man Gave Names to All the Animals." The Amazon preview clip sounds really sharp.
I suspect Travis Tritt of likely high crimes against Geometry and Theology in his new album The Storm. That would be apparently some relation to a quiet storm, ie a "soul" album produced by Randy Jackson. If that prospect from this mediocre "country" singer doesn't put you off, note that this includes two new Diane Warren songs being unleashed on the world. Look, stuff like this is why we voted for the Patriot Act. When next I update our list of Enemies of The People, Mr Tritt may be finding himself scheduled for re-education at Camp Mimi.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Imperial Teen The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band Merge Indie Rock, Punk-Pop
M.I.A. Kala Interscope Alternative Dance, Club/Dance, Hip-Hop
The New Pornographers Challengers Matador Indie Rock, Pop Underground
Rilo Kiley Under the Blacklight Warner Bros. Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Pop
Various Artists Vee-Jay: The Definitive Collection Shout! Factory R&B, Uptown Soul, Doo Wop, Soul, Detroit Blues, Pop-Soul, Juke Joint Blues, Blues Revival, Northern Soul, Pop/Rock, Black Gospel, Electric Harmonica Blues, Electric Blues, Electric Chicago Blues, Chicago Soul
Aiden Conviction Victory Post-Hardcore, Emo, Alternative Pop/Rock
Architecture in Helsinki Places Like This Polyvinyl Indie Electronic, Indie Pop
As I Lay Dying An Ocean Between Us Metal Blade Heavy Metal, Alternative Metal, Thrash
Paul Bley Solo in Mondsee ECM Improvisation, Free Improvisation
Joe Bonamassa Sloe Gin Premier Artists Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, American Trad Rock, Blues-Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Peter Brötzmann The Complete Machine Gun Sessions Atavistic Structured Improvisation, Free Improvisation, Free Jazz, Avant-Garde
Caribou Andorra Merge Indie Electronic, Shoegaze, Noise Pop, Dream Pop
Miles Davis Evolution of the Groove Sony Broken Beat, Funky Breaks, Electronica, Jazz-Rock, Fusion, Funk, Hip-Hop
Ella Fitzgerald The Very Best of the Duke Ellington Song Book Verve Labels Vocal Jazz, Standards, Swing
Judy Garland Greatest Hits Live Savoy Jazz Traditional Pop, Standards, Show Tunes, Vocal Pop, American Popular Song
Armando Ghitalla A Trumpet Legacy Bridge Baroque, Romantic, Modern, and Contemporary Trumpet Concertos
James Gilchrist The Far Country: 26 English Songs by John Jeffreys Divine Art Contemporary Vocal Music
Lee Hazlewood Something Special MGM Obscuro, Baroque Pop, Pop, Lounge, Country-Pop
Ian Hobson Don Gillis: Symphonies Nos. 3 & X; Tulsa Albany Modern Orchestral Music
Ingram Hill Cold in California Hollywood Roots Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Gregory Isaacs The Winner: The Roots of Gregory Isaacs Trojan Reggae-Pop, Lovers Rock, Roots Reggae, Political Reggae, Rocksteady
Kinski Down Below It's Chaos Sub Pop Experimental Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental, Space Rock
Talib Kweli Eardrum Blacksmith/Warner Bros. Underground Rap, East Coast Rap, Hip-Hop, Alternative Rap
MC5 Live at the Saginaw Civic Centre, Jan. 1, 1970 Get Back Italy Detroit Rock, Proto-Punk, Hard Rock
Ronnie McCoury Little Mo' McCoury McCoury Sing-Along, Bluegrass
Loreena McKennitt Nights from the Alhambra Verve Celtic New Age, Celtic Fusion, Adult Alternative, Worldbeat
The Mekons Natural Quarterstick Post-Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock, College Rock, Punk
Mendoza Line 30 Year Low Glurp Indie Rock, Alternative Country-Rock, Alternative Folk
Travis Morrison Hellfighters All Y'All Barsuk Indie Rock
Vaclav Neumann Smetana: Ma vlast Berlin Classics Romantic Orchestral Music
Joe Nichols Real Things Universal South Contemporary Country, Neo-Traditionalist Country, New Traditionalist
Numbers Now You Are This Kill Rock Stars Indie Rock, Noise-Rock, Indie Electronic
Operator Soulcrusher Atlantic Post-Grunge, Hard Rock
Tetraphonics The Invitation: Saxophonquartette des 20. Jahrhunderts [Hybrid SACD] Cybele Modern and Contemporary Chamber Music
Original Soundtrack Halloween [Original Soundtrack] Hip-O Original Score, Soundtracks, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Punk
Over the Rhine The Trumpet Child Great Speckled Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Ratt Tell the World: The Very Best of Ratt Atlantic/Rhino Pop-Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Hair Metal, Album Rock
Dax Riggs We Sing of Only Blood or Love Fat Possum Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Josh Ritter The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter RCA Victor/Sony BMG Contemporary Folk, Alternative Country-Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Singer/Songwriter
Tom Russell Wounded Heart of America Hightone Americana, Folk-Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Urban Folk
Sixx: A.M. The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack Eleven Seven Hair Metal, Heavy Metal
Stereo Total Paris-Berlin Kill Rock Stars Indie Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock
S.O.D. Rise of the Infidels Megaforce Heavy Metal, Thrash, Punk Metal
Swizz Beatz One Man Band Man Motown Party Rap
Travis Tritt The Storm Category 5 Contemporary Country, Country-Rock
Various Artists Ear Gardens: American Festival of Microtonal Music Pitch Contemporary Microtonal Music
Various Artists Total 8 Kompact Tech-House, Club/Dance, Experimental Techno, Minimal Techno, Left-Field House
The Waterboys Book of Lightning W14 Inspirational, Folk-Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Celtic Pop
New Album Releases, 6-5-2007: Porter Wagoner, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen We get an unusually rich bounty of new albums this week. Top intriguing pick for us hicks is Wagonmaster by Porter Wagoner. Brother Porter is one of the most famous country singers ever because of his 20 year tv series, yet is probably one of the most underrated artistically.
He's a couple of months short of 80 years old, but it looks like ol' boy still knows how to get his freak on with some Bible beating, Southern goth, and some serious mental disturbance. This album features a song called "Committed To Parkview" which Johnny Cash wrote for him years ago after finding that they had both spent time in the same Nashville detox center. The album was produced by Marty Stuart, and also includes a contribution from Porter's classic banjo picker Buck Trent. "My Many Hurried Southern Trips" was co-written with his old partner Dolly Parton. FULL WAGONMASTER REVIEW
The biggest talk has been for Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full, partly because it's Macca and partly because it launches a new Starbucks record label. I don't care much about those machinations, but his last album was easily the best thing he'd put out in 20 years. He started work on this album in 2003, took a break for the completely separate Chaos And Creation In The Backyard album that came out in 2005, and came back to this. According to his note included on the Amazon page, he figures about half the songs were written pre-Chaos and half after. Note that McCartney plays all the instruments himself except for some string sections.
Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band Live in Dublin has 23 songs on two CDs, and there's also a DVD version. [Note that the DVD is cheaper than the CDs.] The Sessions Band rates higher musically in my book than the E Street Band. I'm particularly interested in hearing what they've done with "Blinded by the Light." Amazon reviewer Scott Holter compares this performance of "Jesse James" to prime time 1980s Pogues. That surely sounds promising.
Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash was produced by John Jr, and features a strong crop of June lovers including Willie Nelson, Ralph Stanley, Loretta Lynn and Billy Joe Shaver. Best of all, for her top key hit "Ring of Fire," we get Elvis Costello.
Good Girl Gone Bad is Rihanna's third album. I know she's a big name, but I can't remember any of her songs. But she's real popular, and she sure is cute. Plus, all the reviews I'm seeing have been gushing about how good it is.
Boo! There's a new Marilyn Manson album, Eat Me, Drink Me. He's one of the sorriest excuses for a "rock star" ever. Judging from his records, he's never particularly had any interest in even trying to be an actual musician or composer. His career has never been anything more than faux-shocking shtick to scare the straights. Ooh, Satanism! Elvis Costello wrote a summary of Manson's future career while Brian Hugh Warner was still in grade school. "How many times can you jump out of the cupboard before someone gets suspicious or someone gets discovered?" Still, the guy puts a lot of effort into being "controversial," so I want to throw him a bone. Therefore, I note for the record that I am deeply disturbed, shocked and offended by Marilyn Manson.
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons made a BUNCH of hits in the 60s and 70s. They were the prime competition for the Beach Boys no less back in the day, but they just don't get proper respect these days. The excellent Rhino three CD + DVD combo Jersey Beat: Music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons will put you right on that count.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Cowboy Troy Black in the Saddle Warner Bros./Raybaw Pop-Rap, Rap-Rock, Contemporary Country
Paul McCartney Memory Almost Full Hear Music Album Rock, Pop/Rock
Rihanna Good Girl Gone Bad Def Jam Dance-Pop, Urban
Shellac Excellent Italian Greyhound Touch & Go Indie Rock, Noise-Rock, Post-Hardcore
The Afghan Whigs Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990-2006 Rhino Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
The Aggrolites Reggae Hit L.A. Hellcat Ska Revival, Contemporary Reggae, Reggae-Pop
Martha Argerich Live from the Lugano Festival 2006 EMI Chamber Music Festival Highlights
Big & Rich Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace Warner Bros. Contemporary Country
Bonde do Role With Lasers Domino Alternative Dance, Club/Dance, Indie Electronic
James Brown Gold Polydor Funk, Soul, R&B
James Brown Jazz Verve Funk, Soul, Standards, Jazz Blues, Soul-Jazz, Ballads
Chris Cornell Carry On Suretone/Interscope Post-Grunge, Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Daddy Yankee El Cartel: The Big Boss El Cartel/Interscope Reggaeton
Matthew Dear Asa Breed Ghostly International Indie Electronic, Experimental Techno, Club/Dance
Dream Theater Systematic Chaos Roadrunner Neo-Prog, Progressive Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Thomas Fehlmann Honigpumpe Kompakt Experimental Techno, Techno, Ambient Techno
Frank Foster Manhattan Fever Blue Note Hard Bop, Soul-Jazz
David Fray David Fray Plays Bach & Boulez Virgin Classics Baroque and Contemporary Piano Music
Get Him Eat Him Arms Down Absolutely Kosher Indie Rock
Tord Gustavsen Trio Being There ECM Chamber Jazz, Contemporary Jazz
Barbara Hendricks Nordic Songs EMI Post-Romantic and Modern Vocal Music
Andrew Hill Change Blue Note Avant-Garde Jazz, Post-Bop
Etta James Jazz Verve Vocal Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Ballads, Soul-Blues, R&B
Junior Boys So This Is Goodbye [Deluxe Edition] Domino Indie Electronic, Alternative Dance
Ladybug Transistor Can't Wait Another Day Merge Indie Pop, Chamber Pop
Suzie LeBlanc Tout passe: Chants d'Acadie Atma Classique Traditional Canadian Vocal Music
The Long Blondes Someone to Drive You Home Rough Trade Indie Pop, Indie Rock
The Loose Salute Tuned to Love Graveface Indie Pop, Alternative Country-Rock
Marilyn Manson Eat Me, Drink Me Nothing/Interscope Industrial Metal, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal
James Pugh X over Trombone Albany Modern and Contemporary Trombone Concertos
Pelican City of Echoes Hydra Head Post-Rock/Experimental, Instrumental Rock
Pissed Jeans Hope for Men Sub Pop Post-Hardcore, Noise-Rock
Poison Poison'd! Capitol Hard Rock
The Police The Police A&M Album Rock, Pop/Rock, New Wave
Pretenders Get Close [Bonus Tracks] Sire/Rhino Album Rock, Pop/Rock, New Wave, Hard Rock, Rock & Roll, Soul
Pretenders Learning to Crawl [Bonus Tracks] Sire/Rhino Album Rock, Pop/Rock, New Wave, Rock & Roll, Hard Rock
Rjd2 The Third Hand [Instrumental] XL Underground Rap, Left-Field Hip-Hop, Indie Electronic, Alternative Rap
Carina Round Slow Motion Addict WME/Interscope Indie Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Sean Na-Na Family Trees Or: Cope We Must Dim Mak Indie Pop, Indie Rock
Jimmy Smith Straight Life Blue Note Hard Bop, Soul-Jazz
Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band Live in Dublin Columbia Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Rock & Roll
Stroke 9 The Last of the International Playboys Rock Ridge Post-Grunge
Marty Stuart Compadres: An Anthology of Duets Superlatone/Universal New Traditionalist, Bluegrass, Contemporary Country, Traditional Bluegrass, Americana, Progressive Bluegrass
They Shoot Horses Don't They Pick Up Sticks Kill Rock Stars Experimental Rock, Indie Rock
Tiger Army Music from Regions Beyond Hellcat Punk-Pop, Punk Revival, Psychobilly
Trembling Blue Stars The Last Holy Writer Elefant Indie Pop, Indie Electronic
True West Hollywood Holiday Revisited Atavistic American Underground, Paisley Underground, Neo-Psychedelia, Alternative Country-Rock
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Jersey Beat: Music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons Rhino Doo Wop, Pop, Teen Idol
Various Artists Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash Dualtone Alternative Country, Contemporary Country
Various Artists Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label Numero Chicago Soul, Soul, Deep Soul, R&B, Northern Soul, Pop-Soul
Various Artists Monterey International Pop Festival [Razor & Tie/Starbucks] Razor & Tie Pop/Rock, Psychedelic, Hard Rock, Blues-Rock, Deep Soul, Southern Soul, Folk-Rock
Various Artists Warped Tour: 2007 Compilation Side One Dummy Skatepunk, Punk Revival
Various Artists We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song Verve Vocal Jazz, American Popular Song, Crossover Jazz, Mainstream Jazz
Von Sudenfed Tromatic Reflexxions Domino Alternative Dance, Indie Rock, Indie Electronic, IDM
Porter Wagoner Wagonmaster Anti Traditional Country
Muddy Waters Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down Epic/Legacy Blues Revival, Electric Blues, Electric Chicago Blues, Chicago Blues
James B Davis Sr, 1916-2007 James B Davis Sr, founder of the Dixie Hummingbirds, has joined the heavenly choir. He passed April 17 at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia of heart troubles at age 90.
Davis was born June 6 1916 in Greenville, South Carolina. He started his group just before the Great Depression at age 12 in 1928, billed early on as the Sterling High School Quartet. An early visit to the National Baptist Convention in Atlanta got a strong reception, motivating them to tour. They got their first record contract with the Decca label in 1939, and re-located to Philadelphia in 1942.
Sometimes billed as the Jericho Boys, in 1942 John Hammond booked them under that name to the Greenwich Village club Cafe Society Downtown, a prestigious and long run along with secular acts where they were advertised as "Swinging the Spirituals." Somewhere around this time, they began appearing regularly on Philadelphia radio station WCAU, billed as the Jericho Boys and the Swanee Quintet.
The Dixie Hummingbirds and other black gospel vocal groups of the era were the main obvious source for the doo wop style, and groups like the Temptations. With their main lead singer Ira Tucker, the Dixie Hummingbirds in particular were at the forefront of moving from an earlier "jubilee" style into the range of "hard gospel" shouting and showmanship. Their work in the 1950s is considered by some as their artistic peak.
That harder style and Tucker's dramatic moves, dropping down on his knees and running down the aisles and such, became part of the basis for modern soul music. It's widely believed that Jackie Wilson and James Brown in particular learned a lot of their performing style from watching Tucker.
Along with being the founder, baritone, and sometimes songwriter (including "The Inner Man" and "I'll Keep on Living After I Die") of the group, Davis was also known as a disciplinarian. After some early personnel issues, he began enforcing strict rules for the group on tour, including dress codes, and a prohibition on alcohol and women. Heck, he apparently once fined himself $20 for accidentally playing Muddy Waters instead of religious music on a jukebox in Arkansas.
The Dixie Hummingbirds are best known to younger and whiter audiences for their backing vocal's on Paul Simon's 1973 hit "Loves Me Like a Rock." They sometimes played secular venues and sang secular songs like this. They won a Grammy for their own recording of the song.
But they're a gospel group, and have always been about the church, and head right back to it. They apparently turned down quite a bit of money to tour with Simon in order to keep their scheduled commitments playing small churches.
Brother Davis retired in 1984, but the group continues. They celebrated their silver jubilee several years ago, and a modern lineup of the group is still performing.
New Album Releases, 2-20-2007: Charlie Louvin, Arab Strap, JJ Grey & Mofro I'm only seeing one even vaguely promising new record this week, and I'm skeptical of that. Seventy-nine year old Charlie Louvin has his first album in 10 years. His prime time was the 40s and 50s, with his late brother Ira. The only new song in this batch is a tribute to "Ira." On the other hand, he's got some groovy singing partners here, including Elvis Costello and Tom T Hall.
This includes a new recording of "The Great Atomic Power." The Amazon reviewer described "bursts of guitar feedback" on this as "absurd." I'd be interested in judging that for myself, however, as this has long been my favorite Louvin Brothers song - and one of the truly scariest country songs ever to me. It's not that it's about nuclear war, but that you can hear the conviction - quite reasonable for a believing Christian - that "God will surely save his children from this awful, awful fate" by calling the rapture and bringing the believers home when the bombs start flying.
Past that, the next most interesting thing for this batch would be to make fun of an Andy Dick standup comedy album, but I'm not going to. They're going to have to come up with more interesting records than this sub-K-Fed talent to even merit the effort of mockery.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:
The High Llamas Can Cladders Drag City Indie Pop, Chamber Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock
Jesu Conqueror Hydra Head Doom Metal, Post-Rock/Experimental, Heavy Metal
Trans Am Sex ChangeThrill Jockey Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Aqueduct Or Give Me Death Barsuk Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Indie Electronic
Arab Strap Ten Years of Tears Chemikal Underground Slowcore, Indie Rock, Sadcore
The Ataris Welcome the Night Sanctuary Alternative Pop/Rock, Emo
BBC Symphony Chorus Judith Bingham: The Secret Garden; Salt in the Blood; First Light Naxos Contemporary Choral Music
Will Bernard Party Hats Palmetto Jazz-Funk, Contemporary Jazz, Soul-Jazz
Bob & Gene If This World Were Mine... Daptone Soul
Toni Braxton Essential Toni Braxton LaFace/Legacy Adult Contemporary, Urban, Contemporary R&B, Club/Dance
Jaki Byard Sunshine of My Soul: Live at the Keystone Korner Highnote Post-Bop, Classic Jazz, Stride, Hard Bop, Swing, Bop
Comeback Kid Broadcasting... Victory Hardcore Punk
Bobby Conn King for a Day Thrill Jockey Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental, Singer/Songwriter
Jack Cooke Sittin' on Top of the World Pinecastle Traditional Bluegrass
Michel Corboz Voices of the Soul Virgin Sacred Choral Music
Jill Cunniff City Beach The Militia Group Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Dance-Pop, Indie Pop
Andy Dick Do Your Shows Always Suck? Oglio Observational Humor, Standup Comedy
Dir en Grey Marrow of a Bone Sony Power Metal, Japanese Rock, Progressive Metal, Alternative Metal, Post-Rock/Experimental, Heavy Metal, Death Metal/Black Metal, Hard Rock
Dolorean You Can't Win Yep Roc Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Slowcore
Ducks Deluxe The John Peel Sessions Hux Pub Rock, Rock & Roll
Electric Light Orchestra Out of the Blue [30th Anniversary Edition] Epic/Legacy Album Rock, Pop/Rock, Prog-Rock/Art Rock
Roger Eno/Kate St. John The Familiar Gyroscope Experimental, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Ambient, Ethnic Fusion, Progressive Electronic, Instrumental Rock, Electronic, Avant-Garde
Erasure On the Road to Nashville Mute Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Dance
Everlife Everlife Buena Vista Teen Pop, Pop/Rock
Explosions in the Sky All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone Temporary Residence Post-Rock/Experimental, Indie Rock
Field Music Tones of Town Memphis Industries Indie Pop
The Frames Cost Anti Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Ron Franklin City Lights Memphis International Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Roots Rock
JJ Grey & Mofro Country Ghetto Alligator Garage Rock Revival, Roots Rock
Peter Himmelman My Green Kite Rounder Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop/Rock
I hate the Dixie Chicks more than anyone This right here is a bunch of crap: I am listed by Google search as the #2 result for "I hate the Dixie Chicks." What?!?! I'm number TWO?
I HATE THE DIXIE CHICKS more than anyone else in the world does. Not to boast, but I was the FIRST GUY TO CUSS THE DIXIE CHICKS out of anyone on the whole electronic world wide internet web after their infamous London remarks. I took their nonsense apart better than anyone else ever with my ANDY KAUFMAN ARTICLE. Indeed, I've devoted my life as a patriotic American to countering the treasonous menace of the Dixie Chicks! Yet, I'm only #2? Where's the justice in that?
Plus, Natalie Maines still isn't returning my phone calls. Now I ask you, is that right? I've put together the best collection of hot DIXIE CHICKS PICTURES on the net with loving care. All this attention and devotion, and she continues to ignore me. What an ingrate! Who's a fella gotta shoot to impress her?
Then there is the grievous offense against any decent ideas of Geometry and Theology that is involved in Grammy voters giving the Dixie Chicks AWFUL CORPORATE MUSIC awards for best record of the year. The voters must be put to the lash post haste.
Please stop for a moment and join me now in a special and intense Two Minute Hate for the worst American traitors ever - or at least the worst excuse for country music ever foisted upon the public by the corporate music industry, the Dixie Chicks.
George Jones and Porter Wagoner versus consumer choice In June, the FCC re-opened the hot issue of media ownership limits, including the number of radio and television stations one owner can have, and limits between owning newspapers and tv or radio stations. The FCC moved to loosen those limits in 2003, but a Philadelphia federal appeals court threw them out, as they have decided that the FCC must justify regulatory changes to their court and that they have not sufficiently done so.
Thus, starting from October, the FCC has arranged six public hearings. On Monday, December 11, this show touched down in Nashville. The highlight of the opposition was apparently the testimony of a couple of country singers of yesteryear who showed little or no insight into business.
I'm second to none in my fanhood for the great Porter Wagoner, but brother Porter seemed less than convincing in claiming that Dolly Parton couldn't have a hit with "Jolene" today. Why is that? I say that song would be a hit today - and may well be again when some younger gal covers it. And why would it be up to the FCC to make sure new bands get on the radio? Would it be somehow the responsibility of the federal government to make sure that Dolly had a hit?
Far worse, George Jones emerged momentarily from his lifelong drunken stupor to make what were apparently supposed to be wisecracks. From John Gerome's AP article:
several writers and performers addressed the panel. Most urged the commissioners to put more restrictions on media ownership or at least hold the line on current regulations.
"I'm not against companies making money," said country music great George Jones, who said he and his fans have suffered under tighter radio playlists that he says are often determined by a relative few with little knowledge of country music history.
"But you know, sugar is sweet, but too much can kill you," Jones said to loud applause from the crowd at the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University.
Jones also told the panel, "We don't need to make a move any further in the wrong direction."
That's not even a vague attempt at being reasonable or thoughtful, but cheap populist demagoguery from the Possum. See, the public is anxious to hear the continuing great art of the aging George Jones, but he and the audience are being suppressed for some reason by the radio programmers cabal.
"Sugar is sweet, but too much can kill you" What is that nonsense even supposed to mean? That "wrong direction" crap is meaningless opinion poll speak.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but perhaps the weak market for George Jones in recent years is not the result of some sinister industry cabal, but simply catering to tastes in the market. Maybe the nice suburban listeners are more interested in a handsome young man in a cowboy hat who shows up for his shows sober rather than the cynical old drunk with more interest in booze money than music.
Meanwhile, lacking star power and armed only with facts and logic to give the pro-business view, former chairman of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters Bayard Walters noted that there are more commercial radio licensees in the US today than in 1972.
Most beautifully, Mr Walters got right to the heart of the responsibilities of broadcasters. "There are those that say broadcasters don't do enough, but what is the balance in presenting local and new music versus what the public seems to indicate that it wants to hear through ratings and purchases? It does not seem to me that the license says, 'Market for free the music of whomever wants to be on the radio.'"
The underwear gnomes of the radio industry don't give a crap about art - nor should they. If they are REALLY there to serve the public, they will play what the most customers want to hear. They do that. They get punished by the market if they don't.
The problem is that the public doesn't want to hear what some folks think that they should want to hear. Thus, they're going to try to manipulate government regulatory agencies and the courts to try to make radio stations play what the losers think their listeners SHOULD have wanted. Why would anyone presume to have such right?
CD Review: Jumpin' Jolie by The Weary Boys The Weary Boys are a country band from California by way of Austin, Texas. This makes sense, as they actually play country music. At this point, if you want to actually play country music, Austin's the obvious place. It sure ain't Nashville.
Anyway, the sound of the band really appeals to me pretty strongly. You can readily tell that this isn't some homogenized Dixie Chicks or Garth Brooks processed country cheese food product. The time Garth spent listening to lame Kiss albums, these guys were obviously actually listening to Hank and Jimmie Rodgers and such.
Close listening shows the depth of their roots. Listening closely, I can't pick out just exactly which country artists they sound like. That is, they're not just regurgitating classic country artists in a rote exercise. They're not playing identifiably like Buck Owens or Merle Haggard. They're not necessarily great stylistic innovators with a whole new sound- I don't want to overhype them that way. But the country is obviously in their bones, down deep in their DNA rather than being Kiss fans who bought cowboy hats.
They do an outstanding cover of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya." That Hank idea of Cajun seems like about the most identifiable sound element. It certainly comes out in the opening title song, "Jumpin' Jolie." You got to like that basic Cajun stomp and them sawing fiddles. That might be about your best place to start. The instrumental "Lost Bayou Ramble" works well in that vein as well.
I'd probably pick "Drink On It" as the best song on the album. It's more of a ballad, so it's perhaps not as much of a rockin' jam as some of the album. However, it's the most memorable melody on the album. Singer and principle songwriter Mario Matteoli addresses a prospective lover with an idea of easing up to what may come, and the realness of the emotion and the fear of screwing things up before they get started really works.
Generally, I'd pick the more ballad oriented songs as their best. "Bet My Life" and "California Sunset" have more emotional depth not just in the lyric but in the melodic composition than the jaunty and serviceable "Baby Have No Fun." I notice though that the musical differences in tempo and such between what seem clearly like ballads vs jams are actually subtle or minimal. It's more in the effect than the specific musical attack.
I want to dial down the praise a notch to say that they're pretty good, but they're not just a great amazing godsend. They have a good tight exemplary sound, but the core songwriting is just pretty good. "Drink On It" in particular stands out compositionally, but I'm not sure how memorable some of these songs are. They're good, but they're definitely not going to make you forget the songs of Jimmie Rodgers or Hank Williams.
However, they mostly sound right good while I'm listening to them, and do tend to grow with repeat listening. Further, I can readily imagine that this stuff would sound sweet live. I'd bet they could really sell this material from the stage.
1957 Jerry Lee Lewis TV Images JERRY LEE LEWIS 1957 STEVE ALLEN PICTURES2345678910 What we've got here are 45 sequenced images from Jerry Lee Lewis in his breakthrough 1957 performance of "Whole Lotta Shakin'" on the Steve Allen show. Try saving these pictures to a local folder and running them as a slide show. This would make you one of the world's coolest screen savers.
I've always thought of Steve Allen as a middlebrow intellectual who looked down his nose at this kiddie music that he had to put on his show for ratings. Jerry Lee Lewis, however, thought enough of him for giving him this big break that he named his son after him, Steve Allen Lewis. Any way you want to look at it, these are some of the very best images around of Jerry Lee Lewis in his ascendancy.
Stringbean MP3s, Photos and Essays Stringbean (1915 - 1973) was one of the greatest banjo pickers in recorded history, a top exemplar of the old-timey claw picking. Among other things, he was an influential 1940s member of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys. In his latter years, he was one of the original stars of Hee Haw. I also picked one of his songs the official theme song for this MoreThings domain.
Also, I've got bunch of pictures of the old Kentucky wonder from his years on Hee Haw, including his role as the Hee Haw scarecrow. It was his job to scare off all the bad jokes. Tough job, that. Here's some more pictures of Stringbean in action "Uncle Eph's Got the Coon" Hee Haw Images234567
June Carter and Johnny Cash MoreThings Updates I've grown up one of the better JC sites around, "The Yin and Yang of June Carter and Johnny Cash." I've got all kinds of groovy stuff there now, and people coming in from all directions, so I want to log this stuff in here official like on this here log page where spiders and bots and even some actual living people will see these articles and hundreds of pictures of all things Johnny and June related.
I also have several pages of pictures from my favorite scene of Walk the Line with Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix, in which Mother Maybelle and her husband turn up with shotguns to run off Johnny Cash's dope dealer. CARTER CIRCLE PICTURES23456
But the big enchilada here is my phat collection of Johnny Cash and June Carter pictures, hundreds of them on 50 pages. You'll find a featured section of those from Johnny Cash appearances on Hee Haw in the 70s, and some good 90s pictures from the Montreaux Jazz Festival with June, and John Jr. These are definitely the best pictures I've seen of Johnny playing with John Jr. Those seem a little more poignant seeing them again after the hashing out in the movie of JC's issues with his father.
I do enjoy making fun of the Dixie Chicks. In the confederacy of dunces that is America 2006, their music and general behavior are particularly ripe for humor. I have to expect a South Park episode dedicated to them at some point. They're just begging for it.
But there is one specific angle of their foolishness that really does wipe the smile off my face, and brother Blogcritic Mark Saleski walked right into it with this story today. So then, I will drop the humor for a minute in order to be real unmistakably clear about this. As I'm responding to his story specifically, I'll address my comments to Brother Saleski.
Not to put too fine a point on it Mark, but your hand wringing here for poor little victim Natalie is utter bullshit. She is stirring this stuff up absolutely on purpose. In short, their claims of victimhood are as fake as their pre-processed, homogenized corporate country music cheese food product.
It absolutely IS a bunch of WHINING from Natalie Maines, milking a couple of isolated threats for a cheap claim on victimhood. They're MILKING, MILKING, MILKING a few lame threats to get some cheap martyrdom points.
But FAR WORSE, "Not Ready to Make Nice" specifically and their behavior generally carefully demagogues the situation to smear ALL critics of the band as evil, drooling, violent fascist haters. This is FAR worse than her couple of silly off hand comments about Bush.
Life is full of threats from nature, and from humans. LOTS of people get death threats. I've had a couple. It's unfortunate, but that's life. If you find the people doing such things, bust them down and lock them up. But don't smear the other 99.9% of critics who are doing no such thing. That is malicious, wicked and evil on the part of the Dixie Chicks.
The original outburst three years ago was overblown, yes, but not entirely unreasonable. Whichever way you want to look at the wisdom of our entry into Iraq, it's a critical point of life and death for the country. People who felt that Maines' comments were out of line and bad for our country had just as much right to protest as she does- even if some of it was an overreaction.
But now SHE and the other Dixie Chicks are the ones PURPOSELY stirring up hatred. They could have let that sleeping dog lie, and made their normal record and pretty much everything would be largely forgotten. They'd probably be king of the roost at country radio again. Instead, they are purposely spreading hatred and divisiveness, and using it as a marketing tool.
Maines went well out of her way to tell the Time magazine reporter that Bush is due "no respect whatsoever." That's not disagreeing with Bush, or criticizing his policies, but merely purposely and calculatedly fanning flames of hatefulness.
Feel sad for poor Natalie if you want to, but that just makes you a sucker- cause she absolutely WANTS this spite. She LIKES feeling angry, as she said IN SO MANY WORDS to the Time magazine reporter. It's an "awesome" feeling to be mad and KNOW you're right. She LOVES it.
By the way, while we're talking about haters, spreading disrespect and de-humanizing people, why don't you direct some of that exquisite sensitivity back at the Dixie Chicks. There are LOTS of examples in their current media campaign. Just for starters, think for a minute about Martie's disavowal in that same article of all those stupid people whom she doesn't even WANT as fans because they like Reba McEntire. You go around talking like that, gratuitously disrespecting people for no needful reason, expect some negative energy in return.
Mostly, I'm bemused by the situation. It's an entertaining confederacy of dunces all around. It's fun mocking their foolishness, and it's all helping them sell their wares. Good times.
However, I do get a bit pissy about just exactly this one angle that you're playing in this story. The Dixie Chicks and their supporters following their lead are smearing and de-humanizing the opposition.
They are in fact trying to intimidate non-believers such as myself from making any substantive criticism under threat of ostracism and malicious de-humanization as an evil, violent, irrational hater. This is pretty near exactly what they're accusing others of. It's classic, wicked demagoguery.
I'm not having ANY of it. Critics go way too far in casually using words like "treason" against the Dixie Chicks, but trying to dishonestly tar the opposition like this in order to silence or discredit critics absolutely IS un-American.
Dixie Chicks as Andy Kaufman Apparently, the Dixie Chicks think they're Andy Kaufman. That's the only sense I can make out of their album release press, particularly their big Time magazine interview.
Andy Kaufman was an arrogant little prick who made a big point of looking down on all those dumb little people who made him a tv sitcom star. He was a performance artist, not a stand up comedian or anything like that. He spent his last years largely in his wrestling villain personae, the better to mock his audience- while still craving their attention. He put a lot of effort into coming up with stuff designed to make the little people hate him. In his defense, he was pretty clever, and managed to concoct some pretty good entertainment out of this foolishness.
The Dixie Chicks, however, are not nearly so clever or talented. I'd rather hear Kaufman lip syncing the Mighty Mouse theme than to listen to the Dixie Chicks. Silly politics aside, they're not very good.
But they seem to be bound and determined to make every sentient being in the country hate them. Now, I may be judged to be an easy mark for this, as already I hate the Dixie Chicks beyond all measure - and all the sexy Dixie Chicks pictures in the world won't change that. Me and Natalie got issues. Still, they seem bound and determined to make not just wingnuts like me dislike them, but everyone in the entire frickin' world, regardless of their politics.
Start with the lead single from this, their first album since The Incident. To say that "Not Ready to Make Nice" is undiplomatic hardly begins to describe it. It's a straight middle finger to their original country audience. Their defense here would be that they feel they have been treated unfairly. They have a grievance to address, even if it cheeses people off more. Fair enough.
But that doesn't explain any of these other asinine things they're saying now. It looks for all the world as if they are calculating their remarks to be as off putting as possible.
The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines apologized for disrespecting President Bush during a London concert in 2003. But now, she's taking it back.
"I don't feel that way anymore," she told Time magazine for its issue hitting newsstands Monday. "I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever."
As war in Iraq loomed, Maines told the London audience: "Just so you know, we're ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas."
The remarks led to death threats and a backlash from other country stars, including a high-profile spat with Toby Keith. It also stalled what until then had been the group's smashingly successful career.
Bandmate Emily Robinson said she knew right away the remark wouldn't be taken lightly and got "hot from my head to my toes."
"It wasn't that I didn't agree with her 100 percent; it was just, 'Oh, this is going to stir something up,'" she told Time.
For band member Martie Maguire, the controversy was a blessing in disguise.
"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith," Maguire said. "We don't want those kinds of fans. They limit what you can do."
Miss Martie thinks that she's quite the smartie, but this smells more like a little brain fartie. For starters, I'm not particularly a Reba partisan, but she's at least moderately talented- and a heck of a nice gal who has done nothing to earn this disrespect. Besides which, why would you say such a thing? What is that supposed to do for you, other than make you look like a disrespectful, arrogant bitch?
But Sister Emily isn't going to let the other get all the arrogance. Just randomly picking out any excuse for an unearned display of superiority, Miss Emily says "Would Bruce Springsteen do The View?" Oh yes, the Dixie Chicks are SO much more significant than Barbara Walters. There's probably just country music fans watching the show anyway.
Until recently, these DIXIE Chicks were at least nominally a country act. They would have pretty much exactly the same fan base as these mainstream modern commercial country acts. I'm not a big fan of modern commercial country music generally, but Toby Keith and Reba McEntire are towards the better end of that.
The classic country music statement of class consciousness was the studied advise of Flatt and Scruggs, "Don't Get Above Your Raisin'." But that's exactly what they've done. It doesn't sound so much as if Natalie Maines is ashamed that Bush is from Texas as that she's ashamed that SHE is Texan.
They haven't particularly mutated to any strikingly new musical style, but they're just too good for their old one. The Dixie Chicks don't even WANT anyone for a fan that would be gauche enough to listen to - turn up nose in disgust - REBA MCENTIRE. Catering to such morons could only limit their avant artistic vision. Yuck.
That Miss Martie would take this kind of attitude based on the contrived corporate country cheese-food product that she's produced with the Dixie Chicks suggests serious self-delusion. One suspects that she might be really high from sniffing her own smugness, like the doomed San Franciscans caught in the South Park "Smug Alert." Perhaps that's what's causing her to be so (as Hannibal Lecter would say) unspeakably rude. Who was it told her that she's better than Reba McEntire, much less that the Dixie Chicks are too good to even be in the same record collection with her?
Andy Kaufman kicked his wrestling career into gear with a famous Tennessee press conference in which he explained that he was a rich entertainer from Hollywood, and he had come on behalf of the beautiful people to teach the hicks how to act. He as much as whipped out a bar of soap, which use he demonstrated to the great (literal) unwashed masses.
But Andy Kaufman was an artist, or at least a thinking dude. He was TRYING to collect all the cracker's goats that he could corral. He INTENDED to make everyone hate him. The complete over-the-topness of it makes it really more a criticism of the likes of George Clooney than of the rednecks, anyway. But basically, Kaufman was totally consciously striving to make everyone hate him like a classic wrestling heel character.
Whereas one must suspect that the Dixie Chicks are just too dumb to realize how childish and contemptible their behavior and attitudes are as they talk down to those stupid people who buy country records. Selling a few records is great, but it doesn't mean that you're better than everybody else, or that you should show such lack of appreciation or respect for exactly the people who bought all those damned Dixie Chicks records. Ingrates.
Natalie Maines displays herself as a particularly ugly face of human nature with a story from high school that she's proud to trump up to the Time reporter. "As a high school senior in Lubbock, Texas, she'd skip a class a day in an attempt to prove that because she never got caught and some Mexican students did, the system was racist." This petty and distasteful grasping for a cheap sense of moral superiority exhibits perfectly the shallowness of the artist.
She helpfully lays it out precisely in the comments with which the Time reporter concluded their big feature, "It was awesome to feel those feelings again that I felt in high school: to be angry, to be sure that you're right and that the things you do matter. You don't realize that you're not feeling those feelings until you do. And then you realize how much more interesting life is."
Wowee, zowee, what a toxic moral stew she's cooking up there. Natalie Maines WANTS to be mad at the world. That's an "awesome" feeling. On top of which, she's RIGHT and everyone who disagrees is simply wrong. What exactly it is that she's right about, I'm not sure. But that doesn't particularly matter. It only matters that she's RIGHT. Finally, she's getting off on "mattering." That is, she's in a position to inflict both her anger and her insights about her own superiority onto innocent bystanders. Wow.
The girl would be dangerous if she had a brain. Or are the Dixie Chicks really geniuses, conjuring up all these multiple layers of contemptible displays of petty arrogance, ignorance and malice as part of a meta-artistic performance art statement?
Dixie Chicks album = Al Qaeda Plot: New album releases, 5-23-2006 It is a dark day for Team America: There's a new Dixie Chicks album out today, Taking the Long Way. These enemies of The People are just begging for a visit to Camp Mimi. There's no home for you here, Natalie Maines, but their CD is currently the #1 album at Amazon.
I don't wish to overstate the case, but the Dixie Chicks are agents of the devil and of Al Qaeda. It's kind of like the Christy Lane situation, only far worse because Natalie Maines is so much cuter. I admit that I can't stop looking at my hundreds of Dixie Chicks pictures, but that doesn't mean that Natalie Maines isn't evil beyond all constitutional measure. She would be considered a major offender against any reasonable system of Geometry and Theology.
In short, they're "Not Ready to Make Nice." Alright then, neither am I. Plus, she won't return my calls.
Look, if Natalie Maines would rather date Saddam Hussein than a good patriotic American like Al Barger, that's fine. Just know that if you buy the new Dixie Chicks album, then the terrorists have won.
The truly sad thing though is that the Dixie Chicks probably don't have the worst big league album of the week. Lord Rand forgive me for even typing the title of Michael Bolton's new CD Bolton Swings Sinatra. Bolton. Swings. Sinatra. Tell me Bin Laden doesn't have a finger in that. Hurry down doomsday, the bugs are taking over.
Def Leppard singing the Kinks? After the Michael Bolton, my sense of outrage is fatigued, and I can only whimper like Leo Marvin at his sister's wedding to Bob Wiley. Anyway, Def Leppard has an album of covers, imaginatively titled Yeah!.
But just as despair for the state of the republic starts to take over and I start wanting to go all Hannibal Lecter, we find a new Johnny Cash album- a double album at that! The 49 tracks on Personal File are Cash acoustic solo recordings mostly made in 1973 in an intimate style that might be seen as his prototype for the famous final American albums. See, there is goodness and beauty in the world too. Put down the gun. Remain calm.
Also figuring into the don't-go-on-a-killing-spree ledger, Dr John has a new album called Mercernary, all songs associated somehow with Johnny Mercer. I could definitely imagine him doing something really special with "Blues in the Night." I can definitely imagine the benefit of a little New Orleans swing to "Moon River" or "That Old Black Magic."
That's all for this week. Sleep well- but check under the bed for sleeper cells or Dixie Chicks.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Johnny Cash Personal File Columbia/Legacy Country-Pop, Traditional Country
Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way Open Wide/Columbia Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary, Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Dr. John Mercernary Blue Note New Orleans R&B, Piano Blues
The Wreckers Stand Still, Look Pretty Maverick Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Country-Rock, Contemporary Country, Country-Pop, Singer/Songwriter
Alias & Tarsier Brookland/Oaklyn Anticon Indie Electronic, Alternative Rap
The Allman Brothers Band Eat a Peach [Deluxe Edition] Mercury Slide Guitar Blues, Album Rock, Boogie Rock, Southern Rock, Hard Rock, Blues-Rock
Angels and Airwaves We Don't Need to Whisper Geffen/Suretone Alternative Pop/Rock
Anjani Blue Alert Columbia Vocal Jazz, Vocal Pop, Pop, Ballads, Adult Contemporary
As Fast As Open Letter to the Damned Octone Pop Underground, Power Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock
The Blood Brothers Love Rhymes with Hideous Car Wreck V2 International Punk Metal, Hardcore Punk, Punk Revival, Emo
Michael Bolton Bolton Swings Sinatra Concord Adult Contemporary
Susan Cagle The Subway Recordings Lefthook/Columbia Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Teen Pop
Eric Clapton Eric Clapton [Deluxe Edition] Polydor Album Rock, Blues-Rock, Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Rock & Roll
Coachwhips Double Death Narnack Indie Rock, Garage Rock Revival
Damone Out Here All Night [CD] Island Punk-Pop, Punk Revival
Def Leppard Yeah! Bludgeon Riffola/Island Pop-Metal, Album Rock, Hard Rock, Pop/Rock, British Metal, Glam Rock, Heavy Metal
Neil Diamond Forever Neil Diamond Shout! Factory Pop/Rock, Pop, Southern Soul, Motown, Alternative Pop/Rock, Soul
Fasolis, Diego Gossec: Le Triomphe de la Republique Chandos Classical Chamber Music
The Ditty Bops Moon Over the Freeway Warner Bros. Indie Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock
End of Fashion End of Fashion Capitol Britpop, Garage Rock, New Wave, Alternative Pop/Rock
Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia Well-Matched: The Best of Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia Fantasy Jam Bands, Soul-Jazz, Rock & Roll, Jazz-Rock
Halifax The Inevitability of a Strange World Drive-Thru Punk-Pop, Emo, Punk Revival
The Heavy Blinkers The Night and I Are Still So Young Cooking Vinyl Chamber Pop, Indie Pop
La Ricordanza Foreign Insult MDG Baroque Orchestral Music
Less Than Jake In with the Out Crowd Sire Punk-Pop, Third Wave Ska Revival, Punk Revival
Huey Lewis & The News Greatest Hits & Videos [CD/DVD] Capitol Pop/Rock, Bar Band, Album Rock
Jenny Lin The Eleventh Finger Koch Contemporary Piano Music
Mission of Burma The Obliterati Matador Indie Rock
Harry Nilsson Everybody's Talkin': The Very Best of Harry Nilsson [RCA] RCA Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Baroque Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Sunshine Pop
Sakari Oramo John Foulds: Dynamic Triptych; Music-Pictures III Warner Modern Orchestral Music
Gal, Yoav Yoav Gal: Bit by Bit, Cell by Cell Innova Avant-Garde Opera
Original Soundtrack A Prairie Home Companion [New Line] New Line Original Score, Film Music, Soundtracks
Osaka Popstar Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk Ryko/Misfits Punk-Pop, Punk Revival, Alternative Pop/Rock
Phoenix It's Never Been Like That Astralwerks Indie Electronic, Alternative Dance
Sierra Swan Ladyland Interscope/Custard Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Pop/Rock
Tilly and the Wall Bottoms of Barrels Team Love Indie Pop
Various Artists American Idol Season 5: Encores RCA Adult Contemporary, Pop/Rock, Urban
Various Artists Big Star Small World Koch Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop Underground
Various Artists Classic Labor Songs from Smithsonian Folkways Smithonian Folkways Political Folk, Folk Revival, Field Recordings
Various Artists Give 'Em the Boot, Vol. 5 Hellcat Punk Revival, Hardcore Punk, Psychobilly, Oi!, Ska Revival
Various Artists Harlan County USA: Songs of the Coal Miner's Struggle Rounder Political Folk, Appalachian Folk, Traditional Folk, String Bands, Old-Timey, Field Recordings, Bluegrass
The Walkmen A Hundred Miles Off Record Collection Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Leslie West Blue Me Blues Bureau Hard Rock, Blues-Rock
I Hate the Dixie Chicks Fan Page and Photo Gallery Oh Lord, how I despise the Dixie Chicks. I was the first guy to cuss the Dixie Chicks out on the internet. In my best Raymond Shaw voice, I loathe them danged pinkos and their fake country music. The mere mention of their name might raise the blood pressure of any decent American. They are clearly enemies of The People. Somebody should be keeping tabs on these chicks. What the hell are we paying the NSA for, anyway?
American V and the last Johnny Cash song It is one of the indications of the strength of character underlying Johnny Cash that he channeled the suffering and loss of his human mortality into creative expression such that his last few years were among his very best ever, artistically speaking.
According to Rick Rubin, Johnny went to work on a fifth American album the day after finishing the fourth, which has been the best received commerically of the series. The album was completed after Cash passed with, among others, the continuing help of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers.
American V is set for release on July 4, 2006. It features what is touted as the last song that Johnny Cash wrote, "Like the 309." Among other songs on the album are Bruce Springsteen's "Further On (Up the Road)," Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind," Hank Williams' "On the Evening Train," Rod McKuen's "Love's Been Good To Me."
Hee Haw Photo Gallery Notes Ol' Al ain't got a lot of new writing done this week, but I have whooped up a bunch of new Hee Haw photo galleries for Tanya Tucker, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty and my personal fave cool guy Dave "Stringbean" Akeman.
Alright, for starters, there's the main Hee Haw page, and Hee Haw picture page. There's all kinds of goodies linked out of there.
Among the more recent, I have a Buck Owens page and six pages of Buck pictures. Among other things, there are a couple of pictures of Buck on the cheesy Match Game show.
Related, I have 24 pages of pictures of Ray Charles on Hee Haw in 1970, RAY CHARLES HEE HAW PICTURES This includes 11 pages of Ray Charles singing his hit "Crying Time" with the composer, Buck Owens- starting HERE. I've had "Don't Change On Me" in stock for years on the Ray box set, but I hadn't really paid attention to what a fine little song it is until I saw this performance. WHAT are these danged fools laughing about?
This week, I added 15 pages of vintage 1973 pictures of 14 year old Tanya Tucker performing her main hits "Delta Dawn" and "What's Your Mama's Name?" It's real interesting to study her look, and her movements. She's a cute kid and all, but there's something weird about a 13-14 year old being able to understand and communicate the very beaten down and weary adult sentiments of these songs. You can see some of that even in just her posture and facial expressions here.
Also from Hee Haw #126, there are six pages of pictures of Conway Twitty doing his monster hit "You've Never Been This Far Before." As a guy, I might be a bit inclined to make fun of his ladies man shtick. Listening again though, this is a fine little dramatic song. Also, those "bom, bom, bom"s are in fact a pretty strong hook. Plus, he really knew how to sell this kind of stuff vocally, and even how to cast those far away romantic looks. Rather than mocking, fellas might should just be taking notes. This stuff sure worked for Conway.
On top of which, from this same 1974 episode, we have nine pages of Conway Twitty - Loretta Lynn pictures, performing their best and biggest duet hit "Louisiana Woman, Missisippi Man." Folks, that right there is some righteous Cajun funk. "Too bad alligator, you swim too slow."
Also, editing the still images, I'd say these are some of the very best images I've seen of either one of these performers. Looking at them, they really seemed to bring out the joy in each other.
Ol' Stringbean had the roughest job on Hee Haw. In his main recurring bit, he was THE scarecrow of Kornfield Kounty, responsible for trying to scare off all the bad jokes. Tough job on this show.
From the same March 2, 1974 broadcast, we've got a MoreThings photo gallery of one of Dave Akeman's last performances. It didn't occur to me till I was editing these photos that when Stringbean died on November 10, 1973, he would have already had a whole last season of Hee Haw performances in the can. They typically taped a whole year's worth of shows in a couple of weeks during the summer, so they'd have been showing new Stringbean every week for six months after he passed.
That's good, cause here he's leading the regular crew through a fine performance of a groovy little stomper I'd never heard before called "Uncle Eph's Got the Coon." It's good to see him jammin' hard with Grandpa Jones, Roy Clark and Roni Stoneman, this fleeting moment of joy caught forever on video.
HUNDREDS OF DIXIE CHICKS PHOTOS Single Review: Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready to Make Nice" The Dixie Chicks have a new album coming out in May, Taking the Long Way. It is their first album since the pre-war unpleasantness. They have released the first single, which addresses that controversy. It's called "Not Ready to Make Nice."
Full disclosure/brag: I'm proud to have been the first person to cuss Natalie Maines out on the internet when the story of her infamous London remarks surfaced. In short, me and Natalie have history. It's a thing, you know. Natalie - I ain't mad atcha. Just call me.
But to get to the point, this song really sucks. Now obviously, I'm going to have some thoughts on the autobiographical lyrics but we'll get back to that. Let's start with parsing this out as a song.
"Not Ready to Make Nice" is the biggest bunch of whining, self-pitying shitlickin' I've heard on a record in a good while. The lyrics are only part of that effect, though. The whole expression of cheap calculated, homogenized self-righteous self-compassion is particularly unappetizing.
"Not Ready to Make Nice" is basically a third rate Faith Hill song. It's the worst end of that whiny victim crap, only she's a tough old broad who'll stand up and fight back, thus the title.
The title almost has a musical hook, but it's just so bland and generic in every possible market-calculated way as to defy description. It's like a response crafted by a PR firm - only not a very good one. It doesn't go anywhere. The climactic bit of tune supposed to carry "or my life'll be over" was particularly totally flat and bland.
This is musically regressive even for the previously mediocre at best Dixie Chicks. This song, though, is less melodically memorable, and even less country than their previous records. Rick Rubin produced this, so advocates want to basically transfer a bit of Johnny Cash karma onto the Chicks. Rubin produced his exemplary final albums, and really brought Johnny back.
But that was Johnny, and Rubin didn't get those results by producing sounds like this arrangement. It's a big, awful, bland pop arrangement with just the least hint of fiddle (mixed in with 10x more generic violins) being the only clue I can take that this is even nominally a "country" song.
It'd be fine for them to try something different, but this sound isn't particularly anything else, either. Not as in doesn't sound like anything else, but that it sounds a little bit like a whole lot of things - just a stylistic gray muck of nothing in particular. They could play this at commercial country radio, or VH1, or some adult contemporary format.
It could play at pop radio. Heck it sounds as much like Britney Spears singing about being "Lucky" as anything. The general not-really-rock-not-country-not anything in particular thing runs between both songs. They also have a similar self-sorrowful emotional tone about being a poor suffering rich singer. But "Lucky" has a considerably more memorable tune than this.
About the only thing I'd say this record definitely is NOT is country. There's next to nothing here musically to connect this to any rural music tradition. Nor is this whiny tone of victim-hood worthy of a country gal. In short, this Dixie Chicks record makes Shania Twain sound like Loretta Lynn. There's no Dixie left in these chicks at this point.
Now this crappy corporate contrivance could well turn out to be a huge hit. "Lucky" was. If all the Britney Spears and Faith Hill fans tune in, they won't be able to print this crap up quick enough. I'm just saying that in the holy name of Buck Owens, I'm gonna put my boot in the ass of the first fool what tries telling me that this is country music.
OK, now let's draw a line, switch gears, mix some metaphors, and whatnot. That was the song and the production. Let's conclude with a brief examination of the text of the lyrics.
For starters, this is not any kind of political statement. It might have turned out more interesting if they had written lyrics detailing why W is such a doo-doo head.
But instead, what Natalie Maines thought was noteworthy was how bad she felt with everyone being all mean to her. Poor thing.
She apparently got a couple of dumb death threats, which she milks here for all it's worth. Now, obviously it's wrong for people to do that. Idiots who would make physical threats against a singer over a little of nothing like this need to be knocked upside their stupid heads with a 2x4. If I knew of anybody in my part of the country responsible for such a thing, I'd do it for her. Maybe it'd get me a date. I'll defend you, Natalie!
But that doesn't make it cool to milk a couple of half-assed threats for public sympathy. Nor, especially, does it excuse the self-serving hatefulness of generalizing a couple of schmucks out to tar the other 99.999% of their critics who were NOT threatening them. In short, she's not ready to make nice with ANYBODY. Whatever. She's trying to steal an unearned sense of moral superiority. I for one am not inclined to recognize it.
Plus, did I mention that this song sucks?
Forgive, sounds good Forget, I'm not sure I could They say time heals everything But I'm still waiting
I'm through with doubt There's nothing left for me to figure out I've paid a price And I'll keep paying
I'm not ready to make nice I'm not ready to back down I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time to go round and round and round It's too late to make it right I probably wouldn't if I could 'Cause I'm mad as hell Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should
I know you said Can't you just get over it It turned my whole world around And I kind of like it
I made my bed and I sleep like a baby With no regrets and I don't mind sayin' It's a sad sad story when a mother will teach her Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger And how in the world can the words that I said Send somebody so over the edge That they'd write me a letter Sayin' that I better shut up and sing Or my life will be over
I'm not ready to make nice I'm not ready to back down I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time to go round and round and round It's too late to make it right I probably wouldn't if I could 'Cause I'm mad as hell Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should
I'm not ready to make nice I'm not ready to back down I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time to go round and round and round It's too late to make it right I probably wouldn't if I could 'Cause I'm mad as hell Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should
Forgive, sounds good Forget, I'm not sure I could They say time heals everything But I'm still waiting
The big find this week is Los Lobos Goes Disney. Obviously, this outstanding and flavorful band coupled with some of the best pop songs of the last six or seven decades offers many choice goodies. "The Bare Necessities" rocks righteously. They pick also several lesser known songs from the canon, including "Grim Grinning Ghosts" and "The Ugly Bug Ball." I'm particularly pleased to note that they picked two songs from the Robin Hood movie, which is to say Roger Miller songs. I'm a little disappointed though that they didn't take a crack at "The Phony King of England," which would seem like the most obvious song for them there. But it's all good, however you want to look at it.
Levon Helm
Rascal Flatts are Unstoppable this week, with their fifth album. They've been running since 1999, so a decade now. They've sold something near to 20 million albums, won every kind of industry award repeatedly, and are generally THE face of modern commercial country music. I can't quite remember any of their songs, but I'm sure they're really good. As THE face of modern country music, I can at least say in defense of Rascal Flatts that they are not the traitorous 
Doves 
Beastie Boys 
Megapuss
Jackson Browne
Grampall Jookabox
Stiff Little Fingers
Toby Keith
Lucinda Williams has been rather less commercially succesful, probably largely because she's made something more like real country music. Couldn't play her back to back on the radio with some Shania Twain or Garth Brooks crap, or there'd be riots. She's back this week with Little Honey. Yet as I write this, I find that Chesney's #62 at Amazon - and Miss Lucinda is number frickin' ONE! Yee-haw! She's generally known more for brooding introspection, but her comments, previews and reviews of this album all sound rather happier than usual.
Kenny Chesney
Lucinda Williams
Billy Currington
Ben Folds
Big Love: Hymnal is David Byrne's instrumental score to the second season of the HBO show Big Love, along with some new Byrne songs - his first since 2004. "I had an idea to base my scoring loosely on Mormon hymns. That would presumably hint at the unspoken spiritual underpinnings that motivate many of the characters' actions - or justify them, in some characters' cases. I got hymnals and Mormon Hymns CDs, read up on the Mormon Church and began to practice writing 'fake' hymns." 
Beer for My Horses is the soundtrack album for a new 
Jonas Brothers
Original Soundtrack
The big deal this week for cool folks comes from the most distinguished composer 
Randy Travis has Around the Bend. That voice is as good as ever. He makes a nice, light fiddle hoedown out of "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright." Hearing his delivery here made me notice what a surprisingly nimble and bouncy touch he can get out of that deep voice.
Original Soundtrack
Randy Travis
Personally, I tend to be a little skeptical of the cheesy girly psychodrama that Alanis Morissette is known for. Plus, she's apparently writing her diary entries/songs for a recent big breakup. I'm probably just not the target market.
Walter Becker
The main action in this week's new releases comes from the country and the country fried. Alan Jackson's last two albums were a romantic deal (Like Red on a Rose) and a gospel album (Precious Memories). His new album is Good Times, with more of the classic honky tonk sound and song titles such as "I Still Like Bologna." This is the #1 country album in the land, and #7 overall at Amazon currently.
Less exalted on the food chain, 
In the way of re-issues, there's a particularly tasty looking compilation from Stax, Stax Does the Beatles. Booker T and the MGs were digging the Beatles along with other Stax luminaries in Beatle covers. There's an alternate version of Otis Redding's well known version of "Day Tripper." The Beatles were great in many ways, but not particularly a soul band. I'd be particularly interested in Booker T's arrangement of "Got to Get You Into My Life," which is a great soul song. 
New CD releases are starting to pick up a little bit. Most notably, Willie Nelson has 
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss have the most promising sounding new album, 
But they're a gospel group, and have always been about the church, and head right back to it. They apparently turned down quite a bit of money to tour with Simon in order to keep their scheduled commitments playing small churches.
