December/January Program Titles Released This Week:
Jon Bellion – Glory Sound Prep CD (Capitol)
After disappearing for two years, Bellion’s sophomore album Glory Sound Prep does not disappoint. The record features a seamless blend of hip-hop, rap, pop, a New Orleans jazz band, and completely random background sounds of clinking, beeping and children yelling to complete Bellion’s well-known signature style. When listening, it’s impossible to ignore the musical talent of a writer, singer and producer such as Bellion. The synth, trumpets and guitars work together to create beautiful transitions between genres. Throughout the record, Bellion consistently proves his lyrics are worth every goosebump, every “AHA!” moment, and demand to be heard as what they really are: art. With lyrics such as “If they don’t feel your thoughts, start dreaming in braille”, from the track “Adult Swim”, or the heartbreaking “When she meets God, He’ll tell her all about it/When my mother was a mother to her mom” from the eight-minute-long “Mah’s Joint”, Bellion easily weaves a large range of topics into GSP.
Big Brother & The Holding Company – Sex, Dope & Cheap Thrills 2xCD/2xLP+MP3 (Columbia/Legacy)
Columbia/Legacy Recordings celebrates the 50th anniversary of Big Brother & The Holding Company’s major label debut with the premiere release of Sex, Dope & Cheap Thrills. Issued at long last under its original title (nixed by the label as too controversial a half century ago), Sex, Dope & Cheap Thrills restores the band’s vision and intent in an essential new collection of 16 rare performances including 12 previously unreleased demos and outtakes from the mythic 1968 sessions that generated Big Brother & The Holding Company’s Cheap Thrills, the breakout album that introduced Janis Joplin to the world. It also includes liner notes penned especially for this commemorative release by Jefferson Airplane frontwoman Grace Slick and Big Brother & The Holding Company drummer David Getz. Originally released in August 1968, Cheap Thrills was an out-of-the-box smash, a No. 1 album that – building on the heat she’d generated at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival – established Janis as rock’s foremost primordial psychedelic soul singer, a musical archetype whose influence has never waned.
Distant Cousins – Next Of Kin CD (Julian)
L.A.-based folk-pop trio Distant Cousins, a multi-layered collaboration of three songwriters/producers/performers (cousin Ami, cousin Dov, and cousin Duvid) offers up a blend of music that, like the band name, suggests both deep connections and a wide variety of genres. In the studio, the cousins share various roles as producers, writers and musicians; at their live shows, however, roles are more delineated. Ami sings, plays bass, and handles looping responsibilities, Dov sings, plays drums, and acoustic guitar, and Duvid sings and is the maestro of a myriad of stringed instruments. Onstage, the band also augments it sound with “honorary cousins” as guest musicians. The 11 tracks on Next Of Kin traverse folk-pop, anthemic pop, heartland pop-rock, and bluesy hues. Select standout cuts include “Lights On”, “Running”, “In My Blood”, and “Mighty Love”. Stanky James Brown grooves, swampy New Orleans second line funk, flourishes imbue “Lights On”, a be-true-to-yourself banger. Subtle layers of meaning provoke thought on the stirring sing-along “Running”. Cultural pride swells on the tender slow burner “In My Blood”, and the rousing “Mighty Love” is a stark reminder to hold your next of kin close to protect them in these volatile times.
