The Roots – How I Got Over CD (Def Jam)
To call it “long-awaited” or “eagerly anticipated” would be the understatement of the year — as hip-hop’s most daring pioneers The Roots release their 9th studio album. How I Got Over takes its name from Clara Ward’s gospel classic (made popular by Mahalia Jackson), is The Roots’ first new release since joining Late Night With Jimmy Fallon for a full time gig as the show’s house band. Vinyl due July 6.
Paul Thorn – Pimps And Preachers CD (Thirty One Tigers)
Paul Thorn is a renowned singersongwriter, folk artist, and former professional boxer. Now, Thorn reveals that he is also a short story author and adds his stories to his list of creative offerings in on Pimps And Preachers.
Laurie Anderson – Homeland CD+DVD (Nonesuch)
In Artforum, Anderson summarized the songs as “one-third politics, one-third pure music, and one-third strange dreams.” Packaged in a four color, 36-page hardbound book, with CD and DVD. DVD contains “Laurie’s Violin’ (7:22): Laurie plays and talks about the violin, and Homeland: The Story Of The Lark (41:27), an art documentary broken up into 16 chapters.
Danzig – Deth Red Saboth CD (Evilive)
Danzig’s first album of new material in six years.
The Derek Trucks Band – Roadsongs 2xCD (Sony Legacy)
Roadsongs is a document of the Derek Trucks Band at its collective musical peak, recorded live in Chicago during their 2009 Already Free Tour. Featuring extended live versions from their Grammy Award-winning album Already Free along with classic Derek Trucks Band originals, the set captures the band reaching new heights on-stage and beyond.
Eminem – Recovery CD (Aftermath)
On Recovery, his seventh major label studio album, Eminem has reached out to an exciting list of first-time collaborators, including DJ Khalil, Just Blaze, Jim Jonsin and Boi-1da, among others.
Health – Disco2 CD/2xLP (Lovepump United)
Disco2 morphs 2009’s Get Color into an electronic masterpiece. Remixes from CFCF, Javelin, Tobacco, Small Black, Gold Panda, Crystal Castles, Salem, Blondes, Pictureplane, Little Loud and Blindoldfreak.
22-20S – Shake/Shiver/Moan CD (ATO)
Secretly touring the UK under the alias of one of their new songs titled, Bitter Pills, 22-20s showcased a wealth of radically new material ranging from the up-tempo rock of the new single Latest Heartbreak to the classic morning-after blues pop.
Charlie Daniels Band – Volunteer Jam III And IV [Reissue] CD (T-Bird)
Digitally remastered edition of this live album from the Charlie Daniels Band. Formed in 1970, The Charlie Daniels Band Volunteer Jams have always resulted in some of the bands most interesting work. This set was recorded live January 8, 1977 and January 14, 1978. 14 tracks.
Chemical Brothers – Further CD/CD+DVD/2xLP (Astralwerks)
On Further, West Coast power pop harmonies sit beside German Motorik rhythms while My Bloody Valentine-esque sonic manipulations plane across the top of early house basslines.
CD+DVD version also available containing a 51 minute audio/visual experience with cutting edge visuals tailored to the eight tracks.
Mark Chestnutt – Outlaw CD (Saguaro Road)
Features Mark’s interpretations of songs originally recorded by some of his personal heroes and life-long friends such as Billy Joe Shaver, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings.
Coliseum – House With A Curse CD/LP (Temporary Residence)
In the past they had one mode: fast and heavy. Now, the group shows off a surprisingly masterful sense of melody, harmony and dynamics within the kind of passionate, fist-pumping face-melters that would make both QOTSA and Fugazi proud.
Constellations – Southern Gothic CD/2xLP (Virgin)
Guests include Cee-Lo, whose verse on the electro-rocker “Love Is A Murder” prompted a completely overhaul the track underneath. Another guest is suburban rapper Asher Roth, lending his playful rhymes to “We’re Here To Save The Day,” among the disc’s most insidious moments. On the one hand, this ditty’s sound is pure sing-along bliss, with a gleeful chorus delivered by Elijah’s niece and nephew. Yet at the same time, Jones and Roth drop rhymes that lampoon commercial Top 40 hip-hop and chest-thumping poseurs.
Miley Cyrus – Can’t Be Tamed CD/CD+DVD (Hollywood)
On Can’t Be Tamed, Miley Miley teamed with Grammy-award winning producer John Shanks (Sheryl Crow, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson) and long time Miley collaborators Tim James and Antonina Armato (Seven Things and See You Again). Deluxe Edition includes a DVD of an hour and a half long Miley Cyrus concert at the O2 Arena in London with never before seen concert footage as well as interviews and back stage intimate moments.
Fol Chen – Part II: The New December CD/LP (Asthmatic Kitty)
Songs of malaise and miscommunication set to dark pop and glitch-riddled chamber funk.
Macy Gray – The Sell Out CD (Concord)
The Sellout, featuring 12 new songs, was co-written and executive produced by Gray in Los Angeles throughout 2009. Collaborators on the album include Bobby Brown, The Bodyrockers’ Kaz James and Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum formerly of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver.
Herbie Hancock – Imagine Project CD (Hancock Records)
Herbie Hancock’s Imagine Project is an unprecedented international recording and film project featuring collaborations between music legend Herbie Hancock and a dozen superstars from every region of the planet. It utilizes the universal language of music to express its central themes of peace and global responsibility.
Sarah Harmer – Oh Little Fire CD/LP (Rounder)
Co-produced by Sarah and Gavin Brown (Metric, Sarah’s All Of Our Names), Oh Little Fire is Sarah’s first new album in four years and is full of the same hooky melodies, insightful lyrics, and lovely, plaintive singing which attracted so many fans to her music from the start of her career. Featuring a duet with Neko Case on “Silverado.”
(hed) p.e. – Major Pain 2 Indee Freedom-The best of (hed) p.e. CD+DVD (Suburban Noise)
A career spanning greatest hits package. Tracks include “Renegade,” “Bartender,” “Blackout,” “Suffr,” “Killing Time,” “Represent,” “Raise Hell” and more.
Griffin House – The Learner CD (Nettwerk)
Recorded primarily at Sound Emporium studios in Nashville, The Learner continues House’s collaboration with the producer team of Justin Loucks and Ian Fitchuk (Mindy Smith, Landon Pigg), with whom he worked with on his 2004 release Lost and Found. Also featured on the record is world-renowned singer Alison Krauss, providing vocal harmonies on “River City Lights” and Dan Wilson (Semisonic) who produced and co-wrote “If You Want To.”
Kele – Boxer CD (Glassnote)
Bloc party singer/guitarist Kele Okereke’s first solo album sees the talented front-man pushing the boundaries of his own melodic sensibilities, embracing pop, rock, and electronic music to boldly step out as a solo artist in his own right.
Cyndi Lauper – Memphis Blues CD/LP (Downtown)
Memphis Blues is Cyndi Lauper’s 12th overall studio release and it finds her singing her way through a set of traditional Memphis blues numbers. Features special guest appearances by Jonny Lang, B.B. King and more. Vinyl version due July 6.
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Live From Freedom Hall CD+DVD/DVD (Roadrunner)
Live From Freedom Hall not only captures the band in its most natural state — on stage, but is also one of the last concerts to be recorded with longtime members Billy Powell and Ean Evans, both of whom passed away last year. The release is a tribute to and a celebration of Skynyrd. The set features all the classics including “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird.” Also available on stand-alone DVD.
Steve Mason – Boys Outside CD/LP (Domino)
Steve Mason is the mind behind The Beta Band. He’s one of the Britpop generation’s few genuinely brilliant and original songsmiths. His post Beta Band work under the monikers King Biscuit Time and Black Affair were both largely electronic based projects. Boys Outside is a return to “traditional” rock instrumentation and arranging that easily draws comparisons to his early work with The Beta Band on The 3 EPs album.
Nina Nastasia – Outlaster CD/LP (Fatcat)
An achievement of staggering beauty by an artist of pervasive, quiet influence undergoing a sea change in musical form.
Ozzy Osbourne – Scream CD (Epic)
Ozzy Osbourne’s first album in three years and 10th studio album overall.
Pierce The Veil – Selfish Machines CD (Equal Vision)
The San Diego emo-inflected post-hardcore outfit’s sophomore offering is filled with complex instrumentation and melodies. The band will be on Warped Tour during the summer of 2010.
Robert Randolph And The Family – We Walk This Road CD (WB)
Produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett, We Walk This Road continues the Sacred Steel tradition for which Robert Randolph has earned wide praise, including the New York Times, which applauds “his rip-roaring virtuosity and his gift for making his instrument sing without a word.” Vinyl due July 27.
Real McKenzies – Shine Not Burn CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Shine Not Burn will explore all the beauty of Scottish folk music at its best, with the lads incorporating mandolins, penny whistles, bagpipes and more.
Sia – We Are Born CD (Jive/Red Ink)
Highly anticipated follow-up to her 2007’s Some People Have Real Problems, produced by Greg Kurstin (Kylie Minogue, Ke$ha, Lily Allen). We Are Born also features contributions from The Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi and Inara George from The Bird And The Bee.
Soundtrack – 180 South CD/2xLP (Brushfire/Universal Republic)
Original soundtrack for 180 South film featuring new music by Ugly Casanova, James mercer, Jack Johnson, Love As Laughter and more.
Stars – Five Ghosts CD/2xLP (Vagrant)
Stars fifth full-length record, different from their previous Stars albums. Simpler, sparer and more confident (in its own quiet way), it also trades some of the band’s previous dramatic flourish for the sort of direct, heart-bearing communication that comes from hard-won experience.
Keith Sweat – Ridin’ Solo CD (Kedar Entertainment)
New release from the veteran R&B crooner, his 10th studio album overall. Includes the single “Test Drive” featuring Joe.
Tender Trap – Dansette Dansette CD (Slumberland)
A return to the crunchy guitars & effortlessly catchy tunes of members’ previous bands Talulah Gosh and Heavenly.
Unkle Kracker – Happy Hour: The South River Road Sessions CD (Atlantic)
Each song from the album Happy Hour was given a full country re-work, complete with Nashville players, pedal steel guitar, and two tracks produced by Keith Stegall. Features a new version of “Good To Be Me: with Kid Rock.
Various Artists (Kode 9) -DJ Kicks CD/LP (!K7)
“Very simply, (the mix is) just a snapshot of my DJ sets at the first half of 2010,” Kode 9 says calmly. “It’s definitely not an exploration of my musical heritage, but it’s not all new stuff. It probably signifies something about my relationship to dubstep that the mix only has a few dubstep tunes in it, and is instead a mix of UK funky, broken beat, dubstep grime and some R&B.”
Various Artists – Hillbilly Boogie: The Roots Of Rockabilly CD (T-Bird)
The most fascinating thing about the music contained on this collection is that there is only a very small difference in the way that it is performed than much of the black music of the same era. It is important to remember when listening to the recordings on this CD that both the 6-string electric guitar and electric steel guitar were fairly new instruments at the time. This was cutting edge music and these guys were trailblazers and their hillbilly boogie was definitely one of the roots of rock & roll.
Various Artists – Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine CD/LP (Oh Boy)
Featuring 12 newly-recorded versions of classic Prine songs, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine boasts an enviable roll call of inventive musicians, including My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, and more.
Various Artists – Reggae Gold 2010 2xCD (VP Music Group)
Features breaking and established international hits including cuts from Shaggy, Major Lazer, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Sean Paul, Beres Hammond and many others.
Windsor For The Derby – Against Love CD/LP (Secretly Canadian)
While they experimented w/ more formalized rock structures on their past few albums, this finds the balance between experimentation and rock tradition more heavily skewed toward the former.
Wovenhand – Threshingfloor CD (Sounds Familyre)
Soundscape mimics landscape, towering and jagged like high peaks, enveloping like the star-studded dome of the sky. A stunning album that embroiders strands of Eastern and Balkan influences into the fabric of American folk music.
Pegi Young – Foul Deeds CD/CD+DVD (Vapor)
Foul Deeds features original cuts penned by Pegi as well as tracks written by Lucinda Williams and Devandra Banhart among others. Musicians include Anthony Crawford on guitars and harmony vocals, Ben Keith on pedal steel, dobro and Hammond B3, Rick Rosas on bass and Phil Jones on drums. Other notables joining them on select tracks include Spooner Oldham playing Wurlitzer, Karl Himmel on drums and Neil Young on guitars and harmonicas. Deluxe Edition includes a live concert DVD directed by Jonathan Demme.
Dweezil Zappa – Return Of The Son Of 2xCD (Razor & Tie)
A sprawling two-disc live collection of 14 Frank Zappa classics performed lovingly by the Zappa Plays Zappa band. Return Of The Son was produced by Dweezil and recorded over the last two years with a majority of the songs captured at a three-night residency at The Morse Theatre in Chicago in October 2008.
Z-Ro – Heroin CD (Rap-A-Lot)
New release for this long-delayed album from the Texas-based underground hip-hop star and member of the Screwed Up Click.
DVDs:
The Rolling Stones – Stones In Exile DVD (Eagle Rock)
In the spring of 1971 the Rolling Stones departed the UK to take up residence in France as tax exiles. Keith Richards settled at a villa called Nellcôte in Villefranche-sur-Mer and this became the venue for the recording of much of the band’s masterpiece Exile On Main Street. Stones In Exile tells the story in the band’s own words and through extensive archive footage of their time away from England and the creation of this extraordinary double album.
Bruce Springsteen – London Calling: Live In Hyde Park 2xDVD (Columbia)
Captured in London at the Hard Rock Calling Festival on June 28, 2009 in HD, the 163-minute film documents 26 tracks of live Springsteen that begin in daylight and progress through a gorgeous sunset into night. Viewers are able to see Springsteen spontaneously directing the E Street Band and shaping the show as it evolves. The set list spans from Born To Run era to ‘Working On a Dream’ and includes rare covers such as The Clash’s “London Calling,” Jimmy Cliff’s “Trapped,” The Young Rascals’ “Good Lovin’,” and Eddie Floyd’s “Raise Your Hand.”
Vinyl:
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today LP (4AD)
Recently released on CD — now available on vinyl.
Leave a Reply