Thursday , March 28 2024
An explosion of awesome new releases -- or -- as my Visa gently weeps...

Black Keys, Exile On Main Street, Chris James & Patrick Rynn Top New Album Releases May 18, 2010

It's the merry, merry month of May, boys and girls, and the cup continues to runneth over with great and interesting new releases all needing our time and attention. In most weeks, I'd spend more time talking about the new solo album from Everything But The Girl's Tracey Thorn, Love And Its Opposite . She's one of my favorite unheralded voices and I've already streamed a couple tracks from this record. I will be adding it to the collection. Now, let's take a look at the headlining releases for May 18:

Black Keys – Brothers
Rolling Stones – Exile On Main Street Re-issue

These are the two titles that will get most people talking and with good reason. The Black Keys have become one of those breakthrough indie bands and their profile continues to grow with each release. Gone are the days of the two-man, DIY, rough-n-raw bombastic blues. Working with Danger Mouse and doing the limited edition rap-rock collaboration has clearly had an impact on the Akron duo and they've left those days behind. Brothers is a sonically diverse collection of songs that mines classic blues, rock, and soul elements with modern production and electronic traces. It is a bold record that will please many — including our own Mark Saleski (review) — while possibly alienating a few who fell in love with their earlier work.

I won't spend a lot of time chronicling The Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street. You either know about it or you need to get a lap. It's one of the landmark records of the 20th century. To some it's the greatest double album in rock history. To some it's the greatest album in history. Others — including Mick Jagger and Keith Richards — find it a bit overrated. Regardless, it's a vital cog in the history of rock music and it's now being re-issued in a remastered format and fans can also get a version with some rarities and previously unreleased cuts from that era of the band. Sort of.

Most Stones fans know it wasn't uncommon for the band to take songs that were leftovers from sessions for one album and carry them over to the next. Let it Bleed, , and Sticky Fingers weren't all recorded in easily definable, separate settings. Songs that had origins in one session showed up later. I said all that to say anything that didn't get recycled in many cases wasn't all that special or never got finished so in order for the Stones to present these "leftover" Exile tracks, many of them were "finished" by the current Stones lineup within the last year. Are these old tracks, new tracks, interesting tracks? Hard to say. Jagger has been particularly finicky about what gets released from the vaults. The remastering is also going to be controversial. Exile was intentionally grungy and murky. Even if we ignore the (likely) impacts of the "loudness wars," it's going to be tough to remaster this record without losing some of what people loved about it the first time. Of course I'm going to end up investigating all of this but I'm not sure what to make of it going in.

Bluezapalooza, Part II: Chris James & Patrick Rynn, Magic Slim, John Nemeth, Harper, Tad Robinson, Peter Parcek 3, Buddy Guy

Not since March 16 when Blue Bella Records dropped four insanely good records and Blind Pig put out the Sue Foley/Peter Karp album have we had this many compelling blues records released on the same day. As a blues connoisseur, it's rare to get one week a year this good. 2010 is now offering us a second. This is cause for celebration, my friends!

Let's start with Chris James and Patrick Rynn… their first album Stop & Think About It seemed to come from out of nowhere but it really caught on with blues fans the world over. The album was nominated for a Blues Music Award for Best New Artist Debut. Rynn, a brilliant bassist, has been nominated as Instrumentalist-Bass of The Year at the BMAs. The album was honored by Chicago's Blues Blast and the duo have created an audience eager to hear their new sounds. I have purposely not listened to or streamed anything from Gonna Boogie Anyway so as not to ruin the fun of release day but it hasn't been easy. My wait ends today!

Blind Pig Records is serving up three big releases this week including the latest from the legendary Magic Slim & The Teardrops (Harper and John Nemeth being the others). It's hard to imagine him living up to the title of the new album Raising The Bar, but it's also hard to imagine him not living up to it.

Let's also throw a shout out to the Peter Parcek 3 and The Mathematics of Love as well as Tad Robinson's Back In Style. BC writer and fellow blues enthusiast John Taylor has written a kind review of Robinson's latest effort, one you should all check out.

Last but never least, Buddy Guy's DJ Play My Blues is being reissued. Nothing new is being added to it if you already own it. For those of you who don't, now is as good a time as any.

13th Floor Elevators, The – Headstone – Contact Sessions
Adair, Beegie – Swingin' With Sinatra
Anderson, Lynn – Live From The Rose Garden
Andy Cohen – Built Right On The Ground
Anew Revolution – Imerica
Attrition – Keepsakes For Reflections
Attrition – The Hidden Agenda
Audra Mae – The Happiest Lamb
Ayoub, Elizabeth – Oceanos Y Lunas
Bacino, Mark – Queens English
Band Of Horses – Infinite Arms
Bazan, David – Live At Electrical Audio
Bellydance Superstar – The Art Of Bellydance / [2 Cd]
Blaze Bayley – Promise And Terror
Bo Bice – 3
Bonnet, Graham – Graham Bonnet
Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene
Brutal Truth – Extreme Conditions Demand
Burchfield, Mark – Country Tribute: Dolly Parton
Carter, Regina – Reverse Thread
Casey Neill & The Norway Rats – Goodbye To The Rand And File
Chalie Boy & Tum Tum – Greatest Show On Earth
Chaz Depaolo – Bluestopia
Chris James & Patrick Rynn – Gonna Boogie Anyway
Christawn – Life Story
Clark Gibson – Iapetus
Claudia Quintet With Gary Vers – Royal Toast
Club 8 – People's Record, The
Confide – Recover
Crooked Still – Some Strange Country
Cynic – Re-Traced
Danko Jones – Below The Belt
Danko Jones – Below The Belt
Danny Kolke Jr. – A New Meaning
Dave Rave – Live With What You Know
Dead Earth Politics – Weight Of Poseidon
Debi Nova – Luna Nueva
Debi Nova – Luna Nueva / [Spanish Version]
Del Mar – After The Quake
Devo – New Traditionalists
Donockley, Troy – The Madness Of Crowds
Duke Dumont, The – Fabriclive51: The Duke Dumont
Dunn, Kevin – No Great Lost: Songs, 1979-1985
Esoteric – Epistemological Despondency
Esoteric – Pernicious Enigma, The
Exodus – Exhibit B: The Human Condition
Factor – Lawson Graham
Fauxbois – Carry On
Finch, Stephanie – Cry Tomorrow
Francis, Pete – The Movie We Are In
Future Rock – Live From Wicker Park
Garrett Pierce – Like A Moth
Garrett Pierce – All Masks
Gauthier, Mary – The Foundling
Glee Cast – Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
Glee Cast – Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
Great Lake Swimmers – Legion Sessions
Green Day – Tbd-The Original Broadway Cast Recording 'American Idiot' Featuring Green Day (Highlights)
Green Pajamas – The Complete Book Of Hours
Grum – Heartbeats
Guilty Simpson – Oj Simpson
Guy, Buddy – D.J. Play My Blues
Hammock – Chasing After Shadows…Living With The Ghosts
Harper – Stand Together
Harvey Milk – A Small Turn Of Human Kindness
Hawkwind – Usa Tour 1989-90
Head Like A Kite – Dreams Suspend Night
Headless Charlie – Reconnect
Hector Lavoe – El Cantante – The Originals
Higgs, Daniel – Say God (2xcd)
Hood – Singles Compiled (2xcd)
Hood – Compilations 1995-2002
Hoodlum Gang – Molotov Muzic
Howard Zinn – War & Civil Disobedience
Hundred In The Hands, The – This Desert Ep
Iced Earth – Box Of The Wicked
India.Arie – Voyage To India / [2 Cd Special Edition]
Jake Mann – Daytime Ghost
Jamie Foxx Tribute – Smooth Jazz Tribute To Jamie Foxx
Janelle Monáe – Archandroid, The
Jefferson Starship – Jefferson Airplane At Woodstock, Ca June 2009
Jezzro, Jack – Wine Country Sunset
Jon Montalban – Música Del Cielo
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The – Controversial Negro
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The – Now I Got Worry
Julian Colbeck With Jonathan Cohen – Back To Bach
Karen Shivers Quartet – Live At Boxley's
Karn, Mick – The Concrete Twin
Katatonia – The Longest Year ( Ep )
Kilbey, Steve – Monsters N Mirages (8xcd Box)
Kilbey, Steve – Unearthed
Kilbey, Steve – Earthed
Kilbey, Steve – The Slow Crack
Kilbey, Steve – Remindlessness
Kilbey, Steve – Narcosis + Ep
Kilbey, Steve – Dabble
Kinhan, Lauren – Avalon
Kristin Allen-Zito – Helium
Lcd Soundsystem – This Is Happening
Leiana – Lucky #3
Lemons, Cathy & Johnny Ace – Lemonace
Lena Horne – The Mgm Records Collection
Les Copeland – Don't Let The Devil In
Lidell, Jamie – Compass
Magic Slim & The Teardrops – Raising The Bar
Marching Band – Pop Cycle
Maroon 5 Tribute – Piano Tribute To Maroon 5
Mars Arizona – High Desert
Mats/Morgan Band – The Music Or The Money? (2cd)
Mayall, John – Blues Express
Miggs – Wide Awake
Mike Marshall & Caterina Lichtenberg – Mike Marshall & Caterina Lichtenberg
Mindi Abair – In Hi-Fi Stereo
Moby – Wait For Me Remixes!
Morgan, Scott – Scott Morgan
Nas & Damian "Jr Gong" Marley – Distant Relatives
Nas & Damian "Jr Gong" Marley – Distant Relatives / [Edited]
Necro – Die!
Nelson, Willie – The Anthology
Nelson, Willie – Rarities Vol. One
Nemeth, John – Name The Day!
Nieves, Tito – Entre Familia
Noam Chomsky – The Forever War
Norman – Hay, Hay, Make A Wish And Turn Away
October File – Our Souls To You
Original Cast Recording – My Vaudeville Man
Ostroushko, Peter – When The Last Morning Glory Blooms
Oswin Chin Behilia – Liber
Otis Redding – Live On The Sunset Strip / [2 Cd]
Parcek 3, Peter – The Mathematics Of Love
Pearly Gate Music – Pearly Gate Music
Petree – Weakness Makes You Beautiful
Poison Control Center – Sad Sour Future
Pontiak – Living
Potter, Nic – The Long Hello Vol 2
Preisig, Tobias – Flowing Mood
Putumayo Presents – South Africa
Raj Patel – Stuffed And Starved
Real – Break'n Stage
Reflection Eternal: Talib Kweli & Hitek – Revolutions Per Minute
Ricardo Silveira – Til Tomorrow (Ate Amanha)
Rick James – Fire It Up
Rick James – Garden Of Love
Rob Stone – Back Around Here
Robert Mosci – Boardwalk & Brownstone
Robinson, Tad – Back In Style
Rockabye Baby!: Kanye West – Lullaby Renditions Of Kanye We
Roman Holiday – Paint This Town
Rooftops – A Forest Of Polarity
Sabrok, Sabrina – Jugando Con Sangre
Sadies, The – Darker Circles
Sara Jackson-Holman – When You Dream
Sarah Jaffe – Suburban Nature
Sea Of Bees – Songs For The Ravens
Seth Swirsky – Watercolor Day
Silent Civilian – Ghost Stories
Silver Darling – Your Ghost Fits My Skin
Simmons, Gene – I Done Told You
Sodom – Agent Orange
Solex Vs Cristina Martinez + Jon Spencer – Amsterdam Throwdown, King Street Showdown!
Soundtrack – Friday Night Lights Volume 2 (Original Television Soundtrack)
Soundtrack – Shrek Forever After (Harry Gregson-Williams)
Spin 1ne 2wo Feat Paul Carrack, Tony Levin, Rupert Hine & Phil Palmer – Spin 1ne 2wo
Spouse – Confidence
Styles P – The Ghost Dub-Dime Mixtape
Susan Cowsill – Just Believe It
Susan Cowsill – Lighthouse
Talvik, Sofia – Florida
Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps – You Know You Love It
Tesh, John – Deeper Faith Ii, A
Tesh, John – Deeper Faith, A
Tesh, John – Drive Time Intelligence Vol. 1
Tesh, John – John Tesh Presents:Pure Gospel
Tesh, John – John Tesh Presents:Pure Hymns
Tesh, John – John Tesh Presents:Pure Orches
Tesh, John – Power Of Love Vol. 1, The
Tesh, John – Power Of Love Vol. 2, The
Tesh, John – Prayer 101:Hosted By John Tesh
Tesh, John – Pure Movies 2-Special Edition
Tesh, John – Worship At Red Rocks ?
The Art Tatum Trio – The Jazz Biography
The Black Keys – Brothers
The Dusty 45s – Fortunate Man
The Halyards – Fortune Smiles
The Jayhawks – The Jayhawks (Aka The Bunkhouse Album)
The Rolling Stones – Exile On Main Street [Deluxe Edition]
The Supremes – Meet The Supremes / [2 Cd Expanded Edition]
The Trucks – The Trucks
Thorn, Tracey – Love And Its Opposite
Tim Woods – The Blues Sessions
To Speak Of Wolves – Myself < Letting Go
Toy Soldiers – Whisper Down The Lane
Trio Esperança – De Bach À Jobim
Truly Lover Trio – Bullseye
Tutu Puoane – Quiet Now
Typhoon – Hunger And Thirst
Under Byen – Alt Er Tabt
Underdog – Matchless
Vain – All Those Strangers
Various – Swinging On The Golden Gate
Various – Gennett Old Time Music
Various – World's Greatest Metal Tribute To Led Zeppelin
Various – Dope Boy Flows
Various – Hip Hop Explosion
Various – Tru Thoughts Funk
Various – Covers Of Darkness Vol. 1
Various – 20 Years Of Century Media
Various Artists – Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 2
Various Artists – New World Man: A Tribute To Ru
Vega, Suzanne – Close-Up, Vol 1, Love Songs
Wakeman, Rick – Past, Present And Future
Washington Jr., Grover – Grover Live
White Apple Tree – Velvet Mustache
Williams, Andre – That S All I Need
Willis, Daphne – What To Say
Winter Hours – Re-Mastered Collector's Edition
Yelvington, Malcolm – Rocking With My Baby
Zeitlin, Denny – Precipice

About Josh Hathaway

Check Also

Dion Girl Friends

Music & Film Reviews: Dion’s ‘Girl Friends’ and the Rolling Stones ‘Live at the Wiltern,’ plus John Smith and Doris Troy

Dion duets with female artists on a new album proving that he can still make great music well into his 80s.