What a great week for new releases. There are so many titles I'd like to discuss at length but there just isn't time to hit them all, so let me throw a couple quickies at you before we get down to business. The first the Iron Man 2 soundtrack, acting as a would-be AC/DC compilation.
From that same vein, we have :: wait for it :: new music from Ratt! No, I'm not kidding. It's their first new album in a decade and from what I've read about this, they've changed absolutely nothing about their sound. No, I'm not kidding. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? You decide.
We've also got the third album from Boston-based guitarist Julien Kasper, Groove Trance. Now, onto the titles I want to discuss at greater length…
Doves
The Places Between: The Best Of Doves
Have Manchester's Doves come to the end of the road? They say no and I hope that's true. This trio seemed to come from out of nowhere and became one of my favorite bands of the past decade. Their blend of ambient soundscapes, driving rock, and power pop really struck a chord with me. I learned about them reading NME online and I clicked off a few sample tracks on Amazon. The soundclip that sold me was "Words" from The Last Broadcast. I bought it immediately and since then I've tried to collect their B-sides and rarities as well as keeping up with their LPs.
The Places Between is a 2CD/1DVD retrospective retracing the band's steps from their 2000 debut Lost Souls through last year's Kingdom of Rust. The first disc collects most of the songs released as singles, presenting a nice summary of the band's work. Superfans like myself will always quibble with the tracklisting but compilations are rarely aimed at the fanboys. Some of my favorite Doves songs are on that first disc so it's not the worst introduction to the band.
Where things get interesting and turn more towards the diehards is the second disc, gathering a number of B-sides and other rarities. There are some great songs on that disc. I know. I already have them, and not just because I imported some of the British singles. They released a rarities set after The Last Broadcast called Lost Sides and some of these tracks are repeated here. That's a shame. If they're trying to hook the fanboys who already have everything on disc one, they shouldn't be picking up repeats on the bonus disc as well. Having said that, there are some new-to-me titles on Disc 2, so I bought it. The other present to diehards is the DVD collecting 13 of the band's video, several presented in 5.1 and stereo mixes.
Shelby Lynne
Tears, Lies, And Alibis
Shelby, Shelby, Shelby… I've written of my reviewed this for Blogcritics and he loves it. I've listened to this one all the way through once today and I'm deeply infatuated with it, heading towards a lasting love.
Now let's turn our attention to Kate Nash and VV Brown. Both have new albums out this week and they've both told Blogcritics all about them. BC Music Editor Donald Gibson talked with Kate Nash about taking risks and going for something raw on her sophomore effort while Clayton Perry discussed music and fashion with the multi-talented VV Brown.
Here is the rest of your list:
AC/DC
Iron Man 2
2Cents
Dress To Kill
Abscess
Dawn Of Inhumanity
Airbourne
No Guts. No Glory.
Alcest
Ecailles De Lune (Jewelcase)
Alcest
Ecallies De Lune (Digipack Edi
Anarbor
The Words You Don T Swallow
André Laplante (Piano)
Liszt: Années De Pèlerinage: Suisse
Apples In Stereo, The
Travellers In Space And Time
Aqualung
Magnetic North
Arcadia
So Red The Rose (Special Ed.)
Arkenstone, David
Celtic Chillout
Autoryno
Pastrami Bagel Social Club
Ball, David
Sparkle City
Barbieri, Richard
Things Buried
Big Doughski G
Doughski By The Zone
Billie Holiday
Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Blunt Mechanic
World Record
Brown, V V
Travelling Like The Light
Caribou
Swim
Cathedral
Guessing Game, The
Chalie Boy
I'm Here
Chambers, Joe
Horace To Max
Circa Survive
Blue Sky Noise
Circa Survive
Blue Sky Noise (Deluxe Edition)
Cognito
Automatic
Concept Insomnia
Perpetuum Mobile
Consulate General, The
Person Number
Cornershop
Judy Sucks A Lemon For Breakfast
Crinn, The
Dreaming Saturn
Crump, Stephan With Rosetta Tr
Reclamation
Cypress Hill
Rise Up
Cypress Hill
Rise Up (Edited)
D-Ray
My Mixtape Is Killing Your Mixtape
Dance Life Studio Orchestra & Singers
Dancing Like The Stars
Danny Boy
Its About Time
Dark Time Sunshine
Vessel
David Benoit
Earthglow
De Reeder, Pierre
The Way That It Was
Debra Ashley
New Birth
Destroyer
City Of Daughters
Destroyer
Streethawk: A Seduction
Destroyer
Thief
Devin The Dude
Suite 420
Dictee
Liber Novus
Doves
Best Of
Drawn Together
The Soundtrack
Duncan, Craig
Country Mtn. Tributes: Elvis
Elkins, Steve
Crazy About Big Truck Songs!
Ella Fitzgerald
Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Ember
Embrace
Ereb Altor
The End
Erickson, Roky With Okkervil R
True Love Cast Out All Evil
Faraquet
The View From This Tower / [Remastered]
Flamin' Groovies, The
Replay: Groovies Greatest (2Xcd)
Fred Astaire
Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Garland, Judy & Minelli, Liza
Live At The Palladium
Genevieve Soly (Harpsichord)
Handel In Darmstadt
Getz, Stan & Kenny Barron
People Time – The Complete Rec
Giuliani, Rosario
Lennie's Pennies
Glee Cast
Glee: The Music, The Power Of Madonna
Go Radio
Do Overs And Second Chances
Goldberg, Ben
Baal: The Book Of Angels Vol. 15
Gotan Project
Tango 3.0
Grateful Dead
Crimson, White & Indigo: July 7 1989 Jfk Stadium, Philadelphia (3Cd/1Dvd)
Green Day
The Original Broadway Cast Recording "American Idiot" Featuring Green Day (2Cd)
Grover Washington Jr.
Plays The Hits / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Haggard, Merle
I Am What I Am
Horse Feathers
Thistled Spring
Hovie Lister And The Statesmen
Gospel Heritage Series
Huff, David Lyndon
Worldbeat Asia
Hunter, Ian
Live In London
Incredible Gospel
Incredible Gospel Vol.2
Infamous Stringdusters, The
Things That Fly
Jackie Martling
Snart / [Cd/Dvd Combo]
Jason Boland & The Stragglers
High In The Rockies
Jonny Lang
Live At The Ryman
Julien Kasper Band
Trance Groove
Karunesh
Path Of Compassion
Kate Nash
My Best Friend Is You
Kayo Dot
Coyote
Kings Go Forth
The Outsiders Are Back
Kissaway Trail, The
Sleep Mountain
Kottonmouth Kings
Long Live The Kings
Kurupt
Street Lights
Lee, Christopher
Charlemagne – By The Sword And The Cross
Les Discrets
Septembre Et Ses Derniers Pens
Levi / Werstler
Avalanche Of Worms
Levy, Yasmin
Sentir
Lil Keke
Addicted To Fame
Lynne, Lisa
Seasons Of The Soul
Marino, Nick
Nick Marino
Medications
Completely Removed
Midas Fall
Eleven. Return And Revert
Miracles
City Of Angels
Moby Grape
Live
Monkeyjunk
Tiger In Your Tank
Monotones, The
Are…The Revolution! The Sound! The Beat Of A New Generation!
Moody, Ruth
The Garden
Moore, Lucinda
Blessed, Broken & Given
Moray, Jim
A Beginners Guide
Mr. Knightowl
Konvicted Felon
Mr. Mister
Welcome To The Real World / 25
Nedry
Condors
Ninjasonik
Art School Girls
Nnena Freelon
Homefree
Number One Gun
To The Secrets And Knowledge
Omar Enrique
Kilometros De Amor
Oscar Peterson
Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Otis, Shuggie
In Session
Ozomatli
Fire Away
Painted Hills
Painted Hills
Palmer Band, Steve
Apparition
Patsy Cline
Sweet Dreams: Her Complete Decca Masters (1960-1963) / [2 Cd Limited Edition]
Peeesseye & Talibam!
Peeesseye & Talibam!
Periphery
Periphery
Plants And Animals
La La Land
Poppees, The
Pop Goes The Anthology
Radio Dept, The
Clinging To A Scheme
Ramsey Lewis
Plays The Beatles Songbook / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Ratt
Infestation
Relient K
The First Three Gears (2000-2003)(3Cd)
Renditions:Marvin Sapp Tribute
Smooth Jazz Tribute To Marvin Sapp – Volume 2
Renditions:Piano Tribute Players
Peaceful Piano Tribute To Contemporary Hits
Rhodes, Lou
One Good Thing
Rikets
All American Death Cult
Romano, Aldo
Origine
Roney, Wallace
If Only For One Night
Rufus Wainwright
All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu
Sent By Ravens
Our Graceful Words
Sevendust
Cold Day Memory (Cd/Dvd)(Limited)
Shelby Lynne
Tears, Lies, And Alibis
Sick Of It All
Based On A True Story
Slackers, The
The Great Rocksteady Swindle
Sleepy D
Sleepy Deprivation
Snapper
Connect 3 – The Streets Are Watching
Soundtrack
Fringe (Michael Giacchino)
Soundtrack
Revolution (John Corigliano)
Stan Getz
Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Storyhill
Shade Of The Trees
Sweet Apple
Love & Desperation
Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders
Red Light Fever
The Art Tatum Trio
The Jazz Biography
The Blackwood Brothers
Gospel Heritage Series
Theory Of Flight
Within Reach
Tiffany
I Think We're Alone Now – '80S Hits & More
Trans Am
Thing
Tre Lux
A Strange Gathering
Trombone Shorty
Backatown
Truthlive
Patience
Tubsy
Jatt Sheran Varge
Ugly Colors
Perfect As We Are
Van Canto
A Storm To Come
Van Canto
Hero
Various
Crooked Souf
Various
How Sweet It Was
Various
Jook Joint Blues Vol 2 Crazy With The Blues
Various
Latin Invasion
Various
Roller Disco Hits
Various Artists
18 & Ova – Riddim Driven
Various Artists
Just Dance! Vol. 3
Various Artists
Look To The Light: Songs Of Fa
Various Artists
Motown Around The World – The Classic Singles / [2 Cd Limited Edition]
Various Artists
The Golden Age Of American Comedy / [2 Cd]
Various Artists
Tribal Beats Volume 2 – Music For The Strange & Beautiful
Vince Guaraldi
Peanuts Portraits
Wamble, Doug
Doug Wamble
Wes Montgomery
Plays The Hits / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Whitesnake
Whitesnake / [Cd/Dvd Combo] [Deluxe Edition]
Willie Nelson
Country Music
Willis, Chuck
The Complete Chuck Willis 1951-1957
Write This Down
Write This Down
Xavier Rudd
Koonyum Sun
Zorn, John / Frith, Fred
Late Works