Friday , March 29 2024
Plus Adam Lambert, The Who, Smash Mouth, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Esperanza Spalding, The Kentucky Headhunters, Nashville Pu$$y and more.

I Shall Be Released: Music News from Mariah Carey, Mika, Slayer, Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard, Martin Gore and More

With The Who‘s 50th anniversary upon us, Eagle Rock Entertainment gives us on June 30 the first official release of the band’s full Live At Shea Stadium 1982 show on DVD, Blu-ray and digital with restored footage and re-mixed sound.

Fans can get all 18 of Mariah Carey‘s #1 Hot 100 hits on the new collection #1 to Infinity, out May 18. The album also includes the new single “Infinity.”

Mika releases his new album No Place in Heaven June 16. Grammy Award-nominated Greg Wells (Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, Adele) produced the album with Mika. Fans who pre-order get two free songs in advance.

Get old-school with the Kentucky Headhunters. Their new album Meet Me In Bluesland, out June 2 on Alligator Records, features Johnnie Johnson, Chuck Berry’s legendary piano player who, many argue, is as responsible for Berry’s hits and sound as the singer-guitarist himself.

Esperanza Spalding
Esperanza Spalding

Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding starts her “Emily’s D+Evolution” spring-summer tour next week in San Francisco. The shows will feature all new material and, says the singer-composer-bassist, “We will be staging the songs as much as we play them, using characters, video, and the movement of our bodies.” Tickets at the Esperanza Spalding website.

Smash Mouth and Toad the Wet Sprocket are hitting the road this summer, with Tonic also on the bill.

Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard join forces on the new album Django and Jimmie, out June 2. Nelson says that “the title track is about Django Reinhardt and Jimmie Rodgers. Both of those guys were very influential in both of our careers.” “Willie sang like he was a teenager,” adds Merle. Producer Buddy Cannon also helped write five of the songs, including “It’s All Going To Pot,” about you-know-what.

Speaking of getting high, Adam Lambert’s third studio album is called The Original High. It’s out June 16. Pre-order to get an advance copy of the first single, “Ghost Town.”

 

And speaking of Willie Nelson’s Nashville Pu$$y, who recorded their 2009 album From Hell to Texas at Willie’s Texas studio, will release their first “best of” album, Ten Years of Pussy, May 12, with 16 studio tracks plus a live EP, as a two-CD digipak and download.Nashville Pussy

Sticking with the hard stuff, Slayer just kicked off a global tour and will release its 11th studio album later this year. The as-yet unnamed album will come out on the band’s own as-yet unnamed label. Fans recently got a preview with a Record Store Day exclusive release of the new track “When The Stillness Comes” on a limited-edition seven-inch vinyl picture disc.

Bluesy, soulful singer-songwriter Beth Hart is on tour supporting the just-released Better Than Home (stream it here). U.S. shows are coming up in June. Visit Beth’s website for ticket info.

Martin Gore’s solo album MG came out this week. The Depeche Mode songwriter talked about it in an interview here.

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Jamie Foxx’s new album Hollywood is out May 18, including the single “You Changed Me” featuring Chris Brown.

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About Jon Sobel

Jon Sobel is Publisher and Executive Editor of Blogcritics as well as lead editor of the Culture & Society section. As a writer he contributes most often to Music, where he covers classical music (old and new) and other genres, and Culture, where he reviews NYC theater. Through Oren Hope Marketing and Copywriting at http://www.orenhope.com/ you can hire him to write or edit whatever marketing or journalistic materials your heart desires. Jon also writes the blog Park Odyssey at http://parkodyssey.blogspot.com/ where he is on a mission to visit every park in New York City. He has also been a part-time working musician, including as lead singer, songwriter, and bass player for Whisperado.

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