Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
New on Blogcritics: A weekly roundup of notable new music releases.
QUEEN: Live at the Rainbow ’74 is a previously unreleased live album, a recording of a landmark London concert from when the legendary band was still up and coming. It includes a dozen tracks never previously released on any official Queen live album, and will be available in standard and special limited-edition sets in a variety of formats: CD, Vinyl, DVD, and Blu-Ray. 
Queen will be touring this summer with vocalist Adam Lambert.
MELISSA ETHERIDGE‘s new album This is ME comes out September 30. The first single, “Take My Number,” will debut on Triple A radio June 23. Through the This is ME Album Photo Submission App fans can contribute their personal photos for possible inclusion in an album-cover mosaic, deadline June 27.
BILLY IDOL will release his first new album in over a decade this October, Produced by Trevor Horn, it will coincide with the release of his autobiography called, naturally, Dancing With Myself.
THE WALKMEN’S PETER MATTHEW BAUER releases his debut solo album Liberation June 24, with a U.S. tour starting the same day. Listen to “Philadelphia Raga” here:
JULIAN LENNON is set to release his first box set September 10, 2014. The four-disc set includes selections from his recent studio release, Everything Changes, including studio, acoustic and instrumental versions, as well as the documentary Through The Picture Window, a 36-page booklet, and a two-picture vinyl disc set. A limited edition run of 1,000 will be numbered and include a signed certificate from Lennon. Pre-order here.
WIRE is reissuing its 1981 live album Document and Eyewitness, a collection of live recordings from three turn-of-the-’80s Wire gigs. The original vinyl release centered on the Feb. 1980 final gig of the band’s “’70s phase” at the Electric Ballroom. Rather than a traditional rock gig, Wire’s set featured largely new (and often under-rehearsed) work, accompanied by a series of artistic actions and interventions. Listen to a sample:
DIANA KRALL, five-time Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and singer, will release a new album of popular songs from the 1960s to the present day on Verve Records Sept. 9 including songs by Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Elton John, The Mamas and the Papas and a new composition by Paul McCartney. Pre-order available here.
ZZ TOP will release Live At Montreux 2013 on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital formats on July 22.
