This week's holiday-music releases are led by Rick Springfield's Christmas With You, which was the subject of a recent glowing review here by our own Connie Phillips, and the Captain And Tenille's (and I didn't know they were still recording either) The Secret of Christmas.
Finally, there are also a couple of interesting new releases that feature — believe it or not — actual new music. Rapper/hip hop producer Jay Z's American Gangster features nine new tracks directly inspired by the Russell Crowe/Denzel Washington film of the same name, though it should not considered as an actual soundtrack to the movie (the official soundtrack, not coincidentally, is also in stores this week).
David Byrne's The Knee Plays on the other hand, is an actual score — though to what, I'm not exactly sure — that features new music from the ex-Talking Head turned world music renaissance man.
Here are all of this week's new album releases courtesy of the folks at All Music Guide.
Angels & Airwaves
I-Empire
Suretone/Geffen
Alternative Pop/Rock
Dion
Son of Skip James
Verve Forecast
Modern Acoustic Blues
Jay-Z
American Gangster
Roc-A-Fella
Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, Pop-Rap
Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Brothers
Gram Parsons Archive, Vol. 1
Amoebarecords/Fontana
Country-Rock, Americana, Alternative Country-Rock, Folk-Rock
Sigur Rós
Hvarf/Heim
XL
Post-Rock/Experimental
Barenaked Ladies
Talk to the Hand: Live in Michigan
Shout! Factory
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Fabio Biondi
Vivaldi: Concerto per viola d'amore
Virgin Classics
Baroque Concertos
Carla Bley
The Lost Chords Find Paolo Fresu
Watt/ECM
Modern Creative
Bright Eyes
Motion Sickness: Live Recordings
Saddle Creek
Indie Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Garth Brooks
The Ultimate Hits
Pearl
New Traditionalist, Country-Pop, Contemporary Country
Chris Brown
Exclusive
Jive/Zomba
Urban, Contemporary R&B
Bob Brozman
Post-Industrial Blues
Ruf
Country Blues
David Byrne
The Knee Plays [Bonus DVD]
Nonesuch
Original Score, Modern Composition
Captain & Tennille
The Secret of Christmas
Retroactive
Holiday, Christmas
Cassidy
B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story
RCA
East Coast Rap, Pop-Rap
Citay
Little Kingdom
Dead Oceans
Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock
Imani Coppola
The Black & White Album
Ipecac
Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Rap, Experimental Rock
Dr. Dre
Chronicles: Death Row Classics [Deluxe]
Death Row
Gangsta Rap, West Coast Rap, G-Funk
Einstürzende Neubauten
Alles Wieder Offen
Potomak
Experimental, Experimental Rock
Five for Fighting
Back Country Live
Aware/Columbia
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Rumon Gamba
The Film Music of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Vol. 2
Chandos
Modern Film Music
Grizzly Bear
Friend
WRP
Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Merle Haggard
Legends of American Music: The Original Outlaw
Time Life
Western Swing Revival, Bakersfield Sound, Honky Tonk, Traditional Country
Article comments
1 - Tim Jarrett
Oh heck yeah. The David Byrne release is a reissue, with bonus tracks, of a 1985 recording that until now has only been available on LP. It's music that he recorded for a set of short plays with Robert Anton Wilson (who also collaborated with Tom Waits (The Black Rider) and Lou Reed). There's some very cool stuff on this recording; I'm thrilled it's digital.
2 - Mark Saleski
what tim said
3 - Glen Boyd
Thanx for the catch guys. As I'm on a plane to Vegas right now, hopefully someone else here can make the correction in my absense. But I do appreciate the catch.
-Glen
4 - JC Mosquito
Save me a copy of the Gram PArsons -whooee!
5 - Will Harnack
Help induct Gram into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and leave a comment while you're there