January is usually a pretty brutal month for new releases and this year has been no exception, but this week is where we start to turn it around. We have interesting and compelling releases from interesting and compelling artists. This week, we have albums worth buying. This week, we have albums worth discussing and some of BC's best have already started writing about them.
First up, let's talk Pat Metheny's Orchestrion. I'm surprised to be starting with Metheny, myself, as I own not one note of his music. I'm bringing this up because we have some devoted jazz heads and because Mr. Mark Saleski, one of our most prolific writers, is a devoted Metheny fan. He's heard the record. He's happy. How happy? His review is up and you can learn all about it. He's even halfway convinced this record might be accessible enough for me to make a run at it. It may just happen.
How about Corinne Bailey Rae's new record, The Sea? Rae made a name for herself with her debut a few years back and she's getting high praise for this latest effort. Among those heaping the hosannahs? Our own Kit O'Toole.
We've also got a new record from The Magnetic Fields. I'm a casual admirer of TMF. It's not as brilliant as some would lead you to believe, but the intelligent, literate lyrics and the lo-fi productions make for interesting and occasionally wonderful songcraft.
Last but certainly not least, we have an archival release of sorts from the legendary David Bowie. A 2-CD soundtrack of sorts is being released of Bowie's Reality Tour DVD. The DVD came out a few years ago at the end of Bowie's last full-scale tour, promoting the Reality album. I have the DVD and it makes me happy. It was a very good show. The record? It had its moments. Bowie chose wisely which songs from that record to present among his illustrious catalog. I'm having one of these. Iguana Glen Boyd has reviewed it and he agrees with me: you need this.
There are many other worthy titles in this week's list, so take a look.
Beach House
Teen Dream
Charlotte Gainsbourg
IRM
Patty Griffin
Downtown Church
Lady Antebellum
Need You Now
The Magnetic Fields
Realism
Pat Metheny
Orchestrion
Animal Collective
Campfire Songs
Arj Barker
LYAO
Eric Bibb
Booker's Guitar
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
This is a great week of music, and you highlighted exactly the three albums I'm excited about.
Orchestrion is fascinating in concept (check out the EPK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VymAn8QJNQ,) and I'm excited to see it live in a few months. No idea how this works live but it should be pretty cool. The music sounds pretty typically Metheny to me, but I've only heard snippets so far.
I'll disagree about Bowie's Reality "having it's moments." I think it's one of his strongest from start to finish and apparently so did he - seek out the version of the album with a DVD wherein he plays Reality from start to finish (the cover is silver, and the album performance is incredible.) If Reality is sadly his final album, he went out on a high. Can't wait to hear the full concert set.
And count me among those "heaping hosannas" upon Corinne Bailey Rae. She is the real deal, and the new album is pretty great.
2 - Josh Hathaway
It's not that I don't love some of the moments on Reality, I do. I don't think it's a consistently great listen, though. I've got the Bowie box with the second disc. There are some great moments on that record.
I went in search of the Metheny on my lunch. It's not in stock nearby so I'll have to order it. Saleski had the EPK on his review and it looks and sounds very interesting.
3 - Mark Saleski
no Metheny in stock at satan's best buy? dang.
4 - Josh Hathaway
I knew it was a long shot. Not the first copy. Cocksuckers.
5 - Tom Johnson
By the way, as usual, Itunes gets the last laugh on the Bowie set - "5:15 The Angels Have Gone" and "Days" are solely included on their version, but luckily can be purchased by themselves.