Bestest likely new album pick this week comes from Duran Duran. Astronaut is the first new recording from the original lineup since 1985. In theory, Duran has always been strictly a lightweight boy band. However, get you a hits album and put them little pop nuggets back to back, and you've got a pretty good showing. They've been quite consistent in conjuring up at least one or two outstanding pop songs per album over a period of some years now. Note the special edition with bonus DVD.
In theory, Frank Black is probably considered a lot cooler. However, I can barely vaguely remember one Pixies song, much less anything from his solo career. He does seem to have a fairly adamant cheering section, though, so note that he has a new album this week, Frank Black Francis.
Likewise in the range of supposedly cool outfits what have never made much impression on me, Camper van Beethoven has a new album, New Roman Times.
For those of you with FAR less than discriminating tastes (and there certainly are a bunch of you), Celine Dion has a new album. Miracle apparently consists of songs about having babies. I started to think up some cracks about her, but why bother? I'll just say that I'd buy the entire damned Barbara Streisand catalog before I would purposely listen to anything from Ms Dion.
Here's the complete list of this weeks major new albums, courtesy of AMG:
Duran Duran Astronaut Epic
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop/Rock
American Music Club Love Songs for Patriots Devil in the Woods
Sadcore, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Slowcore
Banyan Live at Perkins' Palace Sanctuary
Experimental Rock, Instrumental Rock, Jazz-Rock, Fusion, Alternative Pop/Rock, Jazz-Funk
Tony Bennett Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett Sony
Traditional Pop, Vocal Pop, Show Tunes, Vocal Jazz, Ballads
Frank Black Frank Black Francis Spin Art
Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Blood Brothers Crimes V2
Punk Metal, Hardcore Punk, Punk Revival, Emo
Brazilian Girls Lazy Lover [EP] Verve
Downtempo, Downbeat
Jon Brion I Heart Huckabees Milan
Film Music, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Soundtracks
Peter Brotzmann/Friis Nielsen/Peeter Uuskyla Medicina Atavistic
Free Improvisation, Avant-Garde Jazz, Free Jazz
Richard Buckner
Dents and Shells
Merge
Alternative Country, Country-Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Americana
Camper Van Beethoven New Roman Times Vanguard
American Underground, College Rock, Jangle Pop, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
al, you need to get the Peter Brotzmann disc.
remember the scene in back to the future when he plugs in the guitar and the single power chord anhilates him?
Brotzmann does the equivalent using a saxophone.
it's brutal stuff.
2 - Bill Lamb
Early word on Camper Van's new album is very very good.
They have a reputation as a goofy off-kilter band, but some of their best work is powerful. The new album is a rock opera (not long after Green Day's well-received effort) about a Texas teen disillusioned by a 9/11-type event who becomes a suicide bomber.
3 - Jim Carruthers
The Camper Van Beethoven album is really good. If you liked them before, you'll like them all over again.
How do I know? I've been working on a review for a month, but just haven't gotten off my ass and written it.
Don't let "rock opera" scare you, you wouldn't really notice until somebody told you. Think of it as a Rush album with a horn section and different lyrics.
4 - Al Barger
Not to insult the exports of your fine country Mr Carruthers, but saying that someone's album is like Rush does not send me reaching for my wallet.