New album releases, week of 6-29-04

If anyone really loved me, they'd plunk down $135 to buy me the new Paul Simon Studio Recordings 1972-2000. They don't have track listings yet at Amazon, but this is a Rhino set, and apparently includes bonus material. 99% of the time, I don't care about demos and alternate takes- but this is Paul Simon. I'd be REAL interested in some alternate takes of, say, "Graceland" or "Adios Hermanos."

Probably the most likely new, mainstream pop pick comes from Brandy, called Afrodisiac.

Dave Matthews has a new live album, Gorge. With two CDs and a DVD for $23, the price ain't bad for fans. I'm not a big fan, but this looks like a pretty decent package.

The Cure has an eponymous new studio album, lucky number 13 for them. Mostly though, the invocation of their name just makes me want to listen to the Ben Folds song.

Dwight Yoakam peaks my interest with a cleverly titled collection of covers, Dwight's Used Records. This isn't his first, but he's really good. Indeed, it occurs to me that he may be better as an interpreter than as a songwriter. He's probably the best country music male vocalist working today, and he definitely recorded the definitive version of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." This time out, he's got a couple of fairly obvious things, such as "Understand Your Man" and "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" - as well as some less obvious choices, such as "The Loco-Motion." I bet he does a mean "Paradise."

This week's major releases, from All Music Guide:

Brandy Afrodisiac Atlantic
Contemporary R&B, Urban

The Cure The Cure Geffen
Alternative Pop/Rock, Goth Rock, Post-Punk

Paul Simon Studio Recordings 1972-2000 Rhino
Album Rock, Folk-Rock, Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock, Worldbeat

Authority Zero Andiamo Lava
Post-Grunge, Punk Revival

Lloyd Banks The Hunger for More Interscope/G Unit
Hardcore Rap, Gangsta Rap

Breaking Benjamin We Are Not Alone Hollywood
Post-Grunge

Burning Brides Leave No Ashes V2
Hard Rock

Concrete Blonde Mojave Happy Hermit
College Rock

The Concretes The Concretes Astralwerks
Indie Pop, Swedish Pop/Rock

Emerson Drive What If? Dreamworks
Contemporary Country, Country-Pop

Ensemble Hofkapelle Orlando di Lasso: Lagrime di San Pietro; Melancholia Christophorus
Renaissance Choral Music

For Stars It Falls Apart Future Farmer
Indie Rock, Dream Pop

The Forty-Fives High Life High Volume Yep Roc
Garage Rock Revival, Retro-Rock

Goodie Mob One Monkey Don't Stop No Show Koch
Southern Rap

Heart Bebe le Strange [Expanded] Sony
Album Rock, Arena Rock, Hard Rock, Pop/Rock

Article Author: Al Barger

Unreformed hawkish Hoosier hillbilly Al Barger runs the still squeezin' down the psychodelic Kentucky moonshine at More Things. What with the paranoid religious visions, the Pentecostal music, visions of God and anarchy running amok and such, somebody …

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