Perhaps the most musically interesting new album this week is Chavez Ravine, by Ry Cooder. He's doing his ethnomusicological thing centering on the music of a specific LA neighborhood wiped out to make room for the incoming former Brooklyn Dodgers.
Dwight Yaokam has a new record out as well, Blame the Vain. If you must listen to a modern commercial country artist, he's been consistently near the top of the heap, quality wise.
Both the Foo Fighters and the Backstreet Boys have new albums out this week. I mention this in recognition that they've both sold some records, so there may be interest. On the other hand, both bands suck, and they're trying to sucker customers into buying some copy protected crap. Not wanting to knowingly steer customers into buying purposely defective merchandise, we'll not bother with Amazon links to these defective CDs by these defective bands.
Here is the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG:
Backstreet Boys Never Gone Jive
Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary
Ry Cooder Chavez Ravine Nonesuch
Album Rock, Americana, Latin Jazz, Guitar Virtuoso
Foo Fighters In Your Honor RCA
Post-Grunge, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
Dwight Yoakam Blame the Vain New West
Neo-Traditionalist Country, New Traditionalist, Honky Tonk, Bakersfield Sound, Alternative Country
As I Lay Dying Shadows Are Security Metal Blade
Hardcore Punk, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, Grindcore, Thrash
Kevin Blechdom Eat My Heart Out Chicks on Speed
IDM, Neo-Electro
Herbert Blomstedt Richard Strauss: Rosenkavalier Waltzes; Burleske; Capriccio Sextet Decca
Post-Romantic Orchestral Music
Caitlin Cary/Thad Cockrell Begonias Yep Roc
Alternative Country, Alternative Country-Rock, Neo-Traditionalist Country, Alternative Pop/Rock, Neo-Traditional Folk
Harry Connick Jr. Occasion: Connick on Piano, Vol. 2 Marsalis Music
Traditional Pop, Swing
Stewart Copeland Orchestralli Ponderosa
Original Score, Instrumental Pop
Miles Davis 'Round About Midnight [Legacy Bonus Disc] Columbia
Hard Bop, Bop
Dressy Bessy Electrified Transdreamer
Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Punk-Pop
Ian Dury New Boots and Panties!! [Deluxe Edition] Fuel 2000
British Punk, Pub Rock, New Wave, Punk, Rock & Roll
Brian Eno Another Day on Earth Hannibal
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental, Avant-Garde
Erika Jo Erika Jo Universal South
Contemporary Country
Emily van Evera My Lady Rich Avie
Renaissance Vocal and Chamber Music
The Everly Brothers Too Good to Be True Varese
Close Harmony, Pop/Rock, Rock & Roll
Fat Joe All or Nothing Atlantic
East Coast Rap, Hip-Hop, Gangsta Rap, Pop-Rap, Latin Rap, Hardcore Rap
Funeral for a Friend Hours Atlantic
Post-Hardcore, Emo
Hall & Oates The Essential Daryl Hall & John Oates RCA
Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Adult Contemporary
Indigo Girls Rarities Sony
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Folk-Rock
Eric Johnson Bloom Favored Nations Entertainment
Guitar Virtuoso, Instrumental Rock
Janis Joplin Pearl [2 Disc Legacy Edition] Sony
Album Rock, Blues-Rock, Hard Rock, Rock & Roll
Daniel Lanois Rockets Daniellanois.Com
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Jenny Lin Preludes to a Revolution Haenssler
Modern Piano Music
Marc Minkowski Rameau: Une Symphonie Imaginaire Archiv
Baroque Chamber and Orchestral Music
David Munrow Art of the Recorder Testament
Recorder Music
No Use for a Name Keep Them Confused Fat Wreck Chords
Punk Revival, Punk-Pop
Orange Peels Circling the Sun Parasol
Indie Pop
Eddie Palmieri Listen Here! Concord
Latin Jazz, Salsa
The Pernice Brothers Discover a Lovelier You Ashmont
Indie Pop, Indie Rock
The Residents Animal Lover Mute U.S.
Experimental Rock, Experimental, Avant-Garde
Jordi Savall François Couperin: Les Concerts Royaux [Hybrid SACD] Alia Vox
Baroque Orchestral Music
Wayne Shorter Beyond the Sound Barrier Verve
Contemporary Jazz, Post-Bop
Various Artists Def Jam Recordings: #1 Spot Def Jam
Urban, Pop-Rap, Contemporary R&B, East Coast Rap, Southern Rap
Lizz Wright Dreaming Wide Awake Verve
Vocal Jazz, Adult Contemporary
Article comments
1 - JR
Perhaps the most musically interesting new album this week is Chavez Ravine, by Ry Cooder.
The price makes it look less interesting. So far as I can see, it's a single disc. Why is the list price over twenty bucks?
2 - Mark Saleski
these kinda things rarely work out...but i would love to see Ry Cooder get together with Richard Thompson.
3 - Phillip Winn
Aw, gee. No love for the Backstreet Boys?
4 - BRICKLAYER
I will be first in line for the new Cattle Decapitation Dual Disc/DVD/Rarities collection!
5 - The Theory
I would guess the price on the Ry Cooder cd has to do with the packaging. It comes with a large booklet the way the Bueno Vista Social Club cd did.
I would enjoy picking a copy of that up-- but don't quite have the cash right now to justify it.
And-- Why is the Residents on the list? That cd has been out for a month or two already. Unless it's refering to the vinyl release, which was scheduled for somewhere around this time...
6 - Al Barger
Yeah, the Residents album was in the new releases listings, but Amazon lists an April release date. I'm not sure what that's about.
7 - The Theory
recognize I wasn't criticizing you for that, Al. I mean, any time The Residents get mentioned it's a good thing. Just rather surprised me.
I do realize you don't create these lists yourself...
8 - Al Barger
Totally cool. Plus, half the lists or more generally consist of re-releases of one kind or another. It's marginal to call a lot of these "new."
9 - Sister Ray
Don't be so hasty in your dismissal of the Foo Fighters. Their song from the X-Files movie soundtrack, "Walking After You," is really good. If they could produce that, maybe they're not totally worthless.
Also, I don't like the cover of that Hall & Oates CD. You know why :->
10 - DJRadiohead
I just picked up the new Foo Fighters tonight (along with a couple of other discs) and am in the process of spinning it for the first time.
I got the new Pernice Brothers CD on Monday and it has really grown on me after four or five listens.
11 - Aaman
That's some cover for The Residents!