New Album Releases 01/15/08: Ringo, Eels, Juno Soundtrack, Lead Another Slow Week

If this is what they call the calm before the storm in terms of reasons to visit the record store, then whatever clouds are looming just around the bend had better bring on a hurricane. Because this is about as slow as it gets in new release land, baby.

Not that there isn't a little something for everybody among this week's precious few offerings, because there most certainly is. You've got the soundtrack for a critically acclaimed movie, two new collections from a longtime underground buzz-band, some choice reissues, and a smattering of the sort of blues releases that guys like Josh Hathaway get all excited about.

Hell, you've even got a new solo album from an ex-Beatle.

And even though said ex-mop-top is only Ringo, in years past this alone would have had "those crazy kids ringing the registers at the record store" (to quote any number of old school record guys from that era). As it stands, most people know Ringo these days mainly as the guy who fronts those annual "All-Starr Band" oldie-but-moldie tours, or from his occasional television commercials. Which is kind of sad if you think about it.

Ringo's new Liverpool 8 marks his return to Capitol, the label of his glory years with the Beatles, and is also his first solo album in about five years for a major label. Studio wizard and sometime Eurythmic Dave Stewart had a hand in the production, and the record has been described as "Beatle-esque," especially on the autobiographical title track.

From underground darlings the Eels, we get two new collections. Meet the Eels: Essential Eels 1996-2006, Vol. 1, is a hits collection that comes with a bonus DVD featuring all of their videos. Useless Trinkets: B Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2007, is a rarities collection, that also features a bonus DVD of the Eels 2006 performance at Lollapalooza.

Looking elsewhere, there is the soundtrack for the critical hit movie Juno, which mixes classic tracks from the Kinks, Velvet Underground, and Mott The Hoople with more modern fare from Cat Power and Belle and Sebastian.

For blues fans there are new collections from Otis Clay, Eric Lindell, and Billy C. Farlow. In country and bluegrass, there are new offerings from Trisha Yearwood (a collection of Love Songs) and the Steeldrivers. Leading the week's reissues are a couple of new entries from Legacy's Beautiful Ballads series by Barry Manilow and Aretha Franklin, as well as new collections by the Spice Girls, Rick Nelson, and Commander Cody (for all those who remember that song "Hot Rod Lincoln").

Here are all of this week's new album releases courtesy of All Music Guide.

Eels
Meet the Eels: Essential Eels 1996-2006, Vol. 1 [CD/DVD]
Geffen
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Post-Grunge, Alternative Pop/Rock

Magnetic Fields
Distortion
Nonesuch
Indie Pop, Lo-Fi, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Electronic

Ringo Starr
Liverpool 8
Capitol/EMI
Pop/Rock

Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Ligeti: Works For Piano, Etudes, Musica Ricercata
Sony Classical
Contemporary Piano Music

Ruby Andrews/Gloria Lynne
Swamp Dogg Presents: The Boss Ladies of Soul
S.D.E.G.
Soul, Deep Soul, Southern Soul, Chicago Soul

Ruth Brown/Sandra Phillips
Swamp Dogg Presents: Miss Rhythm & Miss Blues
S.D.E.G.
Soul, Deep Soul, Southern Soul, Chicago Soul

Gavin Bryars
Hommages
LTM
Contemporary Chamber Music

William Christie
Landi: Il Sant' Alessio
Warner Classics
Baroque Opera

Otis Clay
Walk a Mile in My Shoes
Echo
Black Gospel, Deep Soul, Soul-Blues

Commander Cody
The Early Years 1967-1970
SPV
Bar Band, Country Boogie, Honky Tonk, Roots Rock, Rockabilly, Country-Rock, Traditional Country, Rock & Roll

Raheem DeVaughn
Love Behind the Melody
1228/Jive/Zomba
Neo-Soul, Urban

Eels
Useless Trinkets: B Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2007
Geffen
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Post-Grunge, Alternative Pop/Rock

Billy C. Farlow
Billy C and the Sunshine/The Lost 70's Tapes
SPV
Detroit Blues, Rockabilly Revival, Boogie Rock, Roots Rock, Blues-Rock, Modern Electric Blues, Rock & Roll

Richard Fleeshman
Neon
Universal
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

Aretha Franklin
Beautiful Ballads
Arista/Legacy
Deep Soul, Soul, Southern Soul, Quiet Storm, Urban

Holsapple-Stamey
Mavericks [Bonus Tracks]
Collectors' Choice Music
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Jangle Pop

Kottonmouth Kings
Greatest Highs
Capitol
Rap-Rock, Rap-Metal

Mike Ladd
Nostalgialator
DJX
Indie Rock, Alternative Rap, Left-Field Hip-Hop, Indie Electronic

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu
Heads Up
Mbube

Eric Lindell
Low on Cash, Rich in Love
Alligator
Contemporary Blues, Blues-Rock, Funk

Igor Lovchinsky
Debut Recording
Ivory Classics
Romantic & Modern Piano Music

Barry Manilow
Beautiful Ballads
Arista/Legacy
Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Adult Contemporary

Rick Nelson
Greatest Love Songs
Capitol
Teen Idol, Rock & Roll, Pop

Ying Quartet
Dim Sum
Telarc
Contemporary Music for String Quartet

Original Soundtrack
Juno
Rhino
Indie Pop, Film Music, Indie Rock, Pop/Rock

Spice Girls
Greatest Hits [Deluxe Edition]
Virgin
Teen Pop, Club/Dance, Euro-Dance, Euro-Pop, Adult Contemporary, Dance-Pop

The Steeldrivers
The Steeldrivers
Rounder
Contemporary Bluegrass

Illrd Tyme Out
Footprints: A Illrd Tyme out Collection
Rounder
Contemporary Bluegrass, Contemporary Folk

Trisha Yearwood
Love Songs
MCA Nashville
Contemporary Country, Country-Pop