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The best word to describe this week in new album releases is "interesting."
While there is nothing that really sticks out here as the sort of blockbuster that's going to send folks rushing back to the record stores — and let's face it, with Metallica out there, I think a lot of folks just wisely opted to stay the hell out of the way this week — there are still a number of interesting choices to consider.
So many, in fact that we couldn't cram all of them into the sort of mini-reviews we like to use here. So I'll just go ahead and mention that the new Rafael Saddiq, Nelly, George Clinton, and Marc Broussard releases are all probably just as worthy of your attention as the handful we are featuring here.
Did I miss anyone else?
Of the upper tier, Lindsey Buckingham's new one definitely looks like a winner. He's got John McVie and Mick Fleetwood lending a hand for starters, and the songs here are supposed to be smack dab in the Fleetwood Mac vein. Despite that band's near legendary status, Buckingham doesn't get near his due as both a guitarist and as a songwriter who writes some of the best pop melodies this side of Brian Wilson. Personally, I'm all over this one.
On the hard rock front, L.A. rockers Buckcherry are back after doing platinum business last time out. Avenged Sevenfold shred their way through the CD/DVD combo of Live in the LBC and Diamonds in the Rough.
Hootie And the Blowfish's Darius Rucker tries his hand at country on Learn to Live. Ne-Yo has more of the trademark hip-hop flavored R&B that struck gold and platinum on his third album Year of the Gentleman. Fans waiting for the new Cure album can whet their appetites with Hypnagogic States, an E.P. featuring four songs from that forthcoming CD remixed by members of Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance. Proceeds go to the American Red Cross.
Josh Hathaway is back for a second week in a row to tell us all about the poetic jazz soundscapes of Joy Harjo. As for our good friend Mark Saleski? Well the guy doesn't make this job easy, that's for sure. This week he's got two picks, both of which have something or another to do with Who Killed Thomas Newman, or something like that. Rather than try to figure that out, we'll just let the man himself explain here…
This is the first week where the choice between two recordings went from difficult to impossible. So first I'll make quick mention of Film Music of Thomas Newman. Newman, composer of the impossibly great score for American Beauty, has material interpreted by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Yummy.
And speaking of yummy, there's Amanda Palmer. Part of me wants to run screaming in the other direction as this solo record is a collaboration with Ben Folds. There is only one Folds song that I can remember ("Army") that doesn't make me want to shove an ice pick into my ear. On the other hand, I love Palmer's Dresden Dolls so much that it hurts. What's a fella to do? Why, check out Who Killed Amanda Palmer of course!
Jazz poet. If I could ever give myself a job title, I'm not sure I wouldn't want that one. That just sounds cool, and it should. I'm not a serious jazz student, but jazz is cool. Poetry has never been my literary forte, but I love words and language and the poets always did the most exciting things with it. Combine jazz and poetry and you have the epitome of cool.
Joy Harjo is a published poet and saxophonist, making her first album for Barrett Martin's Fast Horse Recordings label. Winding sets poetry (sung and spoken) to lush, mystical soundscapes imbued with elements of jazz. This is not a mainstream record with mass crossover appeal, but listeners with open hearts, minds, and most importantly ears will find something to like with this one.
Here are all of this week's new album releases courtesy of All Music Guide:
Buckcherry
Black Butterfly
Atlantic/Eleven Seven
Hard Rock, American Trad Rock, Post-Grunge, Alternative Metal
Lindsey Buckingham
Gift of Screws
Reprise
Pop/Rock, Album Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
Kristy Lee Cook
Why Wait
Arista/Sony BMG
Contemporary Country
Ne-Yo
Year of the Gentleman
Def Jam
Urban, Contemporary R&B
Tindersticks
The Hungry Saw
Constellation
Chamber Pop, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Avenged Sevenfold
Live in the LBC and Diamonds in the Rough
Warner Bros.
Heavy Metal, Alternative Metal, Post-Hardcore, Emo
BG & Chopper City Boyz
Life in the Concrete Jungle
Chopper City Records/Asylum
Dirty South, Southern Rap
Patricia Barber
The Cole Porter Mix
Blue Note
Standards, Contemporary Jazz, Modern Creative
The Pete Best Band
Haymans Green
Lightyear
Pop/Rock
Wayne Brady
A Long Time Coming
Peak
Urban, Adult Contemporary
Marc Broussard
Keep Coming Back
Atlantic
Retro-Soul, Contemporary R&B, Swamp Pop, Funk
Kasey Chambers/Shane Nicholson
Rattlin' Bones
Essence/Sugar Hill
Country-Folk, Alternative Country-Rock
George Clinton
George Clinton and His Gangsters of Love
Shanachie
Funk, Urban
The Cure
Hypnagogic States
Geffen
Alternative Pop/Rock
DJ Khaled
We Global
Koch
Hardcore Rap, Southern Rap, East Coast Rap
Dead Confederate
Wrecking Ball
Razor & Tie
Indie Rock
Dressy Bessy
Holler and Stomp
Transdreamer
Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Punk-Pop
Dub Specialist
Dub
Heartbeat
Dub
Eli Young Band
Jet Black & Jealous
Universal South
Contemporary Country
Elena Cecchi Fedi
Or sì m'avveggio, oh Amore: Cantatas for Soprano by Nicola Porpora
Hyperion
Baroque Vocal Music
Reneé Fleming
Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs
Decca
Post-Romantic Vocal Music
James Galway
O'Reilly Street
RCA
Contemporary Afro-Cuban Music for Flute and Ensemble
Bill Haley
Early Years 1947-1951
JSP
Western Swing
I Percussionisti della Scala
Percussion Masterpieces
Stradivarius
Modern & Contemporary Percussion Music
Ice Cube
The Essentials
Priority/EMI
Golden Age, West Coast Rap, Gangsta Rap, Hardcore Rap, G-Funk
Javon Jackson
Once Upon a Melody
Palmetto
Post-Bop
James
Hey Ma
Decca
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Jem
Down to Earth
ATO
Electronica, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Elton John
Greatest Hits [Island]
Island
Album Rock, Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Adult Contemporary, Singer/Songwriter, Rock & Roll
Sergey Koudriakov
Schubert: Sonata, Op. 53; Three Piano Pieces [Hybrid SACD]
Audite
Romantic Piano Music
Dave Koz
Greatest Hits
Capitol/EMI
Smooth Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Adult Contemporary, Instrumental Pop
Laika & the Cosmonauts
Cosmopolis
Yep Roc
Surf Revival
Lisa Loeb
Camp Lisa
Furious Rose
Sing-Along, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
Darlene Love
So Much Love: A Darlene Love Anthology 1958-1998
Ace
Girl Group, R&B
Leona Naess
Thirteens
Verve Forecast
Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Nelly
Brass Knuckles
Universal
Party Rap, Pop-Rap, Urban
Noah and the Whale
Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
Mercury
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop
Colby O'Donis
Colby O
Geffen
Teen Pop, Contemporary R&B, Urban
One Block Radius
One Block Radius
Mercury
Alternative Rap, Pop-Rap
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
The Hurricane Sessions
Preservation Hall
Dixieland Revival, New Orleans Jazz, Dixieland
Raglani
Of Sirens Born
Kranky
Minimalism, Atonal, Ambient
Darius Rucker
Learn to Live
Capitol/EMI
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Jam Bands
Raphael Saadiq
The Way I See It
Columbia
Neo-Soul, Contemporary R&B
Shades of Brown
S.O.B.
Dusty Groove
Chicago Soul, Northern Soul, Soul
Vonda Shepard
From the Sun
Red Eye
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary
Simian Mobile Disco
Fabriclive.41
Fabric 591 Ltd
Club/Dance, Techno, Experimental Techno, Electro-Techno
Matt Wertz
Under Summer Sun
Republic
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Kirk Whalum
Promises Made: The Millennium Promise Jazz Project
Koch
Smooth Jazz, Quiet Storm, Crossover Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Adult Contemporary
Reuben Wilson and the Cost of Living
Got to Get Your Own
Dusty Groove
Uptown Soul, Jazz-Funk, Funk
