Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Maybe it’s because the labels decided to hold back on the big guns knowing that the election probably means smaller crowds than usual at the record store. Whatever the reason, there is no way to sugarcoat the fact that this week’s lineup of new releases is a likely frontrunner for weakest we’ve seen this year.
No way around it. This is gonna’ be a short column.
Brad Paisley is probably the strongest contender of the lot to make any kind of impact on this year’s holiday sales chart. The country guitarist extraordinaire sticks to what he does best on his new one, which is appropriately titled Play. This is an instrumental album which allows Paisley to show off his considerable chops on both solo and duet performances with people like B.B. King, Keith Urban, and Steve Wariner.
Q-Tip makes his return to the record store with The Renaissance, which is the first album in nearly a decade from the celebrated hip-hop producer and founding member of A Tribe Called Quest.
Lou Reed’s Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse is the CD companion piece to his concert DVD where Reed performs the Berlin album live for the first time in 30 years. Travis’ new album Ode to J. Smith is reportedly the result of a whirlwind recording session which finds the Brit-popsters sounding edgier.
ZZ Top are, well ZZ Top on Live from Texas, which is also the companion to a live DVD. This week’s holiday greetings are brought to you by Harry Connick Jr. and Sarah Brightman.
Before we turn you over to Mark Saleski, NAR reminds you that if you aren’t going to be in the record store, make sure you at least go vote.
Here’s what I know: this is saxophonist Peter Brötzmann with cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm. It was recorded in an “industrial urban warehouse district.” It’s on the Atavistic label (read: not easy listening).
Brötzmann scares me. He claims to be playing a saxophone but half the time it comes out sounding like a flame cutting machine gone wrong. You should be scared too.
This will in no way sound like Kenny G with Yo-Yo Ma.
Here are all of this week’s new album releases courtesy of All Music Guide:
Danielson
Trying Hartz
Secretly Canadian
Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Hinder
Take It to the Limit
Universal Republic
Post-Grunge
Megapuss
Surfing
Ada/Vapor
Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Experimental Rock
Brad Paisley
Play: The Guitar Album
Arista Nashville/Sony BMG Nas
Neo-Traditionalist Country, Instrumental Country, Contemporary Country, Guitar Virtuoso
Q-Tip
The Renaissance
Universal Motown
East Coast Rap, Alternative Rap, Hip-Hop
Drew Andrews
Only Mirrors
Minty Fresh
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock
Nicholas Angelich
Brahms: Piano Quartets Nos. 1-3
Virgin Classics
Romantic Chamber Music
Sarah Brightman
A Winter Symphony
Manhattan
Holiday, Adult Contemporary, Christmas
Peter Brötzmann
The Brain of the Dog in Section
Atavistic
Free Improvisation, Modern Free
Dennis Brown
The Best of Dennis Brown: The Niney Years
Universal
Roots Reggae, Smooth Reggae, Lovers Rock
Jackson Browne
Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 & 2
Inside
Singer/Songwriter
Willie Clayton
Soul and Blues
Malaco
Retro-Soul, Soul-Blues, Deep Soul, Southern Soul, Soul, Chicago Blues, Chicago Soul
Harry Connick, Jr.
What a Night! A Christmas Album
Columbia
Traditional Pop
The Corporation
Get on Our Swing/Hassles in My Mind
Big Beat
Psychedelic Pop
Rodney Dangerfield
Greatest Bits
Shout! Factory
Standup Comedy
Pascal Devoyon
Grieg, Schumann: Piano Concertos
EMI
Romantic and Post-Romantic Music for Piano and Orchestra
Dragonette
Galore
London
Club/Dance, Pop
Grampall Jookabox
Ropechain
Asthmatic Kitty
Experimental Rock, Indie Rock
Heather Harper
Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs; Songs with Orchestra
EMI
Post-Romantic Vocal Music
Honeyhoney
First Rodeo
Ironworks/Universal Republic
Alternative Country, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Crossover Jazz
Frida Hyvönen
Silence Is Wild
Secretly Canadian
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock
Johann Johannsson
Fordlandia
4AD
Sound Art, Electronic, Indie Electronic, Ambient Pop
Johnny Johnson & the Bandwagon
Breakin’ Down the Walls of Heartache: The Best of 1968-1975
Kent UK
Soul
The Lines
Flood Bank
Acute
Post-Punk
Little Joy
Little Joy
Rough Trade
Indie Pop
Little Willie John
Nineteen Sixty Six: The Axelrod and H.B. Barnum Recordings
Kent UK
Early R&B, Urban Blues, Soul
The Lucksmiths
First Frost
Matinee
Indie Pop
Klaus Nomi
Za Bakdaz: The Unfinished Opera
Heliocentric
Alternative Dance, Euro-Pop, New Wave, Dance-Pop, Synth Pop
Leonard Slatkin
Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride and Other Holiday Favorites
Naxos
Orchestral Christmas Music
Tippett Quartet
Tippett: String Quartets, Vol. 1
Naxos
Modern Chamber Music
Original Soundtrack
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Interscope
Soundtracks, Film Music, Pop/Rock
Original Soundtrack
Soulmen
Stax
Neo-Soul, Soundtracks, Soul
Original Soundtrack
Twilight [Original Soundtrack]
Summit Ent/Chop Shop/Atlantic
Emo, Pop, Soundtracks, Alternative Pop/Rock, Punk-Pop
Randy Owen
One on One
Broken Bow
Contemporary Country, Country-Pop
Cale Parks
Sparklace
Polyvinyl
Post-Rock/Experimental, Experimental Rock, Indie Rock
Lou Reed
Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse
Matador
Proto-Punk, Singer/Songwriter, Album Rock, Rock & Roll
Shiny Toy Guns
Season of Poison
Universal Motown
New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Goth Metal, Alternative Pop/Rock
Mavis Staples
Live: Hope at the Hideout
Anti
Spirituals, Traditional Gospel, Black Gospel, Soul
Cat Stevens
Tea for the Tillerman [Deluxe Edition]
A&M
Pop/Rock, Folk-Rock, Soft Rock, Album Rock
Cat Stevens
Teaser and the Firecat [Deluxe Edition]
A&M
Album Rock, Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Stiff Little Fingers
Live and Loud/Fly the Flags
Anagram
Punk, British Punk
Switchfoot
The Best Yet
Columbia/Legacy
Alternative CCM, Post-Grunge, Alternative Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Tipsy
Buzzz
Ipecac
Illbient, Ambient Techno, Club/Dance
Travis
Ode to J. Smith
Red Phone Box
British Trad Rock, Britpop
Various Artists
Break-A-Way: The Songs of Jackie DeShannon
Ace UK
Brill Building Pop, Folk-Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Early Pop/Rock, Sunshine Pop, Folk-Pop
Various Artists
J&S Harlem Soul
Kent UK
Soul
Various Artists
Malt Shop Memories: Dancing in the Street
Time Life
AM Pop, Teen Idol, Girl Group, Early Pop/Rock, Rock & Roll
Various Artists
SuperFunk, Vol. 6: The Mighty SuperFunk – Rare 45s and Undiscovered Masters 1967-1978
Beat Goes Public
Funk
Various Artists
Titan: It’s All Pop!
Numero
Power Pop
Wild Beasts
Limbo, Panto [Bonus Tracks]
Domino
Indie Rock
Wilderness
(k)no(w)here
Jagjaguwar
Indie Rock
James Yorkston
When the Haar Rolls In [#1]
Domino
Alternative Folk, British Folk-Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Progressive Folk, Contemporary Folk, Folk-Rock
ZZ Top
Live from Texas
Eagle
Boogie Rock, Hard Rock, Blues-Rock
