Thursday , March 28 2024
The wallet takes a beating this week!

New Music Tuesday: Big High, Tom Petty, Pernice Brothers, Sarah McLachlan, Steve Miller Band

Today is the greatest day I’ve ever known. This is somewhere beyond the metric buttload of new music that we need to buy in triplicate. It’s staggering and I’m not going to be able to spend proper detail on all of them and some I’m not going to be able to discuss at all, so please feel free to join me in the comments and let’s talk about all this bountiful music being set before us.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
MOJO

This is the first Heartbreakers album since The Last DJ in 2002. Since then, Petty has done a magnificent solo record Highway Companion, reunited with his pre-Heartbreakers band Mudcrutch for a magnificent record, and released an uber-magnificent Live Anthology box set.

Now Tom, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair, Steve Ferrone, and Scott Thurston are back with a 15-track album that finds the Heartbreakers reinventing themselves as the blues band they never were and searching for their inner Allman Brothers Band. If you’ve loved Mike Campbell’s lead guitar playing over the years, you’re in for a treat. I’ve pre-ordered mine.

Another note: this album is being released as CD, vinyl, and a Blu-ray audio for you audiophiles out there. I’ve started with the CD but I’ll be purchasing the other two in good time.

Pernice Brothers
Goodbye, Killer

Some kids discover drugs in college. I discovered the Pernice Brothers. Both are addictive and deplete your bank account. Only one gets you hauled off in a jump…suit.

My copy of Killer arrived early because I’m at least 17 percent more special than the rest of you- along with everyone else who pre-ordered their copy from Pernice’s Ashmont Records label. Okay, so I don’t qualify as special. I do have the record though and some of you don’t so you might be wondering if you should get it. First off, yes, on account of it’s a Pernice Brothers record and you don’t need to hear anything from it to know you need it. Second off, yes, on account of I wouldn’t have pre-ordered the thing if I didn’t think it would be worth having. Lastly, yes, on account of I’ve listened to it several times since its early arrival and it’s really, really good.

Big High
Big High

Former Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin is back in the rock-n-roll saddle again and the self-titled debut from Big High is the result. R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck — a frequent Martin collaborator — guests on the record. I published my review of it this week. For those of you with short attention spans, it’s really good. Rock fans who remember the Seattle fraternity of bands fondly will probably really like this one a lot.

Sarah McLachlan
Laws Of Illusion

Another ’90s college discovery for me. The angels have competition when it comes to the most beautiful female voices ever to enter existence. McLachlan has experienced tumult between the release of her last album and this one and is bringing back Lilith Fair to help promote the record. I wanted to go to a LF but the Nashville lineup didn’t offer what I was hoping for, beyond McLachlan herself. I’ll stick with the record.

Steve Miller Band
Bingo

It’s the first Steve Miller Band album in 17 years and you’re never going to believe where he recorded this: George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch studios. How cool is that? If I ever record my debut solo album, I want to record at Skywalker Ranch. As for the album itself, it was produced by veteran Andy Johns and finds Miller going back to his blues roots playing songs that inspired him. Miller is a helluva guitar player and has an understanding of the blues idiom. His vocals aren’t particularly bluesy, but this is an album I might have to come back for in a few weeks when I’ve digested the rest of the albums on this list.

Amp Live- Murder At The Discotech
Arif Mardin- All My Friends Are Here
Artist- Title
Ayala, Gabriel- Remembrance
Baker Gurvitz Army- Live In London 1975
Beau Brummels- Live!
Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin’ Daddies!- Big Rockin’ Boogie
Benson, George- Good King Bad/Benson & Farrell
Betts, Dickey & Great Southern- Rockpalast: 30 Years Of Southern Rock (1978-2008)
Big Ball- Hotter Than Hell
Big Brother- Hold Me
Big Bus- Redemption
Big High- Big High
Black, Lewis- Stark Raving Black
Blue Floyd- The Adventure Begins
Boris Garcia- Once More Into The Bliss
Brunning/Hall Sunflower Band With Peter Green- Trackside Blues
Buell,Bebe- Sugar
Butterfield, Paul: Band- Rockpalast: Blues Rock Legends Vol. 2
Case- Here, My Love
Chris Webster- Something In The Water
Chris Webster- My Name Is Christine
Cibelle- Las Venus Resort Palace Hotel
Clarke, Stanley- Modern Man/I Wanna Play For You
Clarke/Duke Project- Volumes I, Ii And Iii
Clifford Curry- Clifford’s Blues
C-Murder- Tomorrow
Cold Blood- Transfusion
Cold Blood- Live Blood
Cold Blood- Vintage Blood
Collberg, Andrew- On The Wreath
Confederate Railroad- Confederate Railroad Live
Cool Nutz- Incredible
Cowboy Junkies- Renmin Park
Crooked I- Hood Star
Cunningham, John- John Cunningham: 1998-2002
Cyco Miko & Infectious Grooves- Live In France ’95 / [2 Cd]
Dana Lyons- Three Legged Coyote
Dave Anderson Quartet- Clarity
Dave Gleason- Turn And Fade
Dave Peck- Modern Romance
Debaser- Peerless
Devo- Something For Everybody
Di Meola, Al- Elegant Gypsy/Casino
Disney Songs & Story- Toy Story 3
Donna Jean & The Tricksters- Donna Jean & The Tricksters
Drake- Thank Me Later / [Explicit]
Dreams- Dreams/Imagine My Surprise
Eaglesmith, Fred- Cha Cha Cha
Ed Harcourt- Lustre
Eddy-K- Asalto – Reloaded
Edgar Winter- Rebel Road
Ernie Watts- Four Plus Four
Ersahin, Ilhan- Istanbul Sessions Feat. Erik Truffaz
Eternia & Moss- At Last
Fabulous Girls- Fabulous Girl
Foals- Total Life Forever
Foghat- Last Train Home
Foxy Shazam- Foxy Shazam
Freddie & The Screamers- I Ain’t Crazy
Freedom Call- Legend Of The Shadowking
Gaslight Anthem, The- American Slang
George Kahn- Secrets From The Jazz Ghetto
Gerald Albright- Pushing The Envelope
Grupo Fantasma- El Existential
Gurrumul- Gurrumul
Hamm, Regie- Set It On Fire
Heartsounds- Until We Surrender
Hosannas- Song Force Crystal
Hot Club Sandwich- And If Only
In Fear And Faith- Imperial
Jackie Greene- Gone Wanderin’
Jackie Greene- The Dig Years
Jackie Greene- Rusty Nails
Jackson, John- Rappahannock Blues
Jamie Davis- Vibe Over Perfection
Jeffrey Fisher- Satyagraha—Songs Of The Earth
Jim Rooney & Rooney’s Irregulars- My Own Ignorant Way
Jimmy Baldwin- Vivador
John Adams- I Am Love Soundtrack By John Adams
John Davis- Halley’s Comet: Around The Piano With Mark Twain & John Davis
John Mellencamp- On The Rural Route 7609 / [4 Cd Box Set]
Just Jinjer- Just Jinjer
Katherine Jenkins- Believe
Ketil Bjornstad- Remembrance
Kevin Rudolf- To The Sky / [Explicit]
Khan, Shahrukh- King Khan – Songs From The Films Of Shahrukh Khan
King City- The Last Siesta
Kissin Dynamite- Addicted To Metal
Kreator- Horders Of Chaos – Ultra Riot
Lil Cuete- The One And Only
Loons, The- Red Dissolving Rays Of Light
Lords Of The New Church- Rockers (2xcd)
Lorn- Nothing Else
Lucy Woodward- Hooked!
Maria Muldaur- Classic Live
Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea- Viva La Diva!
Mark Karan- Walk Through The Fire
Mars Hollow- Mars Hollow
Marsmobil- (Why Don T You) Take The Other
Mary Kastle- Beneath The Folds
Mc5- Purity Accuracy The Album
Mclachlan, Sarah- Laws Of Illusion
Mclaughlin, John- Electric Guitarist/Electric Dreams
Moby Grape- Legendary Grape
Monica Mancini- I’ve Loved These Days
Mountain- Live In Nyc
Mr. Capone-E- The Blue Album
Muldrow, Georgia Ann- The Jyoti-Ocotea Album
Napoli Mandolin Orchestra- Mandolini All Opera
Nappy Roots- The Pursuit Of Nappyness
Northern Cree- Temptations: Cree Round Dance
Now 34- Now 34
Now U.S.A- Now U.S.A
Nyte, Ashton- The Valley
Oasis- Time Flies…1994-2009
Ocho Pies- Tropical Footprint
Ottmar Liebert- Petals On The Path
Oval- Oh (12″ Ep)
Parvez, Ustad Shahid- Kushal
Pastor Troy- Attitude Adjuster 2
Penetration- Live 1978/9 (2xcd)
Pernice Brothers- Goodbye, Killer
Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Bob Hall, Danny Kirwan, Bob Brunning, Jo-Ann Kelly, Dave Krelly- Rarities
Pineapple Thief, The- Someone Here Is Missing
Playing For Change- Playing For Change Live / [Cd/Dvd Combo]
Pop, Iggy- Where The Faces Shine Volume 1: 1977-1981 (5xcd+Dvd)
Pop, Iggy- Where The Faces Shine Volume 2: 1982-1989 (5xcd+Dvd)
Punch Brothers- Antifogmatic
Punch Brothers- Antifogmatic (Deluxe Edition) (2cd/Dvd)
Racebannon- Wrap The Body – 12″ Ep
Rasputina- Sister Kinderhook
Ray Sanders- Funny How Time Slips Away
Reed, Lou- American Poet
Reilly, Maggie- Looking Back, Moving Forward
Robyn- Body Talk Pt. 1 / [Explicit]
Ron Dante- Favorites
Ron Hacker- Burnin’
Rose, Jack With D. Charles Speer & The Helix- Ragged And Right Ep
Sal Valentino- Every Now And Then
Sal Valentino & Friends- Positively 12th & K
Schulz, Markus- Do You Dream?
Scott, Sherie Rene- Everyday Rapture
Scotty Barnhart- Say It Plain
Shinyribs- Well After Awhile
Sisters Morales- Talking To The River
Sonics Rendezvous Band- Second Chance (6xcd)
Soundtrack- Toy Story Favorites
Spirit- Rockpalast: West Coast Legends Vol. 3
Stanley Clarke- The Stanley Clarke Band
Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere- Midnight Flyer
Steve Tibbetts- Natural Causes
Steve Winwood- Revolutions: The Very Best Of Steve Winwood / [4 Cd]
Stoneground- The Last Dance
Stooges, The- You Don’t Want My Name You Want My Action (4xcd)
Stooges, The- Heavy Liquid (6xcd)
Stooges, The- Extended Play (Cd+Dvda)
Sylvain Sylvain- New York’s A Go Go (2xcd)
T. Rex- Total T. Rex (5xcd+Dvd)
Tangerine Dream- Booster Ii
Tangerine Dream- Booster Iii
Tangerine Dream- Hyperborea 2008
Tangerine Dream- Tangram 2008
Tangerine Dream- The Great Wall Of China
Ted Lukas & The Misled- Learn How To Fall
Teeny Tucker- Keep The Blues Alive
The Blue Shadows- On The Floor Of Heaven—Deluxe Edition
The Like- Release Me
The Ready Set- I’m Alive, I’m Dreaming
The Rebel Wheel- We Are In The Time Of Evil Clocks
The Steve Miller Band- Bingo!
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers- Mojo
Tramp- Tramp
Tyrannosaurus Rex- A Whole Zinc Of Finches (5xcd)
Ulrich Krieger, Others- Cage: A Cage Of Saxophones 3
Uriah Heep- Live At Sweden Rock Festival 2
Various- Various: Chinese Folk Songs
Various- Various: Chinese Instrumental Tone-Picture Series
Various- Various: Chinese Intrumental Performance Series
Various- Various: Classical Chinese Melodies
Various- Various: Peking Opera
Various- Various: Tibetan Music
Various- Lilith 2010
Various Artists- Sometimes…A Great Notion
Various Artists- Songs For Wiggleworms
Various Artists- Essence Music Festival 15th Anniversary Vol. 2
Various Artists- Essence Music Festival 15th Anniversary Vol. 2.1 / [Cd/Dvd Combo]
Vega, Suzanne- Close-Up, Vol 1, Love Songs
Voices Of Latin Rock- Song For Cesar
Wakeman, Rick- Always With You
We Are Scientists- Barbara
Williamson, James- With The Careless Hearts (Cd+Dvd)
Woods, Mitch- Gumbo Blues
Y&T- Facemelter
Zachary Kellogg- Red Velvet

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