Thursday , March 28 2024
Something old, new, and blues in this week's New Album Releases...

New Music Tuesday: R.E.M. & Concrete Blonde Reissued; New Crowded House, Danger Mouse/Sparklehorse, MIA, Matt Schofield

There must have been something to that whole "holiday weekend" theory because we probably have four times more titles this week than we did last week.  Are any of them any good?  Let's not waste any time, let's take a look:

R.E.M.
Fables Of The Reconstruction
(Deluxe Edition)

Fables is the third album from R.E.M.'s vintage, glorious years with indie label IRS to receive the deluxe treatment.  Both Murmur and Reckoning were remastered and a second disc was added to each.  In both cases, they were concerts from the respective tours for those albums (the Murmur show wasn't the complete Toronto performance).

Fables is getting remastered but instead of a live show from the Fables tour, we're getting "demos."  My understanding is these aren't demos in the sense of rough outlines of what the songs from Fables were created but are actually rehearsals of the band trying to learn the songs before the tour.  Among these demos are a couple songs that never made an album and have never been officially released.  I'm less excited about this package than I was for the first two reissues.  I'm going to have a love/hate reaction to the remaster as there will be too much bass and compression but there will also be some improvements.  Yes, I'll buy it but they better do better when they reissue Lifes Rich Pageant.

Crowded House
Intriguer

This is solely for Blogcritics music writer extraordinaire and loyal reader Tom Johnson.  If I don't mention this release, Tom will because as I mentioned he is a loyal reader and commenter and also happens to be a huge fan of Crowded House and all things Finn (and that's Finn as in Neil Finn, not Finland; I'm pretty sure Tom has no problems with Finland but I shouldn't speak for him).  

Concrete Blonde
Bloodletting
(20th Anniversary Edition)

This one's for me.  I'm not a Goth.  I don't know precisely how you define the culture but I know I was nowhere in it.  I wasn't down with them and they weren't actively recruiting me.  Concrete Blonde routinely got painted with the Goth brush and I'm sure there are elements of that in their music (they sing about vampires, right?) but what I heard was an alt-rock band with an incredible vocalist named Johnette Napolitano.  I won't pretend I understand everything they were on about, but I loved their sound and Napolitano's voice.  I haven't heard this album in ages.  Amazon is selling this expanded edition of their best-selling record for $10.  I'm willing to pay that to find out how well it has aged.

Danger Mouse And Sparklehorse
Dark Night Of The Soul

It was with sadness Blogcritics reported the suicide of Mark Linkous, the creative force behind the band Sparklehorse in March of this year.  His collaboration with producer Danger Mouse was released digitally prior to Linkous' death.  A physical release was always planned.  Sadly Linkous isn't here to see it.

8084 – The Last Great Train
AC/DC – Talks (Shape Disc)
Adicts, The – Life Goes On
Admiral Radley – I Heart California
Alabama – Setlist: The Very Best Of Alabama Live
Amad-Jamal – Barely Hangin' On: The Chronicles Of A Brotha Like Rodney King
Andi Sex Gang – Bram Stoker's Dracula
Armstrong, Louis – King Louis
Asphalt Valentine – Strip Rock Roll
Autechre – Move Of Ten EP
Bianchi, Pat – Back Home
Biblecodesundays – Boots Or No Boots
Big Bopper, The – Hello Baby — You Know What I Like!
Black Majesty – In Your Honour
Blades, Wil – Sketchy
Blood Axis – The Gospel Of Inhumanity
Blood Axis – Born Again
Blue Giant – Blue Giant
Blue Oyster Cult – Setlist: The Very Best Of Blue Oyster Cult Live
Bonham, Tracy – Masts Of Manhatta
Boone, Pat – The Drugstore's Rockin'
Bozzio, Dale & Missing Persons – Live From The Danger Zone!
Branca, Glenn – Symphony No. 3 (Gloria)
Braxton, Anthony & Hemingway, Gerry – Old Dogs
Brickman, Jim – The Essential Jim Brickman
Broken Bones – Fuck You And Everything You Stand For!
Buggirl – Dirt In The Skirt
Busy Signal – D.O.B.
Calibro 35 – Ritornano Quelli Di…
Candido – Hands Of Fire: 60 Years Of Cuban Music Exuberance
Canvas Solaris – Irradiance
Capone-N-Noreaga – War Report 2, The
Caravan Palace – Caravan Palace
Carissa S Wierd – They Ll Only Miss You When You
Carmen Mcrae – Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Carnival Season – Misguided Promise: Carnival Season Complete (1984-89)
Cash, Johnny – Setlist: The Very Best Of Johnny Cash Live
Charles, Bobby – See You Later Alligator
Chatham County Line – Wildwood
Cheap Trick – Setlist: The Very Best Of Cheap Trick Live
Cherry, Ava – The Astronettes Sessions
Cichon, Steve – Cranial Feedback
C-Murder – Trapped In Crime
Cochran, Eddie – Rocks
Coleman, Gloria – Sweet Missy
Concrete Blonde – Bloodletting
Crowded House – Intriguer
Curren$Y – Community Service 3
Curren$Y – Pilot Talk
Danger Mouse And Sparklehorse – Dark Night Of The Soul
Darkness – Death Squad
Darkness – Defenders Of Justice
Darkness – Conclusion & Revival
Darkness – Live Over Bocholt
Darriau, Matt – Paradox Trio With Bojan Z.
Dauner, Wolfgang – Changes/Zeitlaufe
Dead When I Found Her – Harm's Way
Defrancesco, Joey – Finger Poppin': Celebrating The Music Of Horace Silver
Denny, Sandy & The Strawbs – All Our Own Work
Destruction – All Hell Breaks Loose (Remastered)
Destruction – The Antichrist (Remastered)
Destruction – Metal Discharge (Remastered)
Devotionals – Devotionals
Dinah Washington – Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Dj E-Z Rock – Spittaz Vol. 1 Mixed By Dj E-Z Rock
Douglas, Jerry – Southern Filibuster: A Tribute To Tut Taylor
Drake, Nick – Nick Drake's Jukebox
Drudkh – Estrangement
Dupree, Robbie – Time And Tide
Dylan, Bob – The Roots Of Bob Dylan
Edenbridge – Solitaire
Egan, Walter – The Collection
Engrained – Anger, Roots & Rock N´Roll
Epik – Out Tha Blue
Ernie Smith – The Best Of Original Masters / [2 Cd]
Fast3 – 3's Company
Fat Joe – The Dark Side (Clean Version)
Forevers Edge – Chaotic Silence
Framepictures – Remember It
Futurebirds – Hampton's Lullaby
Gasperini, Lonnie – North Beach Blues
Gemma Bertagnoli (Soprano); Ensemble Cordia; Stefan Vegetti – BERTAGNOLLI, Gemma: Passionate Baroque Arias
Gillan, Ian – Naked Thunder (Remastered)
Gillan, Ian – Toolbox (Remastered)
Gillan, Ian – Cherkazoo & Other Stories (Remastered)
Giltrap, Gordon – Shining Morn
Goodall, Medwyn – Druid Ii
Grasscut – 1 Inch / 1/2 Mile
Great Big Sea – Safe Upon The Shore
Grief – Come To Grief
Gynger Lynn – Baby's Gone Bad
Haggard, Merle – 20 #1 Hits
Halford – Crucible / [Remixed & Remastered]
Harrison, Butch – What It Is
Heid, Bill – Air Mobile
Heid, Bill – Asian Persuasion
Heid, Bill – Wylie Avenue
Hellyeah – Stampede
Howe, Mike – Round River
Humble Pie – The Atlanta Years (2xcd)
Ian Gillan Band – Clear Air Turbulance (Remastered)
Ice Cube – Death Certificate
In This Moment – Star-Crossed Wasteland, A
Inception – Music From The Motion Picture Inception
Inira – Revolution Has Begun
Innocence Mission, The – My Room In The Trees
J Hood – Sorry I Made You Wait
Jacobites, The – The Complete Regency Sound Recordings: Howling Good Times
James, Etta – The Essential Etta James
Jammer – Jahmanji
Jay Street – Tasty
Jefferson Airplane – Setlist: The Very Best Of Jefferson Airplane Live
Jimmy Smith – Plays The Hits / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Joe Venuti – Performance
John-Mark Ainsley, Gillian Fisher, James Bowman, Michael George, King's Consort – Handel, Bach, Vivaldi Purcell: Favourite Baroque Arias
Johnson, Jack Tribute – Piano Tribute To Jack Johnson
Judas Priest – Setlist: The Very Best Of Judas Priest Live
Just Surrender – Phoenix
Kala – After Quintessence, The Complete Kala Recordings 1973
Kansas – Setlist: The Very Best Of Kansas Live
Keeley, Brendan – Under A Celtic Sky
Keene, Tommy – Tommy Keene You Hear Me: A Retrospective 1983-2009
Keith, Doug – Here's To Outliving Me
Kenny Burrell – Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Kevin Wood And From The North – Malfunkshun Monument
Killa Kyleon & Lil C – Keep On Stackin 5
Korn – Korn III – Remember Who You Are
Krakowski, Jane – The Laziest Gal In Town
Kreator – Horders Of Chaos – Ultra Riot
Kriegel, Volker – Journal/Palazzo Blue
Kruger – For Death, Glory And The End Of The World
Lantlos – .Neon
Laya Project – Laya Project
Lester Young – Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Lonesome River Band – Still Learning
Louis Armstrong – Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Love Language, The – Libraries
Lucca, Tony – Rendezvous With The Angels
M.I.A. – /\/\ /\ Y /\
Mad Sin – Burn And Rise
Marriott, Steve – Lend Us A Quid (2xcd)
Marriott, Steve And The Official Receivers – Some Kind Of Wonderful (2xcd)
Marriott's All Stars, Steve – Wham Bam (2xcd)
Marshall Law – Marshall Law
Mass – Angel Power (Re-Issue)
Mass – Metal Fighter
Mass – Swiss Connection
Mass – War Law
Master Plan, The – Maximum Respect
Matar, Nicolas And Willie Graf – Cielo: Paradizo 2
Matt Morris – When Everything Breaks Open
McCarty, Jim – Sitting On The Top Of Time
McClowery, Lisa – Time Signatures
Memmaker – How To Enlist In A Robot Uprising: Deluxe Edition
Metal Music Machine – Angels Of Destruction
Metallica – Talks (Shape Disc)
Michael Jackson – Do You Remember? Ultimate Tribute: Unauthorised (Shape Disc)
Mondo Generator – Dog Food
Morcheeba – Blood Like Lemonade
Morrison, Van – Blowin' Your Mind
Mp4 – Cross Party
Mr. Criminal – Death Before Dishonor
Mr. Pookie & Mr. Lucci – Classics
Mulholland, Mark – The Devil On The Stairs (2xcd)
My Life With The Thrill Kill K – Sinister Whisperz: Wax Trax Years (1987-1991)
My Ruin – A Pray Under Pressure Of Violent Anguish (Remastered)
My Ruin – Speak And Destroy (Remastered)
Mystery Jets, The – Serotonin
Napalm Death – Punishments In Capitals
Nattsol – Stemning
Nelson, Willie – Setlist: The Very Best Of Willie Nelson Live
New Politics – New Politics
New Politics – New Politics
Niemann, Jerrod – Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury
Noctiferia – Death Culture
Norma Jean – Meridional
North Atlantic Oscillation – Grappling Hooks
Nox Aurea – Ascending In Triumph
Nugent, Ted – Setlist: The Very Best Of Ted Nugent Live
O'brien, Tim – Chicken & Egg
Pachino, Dom – Tera Iz Him 2
Pagan Babies – Last
Paul Wall – Heart Of A Champion
Pbii – Plastic Soup
Pearcy, Stephen – Under My Skin
Perry, Lee "Scratch" – The Mighty Upsetter
Perry, Lee "Scratch" And Adrian Sherwood – Dub Setter
Pierce, Bobby – The Long Road Back
Poole, Charlie – The Essential Charlie Poole
Premal, Deva – Dakshina
Puro Reyes De Durango – Puras De Joan
Putumayo Presents – Tribute To A Reggae Legend
Quantic Presenta Flowering – Dog With A Rope
Quiet Riot – Setlist: The Very Best Of Quiet Riot Live
Quincy Jones – Standards / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
R.E.M – Fables Of The Reconstruction…Dlx Ed
Radio Utopia – Algebra Of Delight
Rayvon – Rayvon
Reactor – Never Again
RED HORSE (Featuring Gilkyson, Gorka And Kaplansky) – Red Horse
REO Speedwagon – Setlist: The Very Best Of Reo Speedwagon Live
Royal City Riot – Coast To Coast
Sam Adams – Boston's Boy
Schofield, Matt – Live From The Archive
School Of Seven Bells – Disconnect From Desire
Scott, Bon – Forever (Shape Disc)
Scott, Rhoda – From C To Shining C
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 – Play The Hits / [Great Songs/Great Performances]
Sill, Judee – Live In London: The Bbc Recordings 1972-1973
Simone, Nina – Little Girl Blue
Sixpence None The Richer – Early Favorites
Sky Architect – Excavation Of The Mind
Skylar May – Skylar May- Married To The Moon
Snake Eye Seven – 13 Crows
Snoop Dogg – Last Meal, Tha
Snoop Dogg – Snoop Dogg…My #1 Priority
Soilwork – Panic Broadcast, The
Sons Of Liberty – Brush-Fires Of The Mind
Soundtrack – Knight And Day (John Powell)
Spydaman P – Art Of Gemini
Stafford, Jo – Beyond The Stars Key Recordings 1940-1959
Sting – Symphonicities
Stratovarius – Infinite / [2 CD Deluxe Edition]
Stratovarius – Polaris Live / [2 CD]
Sudden, Nikki & Phil Schoenfelt – Golden Vanity
Sun Kil Moon – Admiral Fell Promises
Sweet Sybil – Sweet Sybil
Sylvain Sylvain – (Sleep) Baby Doll
Sylvain Sylvain & The Criminal – Bowery Butterflies ('78 Vintage Nyc Rock & Roll Gems)
Tangerine Dream – Phaedra Revisited – 35th Anniversary Edition
Tangerine Dream – The London Eye Concert
Tangerine Dream – Views From A Red Train
Templebeat – The Grey Space
Texas Terri-Kevin K Band – Firestorm
The Maine – Black & White
The No Good Sinners – My Demo
The Ready Set – I'm Alive, I'm Dreaming
Thompson, Lil' Dave – C'mon Down To The Delta
Three Colors – One Big Cd
Three Houses Down – Break Out
Toussaint, Allen /Domino, Fats/Professor Longhair – Alligator Alley
Trai-D & Swishahouse – 2012
Train Tribute – Piano Tribute To Train
Tru – Da Crime Family
Trudy Pitts Trio – Live At The Great American Music Hall
Turner, Eddie – Miracles & Demons
United Jazz + Rock Ensemble – Live Im Schutzenhaus/Live In Berlin
United Jazz + Rock Ensemble – Plays Wolfgang Dauner/Plays Volker Kriegel
Uptrio – Uplifting
Van Zandt,Townes – Texas Troubadour
Various – Classic Field Recordings
Various – Steelin It: The Steel Guitar Story
Various – 100 Greatest Film Themes – Take 2
Various – Product 6
Various – All We Wanna Do Is Rock
Various – The History Of Indian Film Music
Various – Trad At Heart
Various – Woman's Heart Trilogy
Various – Eist
Various – Eaglesgrass
Various – Taylorgrass
Various – Elvisgrass
Various – Cashgrass
Various – Zeppelingrass
Various – Ibiza: The Island
Various – Tasty Sound Collection: Champagne & Songs
Various – Tasty Sound Collection: Cocktails & Guitars
Various – Tasty Sound Collection: Cigars & Sounds
Various – Tasty Sound Collection: Absinthe & Voices
Various Artists – Sidewinder – Snakebite 4
Various Artists – 100 Beats: Latino
Various Artists – 100 Beats: African
Various Artists – 100 Beats: Cuban
Various Artists – 100 Beats: Arabica
Various Artists – One More Time For The Ol' Tosser: Steve Marriott Memorial Co
Various Artists – Hidden Beach Recordings Presents: Unwrapped Vol. 7|
Various Artists – Federal Records Definitive Collection / [2 Cd]
Various Artists – Bluegrass Pride! – 40 Bluegras
Various Artists – Local Customs: Lone Star Lowla
Various: Duck Down Music – 15 Years Of Duck Down
Viking Skull – Chapter Two
Vincent, Gene – Rocks
Voices On Lockdown – Voices On Lockdown
Wayne, John – In Music And Poster Art
Webb Band, Darrell – Bloodline
Wells, Junior – Messin' With The Kid: Original Masters
West, Hedy & Clifton, Bill – Getting Folk Out Of The Country
Winter, Johnny – The Progressive Blues Experiment / Johnny Winter (2-For-1)
Wolfspring – Wolfspring
Workhorse 3 – The Workhorse 3
Yahowha 13 – 7/5/05
Yanni – The Essential Yanni
Zoroaster – Matador
Z-Ro – Look What You Did To Me

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