New Album Releases 04/08/08: Nine Inch Nails, The Breeders, Marc Ribot, Eric Avery, Was (Not Was), James, And Not A Whole Lot Else

The thing about putting together this new release rundown week after week, is that sometimes they make it easy for you. Take last week's bonanza of new music for example. I mean, when you've got stuff like R.E.M., The Stones, and Joe Satriani coming at you right out of the gate, how hard can this job possibly be?

Unfortunately, what you get most of the rest of the time — especially this year it seems — would be a week like this one. With what the labels have chosen to grace us with this week, you basically find yourself scraping bottom just to fill space.

Not that there is absolutely nothing to talk about. For one thing, we've got Mountain Battles, the first new album by Kim Deal and the Breeders in six years. And if you think six years is a long time between records, Was (Not Was) have that beat in spades with Boo!, their first album in something like a couple of decades.

There are also some promising new indie-rock entries from Foals, The Duke Spirit, and Tapes 'n Tapes. Original Janes Addiction bassist Eric Avery is also back with a new solo album to which at least one of our fellow Blogcritics has given his seal of approval.

The biggest news is of course the new Nine Inch Nails release Ghosts I-IV. Most of you already know the story here. But for the one or two who don't, Trent Reznor went the Radiohead route for this experimental, mainly instrumental album by first releasing it exclusively online. It is now available through traditional retail outlets as of this week.

On that note, time to check in with our good buddy Mark Saleski, who is departing somewhat from our usual format by spotlighting a DVD this week…

Saleski's Choice: Marc Ribot – The Lost String

If anybody out there has been paying attention to my writings over that last five years or so, you maybe have noticed that the name Marc Ribot has appeared almost as many times as Pat Metheny. Though the two guitar players are nothing alike, they do take up a considerable amount of my shelf space. Ribot seems to specialize in confounding the listener with his oddball twists on everything from traditional jazz to country blues. Sometimes, being confounded is a good thing.

The Lost String is a documentary by French film maker Anais Prosaic about Ribot and the downtown New York music scene. Being somewhat of a Marc Ribot fanatic (I own and actually listen to Book of Heads), this is an absolute must have.

Speaking of confounded:

Tom Johnson's Pick Of The Week: James: Hey Ma

It took seven long years, but the moment I figured would arrive has – Tim Booth came to his senses and rejoined James. What is unfortunate is that in that time, it seems that either the world forgot about James or James forgot about the world, because their brand new album, Hey Ma, is only being released in the UK, which means high prices for everyone else (really high for us in the US with our weak dollar.) The only benefit to this is that, should there be a state-side release later on, they'll have to pair it with some kind of significant bonus material to get the fans to re-buy it. We are, after all, the only ones likely to buy it in the first place.

In addition to Booth's re-admittance to the band, the new album also sees trumpet player Andy Diagram, who left all the way back in 1992 after recording and touring for Seven, rejoining the ranks. Well, I am excited.

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

The Breeders
Mountain Battles
4AD
Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock

The Duke Spirit
Neptune
You Are Here
Indie Rock

Foals
Antidotes
Sub Pop/Transgressive
New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Indie Rock, Math Rock

Tapes 'n Tapes
Walk It Off
XL
Indie Rock

Ashes Divide
Keep Telling Myself It's Alright
Island Records
Alternative Metal, Alternative Pop/Rock

Asia
Acoustic and Electric
Fuel 2000
Album Rock, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Arena Rock

Eric Avery
Help Wanted
Dangerbird
Alternative Pop/Rock

David Axelrod
Seriously Deep
Polydor
Obscuro, Experimental Big Band, Jazz-Rock, Jazz-Funk

Marcia Ball
Peace, Love & BBQ
Alligator
Modern Electric Blues

Michael Burks
Iron Man
Alligator
Modern Electric Blues, Soul-Blues, Blues-Rock

Hayes Carll
Trouble in Mind
Lost Highway
Americana, Roots Rock

Karan Casey
Ships in the Forest
Compass
Contemporary Celtic, Folk-Pop, Celtic Pop, Celtic Folk, Irish Folk, Celtic Fusion

Clinic
Do It!
Domino
Indie Rock, New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Alternative Pop/Rock

Dark Meat
Universal Indians [Bonus Tracks]
Vice
Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia

Dead Child
Attack
Quarterstick
Indie Rock, Alternative Metal

Marié Digby
Unfold
Hollywood
Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Pop/Rock

Elephant Man
Let's Get Physical
Bad Boy/VP
Contemporary Reggae, Dancehall, Ragga

Fleet Foxes
Sun Giant EP
Sub Pop
Indie Rock

For Against
Shade Side Sunny Side
Words on Music
Indie Pop, Dream Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock

The Gibson Brothers
Iron and Diamonds
Sugar Hill
Contemporary Bluegrass, Traditional Bluegrass, Contemporary Folk

Gran Ronde
Secret Rooms
Filter U.S.
New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Indie Rock

Robert Kelly
Just the Tip
Comedy Central
Standup Comedy

Jennifer Koh
String Poetic
Cedille
Modern and Contemporary Music for Violin & Piano

Yvonne Loriod
Olivier Messiaen – Never Before Released
Jade
Modern Keyboard, Chamber & Orchestral Music

Man Man
Rabbit Habits
Anti
Experimental Rock, Indie Rock

Ellis Marsalis
An Open Letter to Thelonious
Elm
Standards, Mainstream Jazz, Post-Bop

Colin Meloy
Colin Meloy Sings Live!
Kill Rock Stars
Indie Pop, Chamber Pop, Indie Rock

The Microphones
Glow, Pt. 2 [Bonus Disc]
K
Indie Rock, Experimental Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental, Lo-Fi

Thurston Moore
Sensitive/Lethal
No Fun Productions
Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock

Peter Morén
The Last Tycoon
Quarterstick
Alternative Singer/Songwriter

Neva Dinova
You May Already Be Dreaming
Saddle Creek
Alternative Country-Rock, Indie Rock

The New Bloods
The Secret Life
Kill Rock Stars
Experimental Rock, Indie Rock

Nine Inch Nails
Ghosts I-IV
Null
Industrial, Experimental Ambient, Dark Ambient, Alternative Pop/Rock, Industrial Metal

Jim Noir
Jim Noir
Barsuk
Indie Pop, Indie Electronic

Old Haunts
Poisonous Times
Kill Rock Stars
Indie Rock, Garage Rock Revival

Orlando Consort
Scattered Rhymes [Hybrid SACD]
Harmonia Mundi
Medieval & Contemporary Vocal Music

Lara St. John
Lara St. John Plays Hindson, Corigliano & Liszt [Hybrid SACD]
Ancalagon
Romantic and Contemporary Music for Violin & Orchestra

James Otto
Sunset Man
Warner/Reprise
Contemporary Country

P.O.D.
When Angels and Serpents Dance
INO/Columbia
Rap-Metal, Alternative Metal

Ray J
All I Feel
KR Urban
Contemporary R&B, Urban

The Rubber Soul Project
The Rubber Soul Project
Loud Folk
Tribute Albums

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Pershing
Polyvinyl
Indie Pop

Richard Swift
Richard Swift as Onasis
Secretly Canadian
Garage Rock Revival, Lo-Fi

Various Artists
Steve Reich: Daniel Variations
Nonesuch
Contemporary Choral & Chamber Ensemble Music

Was (Not Was)
Boo!
Rykodisc
Dance-Rock, Pop/Rock, Dance-Pop

Wye Oak
If Children
Merge
Indie Pop, Indie Rock