Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Welcome to our Cinco De Mayo edition of the weekly New Album Releases rundown. In the tradition of that ever-so-festive holiday, we begin this week by heading south of the border.
Few artists these days draw the once dreaded "new Dylan" kiss of death anymore, but with the numerous albums he has recorded under the Bright Eyes moniker, Conor Oberst is one of the handful who have done exactly that. So when Oberst emerged from the Mexican countryside with his first solo album using his own name last year, a lot of people didn't quite know what to expect.
On Outer South, his second album with his new mates in the Mystic Valley Band, Oberst has actually turned the tables by making things into a bit more of a democracy. His Mystic Valley bandmates share both songwriting and vocal duties on nearly half of the tracks here, making things much more like…well, like a band. And while Oberst may still be the only writer here who will ever come close to any of those Dylan comparisons, the rest of these guys sound pretty damned good too.
The ever musically restless Ben Harper also returns this week, and turns up the volume considerably on the new album with his band the Relentless7, White Lies For Dark Times, which arrives in both standard and deluxe double disc editions.
This week NAR welcomes Masked Movie Snob General Jabbo into the contributors circle to talk about a newly unearthed concert gem from Ol' Blue Eyes himself. But first, we coaxed Mark Saleski out of his hut long enough to polish off the spandex and stacked heels and give us the lowdown on the new Todd Rundgren-produced album from the New York Dolls.
Yes, there's only David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain left from the original Dolls. So what? Did you give their previous One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This a listen? Great piece of work. Fun songs, grinding guitars, hooks that were impossible to remove from the ear parts. Todd Rundgren is back as the producer this time around (he produced their debut back in 1973). What does this mean? I have no freaking idea and frankly, I don't care. I'm picking this one up without hearing a single chord because I know it'll bring me back to when glam was in, songs were mostly not serious, and there wasn't so much cynicism dripping all over everything.
I'd try to construct a better argument here but I don't have the time…gotta go change the oil in the Camaro.
At 70 years old, most singers are long retired — or should be — which makes Frank Sinatra’s inspired performance on Live at the Meadowlands all the more impressive. Recorded in East Rutherford, NJ at the Brendan Byrne Arena in the Meadowlands Sports Complex on March 14, 1986, the album is a triumphant homecoming gig for ‘Ol Blue Eyes.
Backed by a crack band including long-time pianist (and at this show, orchestra conductor) Bill Miller, guitarist Tony Mottola, bassist Don Baldini, and drummer Irv Cottler, Sinatra thrills the crowd with nearly 50 years of his recorded history. The performance, packaging, and sound quality on this Concord Records release are top-notch and make Live at the Meadowlands a must-own CD for any Sinatra fan.
Here are all of this week's new album releases courtesy of All Music Guide:
Ciara
Fantasy Ride
Laface
Contemporary R&B, Pop
Ben Harper and Relentless7
White Lies for Dark Times
Virgin
Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, American Trad Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
The Horrors
Primary Colours
XL
Indie Rock, Shoegaze
New York Dolls
'Cause I Sez So
Rhino
Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Outer South
Merge
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Peaches
I Feel Cream
XL
Indie Electronic, Electro-Techno
The Vaselines
Enter the Vaselines
Sub Pop
Indie Pop, Twee Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock
Akron/Family
Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free
Dead Oceans
Experimental Rock, Indie Rock
Paul Carrack
I Know That Name
Carrack UK
Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary
Toni Childs
Keep the Faith
Hanalei Music
Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Chrisette Michele
Epiphany
Def Jam
Adult Contemporary R&B, Contemporary R&B
Cracker
Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey
429
American Trad Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Country-Rock
The Devil Wears Prada
With Roots Above and Branches Below
Ferret
Heavy Metal, Alternative CCM
Dollar
Shooting Stars: The Dollar Collection [Bonus Tracks]
Castle
Pop/Rock, New Wave
Double Dagger
More
Thrill Jockey
New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Indie Rock
Electric Owls
Ain't Too Bright
Vagrant
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop
Fischerspooner
Entertainment
FS Studios
Neo-Electro, Alternative Dance, Club/Dance
The Gallows
Grey Britain
Reprise/Wea
Post-Hardcore, Punk Revival
Richard Goode
Beethoven: The Complete Piano Concertos
Nonesuch
Romantic Keyboard Concertos
Joel Harrison
Urban Myths
Highnote
Post-Bop
Jon Hopkins
Insides
Double Six/Domino
IDM, Ambient Techno, Experimental Techno
Stefan Irmer
Sigismund Thalberg: Piano Music
MDG
Romantic Keyboard Music
Jewel
Lullaby
Fisher Price
Lullabies
Gidon Kremer
The Berlin Recital
EMI Classics
Romantic, Post-Romantic and Modern Music for Violin & Piano
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Lonely Street
Rounder
Contemporary Bluegrass, Bluegrass, Bluegrass-Gospel
Ralphie May
Austin-Tatious
Image
Standup Comedy
Mika Miko
We Be Xuxa
PPM
Punk-Pop, Indie Rock
Miriodor
Avanti!
Cuneiform
Avant-Prog, Jazz-Rock, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Experimental Rock
NOMO
Invisible Cities
Ubiquity
Experimental Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Anna Netrebko
Vincenzo Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi
Deutsche Grammophon
Romantic Opera
David "Fathead" Newman
The Blessing
Highnote
Mainstream Jazz, Jazz Blues
Tara Jane O'Neil
A Ways Away
K
Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Ol' Dirty Bastard
All in Together Now Raw: A Tribute to Ol' Dirty Bastard
Iceman
Underground Rap, Hardcore Rap, Alternative Rap
The Pink Mountaintops
Outside Love
Jagjaguwar
Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia
RZA
The World According to RZA: Instrumentals
Think Differently Music Group
Hardcore Rap, Underground Rap
Rodriguez
Coming from Reality [Bonus Tracks]
Light in the Attic
Singer/Songwriter
El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez
Cryptomnesia
Rodriguez Lopez Productions
Experimental Rock, Space Rock
Rusted Root
Stereo Rodeo
Adrenaline
Jam Bands, American Trad Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
St. Vincent
Actor
4AD
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop
Shout Out Out Out Out
Reintegration Time
Normals Welcome
Indie Electronic, Alternative Dance
Frank Sinatra
Live at the Meadowlands
Concord
Vocal Jazz, American Popular Song, Vocal Pop
Rick Springfield
My Precious Little One
Adrenaline
Lullabies
Yusuf
Roadsinger
UMe
Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
The Toxic Avenger Musical
The Toxic Avenger Musical
Time Life
Musicals, Cast Recordings
Ike & Tina Turner
The Archive Series, Vol. 5: Pushin'
Yellow
Funk, Soul, Rock & Roll
Ike & Tina Turner
The Archive Series, Vol. 6: Rollin'
Yellow
Funk, Soul, Rock & Roll
Various Artists
2131 South Michigan Avenue: 60's Garage and Psychedelia from USA and Destination Record
Sundazed
Garage Rock
Various Artists
541, Vol. 3: Music from Stanford
Innova
Contemporary Chamber Music
Various Artists
The Best of Crest Records: Rockin' & Rollin'
Yellow
Rock & Roll, Rockabilly
Scott Walker
Scott Walker: 30 Century Man
Lakeshore
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Muddy Waters
The Johnny Winter Sessions 1976-1981
Raven
Electric Blues, Electric Chicago Blues
Elliott Yamin
Fight for Love
Hickory
Contemporary R&B, Neo-Soul, Pop
Years
Years
Years Music
Indie Electronic, Ambient House
