The big news this week is of course Green Day's much-anticipated punk-opera 21st Century Breakdown. Green Day's album is one which is sure to be carefully watched by industry bean-counters.
Their last album, American Idiot, was an all too rare modern-day multi-platinum selling physical CD in the MP3 era. But decades from now it may well also be remembered as symbolizing the Bush era in the same way that people like Bob Dylan are considered synonymous with the sixties.
Our own Jordan "J-Rich" Richardson will be along shortly to provide his own 21st century breakdown of sorts on whether or not Green Day have once again delivered the goods.
As uncompromising in his personal life as he is in his music, Steve Earle is one of the few guys left from the original era of outlaw country who has managed to survive despite his excesses with his artistic integrity intact.
But then again, you couldn't ask for a better role model in that regard than Earle's personal idol Townes Van Zandt (well with the possible exception of those excesses anyway). On his new album, Townes, Earle pays homage to his inspiration by covering some of the late songwriting great's best tunes from "Pancho & Lefty" to "To Live Is To Fly."
Paul Wall rises from the mean streets of the dirty south once again with his latest rap opus, Fast Life, where he gets ample support from the likes of Too Short, Yung Joc, and Blink 182's Travis Barker. Australia's The Church are also back with what BC's Greg Barbrick calls their best since the band's eighties heyday.
We'll be back next week with the new one from Eminem, but in the meantime here's Jordan Richardson with the breakdown on the new Green Day.
With blistering anger, Green Day assesses the post-American Idiot era with maturity. A little older and a little wiser, Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool, and Mike Dirnt slay 'em with a trilogy of sorts on 21st Century Breakdown. With Butch Vig production, this concept album compartmentalizes the unbridled epic-ness of Idiot with shorter quick hitters and maximizes impact with clear arrangements and punchy lyrics.
It is now clear that Green Day is set on challenging the throne as one of the most relevant, exciting, entertaining bands of our modern age. How did this happen? How did these mud-slinging pop punk jackasses come this far? At this point, it doesn't matter. Green Day has become shockingly relevant, amazingly necessary, and staggeringly good.
Here are all of this week's new album releases courtesy of All Music Guide:
Steve Earle
Townes
New West
Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Americana, Alternative Country-Rock
Green Day
21st Century Breakdown
Reprise
Punk-Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Punk Revival, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Maxïmo Park
Quicken the Heart
Warp
Indie Rock, New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Britpop
Paul Wall
Fast Life
SwishaHouse/Asylum
Hardcore Rap, Gangsta Rap, Dirty South, Southern Rap
The Amazing Rhythm Aces
Their Very Best
Varese Fontana
Country-Rock, Soft Rock
Anvil
Forged in Fire
Attic
Speed Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash
Apartment House
Peter Garland: String Quartets
Cold Blue Music
Contemporary String Quartets
Arctic Monkeys
At the Apollo
Warner Bros.
Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Better Than Ezra
Plays Paper Empire
Better Than Ezra
American Trad Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Kaoru Bingham
Chopin: 24 Preludes; Busoni: Ten Variations on a Chopin Prelude; Mompou: Variations on a theme of Chopin
Meridian
Romantic & Modern Keyboard Music
Bricolage
Bricolage
Slumberland
New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Indie Pop
Cam'ron
Crime Pays
Diplomatic Man/Asylum
Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap
Children
Hard Times Hanging at the End of the World
Kemado
Heavy Metal
The Church
Untitled #23
Second Motion
Neo-Psychedelia, Alternative Pop/Rock
The Stanley Clarke Trio
Jazz in the Garden
Heads Up
Contemporary Jazz, Mainstream Jazz
The Crystal Method
Divided by Night
Tiny e
Electronica, Club/Dance, Funky Breaks
DJ Vadim
U Can't Lurn Imaginashun
BBE
Left-Field Hip-Hop, Underground Rap, Downbeat, Ambient Breakbeat
James Luther Dickinson
Dinosaurs Run in Circles
Memphis Int'l
Contemporary Blues, Memphis Blues
Candy Dulfer
Funked Up!
Heads Up
Smooth Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Instrumental Pop, Jazz-Pop
Jeremy Enigk
OK Bear
Lewis Hollow
Chamber Pop, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Hanne Hukkelberg
Blood from a Stone
Nettwerk
Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Kid606
Shout at the Döner
Tigerbeat6
Experimental Techno, IDM
Kiki
Kaiku
Bpitch Control
Club/Dance, Techno, Left-Field House, Techno-Dub
The Louvin Brothers
Tragic Songs of Life
Rounder
Traditional Country, Close Harmony, Traditional Bluegrass
Manic Street Preachers
Journal for Plague Lovers
Sony BMG Europe
Indie Rock, Britpop, Alternative Pop/Rock
Meat Puppets
Sewn Together
Meat Puppets
Alternative Pop/Rock
Alecia Nugent
Hillbilly Goddess
Rounder
Contemporary Bluegrass, Alternative Country
University New Mexico Wind Symphony
Fascinating Ribbons
Summit
Modern & Contemporary Music for Wind Ensemble
Ann Peebles
I Can't Stand the Rain
The Right Stuff/Hi
Memphis Soul, Soul, Pop-Soul
Peppermint Trolley Company
Beautiful Sun
Now Sounds
Sunshine Pop, AM Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Bubblegum
Prins Thomas
Live at Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson
Club/Dance, Ambient Techno, Left-Field House, Techno, Disco, Prog-Rock/Art Rock
Hikaru Utada
This Is the One
Island
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Japanese Pop, Club/Dance
Various Artists
Kitsune Tabloid
Kitsune
Album Rock, Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Various Artists
Marc Blitzstein: First Life — Rare Early Works
Other Minds
Modern Chamber Music
Various Artists
Phil Kline: John the Revelator
Cantaloupe Music
Contemporary Chamber Music
Wooden Birds
Magnolia
Barsuk
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock, Indie Pop