Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
I have to admit that I'm not really much of a fan of what Staind does. Personally, I think the sort of grungey "angst rock" these guys specialize in has never really been improved upon since Layne Staley perfected it with Alice In Chains more than ten years ago now.
The thing is though, millions of fans disagree with my viewpoint on that, which is why their last several albums have all debuted at #1 on the charts and they remain that all too rare breed of band that can still be counted upon to push a million or so units with each new release. I'm not at all sure that Staind's sixth album Illusion of Progress is a lock to do the same — the sour power ballad has certainly seen better days since the band's last outing — but the last thing I'll do here is count them out.
On a less sour note, this week brings a bonanza of new indie-rock releases, including new titles from The Stills, Stereolab, Dandy Warhols, and several Robyn Hitchcock reissues, including the five-disc boxed set Luminous Groove.
Juliana Hatfield's new How to Walk Away is described as a breakup album, and coincides with the release of her autobiography. Ice Cube takes a break from his recent run of comedic movie roles to return to his gangsta rap roots on Raw Footage.
A lot of folks will also be watching the comeback album by sixties and seventies country great Glen Campbell. During those years, Campbell regularly gave guys like the Beatles and the Stones a run for their money on the Billboard charts with a string of mostly Jimmy Webb penned hits like "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "Wichita Lineman."
On the new Meet Glen Campbell, he tackles songs by people like Tom Petty, U2, and the Replacements, with help from guests like Cheap Trick's Robin Zander. Back on Capitol Records (the same place he racked up all those hits), the label plans on promoting the album aggressively.
The music that David Byrne has created, especially outside of the realm of the Talking Heads, has always resonated with me. Be it The Catherine Wheel, Music for the Knee Plays, or My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, Byrne seems to be able to draw musical influences in from all over the place to create something that's very "other".
This is an album of music that David Byrne created for the second season of the HBO series "Big Love." Let me begin by admitting that I've never seen a single episode of the series. It's not that I'm a TV snob (Can somebody who watches "What Not To Wear" rationalize snobbery about other shows? I don't think so!), it's just that I have too many other things going on to fit in much viewing. But… now that I've learned that they had the good taste to have Byrne score these episodes, maybe I should carve out a couple of hours.
Here are all of this week's new album releases courtesy of All Music Guide:
Glen Campbell
Meet Glen Campbell
Capitol
Country, Pop, Adult Pop, Adult Alternative
The Fiery Furnaces
Remember
Thrill Jockey
Indie Rock
Juliana Hatfield
How to Walk Away
Ye Olde
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Staind
Illusion of Progress
Atlantic
Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal
Stereolab
Chemical Chords
4AD
Indie Pop, Ambient Pop, Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Electronic
The Stills
Oceans Will Rise
Arts & Crafts
Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
The Academy Is…
Fast Times at Barrington High
Fueled by Ramen
Alternative Pop/Rock, Emo
Arabian Prince
Innovative Life: The Anthology 1984-1989
Stones Throw
West Coast Rap, Electro, Hip-Hop, Old-School Rap
John Bean
The Real Leroy Mercer
Dualtone
Prank Calls, Country Comedy
Anthony Braxton
Beyond Quantum
Tzadik
Free Improvisation, Avant-Garde Jazz, Free Jazz
Timothy Brown
Palestrina: Missa "Assumpta est Maria"; Magnificat Septimi Toni; Motets
EMI Classics
Renaissance Choral Music
Peter Bruns
Charles-Marie Widor, Louis Vierne: Cello Sonatas
Haenssler Classics
Post-Romantic Chamber Music
David Byrne
Big Love: Hymnal
Todo Mundo/HBO/Play Tone
Television Music, TV Soundtracks
Caesars
Strawberry Weed
EMI/Astralwerks
Swedish Pop/Rock, Garage Punk
Joe Chambers
New World
Porter
Post-Bop
The Dandy Warhols
…Earth to the Dandy Warhols…
Beat the World
Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop Underground
Death Vessel
Nothing Is Precious Enough for Us
Sub Pop
Country-Folk, Indie Pop
Don Caballero
Punkgasm
Relapse
Math Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
The Duhks
Fast Paced World
Sugar Hill
Progressive Bluegrass
Mathias Eick
The Door
ECM
Modern Creative, Post-Bop
Donavon Frankenreiter
Pass It Around
Lost Highway
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, American Trad Rock
GZA
Pro Tools
Babygrande
East Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap
Goo Goo Dolls
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Warner Bros.
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Post-Grunge, Hard Rock, Pop/Rock
Jeff Hanson
Madam Owl
Kill Rock Stars
Indie Pop, Chamber Pop
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians
Element of Light
Rhino
College Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Jangle Pop, Folk-Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Rock & Roll
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians
Fegmania!
Rhino
College Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Jangle Pop, Folk-Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians
Gotta Let This Hen Out!
Rhino
College Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Jangle Pop, Folk-Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Rock & Roll
Robyn Hitchcock
Luminous Groove
Yep Roc
College Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Jangle Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Folk-Rock
Hot Club of Cowtown
The Best of the Hot Club of Cowtown
Shout! Factory
Retro Swing, Western Swing Revival
Hotel Lights
Firecracker People
Bar/None
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Ice Cube
Raw Footage
Lench Mob
West Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap, Gangsta Rap
Jaguar Love
Take Me to the Sea
Matador
Indie Rock
George Jones
Burning Your Playhouse Down: The Unreleased Duets
Vanguard
Honky Tonk, Traditional Country
Karina
First Love
Def Jam
Urban, Teen Pop
Lagwagon
I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen
Fat Wreck Chord
Skatepunk, Punk Revival, Punk-Pop
Lindstrøm
Where You Go I Go Too
Smalltown Supersound
Ambient Techno, Techno
Lykke Li
Youth Novels
LL
Indie Pop, Indie Electronic, Swedish Pop/Rock
The Manhattans
Sweet Talking Soul 1965-1990
Shout! Factory
Smooth Soul, Quiet Storm, Philly Soul, Soul, Urban, Pop-Soul
Laura Marling
Alas I Cannot Swim
Virgin
Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Music Tapes
Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes
Merge
Indie Rock, Lo-Fi
Jennifer O'Connor
Here with Me
Matador
Indie Rock
Andrew Russo
Mix Tape
Allegro
Contemporary Piano Arrangements
Ragna Schirmer
Joseph Haydn Revisited
Berlin Classics
Classical Music for Keyboard
Outrageous Cherry
Wide Awake in the Spirit World: The Best of Outrageous Cherry
Wicked Cool
Indie Pop, Pop Underground, Alternative Pop/Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock
Aaron Parks
Invisible Cinema
Blue Note
Post-Bop, Modern Creative
John Pizzarelli
With a Song in My Heart
Telarc
Vocal Jazz, Standards
Pram
The Moving Frontier
Domino
Experimental Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental, Dream Pop, Alternative Pop/Rock
Ra Ra Riot
The Rhumb Line
Barsuk
Indie Rock, Chamber Pop
The Royal We
The Royal We
Domino
Indie Pop
Xavier Rudd
Dark Shades of Blue
Anti
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Aussie Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Urban Folk
Wanda de Sah
Brasil '65/Softly!
DRG
Bossa Nova, Samba, Latin Pop, Lounge
Shwayze
Shwayze
Geffen
Pop-Rap
Starling Electric
Clouded Staircase
Bar/None
Chamber Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock
Vassilis Tsitsánis
Rembetika 3: Vassilis Tsitsanis 1936-1940
JSP
Greek Folk, Rembetika
The Uglysuit
The Uglysuit
Quarterstick
Indie Rock, Indie Pop
Gary Usher
Barefoot Adventure: The 4 Star Sessions 1962-66
Sundazed
Surf, Hot Rod, Instrumental Rock
Various Artists
Total 9
Kompakt
Club/Dance, Techno, House
Loudon Wainwright III
Recovery
Yep Roc
Singer/Songwriter
The Walkmen
You & Me
Gigantic
Indie Rock
