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It's beginning to look a lot like…Christmas?
Most folks haven't even broke out the pumpkins yet, and already this week's list of new releases brings the first holiday music of the season — from the Little River Band and Spryo Gyra. Incredible.
Other than the early "ho, ho, ho's" what we've got here is a solid, if not exactly earth-shattering selection of new music, including a couple of indie-rock darlings, some classic-rock warhorses, and another round of deluxe reissues from an underground institution.
David Gilmour's first ever live album outside of Pink Floyd carries with it a bit of a sad note, as it is probably the last appearance we will see on record by fellow Floyd-mate Richard Wright, who passed away last week. Wright's keyboards are prominently featured here on live versions of Floyd opuses like "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," "Echoes," and in a true "holy shit" moment, an updated version of "Astronomy Domine," as well as songs from last year's Gilmour solo album On An Island. Live In Gdansk comes in both CD and DVD versions.
Jackson Browne, who recently made news by suing Republican presidential hopeful John McCain's campaign over the unauthorized use of his music, returns with Time the Conqueror. Rhino/Sire has it's latest round of deluxe reissues from the Replacements, including the essential release Tim, replete with bonus and previously unreleased material.
Indie rockers Cold War Kids and TV On The Radio both have new discs this week. The Pussycat Dolls have a double CD featuring both a group effort and individual solo tracks (on the second disc). Plain White Ts hope to break the sophomore jinx on their new CD, Big Bad World.
Tom Johnson makes his return as a contributor to NAR this week to talk about a new McCoy Tyner release that features a lot of the sort of people that Mark Saleski likes. Speaking of Saleski, he did not contribute a pick this week. But before we get to Mr. Johnson's pick, regular NAR contributor El Bicho picks on the new one from Kings Of Leon.
The Followill clan returns with their fourth album, Only By The Night. As a fan, I was very much looking forward it, but it comes up short if you liked their previous efforts.
When “Closer” opens, strange atmospheric sounds will make think you there is some sort of labeling error until you hear Caleb’s distinctive voice wailing away. The fuzzed-out guitars on "Crawl" bring the band to more familiar-sounding territory and the music really cuts loose as the song closes.
I am fine with a band experimenting; however, Kings of Leon don't reach the ragged glory that made their sound so dynamic and dangerous. The songs here have become even more polished than before, a big mistake made by them and their producers. They aren't your band anymore; they are your younger sister's band. Hopefully they can salvage these tracks in a live setting and scuff them up a bit.
Only By The Night may grow on me eventually, but on initial listen it didn't immediately grab like their other albums did.
There are certain names that signify quality in a musical release, and there's a bunch gathered right here – backing former John Coltrane pianist Tyner, there's bassist extraordinaire Ron Carter and drummer Jack DeJohnette, but along for the ride, and to make the title make sense, are guitarists Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, Derek Trucks, John Scofield and banjo-god Bela Fleck. Each takes a turn filling out a corner of a quartet with Tyner's band (some get more time than others.)
What makes this release even more rewarding than just the all-star cast is the inclusion of a DVD that features three hours of footage covering each of the guitarists from a variety of viewer-choosable angles, plus the ability to isolate any of the musicians to study them by themselves. For musicians and instrumental freaks, this is a very cool plus.
Here are all of this week's new album releases courtesy of All Music Guide:
Cold War Kids
Loyalty to Loyalty
Downtown
Indie Rock
Kings of Leon
Only by the Night
RCA
Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
Jenny Lewis
Acid Tongue
Warner Bros.
Indie Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Americana, Alternative Country-Rock
Mogwai
The Hawk Is Howling
Matador
Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Plain White T's
Big Bad World
Hollywood
Alternative Pop/Rock, Punk-Pop
Pussycat Dolls
Doll Domination [Bonus Tracks]
Interscope
Club/Dance, Urban, Dance-Pop
The Replacements
Tim [Expanded Edition]
Sire/Rhino
American Underground, College Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock
TV on the Radio
Dear Science,
DGC/Interscope
Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
John Adams
John Adams: A Flowering Tree
Nonesuch
Contemporary Opera
All Girl Summer Fun Band
Looking into It
Agsfb
Indie Pop, Punk-Pop
Karl Blau
Nature's Got Away
K
Indie Pop, Lo-Fi
Blitzen Trapper
Furr
Sub Pop
Indie Pop, Alternative Country-Rock, Indie Rock
Brightblack Morning Light
Motion to Rejoin
Matador
Indie Rock, Jam Bands
Jackson Browne
Time the Conqueror
Inside
Singer/Songwriter
Cameron Carpenter
Revolutionary [Includes Bonus DVD]
Telarc
Baroque, Romantic, Modern & Contemporary Music for Organ
Paul Clayton
Sings Homemade Songs and Ballads/Folk Singer!
Omni
Folksongs, Traditional Folk, Sea Shanties
Cowboy Mouth
Fearless
Valley
Alternative Country-Rock, Jam Bands, American Trad Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Everlast
Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford
Hickory
Rap-Rock, Contemporary Blues
Fannypack
Ghetto Bootleg
Tommy Boy
Club/Dance, Dance-Pop, Party Rap, Pop-Rap, Neo-Electro
Fourplay
Energy
Heads Up
Smooth Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Jazz-Pop
Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires
XL
Indie Electronic, Indie Rock
Kenny Garrett
Sketches of MD
Mack Avenue
Modal Music, Post-Bop, Jazz-Funk, Modern Creative
David Gilmour
Live in Gdansk
Columbia
Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Album Rock
Golden Smog
Stay Golden, Smog: The Best of Golden Smog
Rhino
Alternative Country-Rock
Parry Gripp
Do You Like Waffles?
Oglio
Comedy Rock, Indie Rock
David Grubbs
An Optimist Notes the Dusk
Drag City
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Experimental Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Charlie Haden
Family and Friends: Rambling Boy
Decca
Americana, Country Gospel, Progressive Bluegrass
High Places
High Places
Thrill Jockey
Indie Electronic, Indie Pop
Gundula Janowitz
Richard Strauss: Songs with Orchestra
Virgin Classics
Post-Romantic Music for Voice & Orchestra
Killah Priest/Chief Kamachi
Beautiful Minds
Traffic
Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Underground Rap
Jon Langford/Kat Ex
Katjonband
Carrot Top
Alternative Country-Rock
Lenka
Lenka
Epic
Alternative Pop/Rock, Chamber Pop
Little River Band
We Call It Christmas
CbuJ
Pop/Rock, Soft Rock, Adult Contemporary
Kenny Loggins
How About Now
BMG
Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary, Contemporary Country
Demi Lovato
Don't Forget
Hollywood
Teen Pop, Dance-Pop
McCarthy Trenching
Calamity Drenching
Team Love
Alternative Country-Rock, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Nicola Melville
Melville's Dozen
Innova
Contemporary Piano Music
Michna
Magic Monday
Ghostly International
Left-Field Hip-Hop, Indie Electronic
Bette Midler
Jackpot: The Best Bette
Rhino
Adult Contemporary, Pop/Rock
Monkey
Journey to the West
XL
Experimental Rock, Original Score, Alternative Pop/Rock
Nagisa Ni Te
Yosuga
Jagjaguwar
Indie Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Graham Nash
Songs for Beginners [CD/DVD]
Atlantic
Folk-Rock, Soft Rock, Country-Rock
John Oates
1000 Miles of Life
Doyle Kos DK.E
Pop/Rock, Adult Contemporary
David Oistrakh
David Oistrakh: The Complete Recordings
EMI Classics
Orchestral & Chamber Music Featuring Violin
Old Crow Medicine Show
Tennessee Pusher
Nettwerk
Neo-Traditional Folk, Jug Band, String Bands, Americana, Contemporary Folk
Original Soundtrack
Sex and the City, Vol. 2: More Music
New Line
Film Music, Soundtracks, Pop/Rock, Urban, Dance-Pop
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Scratch Came, Scratch Saw, Scratch Conquered
Megawave
Contemporary Reggae
Otis Redding
Live in London and Paris
Stax
Deep Soul, Southern Soul, Soul, Memphis Soul
The Replacements
All Shook Down [Expanded Edition]
Sire/Reprise/Rhino
American Underground, College Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock, Rock & Roll, Singer/Songwriter
The Replacements
Don't Tell a Soul [Expanded Edition]
Sire/Reprise/Rhino
American Underground, College Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
The Replacements
Pleased to Meet Me [Expanded Edition]
Sire/Rhino
American Underground, College Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock, Rock & Roll
The Tony Rich Project
Exist
Hidden Beach
Contemporary R&B, Urban
Cliff Richard
They Said It Wouldn't Last: My 50 Years in Music
EMD Int'l
Early British Pop/Rock, Teen Idol, Pop/Rock, Pop, Rock & Roll
Max Richter
24 Postcards in Full Colour
Fat Cat
Electronica, Classical
Randy Rogers
Randy Rogers Band
Mercury
Contemporary Country
Serena Maneesh
S-M Backwards
Smalltown Supersound
Indie Rock, Noise Pop, Shoegaze
Sing It Loud
Come Around
Epitaph
Emo
Spyro Gyra
A Night Before Christmas
Heads Up
Smooth Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Holiday, Christmas, Fusion
Jazmine Sullivan
Fearless
J Records
Urban, Contemporary R&B
