Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
This final week in May is a setback. We've had a great month of new releases and this week's list is not without any intriguing titles but we're missing the depth we've had the past few weeks. This is the week you catch your breath and catch up on titles from the previous weeks before the onslaught of June releases begins.
First up… Stone Temple Pilots. That's right, boys and girls, Weiland has kissed and made up with one of his former bands. I know GNR — errr… Velvet Revolver — was a den of assholes but Weiland can't seem to get along with anyone for very long. He's a talent and there's something engaging about him but he seems to wear people out, including me. I bought his last solo album Happy In Galoshes and I liked it- well, about half of it. I've got everything STP has released… until now. I think I finally feel empowered to skip this one. I've heard the first single and I'm sorry but the '90s are finally (mostly) over for me. Hearing Weiland reminisce about the drug days just doesn't hold any meaning for me anymore. I wish the health and success but I'm going to let the train pull ahead without me.
Next up… a delicious take on the British Invasion from the legendary Bettye LaVette. We all know the story of British kids getting hipped up on the R&B, blues, and soul sounds of African-American artists and selling those songs and sounds back to American audiences in the form of a cool new rock and roll. Ms. LaVette is ready to turn the tables on our UK brothers and sisters by bringing her impeccable blues and soul stylings and reinterpreting the British invasion songs that changed a generation and perhaps even the entire world.
Those are the releases I find interesting. Here's a big stack of what else you can find in stores and online. What are you digging off this list?
ARC – Church
Artists Of The Royal Conservatory – Two Roads To Exile (Braunfels: String Quintet & Busch: String Sextet)
Beau, Raphael & Max Steiner – Micmacs
Black Sunshine – Black Sunshine
Brown, Apollo – The Reset
Caldwell, Bobby – Songs For Lovers Only Vol. 1
Cam'ron – Cam'ron & The U.N. Presents "Heat In Here" Vol.1
Cardenas, Steve – West Of Middle
Cheap Trick – The Music Of Cheap Trick
Coco Brother – Coco Brother Live Presents Sta
Cross, David – Bigger And Blackerer
Derringer, Rick – The Three Kings Of The Blues
Devil S Blood, The – The Time Of No Time Evermore
Elson, Karen – The Ghost Who Walks
Embracing Goodbye – Rock & Roll Aint Dead
Emilio Kauderer & Federico Jus – The Secret In Their Eyes
Even The Dogs – Soul Shaker
Foreigner – Can't Slow Down
Franklin, Aretha – The Music Of Aretha Franklin
Godless Rising – Trumpet Of Triumph
Griftegard – Solemn Sacred Severe
Hank Williams III – Rebel Within
Heaven Sent – Heaven Sent
Hicks, John & Frank Morgan – Twogether
Horde Of Hel – Blodskam Ii
It's Alive – Human Resources
Jay, Jeremy – Splash
John Hartford Stringband, The – Memories Of John
Judas Priest – The Music Of Judas Priest
Jurado, Damien – Saint Bartlett
Kansas – The Music Of Kansas
Kartick & Gotam – Business Class Refugees
Keller & The Keels – Thief
Kirchen, Bill – Word To The Wise
Krokus – Hoodoo
Kubek, Smokin' Jo & Bnois King – Have Blues Will Travel
Lavette, Bettye – Interpretations: The British R
Legend – Valediction
Marina And The Diamonds – Family Jewels, The
Masterplan – Time To Be King
McGoldrick, Michael – Aurora
Morgan, Kit – Glidepath
Neverland – Ophidia
Paban Das Baul – Music Of Honey Gatherers
Peter Wolf Crier – Inter-Be
Piebald – Volume Ii
Plumley, Gary & Tony Young – Crossing The Water
Prine, John – In Person & On Stage
Qua – Q&A
Reverend Peyton S Big Damn Ban – The Wages
Ruins Of Beverast, The – Foulest Semen Of A Sheltered E
Run-Dmc – The Music Of Run-Dmc
Senor Coconut – Fiesta Songs
Senor Coconut – Yellow Fever
Simone, Peg – Secrets From The Storm
Slum Village – Villa Manifesto
Smashing Pumpkins – Teargarden By Kaleidoscope 1 (Ltd Edition)
Soulfly – Omen
Special Consensus – 35
Stone Temple Pilots – Stone Temple Pilots
Tango Negro Trio – Tango Negro Trio
Tanya Tucker – Greatest Hits
Top 25 Praise Songs – Top 25 Praise Songs 2011 (2cd)
Transmit Now – Downtown Merry-Go-Round
True Blood Soundtrack – True Blood : Music From The HBO Original Series Volume 2
Truth & Salvage Co. – Truth & Salvage Co.
Ultra – Ultra Weekend 6
Up, Bustle & Out – Soliloquy
Ustad Ali Ahmad Hussain Khan & – Serenity
Vargas, Luis – The Legend
Various Artists – Cedar Chest – The Cedar Walton
Various Artists – Eccentric Breaks & Beats
Various Artists – Le Pop 5
Various Artists – Macgruber: Original Motion Pic
Various Artists – Music Of The Sphere – The Thel
Various Artists – The Bluegrass Bible: 40 Bluegr
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To Salsa Divas
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To The Scottis
Veara – What We Left Behind
Widespread Panic – Dirty Side Down
Young, Will – Leave Right Now
