Manic Monday

I have been lax in posting these weekly updates, so it's time to get back to it! I just know you're all dying to get the new Britney Spears release this week!

Blues:
John Lee Hooker - I Feel Good [Deluxe Edition]
The Starkweather Boys - Archer St. Blues

Country/Folk:
Larry The Cable Guy - Christmastime In Larryland
The Highwaymen - Folk Hits Collection
Various Artists - Bearded Ladies

Rock/Pop:
Blue Rodeo - Small Miracles
Blues Traveler - Cover Yourself
Cake - Cream Of The Cake
Chad & Jeremy - Greatest Hits
Ellen Foley - a couple of reissues - You know, Meat Loaf's chick singer from Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Robert Fripp & Brian Eno - Unreleased Works Of Sterling Genius
Gerry Goffin/Carole King - Goffin & King: A Gerry Goffin And Carole King Song
Joy Division - reissues
The Kinks - The Kinks Greatest 1970 - 1986
Pure Prairie League - reissues
Leon Russell - reissues
Britney Spea....never mind
The String Cheese Incident - a bunch of live on the road cds
Tegan & Sara - reissues
The Texabilly Rockets - Bop Potion No. 5
Sid Vicious - Sid Lives
Gary Wright - Human Love - reissue of a 2000 release
Various Artists - Tribute To Prince - artists include Ice T, Gary Numan, and a bunch of people I never heard of

In other words, nothing much came out this week.

Manic Monday

Do you think 50 will keep his promise to stop recording???

Hey kids, summer's over and it's time for the serious music to come out, so open the wallets and start bleeding money (or the RIAA will hunt you down!)

Blues:
Doyle Bramhall - Is It News

Johnny "Guitar" Watston - Untouchable! The Classic 1959 - 1966 Recordings

Bessie Smith - Nobody Loves You When You're Down And Out

Country/Folk:

Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight And Dark

Emmylou Harris - Songbird: Rare Tracks and Forgotten Gems

Reba McEntire - Reba Duets

Iain Matthews - some reissues

Kingston Trio - Lost 1967 Album: Rarities, Vol. 1

A boatload of holiday music gets released this week. Oh, the joy.

R & B:
I hardly mention R & B, but the new Babyface, Playlist, seems like it could appeal to me. There are acoustic covers of James Taylor and Jim Croce and Eric Clapton included. How do I know about this? They are hawking it all over the TV!

Rock:

Alice In Chains - MTV Unplugged [CD/DVD]

Badfinger - two reissues

Cindy Lee Berryhill - Beloved Stranger - with guest artists John Doe, Peter Case, and Dave Alvin

James Blunt - All The Lost Souls - Because he sold his?

Canned Heat - Live At The Topanga Corral - Reportedly not recorded at the Topanga Corral, but at LA's Kaleidoscope club in 1968.
Chesterfield Kings - Psychedelic Sunrise (new) and The Mindbending Sounds Of The Chesterfield Kings (reissue)

Jamie Cullum - In The Mind Of Jamie Cullum

The Dream Academy - Dream Academy - reissue - Here's your chance to grab Life In A Northern Town, since you didn't hear it enough in 1986!
The Fabulous Thunderbirds - reissues

Peter Hammill - reissues

H.I.M. - Venus Doom - for the gothies out there

Danny Kirwan - Second Chapter [Limited Edition]

Alvin Lee - Saguitar
Ben Lee - Ripe

The Legendary Shack Shakers - Swampblood

Barry Manilow - Greatest Songs Of The Seventies - Um. Right. Maybe the greatest shmaltz of the seventies. And he includes a couple of his own hits!

The Monkees - a couple of compilations

Motion City Soundtrack - Even If It Kills Me

The Polyphonic Spree - Live From Austin, TX - Ok, now I know that series has gone too far. This group sounds like an adult version of The Brady Bunch to me.

Seals & Crofts - A ton of reissues. Speaking of seventies hits, these guys had a few!

Sonny & Cher - Classics

Those Darn Accordians - Squeeze Machine - Has me intrigued.

3 Doors Down - Better Life [Deluxe Edition]

K.T. Tunstall - Drastic Fantastic

Wishbone Ash - First Light

Link Wray - Pathway Sessions

Soundtracks:
Eddie Vedder does the Into The Wild soundtrack.

UPDATE: And who is ahead in the 50 Cent vs. Kanye battle of last week's releases?

Billboard reported Friday that Kanye West's Graduation leads with 781,000 copies sold over the 603,000 moved by 50 Cent's Curtis.

Manic Tuesday, because Monday Was A Holiday

I have no excuse other than "it was a holiday and I didn't even get to the computer." Is that lame enough?

I also have no time this morning to give a good list, so here are the highlights of the new releases this week:

Some Townes Van Zandt reissues.
Etta James - Blues From The Big Apple
Taj Mahal - World Blues
Crosby & Nash - Bittersweet
Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn [40th anniversary 2-cd edition]
Patty Scialfa - Play It As It Lays
Ted Nugent - Love Grenade

Manic Monday

There's lots of good stuff coming out tomorrow! Oh, and I got the new Grace Potter (from last week's releases) and it's not blowing me away as much as Nothing But The Water did earlier this year.)

Now onto this week's releases:

Blues:
James Cotton Blues Band - Pure Cotton*
Omar Kent Dykes/Jimmie Vaughn - On The Jimmy Reed Highway
The Insomniacs - Left Coast Blues
Rod Piazza - Thrillville

Country:
Rerelases of nearly the entire Garth Brooks catalog. You knew it was coming, even though he said they'd all be retired.
Patsy Cline - Signature - a compilation
Conway Twitty - #1's: The Warner Brothers Years

Folk:
Loreena McKennitt - Nights from the Alhambra*

R & B:
Ruth Brown - 1954 - 1956
The Blues Brothers - The Definitive Blues Brothers Collection

Rock:
Aiden - Conviction
Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This
Blackfoot - Rattlesnake Rock 'n' Roll: The Best Of Blackfoot
Blue Cheer - What Doesn't Kill You
Joe Bonamassa - Sloe Gin*
The Epoxies - My New World
Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor
Firefall - Greatest Hits - on Rhino Records
Love - Greatest Hits
MC5 - Greatest Hits* and some reissues
The Mekons - Natural
Mendoza Line - 30 Year Low
Minus The Bear - Planet Of Ice
The New Pornographers - Challengers*
Over The Rhine - Trumpet Child*
The Pietasters - All Day
The Queers - Day Late And A Dollar Short
The Rascals - Greatest Hits*
Rilo Kiley - Under The Blacklight - if you dig Jenny Lewis, you are a happy camper today.
Josh Ritter - Historical Conquest*
Mitch Ryder - Detroit -Memphis Experiment - reissue
The Waterboys - Book of Lightning* - I'm curious about this one. Loved this band.
*Nat's picks of the day, which she would buy if she had tons of entertainment bucks to spend.

Manic Monday

What's new this week, the end of July already!

Blues:
18 Greatest - John Lee Hooker
18 Greatest - B.B. King - must be a series by the label Direct Source

Country:
18 Greatest - Glen Campbell
Best Of Freddy Fender - Freddy Fender
Best of Merle Haggard - Merle Haggard
Best Of George Jones - George Jones
Best Of Jim Reeves - Jim Reeves
Best Of B.J. Thomas - B.J. Thomas - These are also from Direct Source

Folk:
Tribe - Luka Bloom

Rock:
Idlewild South - The Allman Brothers Band - reissue of a great recording
18 Greatest - Chuck Berry
Swears - Casual Lean
Made In Europe - Deep Purple - remaster
Under The Influence of Buck - The Derailers
Blue Velocity - The Chris Duarte Group
Nervous Nights And Satellites - The Hooters
Dirty Laundry - Ian Hunter
Untitled - Korn
18 Greatest - Jerry Lee Lewis
18 Greatest - Little Richard
Live On The Sunset Strip - The Raspberries
Country Mouse City House - Josh Rouse - Wow, check those rhymes!

Josh Rouse - Hollywood Bass Player
Have a listen!


One Girl Revolution - Saving Jane
Al Stewart - a whole bunch of reissues
Sincerely/Twilley Don't Mind - Dwight Twilley - Power pop classics!
Strange Pleasure/Out There - Jimmy Vaughan - Stevie Ray's big bro has reissues

Manic Monday

Blues:

Zion Crossroads - Corey Harris

Another Saturday Morning - Ellis Hooks

Rock:

20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection Live - The Allman Brothers

Handful - Betty

One For All - Peter Criss

It's Not The Eat, It's The Humidity - The Eat - included because the title cracks me up

Absolute Garbage [Deluxe Edition] - Garbage

Pigeons Couldn't Sleep - Peter Himmelman

Four On The Floor - Juliette And The Licks - Juliette Lewis is at it again.

20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection Live - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Masters Of War - Mountain

Essential - Carl Perkins

Early Years - Roy Orbison

Day Late And A Dollar Short - The Queers

Red Hot & Live! - Brian Setzer & The Nashvillians

Freed Man - Sebadoh

Slayer - a bunch of reissues

Con - Tegan And Sara

Beautiful Door - Billy Bob Thornton - And Billy Bob is at it again, too.

Emerald City - John Vanderslice

Is Is - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Soundtracks:
The Simpsons Movie - featuring a song titled, Thank You Boob Lady

Manic Monday

Take your pick tomorrow!

Blues:
Popa Chubby - Electric Ladyland (volumes 1 & 2)
John Lee Hooker - Don't Look Back; Jealous - rereleases with bonus tracks
Susan Tedeschi - Best Of Susan Tedeschi: Episode Two - If you haven't heard her yet, check this one out. She cranks out rockin' blues slide-guitar like a man, and has that sexy rasp when she sings (like Janis, but much easier on the ears.) Her hubby, Derek Trucks, makes an appearance here and there, too, which doesn't hurt.
Susan Tedeschi - Cant Leave You Alone
Country:
Raul Malo - After Hours - Included because I love this guy's voice and adore The Mavericks, even though it's contemporary country music.
David Allen Coe - Live At Billy Bob's Texas - with bonus tracks. This guy kicks country ass.

Folk:
Eliza Gilkyson - Your Town Tonight
Judy Collins - Judy Collins Sings Lennon And McCartney - zzzZZZzzzZZZ - *When you need to include your own name in the album title and it's not a "greatest hits," that screams "DIVA!" I guess she's earned it, but still. Nothankyou. I think this is the one for Judy completists only.
Arlo Guthrie - Best Of Arlo Guthrie - See, for this release the name in title is fine. But do I need to hear Alice's Restaurant and The Motorcycle Song again and again?

Jazz: lots of cool stuff coming out, but it's a really long list. Many reissues by Donald Byrd, Thelonious Monk, and Bob Mintzer, plus quite a few "Best Of" cds from various people. Check it out here.

Reggae: The big news here is that for the first time in many months, there is no release by a member of the Marley family, nor any reissues/compilations of Bob's work. WTF?

Rock:
Laurie Anderson - Science (25th anniversary edition) - WHAT? 25 years? SHEESH.
The Beau Brummels - Beau Brummels and Beau Brummels 66 - reissues - You could really be a Beau Brummel, baby, if you'd just give it half a chance!
Big Brother & The Holding Company - Hold Me - Some recent live thing with a vocalist named Sophia Ramos.
Jude Cole - Jude Cole - reissue - I can't really explain why I like this guy's blue-eyed soul. I don't think he has blue eyes, but he's so cute! (and I loved Like Lovers Do from this album.) That's it! He's cute! (I know, I'm destroying any cred I had by admitting this.)
Dennis DeYoung - One Hundred Years From Now - Uh huh. One hundred years from now, you'll still be shitty, Dennis.
Minnie Driver - Seastories - I hear this is good.
The Easybeats - Friends; Volume 3 - reissues
Editors - End Has A Start
Grant Lee Buffalo - a couple of reissues
Great White - Back To The Rhythm - Nooooooooo! Grab your hairspray, girls!
Robyn Hitchcock - Jewels For Sophia - I love this guy. This is on my "check it out" list. It's a reissue, but I've never heard this one.
Tom Jones - Tom Jones Sings The Beatles* - *See Judy Collins comment above.
Danny Kirwan - Second Chapter [Limited Edition] - Ex Fleetwood Mac member flies solo. Another "check it out" for me. I loved Mac when he was in the band.
Molly Hatchet - reissue (two albums in one) - OH BOY!
MxPx - Secret Weapon
Nazareth - Complete Singles Collection - They had multiple singles? I had no idea. And this is a 3-cd set of 50 songs. Perhaps the singles were British releases.
The Quakes - Quiff Rock
Seals & Crofts - Greatest Hits
Teddy Thompson - Up Front And Down Low - Richard's kid impresses me with his songwriting. I'll give it a listen online.
Dwight Twilley - reissues in a double-album set. This guy is one of the unsung heroes of 70's power pop! Am I flying my power pop flag high today, or what?
Suzanne Vega - Beauty and Crime - YEAH!
Wishbone Ash - Tracks 3 - a compilation
The Zombies - Into the Afterlife - compilation

Those are the highlights this week! Now, go spend, spend, spend!

Manic Monday

New this week:

Blues:
Live: A Night At Tipitina's - Mem Shannon
Chill - John "Juke" Logan

Country:
Live From Austin, Texas - Buck Owens
Chinese Boxes - Kim Richey - You can preview songs here.
a bunch of releases in the Country Biography series (including Glen Campbell and Jim Reeves)

Folk:
Live From Austin, Texas - Kinky Friedman
Diamonds In The Asphalt - Truckstop Honeymoon

Rock:
America - a bunch of reissues
New Maps Of Hell - Bad Religion
Thin Lizzy Blues - Eric Bell
Bruce Cockburn - reissues
Three Easy Pieces - Buffalo Tom
Time On Earth - Crowded House
Family Tree - Nick Drake
Situation - Lily Frost
Noble Creatures - The Gourds
Compass Rose Bouquet - Great Lakes Myth Society
Feel - Jesse Harris
Best of The Sugar Hill Years - Reckless Kelly
Lez Zeppelin - Lez Zeppelin - Yes, it's a Zep tribute band, all female.
Runnin' Blue - Boz Scaggs
Zeitgeist - The Smashing Pumpkins
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon
Spoon - The Underdog
Just Roll Tape: April 26th, 1968 - Stephen Stills
Saturday Night Fever - The Bee Gees - remastered
Else - They Might Be Giants
Tantrum - The Vacancies
Duet For Guitars #2 - M. Ward - remastered

Manic Monday

A regular feature, pointing you to what's new at the indie record shops, online music purveyors, and big-box stores tomorrow. I'll even include what's coming out beyond rock music, but I will admit to being totally clueless about some genres, so I won't touch them (latin, world,classical, electronica, rap, most jazz, modern R & B)

Blues:

Beware Of The Dog; Natural Boogie- Hound Dog Taylor - reissues

Frostbite - Albert Collins - reissue

Pure Cotton - James Cotton - reissue

Still Making History - Ana Popovic

Comedy:

The Rutles - The Rutles - reissue - YES, finally a Rhino reissue with bonus tracks.

Country:

Honky Tonk Masquerade; Joe Ely - Joe Ely - reissues

Tried And True - Hanna-McEuen - Sons of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band guys release another.

Very Best Of Merle Haggard - Merle Haggard

Folk:

Hot Lunch - The Asylum Street Spankers - Don't you love their name? It's sort of acoustic blues, really.

Live At The BBC - Sandy Denny - What a voice.

Original Sandy Denny - Sandy Denny - reissued with bonus tracks.

Soundtracks:

1408

Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix

Live Free Or Die Hard

Transformers

The Pirate Queen

Talk To Me

R & B

Brecker Bros. - The Brecker Brothers - reissue

A load of Supremes reissues

Umbrella - Rhianna

Rock:

1977 - Iggy Pop

20 Greatest Hits - Climax Blues Band

Argus - Wishbone Ash -reissue

At The End Of Time: Churchscapes - Live In England & Estonia, 2006 - Robert Fripp

Beggin' - Frankie Valli

a bunch of Ozzy Japanese imports

Bright - Californias

Bonny Bunch Of Roses; Gottle O'Geer - Fairport Convention - reissues

Captain Sexy Bull - The Damned - a compilation

Choice Cuts: The Capricorn Years - Widespread Panic

Circus Diablo - Circus Diablo

Cryin' Heart Blues - Rick Danko

Dixie Chicken; Feats Don't Fail Me Now; Sailin' Shoes; The Last Record Album - Little Feat - reissues

Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse; Gorilla; Tadpoles- The Bonzo Dog Band - reissues with bonus tracks

Early Elvis - Elvis Presley

End Has a Start - Editors - with bonus tracks

Secret Weapon - MXPX

Stolen Apples - Paul Kelly

Super Tarata! - Gogol Bordello

The Lost Tracks of Danzig - Danzig - for the headbanger in you

Three Easy Pieces - Buffalo Tom - This one's the pick of the day for me!

Era Vulgaris - Queens Of The Stone Age

Flurescent Adolescent - The Arctic Monkeys

From Yesterday - 30 Seconds To Mars

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon

Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids

Illegal, Immoral and Fattening/Moving Targets - Flo & Eddie - reissues

In Your Face - Duke Squad

In The Beginning - Genesis - reissue of pre- Phil Collins era Genesis' debut.

Kingdom Of Fear - Shitdisco

Libertad - Velvet Revolver - not my thing, but somebody has to like them.

Live at the Grande Ballroom, 1968 - MC5

New Maps Of Hell - Bad Religion

Nocturnal - David Mead

Official Bootleg USA '06 - Jeff Beck

Red Hot Chili Peppers with a bunch of Japanese imports

Take Over The Breaks Over - Fall Out Boy - for your teen daughters

Tarantula - The Smashing Pumpkins

Tell Me Where It Hurts - Garbage - a single

The Detroit-Memphis Experiment - Mitch Ryder - first release on CD!

Time On Earth - Crowded House

Too-Rye-Ay - Dexys Midnight Runners - reissue featuring one of my favorite pop singles, Come On Eileen.

Twilight Of The Innocents - Ash

Uncle Dysfunktional - Happy Mondays

Well Thought Out Twinkles - Silversun Pickups

White Moth - Xavier Rudd

Better People.mp3

A bunch of Wishbone Ash reissues

Year of The Cock - Big Cock - But what about the feet; are they big, too?