· My pick of the week is the just-released masterpiece The Next Best Thing by Ray Wilson, formerly the lead singer of Genesis in its late-1990s configuration. His 2002 album, Live & Acoustic, recorded during a European tour after leaving Genesis, was a stunner, showing off his monster vocal chops on a variety of originals, covers, and scattered Genesis hits, new and old. Like a breath of fresh air in a world of screamers, Wilson's voice and melancholy air are calm and rich, like an old friend, reminiscent of Peter Gabriel, Neil Diamond, and Jeffery Gaines. The new album bravely opens with the track "These Are the Changes," mixing spoken-word segments by George W. Bush, Richard Nixon, former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, and Ronald Reagan into Wilson's post-9/11 sadness. One track, "Inside," was a hit for his early band, Stiltskin, and is revamped with a modern, aggressive sound. A reflective inner-soul soundtrack, this Inside Out Records release will leave you with gentle lyrics and beautiful melodies.
· In celebration of Thirsty Ear Records' 30th release in its "Blue Series," blending new avant-garde jazz and dreamscape hip-hop, label artist DJ Spooky has just dropped Celestial Mechanix: The Blue Series MasterMix. The two-CD set features Spooky chopping up and re-inventing sounds from these 30 albums, with a special 80-minute continuous-mix disc featuring tracks from DJ Wally, Antipop Consortium, David S. Ware, Mike Ladd, and more.
· The Poster Children are putting their politics on their sleeves with their upcoming release, On the Offensive. All the songs on the mini-album have political musings, including The Clash's "Clampdown," Fear's "Let's Have a War," XTC's "Complicated Game," and Heaven 17's dance-floor smash "We Don't Need This Fascist Groove Thang." The Hidden Agenda Records release is due in September, just in time for the presidential election.
· Another upcoming album has me pondering the possibilities. Medeski Martin & Wood's fourth studio album for the classic Blue Note imprint features the production of John King, one half of The Dust Brothers, best known for their work on Beck's Odelay and the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique.
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes American Idol's Fantasia Barrino this evening and Allison Moorer on Thursday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Dashboard Confessional on Thursday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien serves up Sugarcult this evening overnight and Jesse Malin on Tuesday overnight; Last Call with Carson Daly sits down with John Mayer on Friday overnight and Iron & Wine on Monday overnight; Jimmy Kimmel Live boasts Lloyd Cole on Thursday overnight; and Saturday Night Live's musical guests this weekend are Dave Matthews, Tim Reynolds, and Trey Anastasio.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, July 6:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
Black Dice - Creature Comforts (DFA) psychedelic electronica from New York
Cheap Trick - Silver (Big3 Records) re-issue of the band's 1999 hometown concert in Rockford, Illinois, featuring guests Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, Slash of Velvet Revolver and Guns N' Roses, and Art Alexakis of Everclear
Crippled Pilgrims - Down Here: Collected Recordings 1983-1985 (Reaction)
Steve Glotzer - Lately ... (Six String Records) sophomore album from the master folk/jazz guitarist
Gonga - Gonga (Tee Pee) heavy stoner rock signed in the U.K. to the Invade Records label owned by Geoff Barrow of Portishead
Gravenhurst - Flashlight Seasons (Warp) reminiscent of Nick Drake and My Bloody Valentine
Hidden Hand/Wooly Mammoth - Night Letters (Meteor City) split CD EP
The Izzys - Fast & Out of Control Wins the Race (Kanine) excellent second album that rocks like the early Rolling Stones meet the Stooges
Kansas - Kansas and Song for America (Epic Legacy) expanded re-issues from 1974 and 1975
Chris Lowe - Black Life (Nature Sounds) with guests Carl Thomas, Large Professor, Parris Smith of EPMD, and Sadat X of Brand Nubian
Souad Massi - Deb (Wrasse) second album from this North African singer
Maestoso - One Drop in a Dry World (Eclectic) terrific new album from Woolly Wolstenholme, founding member of Barclay James Harvest and master of the Mellotron
Teedra Moses - Complex Simplicity (TVT)
Grant Olney - Brokedown Gospel (Asian Man) singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas
Julius Papp - Gotta Keep Movin': A Deep House Journey (Loveslap!) mix CD featuring his own soulful house grooves, Miguel Migs, Ron Carroll, and Charles Spencer
Rocket from the Crypt - Circa Now! (Swami) re-issue from 1993 featuring four bonus tracks
Rudimentary Peni - Archaic (Outer Himalayan) all new CD and 10-inch vinyl EP, celebrating 25 years of punk
Lori Scacco - Circles (Eastern Developments) solo debut from the Seely cofounder
Angie Stone - Stone Love (J Records)
Thievery Corporation - Outernational Sound (ESL Music) mix CD
Umphrey's McGee - Anchor Drops (SCI Fidelity)
various artists - Peace Fest (Grit Records) DVD featuring KRS-One, Pharaoh Monch, and Big Daddy Kane