08
Jan
2002
· I've got to share the good word on a terrific new release this coming Tuesday: Jon Dee Graham's Hooray for the Moon on the New West label. This is the third solo album from this former member of True Believer and a senior statesman of alternative-country royalty, recently honored as the 2000 Songwriter of the Year at SXSW's Austin Music Awards.
The gruff and dark affair features a sadly beautiful session band: drummer Jim Keltner, Austin Tejano star Little Joe, Camper van Beethoven's Davey Faracher, and Spirit's Mark Andes, all conjuring up the voodoo spirits on a blistering cover of Tom Waits' "Down in the Hole," a Spanish vocal treatment of the standard "Volver," and nine Graham originals. Think of a cross between Mark Lanegan, John Hiatt, and the Bottlerockets howling under the Texas moon - a fine mojo brewing, indeed.
· The What Are Records label is finishing up the final touches on its Imagine Sessions benefit CD, collecting a wide array of artists and their renditions of John Lennon's "Imagine." The album benefits children's charities and features such artists as David Garza, The Innocence Mission, Melissa Ferrick, Hanson, Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, Hot House Flowers, and more.
· On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he's the stiff British character of Giles, father figure for those crazy vampire-fightin' kids, but actor Anthony Stewart Head has a wide-ranging musical-theater résumé, including playing Jesus in London's Godspell production and Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Next month Head gets to exercise his musical muscle once again, as vocalist and collaborator on a soft electronica debut with producer/composer George Sarah. The CD, Music for Elevators, is due February 2 on the quirky Beautiful Is as Beautiful Does Records label.
· This Tuesday the Goldenlane Records label is releasing one of the nicest collections of stone-cold funk that I've seen in a long time. The 75-minute CD, simply titled Funk Soul U.S.A., is a crowd-pleaser of monster hits from The Commodores, Sly & The Family Stone, Slave, The Trammps, Rick James, Rufus Thomas, Billy Preston, and more. More than just a musical goldmine of late-1960s and mid-1970s soul culture, the disc features time-capsule segues such as a "Hair Commercial with James Brown," dialog from the film TNT Jackson, and Black Panther spoken-word passages. Damn, can you feel the community-center rec-room love of Kool & The Gang's "Jungle Boogie," Rose Royce's classic "Car Wash," and the Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb on Me"?
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Elton John tonight, Sugar Ray on Friday, Usher on Monday, and Sisqo on Tuesday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Foo Fighters on Thursday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien welcomes John Mayer on Friday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn throws a double punch with Kid Rock and Starsailor on Thursday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, Jan. 15:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
A Walk to Remember - original motion picture soundtrack (Epic) starring and featuring music by Mandy Moore
Al - One (Fat Boy) first solo project from Al Schnier of Moe
Anniversary - Your Majesty (Vagrant)
The B-52's - Nude on the Moon: The B-52's Anthology (Rhino) two-CD set of 35 dance-floor-demolition new-wave classics such as "Quiche Lorraine," "Strobe Light," and "Rock Lobster"
Blood for Blood - Outlaw Anthems (Victory) bottle-breaking Boston hardcore featuring "White Trash Anthem"
Bolt Thrower - Honour-Valour-Pride (Metal Blade) all new
Brooklyn Run - Brooklyn Run (LMC Records)
Chemical Brothers - "Star Guitar" (Astralwerks) new CD single featuring mixes by Pete Heller
Bruce Cockburn - Anything Anytime Anywhere: The Singles 1979-2002 (True North/Rounder) greatest-hits collection with two new tracks
The Cogs - Open Kimono (Luna Sea)
Concrete Blonde - Group Therapy (Manifesto) 12 all-new songs from the original trio
Sam Cooke - Keep Movin' on (Abkco) 23-track collection of material he was working on in the last year of his life
Neil Diamond - Love Songs (MCA) featuring his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" and Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Until It's Time for You to Go"
Edify - Edify (LMC Records) new hard rock hot off the stage at the Vans Triple Crown Supercross Championship
Eight Days Gone - In the Absence of Subtlety (Bodyguard)
Marvin Gaye - Love Songs: Bedroom Ballads (MCA) featuring the entire Vulnerable album of romantic standards
George Harrison - "My Sweet Lord" (Capitol) charity benefit CD single featuring the 1971 number-one single and the 2000 version
I Am Sam - original motion picture soundtrack (V2) featuring Beatles covers by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, the Black Crowes, and more
Infected Mushroom - B.P. Empire (Streetbeat) psy-trance from Israel
Michael Jackson - Love Songs (MCA) featuring previously unreleased Jackson 5 material
Mr. T Experience - And the Women Who Love Them: Special Edition (Lookout) re-issue of this 1993 EP with bonus outtakes, B sides, and rare tracks
Willie Nelson - The Great Divide (Island) timed for this month's release of his new book The Facts of Life & Other Dirty Jokes, this highly anticipated album features guests Bonnie Raitt, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, and Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas
Graham Parker - King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents (Universal Music Enterprises) concert from 1983's Real McCaw tour featuring self-created cover artwork
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs - Guitars, Guns, & Gold (Triple X) enhanced CD featuring two live video performances
William Topley - Feasting with Panthers (Lost Highway) recently touring the U.S. with Dire Straits
Totally Blind Drunk Drivers - The Breast of (Luna Sea) pop rock from Estonia
various artists - A Tribute to Big Star (Luna Sea) 23 cover tracks by Marty Willson-Piper of The Church, Nada Surf, Longwave, Banjo Spiders, The Red Telephone, and more
various artists - Directions: Mixed by Chris Gainer (Bliss) exclusive remix collection from techno artists such as Sleepfreaks, Pappa & Gilbey, Substructure, and Seconds Out
various artists - House Blend (Strictly Hype) hard house mixed by DJ Venom
various artists - I Love Serge (Pagan) tribute salute to the sexy French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg with cover contributions by Howie B., The Orb, Dax Riders, Herbert, and Chateau Flight
various artists - Progressions into Trance 2: St. John (UBL) with ATB, Kosheen, DJ Tiesto, and Plaything
Zapp & Roger - We Can Make You Dance: The Zapp & Roger Anthology (Rhino)
· The What Are Records label is finishing up the final touches on its Imagine Sessions benefit CD, collecting a wide array of artists and their renditions of John Lennon's "Imagine." The album benefits children's charities and features such artists as David Garza, The Innocence Mission, Melissa Ferrick, Hanson, Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, Hot House Flowers, and more.
· On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he's the stiff British character of Giles, father figure for those crazy vampire-fightin' kids, but actor Anthony Stewart Head has a wide-ranging musical-theater résumé, including playing Jesus in London's Godspell production and Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Next month Head gets to exercise his musical muscle once again, as vocalist and collaborator on a soft electronica debut with producer/composer George Sarah. The CD, Music for Elevators, is due February 2 on the quirky Beautiful Is as Beautiful Does Records label.
· This Tuesday the Goldenlane Records label is releasing one of the nicest collections of stone-cold funk that I've seen in a long time. The 75-minute CD, simply titled Funk Soul U.S.A., is a crowd-pleaser of monster hits from The Commodores, Sly & The Family Stone, Slave, The Trammps, Rick James, Rufus Thomas, Billy Preston, and more. More than just a musical goldmine of late-1960s and mid-1970s soul culture, the disc features time-capsule segues such as a "Hair Commercial with James Brown," dialog from the film TNT Jackson, and Black Panther spoken-word passages. Damn, can you feel the community-center rec-room love of Kool & The Gang's "Jungle Boogie," Rose Royce's classic "Car Wash," and the Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb on Me"?
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Elton John tonight, Sugar Ray on Friday, Usher on Monday, and Sisqo on Tuesday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Foo Fighters on Thursday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien welcomes John Mayer on Friday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn throws a double punch with Kid Rock and Starsailor on Thursday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, Jan. 15:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
A Walk to Remember - original motion picture soundtrack (Epic) starring and featuring music by Mandy Moore
Al - One (Fat Boy) first solo project from Al Schnier of Moe
Anniversary - Your Majesty (Vagrant)
The B-52's - Nude on the Moon: The B-52's Anthology (Rhino) two-CD set of 35 dance-floor-demolition new-wave classics such as "Quiche Lorraine," "Strobe Light," and "Rock Lobster"
Blood for Blood - Outlaw Anthems (Victory) bottle-breaking Boston hardcore featuring "White Trash Anthem"
Bolt Thrower - Honour-Valour-Pride (Metal Blade) all new
Brooklyn Run - Brooklyn Run (LMC Records)
Chemical Brothers - "Star Guitar" (Astralwerks) new CD single featuring mixes by Pete Heller
Bruce Cockburn - Anything Anytime Anywhere: The Singles 1979-2002 (True North/Rounder) greatest-hits collection with two new tracks
The Cogs - Open Kimono (Luna Sea)
Concrete Blonde - Group Therapy (Manifesto) 12 all-new songs from the original trio
Sam Cooke - Keep Movin' on (Abkco) 23-track collection of material he was working on in the last year of his life
Neil Diamond - Love Songs (MCA) featuring his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" and Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Until It's Time for You to Go"
Edify - Edify (LMC Records) new hard rock hot off the stage at the Vans Triple Crown Supercross Championship
Eight Days Gone - In the Absence of Subtlety (Bodyguard)
Marvin Gaye - Love Songs: Bedroom Ballads (MCA) featuring the entire Vulnerable album of romantic standards
George Harrison - "My Sweet Lord" (Capitol) charity benefit CD single featuring the 1971 number-one single and the 2000 version
I Am Sam - original motion picture soundtrack (V2) featuring Beatles covers by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, the Black Crowes, and more
Infected Mushroom - B.P. Empire (Streetbeat) psy-trance from Israel
Michael Jackson - Love Songs (MCA) featuring previously unreleased Jackson 5 material
Mr. T Experience - And the Women Who Love Them: Special Edition (Lookout) re-issue of this 1993 EP with bonus outtakes, B sides, and rare tracks
Willie Nelson - The Great Divide (Island) timed for this month's release of his new book The Facts of Life & Other Dirty Jokes, this highly anticipated album features guests Bonnie Raitt, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, and Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas
Graham Parker - King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents (Universal Music Enterprises) concert from 1983's Real McCaw tour featuring self-created cover artwork
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs - Guitars, Guns, & Gold (Triple X) enhanced CD featuring two live video performances
William Topley - Feasting with Panthers (Lost Highway) recently touring the U.S. with Dire Straits
Totally Blind Drunk Drivers - The Breast of (Luna Sea) pop rock from Estonia
various artists - A Tribute to Big Star (Luna Sea) 23 cover tracks by Marty Willson-Piper of The Church, Nada Surf, Longwave, Banjo Spiders, The Red Telephone, and more
various artists - Directions: Mixed by Chris Gainer (Bliss) exclusive remix collection from techno artists such as Sleepfreaks, Pappa & Gilbey, Substructure, and Seconds Out
various artists - House Blend (Strictly Hype) hard house mixed by DJ Venom
various artists - I Love Serge (Pagan) tribute salute to the sexy French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg with cover contributions by Howie B., The Orb, Dax Riders, Herbert, and Chateau Flight
various artists - Progressions into Trance 2: St. John (UBL) with ATB, Kosheen, DJ Tiesto, and Plaything
Zapp & Roger - We Can Make You Dance: The Zapp & Roger Anthology (Rhino)
