Love is all around this coming Tuesday, as tribute CDs are falling like autumn's leaves. The Beatles are recipients of two such albums in their honor, one sweet and acoustic, the other snarling and turned up. Compiled and recorded for Mike Harding's BBC radio program in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Rubber Soul, the track-for-track recreation in Rubber Folk is an import-only CD worth looking for. The Gottdisc Records' release is a who's who of British folk artists, with Martin Simpson, Paul Brady, Ralph McTell, and others putting their stamp on each classic song. Haunting in its melodic a cappella glory, June Tabor turns in a solo vocal turn on "In My Life." Other perfect love letters in song include John Tams' ukulele stroll through "Girl" and the piano pop tenderness of Cora Dillion and Sam Lakeman on "Wait."
Restless Records serves up the head crusher in Butchering the Beatles: A Headbashing Tribute, featuring an all-star cast of heavy hitters in metal mini-supergroups, each trying to out-do each other's monster chops. Highlights include Lemmy from Motorhead, KISS drummer Eric Singer, and guitarist John 5 getting "Back in the USSR," Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard, and Joseph Fazzio of Superjoint Ritual chugging through "Revolution," and a thundering take on "I Feel Fine" from Steven Carpenter of the Deftones, John Bush of Anthrax, and John Tempesta of Testament. Even "Tomorrow Never Knows" gets a little Jim Morrison-esque rebel yell from Billy Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens, with Ozzy Osbourne bassist Blasko.
More guitar masters bow down to Carlos Santana in the release of Viva Carlos! on the Tone Center Records imprint. Eric Johnson, Pat Martino, Mike Stern, Coco Montoya, and Albert Lee pay tribute.
While not a musician himself, musicologist Harry Smith is honored next week in a two-CD, two-DVD set that celebrates his groundbreaking 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music. The raw blues and country that Smith collected inspired a generation of artists, from Bob Dylan to the Grateful Dead. In 1999 and 2001 producer Hal Willner staged a series of concerts to rejoice in the magic of these old-time nuggets, resulting in the new set from Shout Factory Records. Titled The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited, the list of participants is staggering, with Beth Orton, Beck, Lou Reed, Steve Earle, Richard Thompson, Nice Cave, Marianne Faithfull, Elvis Costello, Petra Haden, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Mocean Worker, Wilco, Todd Rundgren, and more.
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno hosts Sarah McLachlan tonight and Kevin Federline on Thursday; The Late Show with David Letterman presents Survivor contestant and bassist Sekou Bunch on Thursday and TV on the Radio on Friday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien boasts Frank Black on Friday overnight and Billy Bragg on Monday overnight; Jimmy Kimmel Live helps Xzibit with his spelling Thursday overnight; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is My Chemical Romance. This weekend VH1 premieres a new edition in its Decades Rock Live series, saluting the music of the Pretenders with guests Incubus, Iggy Pop, Shirley Manson, and the Kings of Leon.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, October 24:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change.
+/- - Let's Build a Fire (Absolutely Kosher) quirky, endearing, unashamed pop delights from Patrick Ramos and James Baluyut of Versus
Barzin - My Life in Rooms (Monotreme) whisper-in-your-ear slowcore seduction from Canada
Steffen Basho-Junghans - Late Summer Morning (Strange Attractors Audio House) beautiful, rich solo-acoustic-guitar mastery on six and 12 strings
The Blow - Paper Television (K Records) slippery, infectious blip-blop pop from this fresh Pacific Northwest duo, on tour now with Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins
Bright Eyes - Noise Floor (Saddle Creek) singles and rarities compilation, with five exclusive tracks found only on the LP version
Cul de Sac - ECIM (Strange Attractors Audio House) remastered CD reissue of this out-of-print instrumental gem from 1991, featuring Bullet LaVolta drummer Chris Guttmacher and a cover of John Fahey's "The Portland Cement Factory at Monolith, California"
The Curtains - Calamity (Asthmatic Kitty) new from Chris Cohen of Deerhoof, with guest John Ringhofer of Half-Handed Cloud
Cowboy Junkies - Long Journey Home (Rounder) CD and DVD set featuring the band's cover of Neil Young's "Helpless"
Def Leppard - Hysteria: Deluxe Edition (Island) expanded reissue with a bonus disc of extended mixes, B sides, and rarities
Ben Folds - Supersunnyspeedgraphic (Epic) anthology featuring his covers of The Darkness' "Get Your Hands Off My Woman" and Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit"
Gliss - Love the Virgins (Tough Cookie) debut full-length CD of fuzzy, pulsating electronic pop, much of it written by the trio while on tour with Billy Corgan and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Greenskeepers - Polo Club (Om) catchy, popping gyrations with a funky edge, spinning under the new-wave flickering lights of Heaven 17, Devo, and Urban Dance Squad; featuring a crazy cover of the Huey Lewis hit "I Want a New Drug" and a bonus remix CD by James Curd
Miho Hatori - Ecdysis (Rykodisc) shedding her skin in this anticipated solo debut from one half of Cibo Matto
Isis/Aerogramme - In the Fishtank (Konkurrent) fourteenth CD in the collaborative series where two musical entities are given two days in the Dutch label's studios to create something together
The Jam - Direction Reaction Creation (Polydor) import-only remastered five-CD box set
Kill the Vultures - The Careless Flame (Locust Music) must-hear Midwestern white-boy hip hop duo of DJ Anatomy and MC Crescent Moon, blowing beatnik streams and splatters over dark, psychedelic, zombie saxophone rolls and mad beats
John Legend - Once Again (Columbia) offering a bonus live CD when pre-ordering from his Web site
Miss Nine - Yoshitoshi Ibiza (Yoshop) young model turned DJ, currently on tour with Deep Dish
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (Reprise) also available in a limited edition featuring a hinged, black-velveteen package and a 64-page book with fantastic illustrations from cover artist Gerard
Roger Powell - Fossil Poets (Inner Knot) cool new solo release from the Utopia keyboard wizard, playing an array of instruments including mandolin, Native American flute, flugelhorn, accordion, and layers and layers of Moog synthesizers
The Raconteurs - "Broken Boy Soldier" (XL Recordings) new single spread over a CD and a two-part seven-inch single, featuring a version of the song recorded at KCRW radio and a live cover of the Flaming Groovies' "Headin' for the Texas Border"
Carly Simon - Into White (Columbia) lullabies and covers of the Beatles' "Blackbird" and Cat Stevens' title track
That Handsome Devil - That Handsome Devil (Stardust) noir grooves in the Tom Waits vein with a jazzy, cocktail sweep and a zoot-suit strut
Vains of Jenna - Lit Up/Let Down (Filthy Note) Bam Margera has chosen these big-buzz Swedish rockers to debut his new record label
The Walkmen - "Pussycats" Starring The Walkmen (Record Collection) track-by-track re-creation of Harry Nilsson & John Lennon's 1974 album
Wee Hairy Beasties - Animal Crackers (Bloodshot) new children's music CD with Sally Timms, Jon Langford, Kelly Hogan, and Devil in a Woodpile
Whitey - The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train (Dim Mak) hypnotic buzz rock with a nervous sweat
Frank Zappa - Trance-Fusion (Ryko) official collection of guitar solos from 1977 to 1988
