As weird as it sounds, the sound of Jamaica has always had a soft spot for American country music, often topping the charts in the island nation throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Next week, the mighty Trojan label is issuing a three-CD box collecting classic country songs reinterpreted by Jamaica's favorite sons. Simply titled Trojan Country Reggae, the set features toasters, MCs, and old-school dub professors Toots & the Maytals, David Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Max Romeo, John Holt, Hopeton Lewis, and more twisting up 50 selections, including "Tennessee Waltz," "Stand by Your Man," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Sunshine on My Shoulders," "For the Good Times," and (duh!) "Wasted Days & Wasted Nights."
More cover craziness can be found in an upcoming series of three digital-only "track packs" from Showtime's new show Californification. With eight songs in each pack, the first set is available September 10, featuring My Morning Jacket's spin through Elton John's "Rocket Man" and a remix of The Doors' "L.A. Woman" by Paul Oakenfold.
BBC radio has announced an upcoming CD tribute to itself, with 40 modern artists covering 40 songs selected to represent the station's 40-year existence. Popping off with the Kaiser Chiefs' grooming of The Move's "Flowers in the Rain" from 1967, other time-traveling highlights include Johnny Nash's "Cupid" by Amy Winehouse, Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thing" by Stereophonics, Bran Van 3000's "Drinking in L.A." by The Twang, and Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You" by Maximo Park.
Pink Floyd's magnificent debut from 1967, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, is getting the labor-of-love treatment next week by Capitol Records in an import-only three-CD set. Recorded on the eve of the psychedelic era at Abbey Road studios and heavily influenced by the teetering genius of lost boy Syd Barrett, the collection offers both mono and stereo versions of the album and a bonus disc of rarities.
More import-only investigations due next Tuesday include a look inside the early demos and recordings by the members of Led Zeppelin, with 25 tracks touched by the hands of Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, both active session players and producer/arrangers in the British rock, R&B, and freakbeat scenes. The Castle Records CD, Your Time Is Gonna Come: The Roots of Led Zeppelin 1964-69, features cool "sides" from Heinz & the Wild Boys, Donovan, Chris Farlowe, The Fifth Column, The First Gear, Carter-Lewis & The Southerners, Screaming Lord Sutch & Heavy Friends, Nico, Marc Bolan, and The Yardbirds.
While your ears absorb these nifty nuggets, more Led for your head arrives with the book The Rough Guide to Led Zeppelin by Nigel Williamson. Chronicling the band's first meeting through the death of John Bonham, the book features a guide to the best Zep bootlegs, guitar solos, films, and Web sites, and everything you could ever want to know about "Stairway to Heaven."
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno hosts Wilco on Thursday and Collective Soul on Friday; The Late Show with David Letterman presents Against Me! Tonight, Willie Nelson on Thursday, and Patti Scialfa on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien welcomes Ozomatli this evening, Eisley on Thursday, and Feist on Monday overnight; Last Call with Carson Daly serves up Deerhoof this evening overnight; Jimmy Kimmel Live gets wild with Gogol Bordello on Tuesday overnight; and The Henry Rollins Show on IFC features musical guest Sinéad O'Connor this weekend.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, September 4:
Black Lips - "Katrina" (Vice) import-only twin seven-inch singles with exclusive B sides
Fates Warning - No Exit (Metal Blade) 25th-anniversary edition with bonus tracks and a "behind the scenes" DVD
Heavy Trash - Going Way Out with Heavy Trash (Yep Roc) twangy, swampy, ass-slappin' boogie from Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray, ready to drive the kids wild with their overheated tube amps, backed by The Sadies on five sizzlers including "You Can't Win," inspired by the writings of hobo Jack Black
The Hunting Party - original motion picture soundtrack (Lakeshore) featuring a hard-to-imagine cover of The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" by actor Terrence Howard
Jars of Clay - The Essential Jars of Clay (Sony Legacy/Essential) two-CD set featuring the band's Christmas songs "Drummer Boy" and "Bethlehem Town"
Just Jack - Overtones (TVT) with guest Kylie Minogue on "I Talk Too Much"
Kosmos - Kosmos (The End Records) all new prog rock from Voivod drummer Michel "Away" Langevin, with members of Tricky Woo, Paradise, and Grim Skunk
Ben Lee - Ripe (New West) also available on 180-gram audiophile vinyl, this sixth solo album features guests Benmont Tench from Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, Good Charlotte's Benji Madden, and Mandy Moore
Megadeth - That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires (Image) two-DVD set filmed in 2005
New Model Army - High (Attack Attack) the band's 10th album in 27 years
Ted Nugent - Love Grenade (Eagle Rock) all new from the outrageous Motor City Madman, featuring the witty "Bridge Over Troubled Daughters" and a new recording of his own Amboy Dukes hit from 1968, "Journey to the Center of the Mind"
The Perishers - Victorious (Nettwerk) press repeat and get lost in this sparse, tender Swedish pop, full of cinematic, falling-in-and-out-of-love moments
Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music (Asphodel) return to his 1975 avant-garde noise album, performed live at the Berlin Opera House with a small orchestra
Chris & Rich Robinson - Brothers of a Feather: Live at the Roxy (Eagle Vision) acoustic CD and DVD set from the Black Crowes siblings, with four new songs and covers of Bob Dylan's "Forever Young," Little Feat's "Roll Um Easy," Dillard & Clark's "Polly," and John Martyn's "Over the Hill"
Scary Kids Scaring Kids - Scary Kids Scaring Kids (Immortal) featuring a bonus poster in the first CD pressing
Patti Scialfa - Play It as It Lays (Columbia) with guests Nils Lofgren, Steve Jordon, and hubby Bruce Springsteen
Jake Shimabukuro - My Life (Hitchhike) CD EP from the ukulele sensation, putting his signature style on covers of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," The Beatles' "In My Life," Sarah McLachlan's "Ice Cream," and Led Zeppelin's "Going to California"
The Shins - "Turn Me on" (Transgressive) import-only 10-inch vinyl single with bonus B-side covers of Pink Floyd's "Breathe" and Malvina Reynolds' Weeds theme, "Little Boxes"
Michelle Shocked - ToHeavenURide (Mighty Sound) fantastic live album featuring covers of Billie Holliday's "God Bless the Child" and The Band's "The Weight"
TV Smith - Misinformation Overload (SOS) all new from the Adverts founder
Sons of William - What Hides Inside (Red Lick) strong debut from Louisiana brothers Joe and David Stark
The Tranzmitors - The Tranzmitors (Stiff Records) featuring members of The Smugglers
Steve Vai - Visual Sound Theories (Epic) DVD filmed live with the Holland Metropole Orkest
John Wolfington - American Dreamsicle (Butterfly Lane/Smells Like) with Tim Foljahn of Two Dollar Guitar and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth; the two-LP vinyl version features his debut from 2001 as a bonus
various artists - Bam Margera Presents: Viva La Bands, Vol. 2 - Ferret Music) featuring exclusive tracks from Placebo, Bloodhound Gang, In Flames, and Children of Bodom, and a hour-long bonus DVD of previously unaired footage from his MTV show
