All hail the great soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone! Not familiar? I'll bet a few bars of the themes from The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly or Once Upon a Time in the West are all you'll need to connect to his hypnotic genius, and you're in good company. Next Tuesday Sony Music's classical division will release a new tribute album, We All Love Ennio Morricone, featuring artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion,and Yo-Yo Ma alongside pop stars covering some of his most memorable tunes. Five years in the making to clear through all the multi-label paperwork, highlights include Quincy Jones & Herbie Hancock putting a new face on "The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly," Roger Waters' take on "Lost Boys Calling," Bruce Springsteen's run through "Once Upon a Time in the West," and Metallica putting "The Ecstasy of Gold" from The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly through its crucible.
More cover madness will be found exclusively at Starbucks next month. The coffee giant has teamed up with KCRW-FM Morning Becomes Eclectic programmer Nic Harcourt for a CD of music recorded live in the radio station's studios, simply entitled Sounds Eclectic: The Covers Project. Fifteen selections made the cut, from Dido covering James Taylor's "Fire & Rain" and the Flaming Lips flicking Radiohead's "Knives Out" to Nikka Costa dipping into Nina Simone's "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" and the Magic Numbers' spin through Beyonce's "Crazy in Love." Two Neil Young songs get the cover treatment, with Girls in Hawaii going "Out on the Weekend" and Rufus Wainwright & Chris Stills working out "Harvest."
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno presents Silversun Pickups on Monday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien serves up The Apples in Stereo this evening overnight, The Holmes Brothers on Monday overnight, and Explosions in the Sky on Tuesday overnight; Jimmy Kimmel Live features Madeleine Peyroux this evening overnight and Incubus on Thursday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson hosts KT Tunstall on Thursday overnight and Hinder on Monday overnight; and Last Call with Carson Daly sits down with Ben Harper on Tuesday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, February 20:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change.
Kathie Baillie - Love's Funny That Way (Aspirion) solo debut from the former Baillie & the Boys vocalist, with guests Vince Gill and Paulette Carlson
Victor Bermon - Arriving at Night (Hefty) twinkling, shuffling experimental electronica from Australia
The Black Lips - Los Valentes Del Mundo Nuevo (Vice) recorded live in Tijuana
Comeback Kid - Broadcasting (Victory) slap-in-the-face hardcore featuring guitarist Andrew Neufeld of Figure Four
Randy Crawford & Joe Sample - Feeling Good (PRA Records) featuring covers of Peter Gabriel's "Lovetown" and Leo Sayer's "When I Need You"
Jill Cunniff - City Beach (Militia Group) anticipated solo debut from the former Luscious Jackson member, also painting her own CD cover; with special guest Emmylou Harris
Dead Rock West - Honey & Salt (Populuxe) terrific soaring harmonies and Americana twang from Cindy Wasserman and Frank Lee Drennen, featuring a cover of the X hit "Burning House of Love"
Electric Light Orchestra - Out of the Blue (Epic Legacy) single-disc expanded CD reissue of this double LP from 1977 that boasted the hits "Mr. Blue Sky" and "Sweet Talkin' Woman"
Eraserhead - original motion picture soundtrack (Subversive Cinema) newly restored reissue with bonus material and extensive liner notes
Erasure - On the Road to Nashville (Mute) live CD recorded last year at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium during the duo's acoustic tour, fusing their catalog of songs with pedal-steel guitar, banjo, and mandolin; featuring a bonus DVD of the entire performance and a short documentary film
Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (Temporary Residence) cinematic open fields and instrumental bombardment from Austin, Texas
Fu Manchu - We Must Obey (Century Media) featuring a stoner-sludgy cover of The Cars' "Moving in Stereo"
Harlem Shakes - Burning Birthdays (Harlem Shakes) self-released debut CD EP, on tour now with Deerhoof
The High Llamas - Can Cladders (Drag City) mixing the soul of Burt Bacharach and the twilight glee of XTC, the classical-guitar and breezy bossa-nova soul of this laid-back delight from Sean O'Hagan and company warms the frost off my icy winter windows
Hot Cross - Risk Revival (Equal Vision) featuring former members of Interpol and You & I
Kittie - Funeral for Yesterday (Kiss of Infamy) featuring a bonus behind-the-scenes DVD
Let's Go to Prison - original motion picture soundtrack (Bulletproof) featuring the film's theme song by The Naked Trucker Band, Billy Squier's "The Stroke," and a funky score by Alan Elliott with vocalist Rahzel of The Roots
Luscious Jackson - Greatest Hits (Capitol) with rare mixes from Mike D, Kut Master Kurt, and Thievery Corporation, and a cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "69 Annee Erotique"
Pat McGee Band - Vintage Stages Live (Kirtland) CD or DVD featuring an eight-track acoustic set
Minus the Bear - Interpretaciones Del Oso (Suicide Squeeze) remix CD with knob-twisters Jay Clark of Pretty Girls Make Graves, Morgan Henderson of Blood Brothers, and Seattle's Plan B
Yoko Ono - Yes, I'm a Witch (Astralwerks) wild snip-paste-create project that allowed Le Tigre, Peaches, Porcupine Tree, the Flaming Lips, Cat Power, Jason Pierce of Spiritualized, Hank Shocklee of Public Enemy, and other brave souls to mix Ono's vocals and song samples into new music compositions
Eddi Reader - Peacetime (Compass) new solo album from the former Fairground Attraction vocalist, featuring beautiful traditionals and new songs by guitarist Boo Hewerdine
Revival - Horses of War (Gypsy Eyes) recorded at J. Robbins' new studio, this is the second studio album from former members of Canyon
RZA - Let Freedom Reign (X-Ray) with guests Sha-Cronz and Timbo King
Samamidon - But This Chicken Proved Falsehearted (Plug Research) quirky folk from this acoustic duo that reinvents obscure Appalachian-roots oddities and Mississippi John Hurt's "Louis Collins," featuring a spooky take on Tears for Fears' "Head Over Heels"
Smoke or Fire - This Sinking Ship (Fat Wreck) with new drummer Dave Atchison
Southern Culture on the Skids - Countrypolitan Favorites (Yep Roc) swamp-rock boogie on 15 covers, including The Kinks' "Muswell Hillbilly," Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me," and the T.Rex hit "Life's a Gas"
Third Dimension - Before the End Begins (Hidden Agenda) recorded in a Swedish cathedral, this fantastic live album unplugs the ethereal, harmonic quartet in old songs, new songs, and windswept covers of Jefferson Airplane's "3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds" and a blended interpretation of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" and the Posies' "Dream All Day"
Josh Todd - You Made Me (XS Records) solo debut from the Buckcherry frontman
Trans Am - Sex Change (Thrill Jockey) spontaneous new grooves featuring the extra funky "Obscene Strategies"
Tommy Womack - There, I Said It (Cedar Creek/Thirty Tigers) poetic, witty new solo album from the Government Cheese co-founder, letting his Nashville and Americana roots shine in the spirit of Arlo Guthrie, Tom Petty, and The Replacements
The Young Knives - Voices of Animals & Men (Transgressive/Ryko) stateside issue of this smart UK smash produced by Andy Gill of the Gang of Four, bursting with colorful manic twitches in the nervous vein of The Undertones, Guided by Voices, and The Vapors; with a bonus DVD of videos, live tracks, and a photo slideshow
various artists - Hi-Grade Ganja Anthems (Greensleeves) reggae songs of smoking, smuggling, and sharing, with John Holt's "Police in Helicopter," Frankie Paul's "Pass the Tu Sheng Peng," and the 12-inch mix of Tristan Palma's "Joker Smoker"
