23
May
2006
Four new cover projects have caught my attention, with Pat DiNizio's classy cocktail-lounge croon topping the list. Big thumbs up to Fuel 2000 Records for putting the Smithereens founder in such an intimate setting with pianist Jay Rowe, as they ply their talents on 16 selections from the American songbook.
Entitled simply This Is Pat DiNizio, the twilight hour is candle-lit with the opening selection, the Beatles' "For No One," and exposes the working-class rocker's softer side in this memory-lane journey through John Barry's "You Only Live Twice," Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's in Love with You," The Association's "Everything That Touches You," Henry Mancini's "Days of Wine & Roses," and Sylvia Dee's "The End of the World." Two of his own band's compositions get the brandy-snifter-for-tips treatment as bonus selections: "Blue Period" and "Behind the Wall of Sleep."
· Def Leppard is gearing up for a summer arena tour with Journey in support of the new Yeah! CD. While the Island Records release doesn't stray far from the original versions, picks including T. Rex's undeniable "20th Century Boy" and Sweet's "Hellraiser" are sure to rock the crowds as fun encores. More highlights include Blondie's 1978 hit "Hanging on the Telephone" and David Essex's 1973 smash "Rock on," as well as lesser-known selections such as "Street Life" by Roxy Music and "He's Gonna Step on You Again" by John Kongos.
· Neil Diamond gets 14 of his best songs performed by an odd lot of artists in Forever Neil Diamond on the Shout Factory label, featuring the must-have inclusion of Urge Overkill's take on "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. Alongside hits such as The Monkees' "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" and UB40's "Red Red Wine," can you believe Deep Purple cut a version of "Kentucky Woman" or that The Four Tops declared "I'm a Believer"? Other more modern interpretations include Crooked Fingers' "Solitary Man" and Shane McGowan's "Cracklin' Rosie."
· Koch Records has resurrected a lost tribute album in the Big Star salute Big Star, Small World, featuring Matthew Sweet, The Posies, Juliana Hatfield, Whiskeytown, Idlewild, Teenage Fanclub, and more bowing down to the Alex Chilton-led pop phenomenon. Originally conceived by Ignition Records in 1998, the package features one new track, with the Afghan Whigs' cover of "Nightime."
· This coming Tuesday brings Dave Alvin of The Blasters and his solo covers set on Yep Roc Records, West of the West, which covers only the songs of fellow California singer-songwriters, from Merle Haggard and Jackson Browne to Jerry Garcia and Tom Waits.
Television Alert:
The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Rob Zombie this evening; The Tonight Show with Jay Leno enlists Fort Minor this evening and the Flaming Lips on Thursday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien boasts Gnarls Barkley this evening overnight, Peeping Tom on Friday overnight, LL Cool J on Monday overnight, and Trey Anastasio on Tuesday overnight; VH1's Rock Honors presents Queen, KISS, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard live from the Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay; and look for Jewel slumming in the soaps on next Wednesday's The Young & the Restless, performing two songs.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, May 30:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change.
The 1900s - Plume Delivery (Parasol) my pick of the week is this sunny cobblestone stroll from this infectious Chicago sextet, carefree with a cool Velvet Underground sleepiness, all sharing a bed together like Fleetwood Mac
Theresa Andersson - Theresa Andersson (Basin Street) five-song EP featuring her cover of Lucinda Williams' "Jackson"
Asobi Seksu - Citrus (Friendly Fire) housed in a hot tangerine jewel case, this Japanese dream pop translates to "playful sex"
Sophie Barker - Earthbound (Emperor) domestic issue from the Zero 7 vocalist, produced by Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins
Leon & Eric Bibb - Praising Peace: A Tribute to Paul Robeson (Stony Plain) featuring a tremendous take on "Ol' Man River"
Boards of Canada - Trans Canada Highway (Warp) CD EP featuring a remix of "Dayvan Cowboy" by Odd Nosdam, with a limited number of copies bearing a bonus DVD of the song's video, set to a record-breaking sky dive from 1960
Les Claypool - Of Whales & Woe (Prawn Song) this new solo album from the Primus founder features the wildly unique Gabby La La
Crash Romeo - Minutes to Miles (Trustkill) look for limited copies of the CD to feature a free T-shirt
Current 93 - Black Ships Ate the Sky (Durtro) with Stephen Stapleton of Nurse with Wound, Marc Almond of Soft Cell, Antony of Antony & the Johnsons, and Bonnie Prince Billy
James Luther Dickinson - Jungle Jim & the Voodoo Tiger (Memphis International) Jim Dickinson's "jukebox of my mind," backed by his sons Cody and Luther and guitarist Alvin Youngblood Hart
DJ Venom - Raise the Volume 3 (Warlock) ghetto booty hard house from the scratch master
Guilty Connector - Beats, Noise, & Life (Planet Mu) experimental guitar from Kohel Nakagawa of GxCx
Jefferson Airplane - The Worst of Jefferson Airplane (RCA Legacy) expanded CD reissue with two bonus tracks
Marva King - Soul Sistah (Expansion) import-only from the New Power Generation vocalist
Jas. Mathus - Old Scool Hot Wings (219 Records) new jug-band blues from the former Squirrel Nut Zippers co-founder, with guests Luther and Cody Dickinson
Mojave 3 - Puzzles Like You (Beggars Banquet)
Peeping Tom - Peeping Tom (Ipecac) new from Mike Patton of Faith No More, collaborating with Dan "the Automator" Nakamura, Norah Jones, Kool Keith, Amon Tobin, and Massive Attack
The Procussions - 5 Sparrows for 2 Cents (Rawkus) new hip-hop trio featuring Talib Kweli
Rescue Me - original television series soundtrack (Nettwerk) personally compiled by Denis Leary, featuring the Von Bondies' theme and tracks from The Twilight Singers, Our Lady Peace, and the Brian Jamestown Massacre
Marilyn Scott - Innocent of Nothing (Prana Entertainment) with guests George Duke, Jimmy Haslip, and Patrice Rushen, and a jazzy cover of Bob Dylan's "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"
Scritti Politti - White Bread, Black Bear (Rough Trade) import-only new album from 1980s prodigy Green Gartside
Silverstein - 18 Candles: The Early Years (Victory) 18-track collection of live and acoustic rarities, and the band's Summer's Stellar Gaze and When the Shadows Beam EPs from 2000 and 2002
Snow Patrol - Songs for Polar Bears (Jeepster) first time in the USA for this 1999 debut, expanded with nine bonus tracks
George Thorogood & the Destroyers - The Hard Stuff (Eagle Rock) featuring covers of Fats Domino's "Hello Josephine" and John Lee Hooker's "Huckle Up Baby"
Amalea Tshilds - Painted Tiles (Fallen Fan) tender solo debut featuring members of Tortoise and Wilco
Johnny "Guitar" Watson - Best of the Funk Years (Shout Factory)
various artists - '80s Hits Stripped (Sidewinder) all-acoustic compilation getting mellow with John Waite's "Missing You," Bryan Adams' "Heaven," and Howard Jones' "No One Is to Blame"
· Def Leppard is gearing up for a summer arena tour with Journey in support of the new Yeah! CD. While the Island Records release doesn't stray far from the original versions, picks including T. Rex's undeniable "20th Century Boy" and Sweet's "Hellraiser" are sure to rock the crowds as fun encores. More highlights include Blondie's 1978 hit "Hanging on the Telephone" and David Essex's 1973 smash "Rock on," as well as lesser-known selections such as "Street Life" by Roxy Music and "He's Gonna Step on You Again" by John Kongos.
· Neil Diamond gets 14 of his best songs performed by an odd lot of artists in Forever Neil Diamond on the Shout Factory label, featuring the must-have inclusion of Urge Overkill's take on "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. Alongside hits such as The Monkees' "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" and UB40's "Red Red Wine," can you believe Deep Purple cut a version of "Kentucky Woman" or that The Four Tops declared "I'm a Believer"? Other more modern interpretations include Crooked Fingers' "Solitary Man" and Shane McGowan's "Cracklin' Rosie."
· Koch Records has resurrected a lost tribute album in the Big Star salute Big Star, Small World, featuring Matthew Sweet, The Posies, Juliana Hatfield, Whiskeytown, Idlewild, Teenage Fanclub, and more bowing down to the Alex Chilton-led pop phenomenon. Originally conceived by Ignition Records in 1998, the package features one new track, with the Afghan Whigs' cover of "Nightime."
· This coming Tuesday brings Dave Alvin of The Blasters and his solo covers set on Yep Roc Records, West of the West, which covers only the songs of fellow California singer-songwriters, from Merle Haggard and Jackson Browne to Jerry Garcia and Tom Waits.
Television Alert:
The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Rob Zombie this evening; The Tonight Show with Jay Leno enlists Fort Minor this evening and the Flaming Lips on Thursday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien boasts Gnarls Barkley this evening overnight, Peeping Tom on Friday overnight, LL Cool J on Monday overnight, and Trey Anastasio on Tuesday overnight; VH1's Rock Honors presents Queen, KISS, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard live from the Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay; and look for Jewel slumming in the soaps on next Wednesday's The Young & the Restless, performing two songs.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, May 30:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change.
The 1900s - Plume Delivery (Parasol) my pick of the week is this sunny cobblestone stroll from this infectious Chicago sextet, carefree with a cool Velvet Underground sleepiness, all sharing a bed together like Fleetwood Mac
Theresa Andersson - Theresa Andersson (Basin Street) five-song EP featuring her cover of Lucinda Williams' "Jackson"
Asobi Seksu - Citrus (Friendly Fire) housed in a hot tangerine jewel case, this Japanese dream pop translates to "playful sex"
Sophie Barker - Earthbound (Emperor) domestic issue from the Zero 7 vocalist, produced by Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins
Leon & Eric Bibb - Praising Peace: A Tribute to Paul Robeson (Stony Plain) featuring a tremendous take on "Ol' Man River"
Boards of Canada - Trans Canada Highway (Warp) CD EP featuring a remix of "Dayvan Cowboy" by Odd Nosdam, with a limited number of copies bearing a bonus DVD of the song's video, set to a record-breaking sky dive from 1960
Les Claypool - Of Whales & Woe (Prawn Song) this new solo album from the Primus founder features the wildly unique Gabby La La
Crash Romeo - Minutes to Miles (Trustkill) look for limited copies of the CD to feature a free T-shirt
Current 93 - Black Ships Ate the Sky (Durtro) with Stephen Stapleton of Nurse with Wound, Marc Almond of Soft Cell, Antony of Antony & the Johnsons, and Bonnie Prince Billy
James Luther Dickinson - Jungle Jim & the Voodoo Tiger (Memphis International) Jim Dickinson's "jukebox of my mind," backed by his sons Cody and Luther and guitarist Alvin Youngblood Hart
DJ Venom - Raise the Volume 3 (Warlock) ghetto booty hard house from the scratch master
Guilty Connector - Beats, Noise, & Life (Planet Mu) experimental guitar from Kohel Nakagawa of GxCx
Jefferson Airplane - The Worst of Jefferson Airplane (RCA Legacy) expanded CD reissue with two bonus tracks
Marva King - Soul Sistah (Expansion) import-only from the New Power Generation vocalist
Jas. Mathus - Old Scool Hot Wings (219 Records) new jug-band blues from the former Squirrel Nut Zippers co-founder, with guests Luther and Cody Dickinson
Mojave 3 - Puzzles Like You (Beggars Banquet)
Peeping Tom - Peeping Tom (Ipecac) new from Mike Patton of Faith No More, collaborating with Dan "the Automator" Nakamura, Norah Jones, Kool Keith, Amon Tobin, and Massive Attack
The Procussions - 5 Sparrows for 2 Cents (Rawkus) new hip-hop trio featuring Talib Kweli
Rescue Me - original television series soundtrack (Nettwerk) personally compiled by Denis Leary, featuring the Von Bondies' theme and tracks from The Twilight Singers, Our Lady Peace, and the Brian Jamestown Massacre
Marilyn Scott - Innocent of Nothing (Prana Entertainment) with guests George Duke, Jimmy Haslip, and Patrice Rushen, and a jazzy cover of Bob Dylan's "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"
Scritti Politti - White Bread, Black Bear (Rough Trade) import-only new album from 1980s prodigy Green Gartside
Silverstein - 18 Candles: The Early Years (Victory) 18-track collection of live and acoustic rarities, and the band's Summer's Stellar Gaze and When the Shadows Beam EPs from 2000 and 2002
Snow Patrol - Songs for Polar Bears (Jeepster) first time in the USA for this 1999 debut, expanded with nine bonus tracks
George Thorogood & the Destroyers - The Hard Stuff (Eagle Rock) featuring covers of Fats Domino's "Hello Josephine" and John Lee Hooker's "Huckle Up Baby"
Amalea Tshilds - Painted Tiles (Fallen Fan) tender solo debut featuring members of Tortoise and Wilco
Johnny "Guitar" Watson - Best of the Funk Years (Shout Factory)
various artists - '80s Hits Stripped (Sidewinder) all-acoustic compilation getting mellow with John Waite's "Missing You," Bryan Adams' "Heaven," and Howard Jones' "No One Is to Blame"
