|
November 2011
Look for "Rick's Pick" 
|
| CLASSICAL |
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Kuniko Plays Reich |
| Label: |
|
Linn (dist. Naxos)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Steve Reich |
| Performer: |
|
Kuniko |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314474454 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00691062038522 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDLNRS385 |
| Cat.#: |
|
CKD 385 |
| Period: |
|
20th Century |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
I cannot seem to get this CD out of my stereo--it's one of the loveliest I've heard in the past year. Mallet keyboardist Kuniko has taken three of Steve Reich's major minimalist works of the 1980s (Electric Counterpoint, Six Marimbas, and Vermont Counterpoint) and arranged them for various combinations of marimba, steel pans, and vibraphone, playing against herself on pre-recorded tape. The results are stunning. Beautiful works to begin with, these three compositions become shimmering palaces of glowing harmony whose phase patterns shift slowly but fascinatingly. My only quibble is with the program length; at 41 minutes, there could easily have been one or two more of these wonderful arrangements on the album. Highly recommended. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $19.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| Title: |
|
Preludes & Melodies |
| Label: |
|
Signum (dist. Qualiton)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Sergei Rachmaninov |
| Performer: |
|
Alessio Bax |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314337506 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00635212026427 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDSGM 264 |
| Cat.#: |
|
SIGCD264 |
| Period: |
|
Romantic |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
The very fine young pianist Alessio Bax gives a stirring and at times haunting account of these popular works of Rachmaninov, employing a sensuous rubato and flying through some of the most astoundingly difficult passages with both confidence and grace. The dance movements are especially charming. Recommended. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Sacred Music |
| Label: |
|
Hyperion (dist. Harmonia Mundi)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Robert Parsons |
| Performer: |
|
The Cardinall's Musick / Andrew Carwood |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314510527 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00034571178745 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDHPON67874 |
| Cat.#: |
|
CDA 67874 |
| Period: |
|
Renaissance |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Far too little survives of the musical output of the great 16th-century English composer Robert Parsons: a handful of services and anthems in English, a few more liturgical pieces in Latin, a glorious Magnificat setting. Most of his surviving work is presented here on this sumptuously beautiful recording by the excellent Cardinall's Musick ensemble; the choir's blend is creamily smooth, and the acoustic of the Fitzalan Chapel at Arundel Castle suits their voices perfectly. This is an unusually lovely album, even by the Hyperion label's unerringly high standard. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Clarinet Concerto; Clarinet Quintet |
| Label: |
|
Berlin Classics (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
| Performer: |
|
Sharon Kam; Osterreichisch-Ungarische Haydn Philharmonie |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314449209 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00782124166724 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDBLNC16672 |
| Cat.#: |
|
1667 |
| Period: |
|
Classical |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Yes, you've heard these pieces before -- Mozart's concerto and quintet are among the most popular in the clarinet repertoire. But you haven't often heard them performed on the basset clarinet, an early version of the instrument characterized by a warmer, darker tone than its modern counterpart and the ability to play the lowest notes in these pieces in the intended register (modern instruments require those notes to transposed up an octave). Sharon Kam is a brilliant soloist, and the Haydn Philharmonie (playing on modern instruments) accompanies her beautifully. Any collection supporting a wind program should consider this disc an essential purchase. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $16.99 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Notable Women: Trios by Today's Female Composers |
| Label: |
|
Cedille (dist. Naxos)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Various Composer |
| Performer: |
|
Lincoln Trio |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314417574 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00735131912624 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDCED 126 |
| Cat.#: |
|
CDR 90000 126 |
| Period: |
|
Contemporary |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
For this album, the Lincoln Trio has gathered an impressive collection of chamber works by contemporary women: Lera Auerbach, Stacy Garrop, Jennifer Higdon, Laura Elise Schwendinger, Augusta Read Thomas, and Joan Tower. While the pieces vary widely in style and mood (Auerbach's is frisky, with vinegary sul ponticello passages; Garrop's is wild and woolly; Higdon's is romantically fulsome; Tower's is mature and intense, but thoughtful) all are virtuosic and are played brilliantly. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $21.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Overtures & Concertos |
| Label: |
|
Accent (dist. Qualiton)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Johann Pfeiffer |
| Performer: |
|
Batsdorfer Hofkapelle |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314294076 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00675754032678 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDACCE24218 |
| Cat.#: |
|
ACC 24218 |
| Period: |
|
Baroque |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
Reissue |
| Comments: |
|
Johann Pfeiffer is yet another of those highly talented and yet largely forgotten German composers of the baroque era whose music is coming back into the public eye thanks to the attentions of period-instrument ensembles intent on expanding the repertoire. This disc appears to constitute world-premiere recordings of two overtures, two concerti, and one trio sonata (or did at least when it was originally issued in 2009), all of which are wonderful and are beautifully played here by the Batzdorfer Hofkapelle. None of these pieces will change the landscape of 18th-century musicology, but all are tremendously enjoyable. Primarily of interest to early-music collections. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Horn Quintets |
| Label: |
|
Capriccio (dist. Naxos)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Various Composers |
| Performer: |
|
Signum Quartett |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314468996 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00845221050591 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDCPCC5059 |
| Cat.#: |
|
C 5059 |
| Period: |
|
Romantic |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
On this thoroughly engaging set, French horn player Nury Guarnaschelli leads the Signum Quartett through a program of horn quintets both familiar (those by Mozart and Beethoven) and less so (one by Franz Hoffmeister, another by Wilhelm Hauff). Guarnaschelli's tone is buttery and burnished (no small feat on her notoriously difficult instrument), and the ensemble playing is consistently warm and sweetly energized. These are delightful pieces, very pleasingly played, and the album is strongly recommended to all classical collections. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
The Flemish Polyphony |
| Label: |
|
Ricercar (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Capilla Flamenca |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314516826 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
05400439001022 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDRICE102 |
| Cat.#: |
|
RIC-102 |
| Period: |
|
Renaissance |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
Boxed Set (8-discs) |
| Comments: |
|
In the 15th century, the Flanders region saw an outpouring of exquisite polyphonic choral music. Composers like Josquin Desprez, Antoine Busnois, and Nicolas Gombert virtually reinvented the art of choral writing, both sacred and secular. Belgium's Ricercar label has now produced a magisterial overview of that period with this budget-priced box set containing no fewer than eight discs packaged alongside a hardbound 200-page book that takes the listener through the region's musical and political history. The set represents not only a wonderful listening experience, but a very fine educational tool as well. Highly recommended to all libraries. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $16.99 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Heart Shadow |
| Label: |
|
Sono Luminus (dist. Naxos)
|
|
Composer:
|
|
Robert Schumann; Lisa Bielawa; Charles Wuorinen |
| Performer: |
|
Bruce Levingston |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314382094 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00053479213723 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDSNOL92137 |
| Cat.#: |
|
DSL-92137 |
| Period: |
|
Romantic/Contemporary |
| Genre: |
|
Classical |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Here's an interesting piano program: three pieces, one (Schumann's Kreisleriana) a monument of the Romantic repertoire, and the others by living American composers, all thematically united by the fact that each was inspired by a work of literature. Otherwise, they diverge wildly in tone and substance: the Schumann pieces are elegant, even frilly; the Bielawa piece is spare and elegiac; the Wuorinen (a reduction of material from his opera based on a Salman Rushdie novel) is full of jagged atonalisms, sometimes quiet and sometimes fierce. Levingston's playing is exemplary throughout. (RA) |
|
|
| COUNTRY/FOLK |
|
 |
| |
| $17.99 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Somewhere South of Crazy |
| Label: |
|
Compass (dist. Naxos)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Dale Ann Bradley |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314417581 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00766397456423 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDCOMS4564 |
| Cat.#: |
|
4564 |
| Genre: |
|
Bluegrass |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Dale Ann Bradley's sound departs from the bluegrass norm in all kinds of ways, and yet somehow she always manages to sound like a bluegrass musician. Maybe it's her stubborn adherence to the instrumental norms of bluegrass, and maybe it's the mountain twang of her vocal style, but on Somewhere South of Crazy she continues pushing the borders of her genre in ways that are significant and yet easy to overlook if you aren't paying attention. Of course, none of that actually matters; what matter are the songs, and apart from one regrettable Seals & Crofts cover, they're excellent. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $13.50 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
| Title: |
|
Ravens & Crows |
| Label: |
|
Rebel
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Dehlia Low |
| Cat.#: |
|
REB-1842 |
| Genre: |
|
Bluegrass |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Dehlia Low is a contemporary string band that sings mostly original material steeped in the bluegrass and country traditions. This is their third studio CD, and their first on the esteemed bluegrass label Rebel Records. Featuring an instrumental lineup of fiddle, mandolin, dobro, bass, and guitar, the band’s sound is anchored by the captivating vocals of fiddler Anya Hinkle and her harmonies with guitarist Stacy Claude. With their mix of compelling vocals, great musical chops, and strong songwriting, Dehlia Low is a rising star in the Americana music world, crafting a unique and refreshing sound from tried and true musical elements. Recommended. (GH) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $17.99 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Stretch Limousine on Fire |
| Label: |
|
Compass (dist. Naxos)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Catie Curtis |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314417598 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00766397456324 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDCOMS4563 |
| Cat.#: |
|
7 4563 2 |
| Genre: |
|
Folk Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
More than two decades into her career, Curtis has reached a point of sounding mature without being world-weary, but positive without seeming innocent. This is a tough trick. In this latest batch of ten songs, she gives us a glimpse into her life and concerns, including love and marriage, retaining her folk/pop approach and even improving on it. The tunes are strong, with her voice and guitar featured up front, but sometimes augmented by keyboards and backing vocals that lend variety and a lightness that fits well with the lyrical content. A fine album in all respects. (JW) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $15.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Cars |
| Label: |
|
Signature Sounds
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Kris Delmhorst |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314392383 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00701237204024 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDSIGS2040 |
| Cat.#: |
|
SIG 2040 |
| Genre: |
|
Folk Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Delmhorst was clearly a fan of the rock group the Cars, and her latest release is a love letter to them. She covers eleven of their hits, but since she’s a folksinger, she delivers them up acoustically (mostly) while remaining faithful to the Ric Ocasek originals in other respects. The result is as catchy as the first time around, but with a warmer, looser approach than Ocasek could ever manage. The inclusion of fiddle and female chorus make the songs move in different and curious directions, but it all works nicely in the end. This CD is pure fun. (JW) |
|
|
| JAZZ |
|
 |
| |
| $29.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
At the Crystal Gardens, Salem, Oregon 1952 |
| Label: |
|
Hep (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Duke Ellington |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314522209 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00603366929321 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDHEPR9293 |
| Cat.#: |
|
92/93 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New (2-discs) |
| Comments: |
|
Though not necessarily a great choice for the casual listener (due to the marginal sound quality and abundance of between-song patter), this two-disc set is a genuine treasure for scholars and serious Duke Ellington fans. The material is taken from a set of five lacquer discs found in the estate of a Toronto jazz producer and from a magnetic tape of the same performances; the best possible transfers were taken from both sources. The result is a fascinating, though frustratingly incomplete, live recording that includes not only Duke's signature brand of sophisticated swing, but also a slightly startling excursion into bebop, which the band plays with flair. Duke discusses the music between songs and occasionally shouts new arrangement instructions to his band, sometimes leading to audible confusion. For all comprehensive jazz collections. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Round-Trip Ticket |
| Label: |
|
Summit
|
|
Artist:
|
|
New West Guitar Group |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314521691 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00099402575926 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDSUM 575 |
| Cat.#: |
|
DCD 575 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
It's almost dishonest to bill this guitar-trio project as "jazz," because the group's sound is all over the place on this exhilarating and deeply beautiful album: you'll hear hints of pastoral American classical music, Reichian minimalism, Robert Fripp-style arpeggiation, country, and even calypso. The arrangements tend to draw more or less equally on acoustic and electric instruments, and the playing is consistently superb. Highly recommended to all collections. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
In London 1919-1902 Plus the Okeh Sessions 1922-1923 |
| Label: |
|
Retrieval Recordings (dist. Allegro)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Original Dixieland Jazz Band |
| ISBN: |
|
9786308435089 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00608917903324 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDAGROCHRRTR79033 |
| Cat.#: |
|
RTR79033 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
Compilation |
| Comments: |
|
The 21 tracks gathered here are some of the first examples of recorded jazz heard outside the U.S., or outside of New Orleans for that matter. Most were recorded in London while the Original Dixieland Jazz Band was on tour, and they include such now-familiar fare as "Tiger Rag" and "At the Jazz Band Ball," and even "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles." The crack team of sound restorationists at Retrieval Recordings have done an astounding job here; although the sound is predictably rather thin, it's sharp and clear and the instruments are all easily distinguishable. The playing is thrilling. This disc is both an invaluable historical document and a genuine joy to listen to. (RA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Live In Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1 |
| Label: |
|
Columbia/Sony
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Miles Davis Quintet |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314460631 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00886979405325 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDCOLM94053 |
| Cat.#: |
|
88697 94053 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
Boxed Set (4-discs) |
| Comments: |
|
Sony started their massive Miles Davis reissue program back in 1995 with The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel, 1965, which featured the recently formed quintet that would play together from 1965-68 (consisting of Davis, trumpet, Herbie Hancock, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Wayne Shorter, sax; and Tony Williams, drums). At the Plugged Nickel they were playing selections from Davis’ earlier material, but by 1967, this band had developed into one of the finest quintets in jazz history, with a handful of albums and dozens of original compositions. This new 3-CD set features the quintet late in 1967 playing several live European gigs, and includes an additional DVD with live footage. This was a seasoned, veteran band with a strong set list of original material, as well as an uncanny sense of timing and collective understanding - they pushed hard, stretched limits, and played with beauty and a (somewhat) understated intensity. There’s so much genius at play here, it boggles the mind. A great addition to the Davis canon, and a welcome start of what we can only hope is a new Miles Davis “bootleg” series. Highly recommended. (GH) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Faithful |
| Label: |
|
ECM
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Marcin Wasilewski Trio |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314154363 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00602527591056 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDUMG B001539102 |
| Cat.#: |
|
2208 B0015391-02 |
| Genre: |
|
Jazz |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
With its third ECM release, this group hits a high point of sophistication. Previously the rhythm section for Tomas Stanko, the trio is now producing some truly beautiful improvisational music, combining both jazz and classical influences and ranging in mood from hard swinging to contemplative. The pianist supplies half of the ten compositions here, with the others ranging from a snappy Paul Bley tune to an Ornette Coleman piece that is introspective and thoughtful. Very enjoyable. (JW) |
|
|
| ROCK/POP |
|
 |
| |
| $13.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
It's All True |
| Label: |
|
Domino (dist. ADA)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Junior Boys |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314311476 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00801390029325 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDDOMN29325 |
| Cat.#: |
|
DNO 293 |
| Genre: |
|
Electronica |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Junior Boys are the kind of band that uses the sound of 80s synth-pop to make something new. Sort of like Cut Copy but not as lush, and taking full advantage of vocalist Jeremy Greenspan’s soulful singing. The extended final track here, "Banana Ripple," seems to be reaching for something beyond their usual fragile heartbreak, and that bodes well for the future. (SA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $26.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Murder Ballads |
| Label: |
|
Mute
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314196936 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
05099909572423 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDMRCD95724 |
| Cat.#: |
|
CDSEEDS9 |
| Genre: |
|
Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
|
Reissue |
| Comments: |
|
When Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds recorded Murder Ballads in the mid-90s, they were at the height of their powers. This album of covers and originals is very dark, as the title implies, but this is not the artist you come to for cheering up. It’s an extraordinary work, and this new batch of reissues from that period (a series that includes No More Shall We Part, The Boatman’s Call, and Let Love In) feature, in addition to remastered versions of the original CDs, a bonus DVD with 5.1 mixes of the albums plus numerous B-sides, extra tracks, and videos. Cave is a major artist, and this is a great opportunity to acquire his back catalogue is expanded editions. (SA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $14.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Father, Son, Holy Ghost |
| Label: |
|
True Panther Sounds (dist. ADA)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Girls |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314443412 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00744861603528 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDTPAN16035 |
| Cat.#: |
|
035 |
| Genre: |
|
Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Rock singing does not require a technically great voice so much as conviction, a willingness to commit to the material. This is what makes the second album by Girls so infuriatingly just off the mark. The band pulls off an impressively varied mix of styles, everything from bubble gum to psychedelic metal to soul revival. But frontman Christopher Owens sounds like Elliott Smith, half-singing, half-whispering, and never giving the vocals the full-throttle delivery that the music deserves. (MC) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $14.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Wild Flag |
| Label: |
|
Merge (dist. ADA)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Wild Flag |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314443405 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00673855041124 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDMERG50411 |
| Cat.#: |
|
MRG411 |
| Genre: |
|
Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
|
New/Reissue |
| Comments: |
|
The term "supergroup" implies bloat: huge egos showing off their chops, creating an overstuffed musical product. Wild Flag's members have the resumes (involving, most notably, Sleater-Kinney and Helium) to qualify it as a supergroup, but their sound is the antithesis of the cliche. It's marked by its economy, spare and punchy. Carrie Brownstein brings her trademark stiletto-stab vocal attacks, but these are adeptly juxtaposed with gentle harmonies. Anchored to a fuzzy guitar, the album bristles with energy. (MC) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $14.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
I Wake Up Screaming |
| Label: |
|
Strut (dist. Red)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Kid Creole & The Coconuts |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314455125 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00730003305528 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDSEDS055 |
| Cat.#: |
|
055CD |
| Genre: |
|
Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
You remember Kid Creole and the Coconuts, don't you? The charming weirdos who took full advantage of the early MTV era to craft a sort of tropical-new-wave-R&B sound and 1940s visual style that caught on with a small but international cult of fans? "I'm a Wonderful Thing, Baby"? "The Sex of It"? No? Well, then take this opportunity to refresh your memory, because August Darnell and his band are still bouncing and swinging with the same sly and goofy sense of humor and powerful sense of groove as ever. I Wake Up Screaming is tons of good, weird fun. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $15.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Last Words: The Final Recordings |
| Label: |
|
Sunyata (dist. Burnside)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Screaming Trees |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314509378 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00678277191327 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDSYTA001 |
| Cat.#: |
|
1 |
| Genre: |
|
Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
|
Compilation |
| Comments: |
|
After Screaming Trees broke up in 2000, Mark Lanegan went on to a widely admired career as a solo artist, a guest vocalist, and a fearless collaborator. Now we get a listen to some of the demo sessions that led to the breakup, as the band struggled to come up with a follow-up to 1996’s Dust. There’s nothing truly striking here, though it’s a good thing that these tracks are seeing the light of day, and Lanegan’s voice certainly elevates the straight-ahead material. This album arrives just in time for the upcoming grunge revival. (SA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down |
| Label: |
|
Nonesuch
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Ry Cooder |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314409548 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00075597976830 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDNONE527407 |
| Cat.#: |
|
527407-2 |
| Genre: |
|
Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
With his latest CD, Ry Cooder evokes the freshness and originality of his earliest recordings. Long considered one of the finest guitarists on the planet, Cooder constructs these songs from the ground up with his rootsy, bluesy guitar work, adding a decidedly Mexican feel on some selections with accordionist Flaco Jimenez adding his spice to Cooder’s rich musical stew. Yep, dazzling guitar work abounds, and this is Cooder at his instrumental finest. But it’s all in service to the songs, and this is the most scathing political recording I’ve heard in years. Opening with “No Banker Left Behind,” (which would serve well as the official anthem of Occupy Wall Street), Cooder attacks corporate greed, America’s Middle Eastern wars, and conservative immigration policies with unbridled venom and a heaping dose of wit. Written from the perspective of the common person on the street, you can feel the inspiration of Woody Guthrie in each lyric - in many ways, it’s Cooder’s 21st Century version of Guthrie’s classic Dust Bowl Ballads. As a complete musical and political package, this is brilliant material, and nothing has come close to it in some time. Very highly recommended. (GH)
|
|
|
 |
| |
| $13.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Creatures of an Hour |
| Label: |
|
Sub Pop (dist. ADA)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Still Corners |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314500399 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00098787094022 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDSUBP70940 |
| Cat.#: |
|
SP940 |
| Genre: |
|
Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Still Corners leader-songwriter Greg Hughes is a cinephile and this album is both inspired by and reflective of visual imagery. The 60s-era psychedelic organ, space-lounge minimalist drums, dreamy, reverb-drenched guitars, and wispy, haunting vocals of chanteuse Tessa Murray create expansive, cinematic pop atmospheres. Sonic touchstones include Ennio Morricone, Broadcast, and Slowdive. There’s much going on here and it’s remarkably nuanced and musical, especially for a debut full-length. Uneven, but still really good! Put it on and let the melancholic lucid dreaming begin. (TWB) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
The Old Magic |
| Label: |
|
Yep Roc (dist. Redeye)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Nick Lowe |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314416904 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00634457224827 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDYP 2248 |
| Cat.#: |
|
CD-YEP-2248 |
| Genre: |
|
Pop/Rock Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Nick Lowe may be the living exemplar of aging gracefully, rock-star style. Unlike some of his contemporaries, he no longer makes any pretense of being an angry young man, or even a particularly energetic one; on his latest album, he settles back and tells his wry stories with a relaxed smile and with his trademark ear for a sharply-turned melody and a rich arrangement. It's very possible that those who fell for him during the Labour of Lust years will find his current sound befuddling; it's also very possible that they'll fall in love with him all over again. (RA) |
|
|
| WORLD/ETHNIC |
|
 |
| |
| $17.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Golden Beirut: New Sounds From Lebanon |
| Label: |
|
Out Here (dist. Forced Exposure)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Various |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314422028 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
04047179591225 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDOTHR020 |
| Cat.#: |
|
020 |
| Genre: |
|
World Music |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Want to know what the current state of the pop music art is in Lebanon? As it turns out, the scene is crazy-diverse, with guttural Arabic hip hop rubbing shoulders with digital reggae, retro punk rock, and even salsa and country. Not all of it is brilliant, but none of it is boring. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $16.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
Fania Records 1964-1980: The Original Sound Of Latin New York |
| Label: |
|
Strut (dist. Red)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Various Artists |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314131371 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00730003307829 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDSEDS078 |
| Cat.#: |
|
STRUTCD078 |
| Genre: |
|
World Music |
| Release type: |
|
Compilation (2-discs) |
| Comments: |
|
Fania Records was THE label for Latin music in New York. This excellent compilation starts with more traditional sounds and moves through the development of more funk-based styles. Thanks to Strut for putting together this fine introduction. (SA) |
|
|
|
|
| Title: |
|
Memories [CD + DVD] |
| Label: |
|
VP (dist. Fontana)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Steely & Clevie |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314406066 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00054645184427 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDVP VP1844 |
| Cat.#: |
|
1844 |
| Genre: |
|
Reggae |
| Release type: |
|
New (2-discs) |
| Comments: |
|
This album serves as a brilliant, if bittersweet, memorial to keyboardist Steely Johnson, who, with musical partner bassist Clevie Browne, became one of the most important figures in modern reggae music. Although this album may seem like a mere nostalgia exercise, seeing as it features great vocalists of the past (Cornell Campbell, Freddie McGregor, Ken Boothe, etc.) singing famous songs of their youth, the updated settings and the loving treatment each track is given make the project much more than that--and the accompanying DVD provides footage from the recording sessions. Very nice, and a must for reggae collections. (RA) |
|
|
 |
| |
| $17.98 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Title: |
|
BLNRB: Welcome To The Madhouse |
| Label: |
|
Out Here (dist. Forced Exposure)
|
|
Artist:
|
|
Various Artists |
| ISBN: |
|
9786314339586 |
| ISBN-10: |
|
|
| UPC: |
|
00880918016924 |
| Prod.#: |
|
BECDOTHR019 |
| Cat.#: |
|
019 |
| Genre: |
|
Electronica |
| Release type: |
|
New |
| Comments: |
|
Get a bunch of German techno producers and a bunch of Kenyan rappers and singers together in a townhouse in downtown Nairobi, and just about anything can happen. You can end up, for example, with a convincing 6/8 version of dubstep, or with African singing that alternates with English rapping, or with techno that sounds like nothing else you've ever heard. Even if a track or two ends up kind of flopping, the failure is likely to be more interesting than most musically successful things you hear on American radio. This crazy quilt of pan-continental musical elements is really quite a blast. (RA) |
|
© CD HotList 2004 |
