If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Street Date - 08/25/09

ARCTIC MONKEYS - HUMBUG

3rd release from Brit phenoms has Queens Of The Stone Ager, Josh Homme on board as co-producer. The guys have been pretty consistent so far. Even side projects like The Last Shadow Puppets offered some solid listening in between Monkey albums. But good reviews aside, nothing on "Humbug" has caught my ear the way their debut did. Bah, humb...ok, too cheap.








CHEAP TRICK- SGT. PEPPER LIVE

Rick, Robin, Tom, and Bun E. perform The Beatles' classic in its entirety as part of the 40th celebration of its release. Special guest vocalists include Joan Osborne, Ian Bell of Gomez, and singer-songwriter Rob Laufer, the genius behind the song "Reactionary Girl," one of my favorite pop tunes of all time (listen HERE), found on both Robin Zander's criminally underrated solo album and Laufer's own "Wonderwood."







KITTY, DAISY, & LEWIS- KITTY, DAISY, & LEWIS

Released months ago in the UK, this brilliant record by the teenage siblings finally sees a US release and it is as pure as the day is humid. Rockabilly, swing, and jive played as if these kids have been living the life for 40 years.









MATISYAHU- LIGHT

Hasidic, dancehall, reggae, rapper returns with a new record of reggae, dancehall, hip hop and a bit of ska and alternative pop.









WILLIE NELSON- AMERICAN CLASSIC

"Let's see, wake up, make coffee, read the newspaper, braid hair, comb beard, smoke a doob, release a new record, start all over again tomorrow."

"American Classic" is the unofficial (?) or maybe it's the official sequel to the Willie classic, "Stardust," and the 38th record he's released this year.







DOLORES O'RIORDAN- NO BAGGAGE

Lead Cranberry returns with her second solo LP, a record that is unmistakably O'Riordan's. If you like her voice, and I don't, you will no doubt get a kick out of her sweet, soft, folky style right before she launches into her nails-on-a-blackboard "ZOMBIE" screech. And I say that will all due respect.







RADIOHEAD REISSUES

The expanded campaign continues with 2 CD versions of the later, post- Ok Computer, tuneless, experimental Radiohead albums. "Amnesiac," "Kid A" and "Hail To The Thief" each now contain a bonus disc with b-sides and live tracks.








SMOKEY ROBINSON- TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN

Smokey is pushing 70 and his voice can still send shivers up your spine. The new record is mostly new and original Smokey-penned tunes, and while it may not have anything close to the magic of Robinson's heyday, it is indeed a record to be proud of, with some smooth soul and real heart. Carlos Santana, Joss Stone, and India.Arie, your go-to special guests, were gone-to for this, as well.







THE SUBDUDES- FLOWER PETALS

Making the sweet sounds of all things New Orleans for over 20 years, The Subdudes press on with "Flower Petals," a bit of a concept record with a collection of country and western-tinged songs sung from the POV of a dead soldier. Le Bon temps Roulez? Woo hoo?