Tuesday, May 11, 2010

If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Street Date: 5/11/10



JACKSON BROWNE & DAVID LINDLEY- LOVE IS STRANGE


Tour document of the occasional duo's 2006 tour of Spain.

Disc One:

1. Intro (0:50)
2. I'm Alive (5:03)
3. Intro (0:45)
4. Cal It a Loan (5:02)
5. Looking East (7:02)
6. Intro (0:48)
7. The Crow on The Cradle (6:01) - Featuring Carlos Núñez
8. Intro (0:20)
9. Mercury Blues (5:16)
10. Intro (0:54)
11. El Rayo X (3:59)
12. Sit Down Servant (4:04)
13. Intro (0:20)
14. Take It Easy (4:13)
15. For Taking the Trouble (4:38)

Disc Two:

1. For Everyman (5:36)
2. Intro (0:45)
3. Your Bright Baby Blues (6:40) - Featuring Javier Mas
4. Intro (1:29)
5. Tu Tranquilo (6:04) - Featuring Kiko Veneno
6. Late For the Sky (6:03)
7. Intro (0:43)
8. These Days (4:39) - Featuring Luz Casal
9. Intro (1:03)
10. Running on Empty (6:34)
11. Love is Strange / Stay (7:46)
12. Intro (0:49)
13. The Next Voice You Hear (9:05) - Featuring Kiko Veneno

BUY IT--->http://www.amazon.com/Love-Strange-Jackson-Browne/dp/B003C5FMIA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1273576018&sr=8-3












THE DEAD WEATHER- SEA OF COWARDS


The ubiquitous Jack White's other, other band is back with their second release, and it's not much different than their first, yet I like it more. Filled with Zep heavy riffs, and riffs that sound so familiar you will get a headache trying to figure out where they were ripped from, "Sea Of Cowards" may not have any real songs---what does these days---but it's got enough going on with White's clever drumming and arrangements to keep you on your toes. (Opening cut, "Blue Blood Blues" = David Bowie's "Black Country Rock." Just figured it out.)

BUY IT--->>>http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Cowards-Dead-Weather/dp/BT00CHI1V2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1273576068&sr=1-1









THE HOODOO GURUS- PURITY OF ESSENCE

Aussie garage-rockers are back with new songs recorded last year in Sydney. Good to see the Gurus back in action.

BUY IT--->>>http://www.amazon.com/Purity-Essence-Hoodoo-Gurus/dp/B003E1QCTU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1273576116&sr=1-1










JUDAS PRIEST- BRITISH STEEL (30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

You don't have to be a fan of heavy metal to appreciate, "British Steel," the legendary 1980 release that sent Judas Priest to the top of the world (Well, maybe you do.) Newly remastered and now including a bonus disc of live material, I sincerely recommend "British Steel" to anyone with any interest in hearing how to do metal right. (Tongue is NOT cheek. I repeat, tongue is NOT in cheek.)
BUY IT--->>>http://www.amazon.com/British-Steel-Anniversary-Judas-Priest/dp/B003AYPMBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1273576167&sr=1-1-spell










MEAT LOAF- HANG COOL TEDDY BEAR


Good to see ol' Meat decided against a "Bat Out Of Hell IV" for this new record. Special guests include Jack White, Brian May, Steve Vai and Hugh Laurie on a record that is sure to be bombastic and unintentionally hilarious.

BUY IT--->>>>http://www.amazon.com/Hang-Cool-Teddy-Bear-Explicit/dp/B003CR9CAC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1273576206&sr=1-1







THE NATIONAL- HIGH VIOLET

Sorry everyone. I know it seems I go out of my way to dis the indies, but this is another band with critical acclaim, and again I hear nothing. It's moody, full of textures, full of sounds, full of disjointed melodies, full of unfinished ideas, full of everything but songs. Really disappointing, almost insulting.

BUY IT-->>>http://www.amazon.com/High-Violet-National/dp/B003BKF696/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1273576248&sr=1-1













THE THREADHEADS

With the 2010 New Orleans' Jazz Fest already behind us, it's time to catch up on some of the new local music that was released this year. Leading the pack with no less than a dozen new releases is Threadhead Records, the fan-funded, volunteer-run record label that started on a dare and has become a force to be reckoned with. You can read all about it HERE.

There are new releases from Susan Cowsill, Honey Island Swamp Band, Paul Sanchez & Shamarr Allen, Mary Lasseigne and Marc Stone. But two have really knocked me out.




INGRID LUCIA- MIDNIGHT RENDEZVOUS

Lucia has been on the scene for awhile, both as a solo arist and with the Flying Neutrinos. Her recorded output has been uneven at best, singing standards and songs about New Orleans, with the usual band arrangements behind her. But Miss Lucia may have put out the record of her career with "Midnight Rendezvous," a collection of original material, produced by Andres Osborne, that is unique from head to tail.

There is no escaping the comparison to Billie Holiday, with her small and smokey voice, but the band, featuring one of the best rhythm sections in New Orleans, Cassandra Faulconer on bass and Simon Lott on drums, as well as John Fohl on guitar, takes Lucia's songs and creates an album that will satisfy your Crescent City needs, and leave you smiling with fresh arrangements that do not exploit the sounds and feelings of the great city.


MATT PERRINE & SUNFLOWER CITY- BAYOU ROAD SUITE


With the "Godfather Of Soul" no longer with us, Matt Perrine may now be the hardest working man in show business. (You try schlepping a tuba around from gig to gig!) As Matt puts it at the top of his CD notes, "Traditional jazz has been on the ropes for decades. Time is rendering its largest fan demographic extinct." Well, thankfully this brilliant musician, as well as some the New Orleans' finest such as Evan Christopher, John Ellis, Matt Rhody, Ben Schenck, Alex McMurray, Rick Trolsen, and David Torkanowksy are keeping it alive.

"Bayou Road Suite," like Ingrid Lucia's "Midnight Rendezvous," is strong on originality. Too often, New Orleans' releases will cater to the Bourbon Street crowd, playing tired versions of "The Saints," and the like. That's not what you get here. This record is filled with big, bold, original music, rooted in the tradition, but always sounding fresh. This record is pure joy and I strongly suggest you picking one up.

You can buy both HERE or HERE.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

When is Wake Up The Nation released in the US?

Sal Nunziato said...

Weller is out on June 1st in the US. Great stuff!

jon said...

I'm beginning to be a bit unclear as to what you mean when you say that record x or record y "doesn't have any real songs" or is full of "unfinished ideas of songs rather than songs themselves" etc...

Usually I can abstractly kind of see what you're getting at (and agree), but in other cases I'm just not as clear... In what way is "Bloodbuzz, Ohio," off the latest National LP, "not a song"?

Sal Nunziato said...

Fair enough, Jon.

Let me try this example--

Back at the beginning of rap/hip hop, the pioneers Run Dmc, Grandmaster Flash, etc., would create verses with a story and rhymes, and rap over beats and samples. As hip/hop grew, and it branched out to genres within a genre (gangsatm freestyle), hip hop became a rapper, barely rhyming, out of meter, over one chord and one beat. Boring.

The National seems heavy on production, no real choruses, nothing too catchy in the way of melody...at least to my ears...and just an exercise in sounds.

I guess I can't argue with you about Bloodbuzz, Ohio. It is a song, maybe I just find it to be a monotonous one, with a dull melody.

Troy said...

Thanks for the heads up on the Threadhead releases. I love the Sanchez and Boutte titles they have released, and am looking forward to hearing Ingrid's new one especially.

Also, had no idea that Hoodoo Gurus were still around. I just listened to Mars Needs Guitars the other day. Fun stuff.

Meanstreets said...

Sal,
You forgot Jim Lauderdale's " Patchwork River ".

An innocent oversight, no doubt....

Anonymous said...

The Threadheads releases are making me hungry for some Jumbalaya right now Sal, good ones all!


Scott Bubrig

Eric said...

when i worked in the corporate pub. world, my assistant was bryan devedorf, the national's drummer...great guy, excellent drummer-BUT, having seen them in 2001 selling cd's@galapolos and now where they're at is a testament to the emptiness of current american rockn'roll---and they're from cincy, not BK, which is rarely if ever mentioned...

Kodak Ghost said...

In spite of mixed reviews for the Jackson Browne, I bough it, and it is still on heavy rotation in our household. Interesting take on some old songs... just wish I spoke Spanish.