New stuff
| Artist: | Title: | Label/Due date: |
| Aerosmith | “Legendary Child [MP3 Download]” (new single, from the film “GI Joe: Retaliation”) | (Columbia, May 29, 2012) |
| Joan Armatrading | “Starlight” (Hear here) | (U.K. – Hypertension, May 28, 2012) |
| Azealia Banks (Harlem-raised rapper-singer) | “1991 [MP3 Download]” (four-song EP; producer: Jef Martens; Hear here; CD) | (Interscope/Polydor, May 29, 2012) |
| David Benoit | “Conversation” (Hear here; MP3 Download) | (Heads Up, May 29, 2012) |
| Wade Bowen | “The Given” (first single: “Saturday Night”; Hear here; Read here; MP3 Download) | (Sea Gayle/BNA, May 29, 2012) |
| Crystal Bowersox (“American Idol” season 9 finalist) | “Once Upon a Time …” (producer: Bowersox; guest: Frankie May; Hear here; MP3 Download) | (Crystal Bowersox, May 29, 2012) |
| Rory Block | “I Belong to the Band: A Tribute to Rev. Gary Davis” (producers: Block, Rob Davis; Hear here; MP3 Download) | (Stony Plain Music, May 29, 2012) |
| Petula Clark | “Petula Clark EP [MP3 Download]” (four songs from her new French album, “Petula”; Hear here) | (Vogue, May 29, 2012) |
| Cadence Weapon (rapper Rollie Pemberton, poet lauerate of Edmonton) | “Hope in Dirt City” (first single: “Conditioning”; Hear here; See here; MP3 Download) | (Upper Class Recordings, May 29, 2012) |
| Danny Elfman | “Men in Black 3 [Film soundtrack]” (sequel starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin opens May 25; See here; MP3 Download) | (Sony Masterworks, May 29, 2012) |
| Rebecca Ferguson (runner-up on the British “X Factor”) | “Heaven” (released in the U.K. in early 2011; U.S. version contains a bonus track; producers: Eg White, Fraser T. Smith, Claude Kelly; first single: “Nothing’s Real But Love”; Hear here; ; Read here) | (Syco/Columbia, May 29, 2012) |
| Fort Atlantic (Alabama lo-fi band) | “Fort Atlantic” (first single: “Up From the Ground”; Hear here; See here) | (Dualtone, May 29, 2012) |
| For Today (Sioux City-based Christian metalcore band) | “Immortal” (producer: Will Putney; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3 Download) | (Razor & Tie, May 29, 2012) |
| Melody Gardot (French jazz/folk chanteuse) | “The Absence” (producer: Heitor Pereira; Hear here; Deluxe edition; MP3 Download) | (Verve, May 29, 2012) |
| Intelligence, The | “Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me” (Hear here; Vinyl; MP3 Download) | (In the Red, May 29, 2012) |
| Juanes | “Tr3s Presents Juanes: MTV Unplugged” (recorded on Feb. 1, 2012, at Miami’s New World Center; Hear here; MP3 Download) | (Universal Latino, May 29, 2012) |
| King Tuff | “King Tuff” (Hear here; Read here; Vinyl) | (Sub Pop, May 29, 2012) |
| Ladyhawke (New Zealand singer-songwriter) | “Anxiety” (producers: Pip Brown, Pascal Gabriel; first single: “Black White & Blue”; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3 Download) | (Casablanca, May 29, 2012) |
| Little Comets | “Jennifer and Other Short Stories [MP3 Download]” (four-song EP; Hear here; See here) | (Dirty Hit, May 28, 2012) |
| Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles (Minneapolis sextet) | “Heat” (producer: Matt Boynton; first single: “Just a Kid”; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3 Download) | (Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, May 29, 2012) |
| Marissa Nadler | “The Sister” (first single: “The Wrecking Ball Company”; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3 Download) | (Box of Cedar, May 29, 2012) |
| Kalen Nash (frontman of Ponderosa) | “Urked [MP3 Download]” (Hear here) | (Normaltown/New West, May 29, 2012) |
| Public Image Ltd. | “This is PiL” (their first album in 20 years; first single: “One Drop”; Hear here; MP3 Download) | (PiL Official/Redeye, May 29, 2012) |
| Preteen Zenith (fronted by Polyphonic Spree’s Tim DeLaughter) | “Rubble Guts and BB Eye” (producers: DeLaughter, his former Tripping Daisy bandmate Philip E. Karnats; first single: “Damage Control,” feat. Erykah Badu; Hear here; MP3 Download) | (Good Records Recordings, May 29, 2012) |
| Gemma Ray | “Island Fire” (first single: “Runaway”; Hear here; Vinyl) | (Bronze Rat, May 29, 2012) |
| Saint Etienne | “Words and Music by Saint Etienne” (their first album in seven years; producers: Saint Etienne, Ian Catt, Richard X, Nick Coler; Hear here; MP3 Download) | (U.K. – Heavenly, May 28, 2012) |
| Scissor Sisters | “Magic Hour” (producers: Scissor Sisters, Calvin Harris; collaborators: Harris, Pharrell Williams, Diplo, Alex Rihda [BoysNoize], Azealia Banks; new single: “Only the Horses”; Hear here; See here; MP3 Download) | (Casablanca, May 29, 2012) |
| Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros | “Here” (Hear here; Read here; MP3 Download) | (Community Music, May 29, 2012) |
| Sigur Rós | “Valtari” (Hear here; Read here; Vinyl) | (XL Recordings, May 29, 2012) |
| Simian Mobile Disco | “Unpatterns” (Hear here; Vinyl; MP3 Download) | (Wichita Recordings, May 29, 2012) |
| Sleepy Turtles (Atlanta folk-rock quintet) | “Summer, Hither [MP3 Download]” (first single: “Natures Hymn”; Hear here; See here) | (Autumn + Colour, May 29, 2012) |
| Regina Spektor | “What We Saw From the Cheap Seats” (first single: “All the Rowboats”; Hear/read here) | (Sire, May 29, 2012) |
| Sun Kil Moon (Red House Painters’ Mark Kozelek) | “Among the Leaves” (Hear/read here) | (Caldo Verde, May 29, 2012) |
| 2:54 (sister duo from U.K.) | “2:54” (producer: Rob Ellis; first single: “You’re Early”; Hear here; Vinyl) | (Fat Possum, May 28, 2012) |
| Travis Porter (hip-hop group from Decatur, Ga.) | “From Day 1” (first single: “Aww Yea”; Hear here; Read here) | (Porterhouse/RCA, May 29, 2012) |
| 12 Stones | “Beneath the Scars” (producer: Skidd Mills; first single: “Infected”; Hear here; Read here; MP3 Download) | (Executive Music Group/Fontana/ Universal, May 29, 2012) |
| Ian Tyson | “Raven Singer” (the 78-year-old Canadian icon’s first album in four years; Hear here; Read here; MP3 Download) | (Stony Plain, May 29, 2012) |
| Ultravox | “Brilliant” (first album from the original lineup in 28 years; Hear here; Read here) | (U.K. – EMI, May 27, 2012) |
| Walkmen, The | “Heaven” (producer: Phil Ek; guest: Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold; first single: “Heaven”; Hear here; Vinyl) | (Fat Possum, May 29, 2012) |
| Jody Wisternoff (of Way Out West) | “Trails We Blaze” (guests: Pete Josef, Jonathan Mendelsohn; Hear here) | (U.K. – Anjunadeep, May 28, 2012) |
Reissues
| Artist: | Title: | Label/Due date: |
| Association, The | “The Complete Warner Bros. & Valiant Singles Collection” (two CDs, featuring every A- and B-side released on both labels; Track list) | (U.K. – Now Sounds, May 28, 2012) |
| Bachman & Turner | “Live at the Roseland Ballroom, NYC” (20 songs, recorded in November 2010; MP3 Download; DVD; Blu-ray) | (Eagle Rock, May 29, 2012) |
| George Baker Selection | “Essential” (13 songs, including “Little Green Bag” and “Paloma Blanca”) | (U.K. – EMI, May 28, 2012) |
| Harry Belafonte | “Playlist: The Very Best of Harry Belafonte” | (RCA/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Jim Brickman | “Playlist: The Very Best of Jim Brickman” | (RCA/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash | “Playlist: The Very Best of Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash” | (Columbia/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Chefs, The (late ’70s British indie-pop band) | “Records & Tea: The Best of the Chefs” (24 songs; MP3 Download) | (Damaged Goods, May 29, 2012) |
| Ciara | “Playlist: The Very Best of Ciara” | (Epic/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Shawn Colvin | “Playlist: The Very Best of Shawn Colvin” | (Columbia/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Alice Cooper | “Playlist: The Very Best of Alice Cooper” (14 songs; MP3 Download) | (Epic/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Rodney Crowell | “Playlist: The Very Best of Rodney Crowell” (14 songs; MP3 Download) | (Columbia Nashville/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Raheem DeVaughn | “Playlist: The Very Best of Raheem DeVaughn” | (RCA/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show | “Playlist: The Very Best of Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show” | (Columbia/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Fad Gadget | “The Best of Fad Gadget [MP3 Download]” (30 tracks) | (Mute, May 29, 2012) |
| Mick Fleetwood’s Zoo | “I’m Not Me” (1983 album; remastered; Hear here) | (Real Gone Music, May 29, 2012) |
| Foreigner | “Alive & Rockin'” (recorded at the Bang Your Head Festival at Balingen in Germany in June 2006; DVD) | (Eagle, May 29, 2012) |
| Fugees | “Playlist: The Very Best of Fugees” | (Columbia/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| General Public | “All the Rage [MP3 Download]” (1984 album), “All the Rage [MP3 Download]” (1986 album) | (Shout! Factory, May 29, 2012) |
| Grateful Dead | “Dick’s Picks Vol. 29: 5/19/77 Fox Theatre Atlanta, GA / 5/21/77 Lakeland Civic Center Arena Lakeland, FL” (six CDs), “Dick’s Picks Vol. 30 — Academy of Music, New York City, NY 3/25 & 3/28/72” (four CDs, 36 songs; Read here), “Dick’s Picks Vol. 31 — 8/4-5 Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia, PA 8/6/74, Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ” (four CDs, 31 songs; Read here) | (Real Gone Music, May 29, 2012) |
| Heather Headley | “Playlist: The Very Best of Heather Headley” (14 songs; MP3 Download) | (RCA/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Hot Chocolate | “5 Bites: Mini Album [MP3 Download]” (five-song EP of hits) | (Capitol, May 28, 2012) |
| James Ingram | “It’s Your Night [MP3 Download]” (1983 album; featuring “Yah Mo B There”) | (Hip-O, May 29, 2012) |
| Quincy Jones-Sammy Nestico Orchestra, The | “Basie & Beyond [MP3 Download]” (2000 album) | (Hip-O, May 29, 2012) |
| Lit | “Playlist: The Very Best of Lit” | (RCA/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Kenny Loggins | “Playlist: The Very Best of Kenny Loggins” (14 tracks) | (Columbia/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Manfred Mann | “The Very Best of Manfred Mann [MP3 Download]” (20 songs) | (EMI, May 29, 2012) |
| MC Lars | “Greatest Hits [MP3 Download]” (16 songs) | (Horris, May 28, 2012) |
| Mel & Kim | “That’s the Way It Is — the best of Mel & Kim [MP3 Download]” (17 songs) | (EMI, May 29, 2012) |
| Millencolin | “The Melancholy Collection [CD/DVD]” (B-sides collection; MP3 Download) | (Epitaph, May 29, 2012) |
| Matt Monro | “5 Bites: Mini Album [MP3 Download]” (five-song EP of hits) | (Capitol, May 28, 2012) |
| Mud | “The Very Best of Mud [MP3 Download]” (20 songs) | (EMI, May 29, 2012) |
| Nigel Olsson | “The Very Best [MP3 Download]” (14 songs) | (RDEG, May 29, 2012) |
| Pet Shop Boys | “Format” (B-sides and bonus tracks, 1996-2009; two CDs, 38 songs) | (U.K. – Parlophone/EMI, May 28, 2012) |
| Prong | “Playlist: The Very Best of Prong” (14 songs; MP3 Download) | (Epic/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Jerry Reed | “The Unbelievable Guitar & Voice of Jerry Reed/Nashville Underground” (1967, 1968 albums on one CD; remastered) | (Real Gone Music, May 29, 2012) |
| Rose Royce | “Flashback with Rose Royce” | (Rhino Flashback, May 29, 2012) |
| Screaming Trees | “Playlist: The Very Best of Screaming Trees” | (Epic/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Pete Seeger | “Playlist: The Very Best of Pete Seeger” | (Columbia/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Small Faces | “Small Faces (Decca Album): Deluxe Edition” (1966 album; two CDs; remastered, with bonus tracks), “Small Faces From the Beginning: Deluxe Edition” (1967 album; two CDs; remastered, with bonus tracks) | (Hip-O, May 29, 2012) |
| Britney Spears | “Playlist: The Very Best of Britney Spears” | (Jive/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Supremes, The | “The Supremes at the Copa: Expanded Edition” (1965 album; remastered, with a second CD of bonus material; MP3 Download) | (Hip-O Select, May 29, 2012) |
| Swans | “We Rose from Your Bed With the Sun in Our Head” (double live handmade CD; See/read here) | (Young God, May 29, 2012) |
| Tonex | “Playlist: The Very Best of Tonex” | (Jive/Legacy, May 29, 2012) |
| Arturo Toscanini | “Arturo Toscanini: The Complete RCA Collection [Box set]” (85 discs) | (RCA, May 29, 2012) |
| T’Pau | “The Best [MP3 Download]” (19 songs) | (RDEG, May 29, 2012) |
| Various artists | “The Ace Records Blues Story” (two CDs) | (Varese Vintage, May 29, 2012) |
| Various artists | “Intended Play (Matador & True Panther 2011-2012 [MP3 Download]” (11 songs) | (Matador, May 29, 2012) |
| Various artists | “Plantation Records: The Singles Set — Part 1 [MP3 Download]” (20 songs, including Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.”), “Plantation Records: The Singles Set — Part 2 [MP3 Download]” (20 songs), “Plantation Records: The Singles Set — Part 3 [MP3 Download]” (20 songs), “Plantation Records: The Singles Set — Part 4 [MP3 Download]” (20 songs), “Plantation Records: The Singles Set — Part 5 [MP3 Download]” (20 songs), “Plantation Records: The Singles Set — Part 6 [MP3 Download]” (20 songs) | (Sun Records/X5 Music Group, May 29, 2012) |
| Various artists | “Soca Gold 2012 [CD/DVD]” (18 songs) | (VP, May 29, 2012) |
DVD/Blu-ray
| Artist: | Title: | Label/Due date: |
| Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile | “Goat Rodeo Sessions [DVD]” (filmed at the House of Blues in Boston; Blu-ray) | (Sony Classics, May 29, 2012) |
| One Direction | “Up All Night: The Live Tour [DVD]” (includes three music videos) | (Columbia, May 29, 2012) |
Music Books
| Subject/ Author(s): | Title: | Publisher/Due date: |
| Dick Clark | “Dick Clark and the History of Rock ‘n’ Roll [Hardcover]” (author: editors of Life magazine) | (Life, May 29, 2012) |
| eels | “Blinking Lights and Other Revelations: The Story of Eels [Hardcover]” (author: Tim Grierson) | (Omnibus Press, June 1, 2012) |
| Queen | “Queen: The Complete Illustrated Lyrics [Paperback]” | (Backbeat Books, May 29, 2012) |
| Bruce Springsteen | “Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock ‘n’ Roll [Kindle]” (author: Marc Dolan; Hardcover) | (W.W. Norton & Company, May 28, 2012) |