New stuff (CDs / vinyl)

Artist:Title:Label:
Alborosie & King Jammy“Alborosie Meets King Jammy – Dub of Thrones” (21st century dubmaster is paired with the original king of dub; See/read here; Vinyl)(Greensleeves / VP)
Antigone Rising“Whiskey & Wine Vol. II” (five-song EP; Hear here; MP3)(Blackheart)
Ava Luna“Infinite House” (first single: “Billz”; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3)(Western Vinyl)
Avid Dancer“1st Bath” (first single: “All Your Words Are Gone”; Hear here; MP3)(Grand Jury)
Randy Bachman“Heavy Blues” (producer: Kevin Shirley; guests: Neil Young, Peter Frampton, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph, the late Jeff Healey; See here; MP3)(Linus Entertainment)
The Blow Monkeys“If Not Now, When?” (first single: “‘OK, Have It Your Way”; Hear here; MP3)(U.K. – Blow Monkey Music, April 13)
Calexico“Edge of the Sun” (guests: Neko Case, Sam Bean, Ben Bridwell, Nick Urata; first single: “Cumbia de Donde”; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3; MP3 Deluxe Edition, with six bonus tracks)(ANTI- / City Slang)
Sabrina Carpenter (stars on Disney Channel’s “Girl Meets World”)“Eyes Wide Open” (producers: Brian Malouf, Matt Squire, Matthew Tishler, Captain Cuts, Jordan Higgins, John Gordon; first single: “We’ll Be the Stars”; Hear here; MP3)(Hollywood)
The Damnwells“The Damnwells” (producer: Salim Nourallah; Hear here; MP3)(Rock Ridge Music)
Dance Gavin Dance“Instant Gratification” (producer: Kris Crummett; first single: “On the Run”; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3)(Rise)
The Doughboys (1960s-era N.J. garage rock band)“Hot Beat Stew” (Hear here; MP3)(Ram)
Lila Downs“Balas y Chocolate” (producers: Paul Cohen, Downs, Aneiro Taño; guests: Juan Gabriel, Juanes; first single: “Patria Madrina”; Hear here; MP3)(RCA)
Earl Sweatshirt“I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside” (released digitally on March 23; guests: Da$H, Wiki, Na-kel, Vince Staples; first single: “Grief”; Hear here; See here; MP3)(Tan Cressida / Columbia)
Eels“Royal Albert Hall” (two-CD, one-DVD concert film; See here; Vinyl; MP3)(PIAS America)
Flash Bastard“Wild” (Hear here; MP3)(Metropolis)
Halestorm“Into the Wild Life” (producer: Jay Joyce; first single: “Apocalyptic”; Hear here; Vinyl; Deluxe Edition; MP3; MP3 Deluxe Edition)(Atlantic)
Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree drummer)“Cheating the Polygraph” (Hear here; MP3)(Kscope)
Beth Hart“Better Than Home” (Hear here; See here; Vinyl; MP3; MP3 Deluxe Edition)(Provogue / Mascot Label Group)
Greg Holden“Chase the Sun” (producer: Greg Wells; first single: “Hold On Tight”; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3)(Warner)
The Ides of March“The Ides of March: Last Band Standing – 50th Anniversary Collection” (five-disc CD/DVD box set, featuring special videos, live concert tapings, special guests, vintage recordings and some new songs; Hear here; See here)(Baker & Taylor)
JeConte (world music-blues singer/harp player)“Down By the Bayou” (producer: Anders Osborne; guest: Osborne; Hear here; MP3)(Red Parlor)
Kodaline“Coming Up For Air” (producers: Jacknife Lee, Jim Eliot, Steve Harris; first single: “Honest”; Hear here; See here; Vinyl; MP3)(RCA)
Kenny Lattimore“Anatomy of a Love Song” (first single: “Love Me Back”; Hear here; MP3)(Sincere Soul / eOne Music)
The Lilac Time“No Sad Songs” (Hear here; Vinyl; MP3)(Tapete)
Little Texas“Young For a Long Time” (the country group’s first album since 2007; features two bonus tracks; Hear here; MP3)(Goldenlane)
Charles Lloyd“Wild Man Dance” (a live recording of a long-form suite commissioned by the Jazztopad Festival in Wroclaw, Poland; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3)(Blue Note)
Local H“Hey, Killer” (producer: Andy Gerber; Hear here; MP3)(G&P)
Lotus Crush (led by Scottish singer Terry McDermott, runner-up on “The Voice” in 2012)“Rabbit Hole” (the band features two former members of Candlebox; producer: Todd Buman; first single: “Hearts and Minds”; Hear here; See here; MP3)(CaviGold)
Lulu“Making Life Rhyme” (Hear here)(U.K. – Decca, April 13)
Reba McEntire“Love Somebody” (producers: Tony Brown, McEntire, James Stroud, Doug Sisemore; songwriters include Brandy Clark, Rhett Akins, Shane McAnally, Sam Hunt and Ashley Gorley; first single: “Going Out Like That”; Hear here; MP3)(Nash Icon Music / Big Machine)
Shawn Mendes (16-year-old Toronto native)“Handwritten” (new single: “A Little Too Much”; Hear here; Read here; MP3; MP3 Deluxe Edition)(Island)
Mighty Oaks (Berlin-based indie-folk trio)“Howl” (Hear here; See here; Vinyl; MP3)(Astralwerks)
The Mowgli’s“Kids in Love” (producer: Tony Hoffer; first single: “I’m Good”; Hear here; MP3)(Photo Finish / Republic)
Pale Blue“The Past We Leave Behind” (first single: “The Past We Leave Behind”; Hear/read here; Vinyl; MP3)(2MR / Captured Tracks)
David Phelps“Freedom” (producers: Phelps, Bill Gaither; Hear here; MP3)(Gaither Music Group)
Spirit Family Reunion“Hands Together” (producers: Spirit Family Reunion; mixed by Paul Q. Kolderie; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3)(Spirit Family Reunion)
Stranger Cat (Brooklyn-based duo)“In the Wilderness” (guests: Sufjan Stevens, Christopher Powell, Darby Cicci, Reggie Pace; new single: “Unzip Your Skin”; Hear here; MP3)(Joyful Noise Recordings)
Suuns and Jerusalem In My Heart“Suuns and Jerusalem In My Heart” (first single: “Gazelles in Flight”; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3)(Secretly Canadian)
Villagers“Darling Arithmetic” (first single: “Courage”; Hear here; Vinyl)(Domino)
The von Trapps (four great-grandchildren of the Captain and Maria von Trapp)“Dancing in Gold” (four-song EP; Hear here)(Heinz)
Hank Williams III“Take As Needed For Pain” (guests: David Allan Coe, Rebel Meets Rebel; Hear here; Vinyl)(Curb)
The Wombats“Glitterbug” (producers: Mark Crew, The Wombats; Hear here; Vinyl; MP3)(14th Floor / Warner)
Dwight Yoakam“Second Hand Heart” (producers: Yoakam, Chris Lord-Alge; Hear/read here; MP3)(Reprise)

More Releases for the Week of April 14, 2015

New stuff (MP3s)

Artist:Title:Label:
Rob Carlyle & The Compulsions“Dirty Fun” (first single: “Lucky”; Hear here)(Compulsions)
Christine and The Queens“Saint Claude” (five-song EP; first single: “Tilted”; Hear here; See here)(Neon Gold / Because Music / Atlantic)
Marie Davidson (Montreal electronic artist)“Un Autre Voyage” (five-song EP; new single: “Insomnie”; Hear here; See here)(Holodeck)
Lowland Hum (North Carolina duo)“Lowland Hum” (Hear here)(Lowland Hum)
The Slow Readers Club“Cavalcade” (first single: “Forever In Your Debt”; Hear here)(Extenso Music, April 13)
Stealing Sheep“Not Real” (producers: band members Becky Hawley, Emily Lansley and Lucy Mercer; Hear here; See here; CD)(Heavenly Recordings)
Tei Shi“Verde” (five-song EP; Hear here; See here; Vinyl)(Mermaid Avenue)
Tyler, the Creator“Cherry Bomb” (guests: Charlie Wilson, Toro y Moi’s Chaz Budnick, The Black Lips’ Cole Alexander; first single: “Fucking Young/Perfect”; Hear here; See here; CD, out April 28)(Odd Future / Columbia, April 13)

More Digital Releases for the Week of April 14, 2015

Reissues (CDs / vinyl)

Artist:Title:Label:
Tori Amos“Little Earthquakes (Deluxe Edition)” (1992 album; remastered, with a second disc of rare B-sides and bonus tracks; MP3), “Under the Pink (Deluxe Edition)” (1994 album; remastered, with a second disc of rare B-sides and bonus tracks; Hear here; MP3)(Rhino)
James Brown“Playlist: The Very Best of James Brown”(Volcano / Legacy)
Canned Heat with John Lee Hooker“Carnegie Hall 1971” (with bonus track “Tease Me Baby”; Vinyl; MP3)(Purple Pyramid / Cleopatra)
Freddy Cannon“The Swan Records Story” (two CDs, 53 songs; Track list)(U.K. – One Day Music, April 13)
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince“Playlist: The Very Best of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince”(Jive / Legacy)
Ben Folds Five“Playlist: The Very Best of Ben Folds Five” (MP3)(Epic / Legacy)
Girlschool“Glasgow 1982” (recorded at the Apollo Theater; Vinyl; MP3)(Cleopatra)
Amy Grant“Be Still and Know … Hymns & Faith” (a compilation of songs from her two hymns albums with a few new tracks; MP3)(Sparrow / Capitol CMG Label Group)
Jagged Edge“Playlist: The Very Best of Jagged Edge”(Columbia / Legacy)
James“Laid (Deluxe Edition)” (1993 album; remastered, with a second CD of B-sides, BBC sessions, rehearsal demos and previously unreleased tracks; Read here; Super Deluxe Edition, with its 1994 companion piece “Wah Wah”; Vinyl)(Island / UMe)
Looper“These Things” (five-CD retrospective; Hear here)(Mute)
The Newbeats“The Singles A’s & B’s” (two CDs, 40 songs; See here; Track list)(U.K. – Not Now Music, April 13)
The Replacements“The Complete Studio Albums 1981-1990” (eight-disc box set)(Rhino)
Sviatoslav Richter“The Complete Album Collection” (18 discs; MP3)(Sony Classical)
Santana“Playlist: The Very Best of Santana”(Columbia / Legacy)
Paul Simon“The Ultimate Collection” (19-song collection includes Simon & Garfunkel and solo hits; See here; Track list)(U.K. – Sony, April 13)
Peter Tosh & Friends“An Upsetters Showcase” (produced by Lee Scratch Perry; Track list; Vinyl; MP3)(Cleopatra)
Frank Turner“The Third Three Years” (21 non-album rarities; Hear here; MP3)(Xtra Mile Recordings)
Van Halen“Deluxe” (four-CD box set contains “Van Halen,” “1984” and “Tokyo Dome in Concert”; Vinyl)(Rhino)
Various artists“NOW That’s What I Call a Song” (three CDs, 60 songs; Track list)(U.K. – Now!, April 13)
Dionne Warwick“The Real … Dionne Warwick” (three CDs, 50 songs; Track list)(U.K. – Legacy, April 13)

More Releases for the Week of April 14, 2015

Reissues (MP3s)

Artist:Title:Label:
Bobby Bare“This I Believe” (1966 album), “The English Country Side” (1967 album, with the Hillsiders)(RCA / Legacy)
Various artists“Central African Republic,” “Central African Republic: Banda Polyphony”(Smithsonian Folkways Recordings / Auvidis-UNESCO)
Various artists“I Love House: Ministry of Sound” (26 tracks, featuring Lana Del Rey, Sam Smith, David Guetta, Disclosure, Clean Bandit, Jessie Ware, etc.)(Ministry of Sound Recordings, April 13)

More Digital Releases for the Week of April 14, 2015

DVD / Blu-ray

Artist/cast:Title:Label/studio:
Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz“Big Eyes [DVD]” (2014 film, directed by Tim Burton; Blu-ray)(Shout! Factory)
Tom Berenger, Michael Pare“Eddie and The Cruisers / Eddie and The Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! [Blu-ray]” (1983, 1989 films on one disc)(Shout! Factory)
Yaya DaCosta“Whitney [DVD]” (Lifetime Channel’s 2015 biopic, directed by Angela Bassett)(Lionsgate)
David James Elliott, Catherine Bell, et al“JAG: The Complete Series [DVD]” (55 discs)(Paramount)
Steve McQueen“I Am Steve McQueen [DVD]” (2014 documentary, narrated by Robert Downey Jr.; See here; Blu-ray)(Shout! Factory)
Stephen Sondheim“The Stephen Sondheim Collection [DVD]” (six-disc set includes “Into the Woods,” “Company,” “Sunday in the Park With George,” “Follies In Concert,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Sondheim! The Birthday Concert”)(Image Entertainment)

More DVD/Blu-ray Releases for the Week of April 14, 2015

Music books

Subject/ Author(s):Title:Publisher:
Bert Berns“Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues” (Paperback; author: Joel Selvin)(Counterpoint)
Black Sabbath“Black Sabbath: Symptom of the Universe” (Hardcover; author: Mick Wall; Kindle)(St. Martin’s Press)
Elvis Costello“Elvis Is King: Costello’s My Aim Is True” (Paperback; author: Richard Crouse; Kindle)(ECW Press)
Adam Faith“Big Time: The Life of Adam Faith” (Hardcover; authors: David and Caroline Stafford; Kindle)(Omnibus Press, April 13)
Paul Hemphill and Donald F. Cusic“The Nashville Sound: Bright Lights and Country Music” (Paperback)(University of Georgia Press, April 15)
The Jesus and Mary Chain“Barbed Wire Kisses: The Jesus and Mary Chain Story” (Kindle; author: Zoë Howe)(Polygon, April 16)
Les McCann“Invitation To Openness: The Jazz & Soul Photography of Les McCann 1960-1980” (Hardcover)(Fantagraphics, April 19)
Linda McCartney“Linda McCartney: Life in Photographs” (Hardcover)(Taschen, April 15)
Gram Parsons“Calling Me Home: Gram Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock” (Paperback; author: Bob Kealing)(University Press of Florida)
The Rolling Stones“The Rolling Stones FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Bad Boys of Rock” (Paperback; author: Gary J. Jucha)(Backbeat Books)
Mike Spitz and Rebecca Villaneda“The Record Store Book: Fifty Legendary and Iconic Places to Discover New and Used Vinyl” (Paperback)(Rare Bird Books)

More Book Releases for the Week of April 14, 2015

Now See Here:

“Hold On Tight,” Greg Holden

Next week: April 21, 2015

March 10March 17March 24March 31 / April 7

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