A new benefit CD is worth putting your money where your heart is, created when the Wavelab recording studio in Tucson, Arizona, wanted to reach out across the desert and aid Habitat For Humanity's Musician's Village project in New Orleans. Graciously: A Gulf Relief Compilation features a dozen exclusive new tracks from artists who've recorded albums at the studio, including Robyn Hitchcock, Devotchka, John Doe, Howie Gleb, Friends of Dean Martinez, and Calexico. Look for it next week on store shelves from the Funzalo Records label.
The Who is back with a new "mini-opera" CD, priming a North American tour this fall that promises a set list packed with odd songs rarely ever performed live, as selected by the group's fans. The new six-song CD EP, Wire & Glass, is due next Tuesday, and bears the Polydor imprint.
Next week Brian Posehn, the self-described dork known best as Kevin from television's Just Shoot Me, releases a stand-up-comedy CD of his droll musings in Live in: Nerd Rage on Relapse Records. The comedian and the heavy-metal label make for nice bedfellows as his head-banging secret life is showcased in two bonus tracks, "Try, Try Again" from Mr. Show favorite Titannica and "Metal by Numbers" by his own Posehn side project featuring Scott Ian of Anthrax and Joey Vera of Armored Saint.
They Might Be Giants gets the tribute treatment next week, with Hello Radio: The Songs of They Might Be Giants. The BarNone Records CD features 15 of the duo's nutty pop pleasures, as interpreted by The Wrens, The Long Winters, OK Go, Radiant Boy, Darren Jessee of Ben Folds Five, and others. Highlights include Frank Black's take on "Road Movie to Berlin" and the patriarch of the delightful Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, Jason Trachtenberg, offering a second opinion in "Dr. Worm."
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno presents blink 182 on Thursday, John Fogerty on Friday, and Soul Asylum on Monday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Goldfrapp on Friday and The Fray on Monday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien boasts Death Cab for Cutie on Thursday overnight, My Morning Jacket on Monday overnight, and Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint on Tuesday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson features the return of Echo & the Bunnymen on Tuesday overnight; Last Call with Carson Daly sits down with The Cloud Room this evening overnight, 30 Seconds to Mars on Friday overnight, and Train on Monday overnight; and Jimmy Kimmel Live unleashes Sonic Youth on Tuesday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, July 11:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change.
All That Remains - The Fall of Ideals (Prosthetic) on the second stage of this summer's Ozzfest
Benevento/Russo Duo - Play Pause Stop (Butter Problems/Reincarnate) cool instrumental tumblings chock-full of emotive Mellotrons and Wurlitzer vibes
Big Sandy & the Fly-Rite Boys - Turntable Matinee (Yep Roc)
Bury Your Dead - Beauty & the Breakdown (Victory) brutal Massachusetts metal-core that pulverized Ozzfest's second stage last year
CSS - Cansei De Ser Sexy (SubPop) arty Brazilian electro-rock; the title translates to "tired of being sexy"
Cursive - "Dorothy at Forty" (Saddle Creek) new single from their forthcoming album, Happy Hollow
Cut Chemist - The Audience's Listening (Warner Bros.) new from the former Jurassic 5 turntable wizard, with guests Mr. Lif and Edan
Dead to Me - Cuban Ballerina (Fat Wreck) out of the ashes of One Man Army with new bassist "Chicken," straight outta the Fat Wreck mailroom
Dr. Octagon - The Return of Dr. Octagon (OCD International) my pick of the week is this outstanding new album from the bombastic brother's mad lab, produced by the One Watt Sun trio, who've perfectly captured this grinding, down-the-rabbit-hole trip akin to the psychedelic joints of Funkadelic or Fats Comet
Lynn Drury - All You Need (219 Records) handling an acoustic guitar as passionately and deftly as she rides her horses, this funky, soulful Americana gem from New Orleans is perfect road music for the soul
The Early November - The Mechanic, the Mother, & the Path (Drive-Thru) three-CD set featuring the single "Hair"
Ramblin' Jack Elliott - I Stand Alone (Anti) originally mentored by Woodie Guthrie, and at the spry age of 75 years young, this new album features hip guests Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney, Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, DJ Bonebreak of X, Lucinda Williams, David Hidalgo, Nels Cline, and more
The Evening Episode - The Physicist Has Known Sin (Slowdance) chilled trip-hop fronted by the sexy coo of Teresa Eggers, also handling piano and Theremin duties
James Figurine - Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake (Plug Research) new from Jimmy Tamborello of The Postal Service, with guest vocalist Jenny Lewis on "You Again"
John Flynn - Two Wolves (Metta Four) featuring a cover of Phil Ochs' "Pleasures of the Harbor" and guests Kris Kristofferson and Kathy Mattea
John Gorka - Writing in the Margins (Red House) beautiful new album with guests Nanci Griffith and Alice Peacock, and a cover of Townes Van Zandt's "Snow Don't Fall"
Greg Graffin - Cold as the Clay (Anti) blue-collar, meaty, moving, folksy solo debut from the Bad Religion frontman, produced by band mate Brett Gurewitz, and featuring guest harmony vocalist Jolie Holland on three songs
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy, Darklands, Automatic, and Honey Dead (Rhino) expanded DualDisc reissues
Cheyenne Kimball - The Day Has Come (Epic) the inescapable Lolita of the moment, produced by Brad Smith and Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon
Little Miss Sunshine - original motion picture soundtrack (Lakeshore) with songs by Sufjan Stevens and Devotchka, and a "rocasound remix" of Rick James' "Superfreak"
Dan Melchior - Fire Breathing Clones on Cellular Phones (Plastic) excellent new CD from the Billy Childish and Holly Golightly cohort, spinning a jittery, twangy low-fi manifesto reminiscent of The Kinks, The Fall, and The Animals
Miranda Sound - Western Reserve (Sunken Treasure) from Columbus, Ohio, and produced by J. Robbins
Tate Moore - Punk Poet (219 Records) new from the Kudzu King founder in the honky-tonk vein of Nick Lowe and Hank Williams; this is guitar boogie bliss and last-call barroom laments, dripping in Max Williams' lap-steel shimmer
Muse - Black Holes & Revelations (Warner Bros.) featuring the politically charged "A Soldier's Poem"
Ray Parker Jr. - I'm Free (MRI) all new and featuring a cover of the Bread hit "Guitar Man"
Peaches - Impeach My Bush (XL Recordings) with guests Joan Jett, Josh Homme, and The Gossip's Beth Ditto
Phish - Live in Brooklyn (JEMP/Rhino) three-CD set or DVD filmed July 17, 2004, at Coney Island
Kelly Rowland - My Story: Kelly Rowland (Columbia)
Seether - One Cold Night (Wind-Up) CD/DVD live set from Philadelphia, featuring a cover of Pearl Jam's "Immortality"
Shapes & Sizes - Shapes & Sizes (Asthmatic Kitty) daring, enchanting pop quartet from Vancouver driven by proud, soaring vocals
Dr. Lonnie Smith - Jungle Soul (Palmetto) rockin' his B3 organ to a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man"
Soul Asylum - The Silver Lining (Legacy) with guest Tommy Stinson of The Replacements on two tracks
Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche (Asthmatic Kitty) 21 demos and instrumentals from last year's Illinois sessions, featuring three versions of "Chicago"
Butch Walker - The Rise & Fall of Butch Walker & the Let's-Go-Out-Tonites (Epic)
Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XL Recordings) solo debut from the voice of Radiohead, featuring fold-out cover art by Stanley Donwood
