27
Jan
2004
· Next week the foundational powerhouse of Motown, known coolly as The Funk Brothers, will be honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and an edition in the label's 20th Century Masters/Millennium Collection CD series.
Composed of rare singles and tracks never before on CD, the anthology features instrumental versions of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and The Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." Don't think that you're not familiar with The Funk Brothers' contribution to music history, as the "faceless" house band - recently featured in the documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown - played on more number-one hits than The Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys combined. The genius of deceased bassist James Jamerson rivals the guitar mastery of Jimi Hendrix.
· My pick for next week is Seattle's Mylab and its self-titled debut, a fantastic landscape of haunted pop instrumentals from the duo of pianist Wayne Horvitz and producer Tucker Martine. With rightful comparisons to Peter Gabriel and other tasteful collage electronica, these haunted wanderings have an American air, jazzy and organic in the players' ball of saxophone, banjo, Dobro, and finger snaps among the drum loops and cardiac beeps. It's kin to Stewart Copeland's Rumble Fish score, taut with a dangerous edge. Other participants in this sound canvas include guitarist Bill Frisell, vocalist Robin Holcomb, and saxophonist Skerik.
· Damien Rice's O, winner of the Shortlist Music Prize, is being re-issued stateside this week with a bonus DVD. Modeled after Britain's Mercury Music Prize, this American-based committee looks for the finest in emerging talent, and is voted upon by a select group of judges including Tom Waits, Tori Amos, Flea, and Cameron Crowe. Bearing the Vector/Warner Bros. imprint, the bonus DVD features live footage from his Sessions@AOL performance as a teaser for his American tour in March.
Television Alert:
The Late Show with David Letterman welcome Cyndi Lauper this evening, Ryan Adams on Thursday, and Ruben Studdard on Friday; The Tonight Show with Jay Leno hosts Melissa Etheridge on Monday and Five for Fighting on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien boasts Dashboard Confessional on Thursday overnight and Brian Setzer Orchestra on Friday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn features David Crosby on Thursday overnight and Travis on Friday overnight; Last Call with Carson Daly sits down with Howie Day on Thursday overnight and Fun Lovin' Criminals on Friday overnight; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is Missy Elliott.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, February 3:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
50 First Dates - original motion picture soundtrack (Maverick) featuring revamped 1980s hits such as Seal's cover of Echo & The Bunnymen's "Lips Like Sugar," Wyclef Jean's spin on The Outfield's "Your Love," and the Psychedelic Furs' "Ghost in You" from Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray
Antiseen - 20th Anniversary Show (TKO) live DVD filmed in 2002
Asylum Street Spankers - Mercurial (Spanks-a-Lot) collection of covers recorded on vintage two-track equipment; includes The B-52's "Dance This Mess Around," Taj Mahal's "Going Up to the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue," and Nina Simone's "Sugar in My Bowl"
Barbershop 2: Back In Business - original motion picture soundtrack (Interscope) featuring covers of Luther Vandross' "Never" by Keyshia Cole and Ashford & Simpson's "Your Precious Love" by Avant, as well as other new music from Mary J. Blige, Eve, Sleepy Brown, and Mya
Cat on Form - Set Them on Fire with Their Own Matches (Southern) four-track CD EP with bonus video
Kenny Chesney - When the Sun Goes Down (BNA) featuring a duet with Uncle Cracker on the title track, and a cover of Dave Loggins' 1974 hit "Please Come to Boston"
The Church - Forget Yourself (Spin Art/Cooking Vinyl) featuring a limited-edition bonus disc in the first pressing
Harry Connick Jr. - Only You (Columbia) collection of romantic standards by Doc Pomus, Allen Toussaint, and The Platters
Crumbs - Last Exit (TKO) fifth album of Ramones-influenced punk from Miami, Florida
Deconstruction Unit - Self-Destruction of a Man (Empty) new from Ryan Wong of the Reatards and members of Lost Sounds
Diskonto - We Are the Children (Six Weeks) Swedish hardcore
DMZ - DMZ (Sepiatone) first time on CD for this debut from 1978, combining the sounds of The Stooges with the Chocolate Watchband
The Elected - Me First (SubPop) lap-steel Americana pop featuring Daniel Brummel of Ozma and Orinda Fink of Azure Ray
Electrelane - The Power Out (Too Pure/Beggars Banquet) terrific all-girl indie-pop gem, mixing French, German, and Spanish vocals into a Euro-trash hyperactivity of farfisa keyboards and new-wave churning
Five for Fighting - The Battle for Everything (Aware/Columbia) on tour next week with special acoustic shows
Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, and Tusk (Rhino) CD re-issues with bonus tracks
Hunns - "Time Has Come Today" (Disaster) seven-inch single featuring the Chambers Brothers classic and a cover of the Sex Pistols' "Did You No Wrong"
Incubus - A Crow Left of Murder (Immortal/Epic) also available in a limited-edition package featuring video footage from last year's Lollapalooza and Bridge School Benefit concert
Long Since Standing - Standing Room Only (RocketStar)
The Lostprophets - Start Something (Visible Noise)
Pat McGee Band - Save Me (Warner Bros.)
Meat Puppets - Classic Puppets (Rykodisc) featuring rarities and four previously unreleased tracks
The Microphones - Live in Japan (K Records) recorded over three nights in February last year while on tour with Little Wings and Calvin Johnson
James Moody - Homage (Savoy Jazz) featuring material by Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Horace Silver, written specifically for the bebop tenor saxophonist
The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed (4AD/Beggars Banquet)
The Notwist - Different Cars & Trains (Domino)
Ritual - Ritual (Inside Out) digitally re-mastered re-issue of this 1995 album featuring Patrik Lundstorm of Kaipa
Run Run Run - Drizzle (The First Time) featuring Xander Smith of Other Star People
Shining Fury - Last Sunrise (Metal Blade) melodic speed metal fueled by drummer Ross Lukather
TLC - Now & Forever: The Hits (LaFace) CD or DVD featuring new tracks
various artists - A World of Happiness (Walt Disney) feel-good project featuring Deborah Harry, Isaac Hayes, Perry Farrell, Lou Rawls, and Samuel L. Jackson
Ray Vega - Squeeze, Squeeze (Palmento) salsa and Latin-jazz trumpeter featuring a cover of Wayne Shorter's "Black Nile"
The Walkmen - Bows & Arrows (Record Collection)
· My pick for next week is Seattle's Mylab and its self-titled debut, a fantastic landscape of haunted pop instrumentals from the duo of pianist Wayne Horvitz and producer Tucker Martine. With rightful comparisons to Peter Gabriel and other tasteful collage electronica, these haunted wanderings have an American air, jazzy and organic in the players' ball of saxophone, banjo, Dobro, and finger snaps among the drum loops and cardiac beeps. It's kin to Stewart Copeland's Rumble Fish score, taut with a dangerous edge. Other participants in this sound canvas include guitarist Bill Frisell, vocalist Robin Holcomb, and saxophonist Skerik.
· Damien Rice's O, winner of the Shortlist Music Prize, is being re-issued stateside this week with a bonus DVD. Modeled after Britain's Mercury Music Prize, this American-based committee looks for the finest in emerging talent, and is voted upon by a select group of judges including Tom Waits, Tori Amos, Flea, and Cameron Crowe. Bearing the Vector/Warner Bros. imprint, the bonus DVD features live footage from his Sessions@AOL performance as a teaser for his American tour in March.
Television Alert:
The Late Show with David Letterman welcome Cyndi Lauper this evening, Ryan Adams on Thursday, and Ruben Studdard on Friday; The Tonight Show with Jay Leno hosts Melissa Etheridge on Monday and Five for Fighting on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien boasts Dashboard Confessional on Thursday overnight and Brian Setzer Orchestra on Friday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn features David Crosby on Thursday overnight and Travis on Friday overnight; Last Call with Carson Daly sits down with Howie Day on Thursday overnight and Fun Lovin' Criminals on Friday overnight; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is Missy Elliott.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, February 3:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
50 First Dates - original motion picture soundtrack (Maverick) featuring revamped 1980s hits such as Seal's cover of Echo & The Bunnymen's "Lips Like Sugar," Wyclef Jean's spin on The Outfield's "Your Love," and the Psychedelic Furs' "Ghost in You" from Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray
Antiseen - 20th Anniversary Show (TKO) live DVD filmed in 2002
Asylum Street Spankers - Mercurial (Spanks-a-Lot) collection of covers recorded on vintage two-track equipment; includes The B-52's "Dance This Mess Around," Taj Mahal's "Going Up to the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue," and Nina Simone's "Sugar in My Bowl"
Barbershop 2: Back In Business - original motion picture soundtrack (Interscope) featuring covers of Luther Vandross' "Never" by Keyshia Cole and Ashford & Simpson's "Your Precious Love" by Avant, as well as other new music from Mary J. Blige, Eve, Sleepy Brown, and Mya
Cat on Form - Set Them on Fire with Their Own Matches (Southern) four-track CD EP with bonus video
Kenny Chesney - When the Sun Goes Down (BNA) featuring a duet with Uncle Cracker on the title track, and a cover of Dave Loggins' 1974 hit "Please Come to Boston"
The Church - Forget Yourself (Spin Art/Cooking Vinyl) featuring a limited-edition bonus disc in the first pressing
Harry Connick Jr. - Only You (Columbia) collection of romantic standards by Doc Pomus, Allen Toussaint, and The Platters
Crumbs - Last Exit (TKO) fifth album of Ramones-influenced punk from Miami, Florida
Deconstruction Unit - Self-Destruction of a Man (Empty) new from Ryan Wong of the Reatards and members of Lost Sounds
Diskonto - We Are the Children (Six Weeks) Swedish hardcore
DMZ - DMZ (Sepiatone) first time on CD for this debut from 1978, combining the sounds of The Stooges with the Chocolate Watchband
The Elected - Me First (SubPop) lap-steel Americana pop featuring Daniel Brummel of Ozma and Orinda Fink of Azure Ray
Electrelane - The Power Out (Too Pure/Beggars Banquet) terrific all-girl indie-pop gem, mixing French, German, and Spanish vocals into a Euro-trash hyperactivity of farfisa keyboards and new-wave churning
Five for Fighting - The Battle for Everything (Aware/Columbia) on tour next week with special acoustic shows
Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, and Tusk (Rhino) CD re-issues with bonus tracks
Hunns - "Time Has Come Today" (Disaster) seven-inch single featuring the Chambers Brothers classic and a cover of the Sex Pistols' "Did You No Wrong"
Incubus - A Crow Left of Murder (Immortal/Epic) also available in a limited-edition package featuring video footage from last year's Lollapalooza and Bridge School Benefit concert
Long Since Standing - Standing Room Only (RocketStar)
The Lostprophets - Start Something (Visible Noise)
Pat McGee Band - Save Me (Warner Bros.)
Meat Puppets - Classic Puppets (Rykodisc) featuring rarities and four previously unreleased tracks
The Microphones - Live in Japan (K Records) recorded over three nights in February last year while on tour with Little Wings and Calvin Johnson
James Moody - Homage (Savoy Jazz) featuring material by Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Horace Silver, written specifically for the bebop tenor saxophonist
The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed (4AD/Beggars Banquet)
The Notwist - Different Cars & Trains (Domino)
Ritual - Ritual (Inside Out) digitally re-mastered re-issue of this 1995 album featuring Patrik Lundstorm of Kaipa
Run Run Run - Drizzle (The First Time) featuring Xander Smith of Other Star People
Shining Fury - Last Sunrise (Metal Blade) melodic speed metal fueled by drummer Ross Lukather
TLC - Now & Forever: The Hits (LaFace) CD or DVD featuring new tracks
various artists - A World of Happiness (Walt Disney) feel-good project featuring Deborah Harry, Isaac Hayes, Perry Farrell, Lou Rawls, and Samuel L. Jackson
Ray Vega - Squeeze, Squeeze (Palmento) salsa and Latin-jazz trumpeter featuring a cover of Wayne Shorter's "Black Nile"
The Walkmen - Bows & Arrows (Record Collection)
