15
Mar
2005
• Two "masters of darkness" have picked this coming Tuesday to go head-to-head with new CD box sets. The Ozzman cometh with Ozzy Osbourne's long-awaited four-CD box set, Prince of Darkness, packed with rarities and newly recorded cover selections. While the first two discs pile on the demos and live recordings, things get weird with the third CD, entitled "Oddities & Duets." How weird? How about Ozzy and Miss Piggy of the Muppets doing Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild"? Other odd numbers include "For Heaven's Sake" with Black Sabbath mate Tony Iommi and the Wu-Tang Clan, "Nowhere To Run" with DMX and the recently deceased Ol' Dirty Bastard, and a cover of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" with Dweezil Zappa. Disc four is entitled "Under Covers" and features Ozzy's tribute to King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man," Mountain's "Mississippi Queen," Arthur Brown's "Fire," and The Beatles' "In My Life." Look for the 52-track set to bear the Epic Records logo. Mute Records is issuing the simply titled B-Sides & Rarities box set from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, a 56-track, three-CD set that only serves up the rarest of the rare, including a track that came on a flexidisc sold at concerts in 1986 and acoustic versions from a free seven-inch from 1990. Lots of cover tracks surface, including Cave's take on The Pogues' "Rainy Night in Soho," Roy Orbison's "Running Scared," Neil Young's "Helpless," and Leadbelly's "Black Betty." Other highlights include a version of "Where the Wild Roses Grow," featuring vocalist Blixa Bargeld before Kylie Minogue's duet with Cave, and collected soundtrack songs.
• Also due Tuesday is the long-awaited return of French electronic duo Daft Punk and its stellar new album Human After All. Recorded in the group's home studio last year in a six-week session, the result is a dance-music masterpiece that takes to dizzy new heights Kraftwerk's notion of melding man and machine. The album achieves the magic funky balance between big, buzzing electronic loops and sinewy, sweaty beats; are these robots with soul, or camera-shy humans who chose to speak only through machines? Rising and falling like the hills of the Tour de France, this is blood-pumping, hunch-churning, strobe-light-spinning perfection. Available as a CD on Virgin Records, the album is also being released by the Astralwerks Records imprint in a special gatefold two-LP set. Highly recommended.
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Ashanti on Thursday and the Doves on Tuesday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Gwen Stefani on Monday and Queens of the Stone Age on Tuesday; The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson features Nic Armstrong on Tuesday overnight; Last Call with Carson Daly offers up The Dears on Tuesday overnight; Jimmy Kimmel Live boasts Christina Milian on Friday overnight and Louis XIV on Tuesday overnight; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is Gwen Stefani.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, March 22:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
A Frames - Black Forest (SubPop) new from members of The Dipers and The Intelligence
The Agony Scene - The Darkest Red (Roadrunner)
Aqualung - Strange & Beautiful (Slightly Bigger/Red Ink) domestic collection of songs from his two hit UK albums
The Arts & Sciences - Hopeful Monsters (Daemon) new from Atlanta indie popster Paul Melancon and band
Brendan Benson - The Alternative to Love (V2)
Scott Biram - Dirty Old One Man Band (Bloodshot)
The Blasters - 4-11-44 (Rainman) all new
Cex - Know Doubt (Record Label) it's down the rabbit hole with this tripped-out beat tornado from the creative duo of Cale Parks and Riyan Kidwell of Joan of Arc and Aloha, buzzing with scratchy, wicki-wicki loops and electronic jolts of mind flutter
A Change of Pace - An Offer You Can't Refuse (Immortal) roaring debut from this Arizona emo punk quartet, just out of high school
Vic Chesnutt - Ghetto Bells (New West) with guests Bill Frisell and Van Dyke Parks
Copeland - In Motion (Militia Group) featuring a bonus acoustic CD EP in the first pressing
Darediablo - Twenty Paces (Southern) powerful instrumental collective from New York City
The Decemberists - Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars)
Dinosaur Jr. - Dinosaur, You're Living All Over Me, and Bug (Merge) CD re-issues with bonus videos and live tracks
John Doe - Forever (Yep Roc) new solo album from the X founder, with guests Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses and Dave Alvin of The Blasters
El Toro - May & Marielle (Undecided)
Mark Farina - Mushroom Jazz 5 (Om Records) excellent mix CD of blunted beats featuring J Boogie, Soundproviders, Pete Rock, and more
Billy Idol - Devil's Playground (CSP/Sanctuary) all new with guitarist Steve Stevens
Dave Insley - Call Me Lonesome (Redeye) with guest Rosie Flores
Jars of Clay - Redemption Songs (Essential)
Danko Jones - We Sweat Blood (Razor & Tie)
Los Super Seven - Heard It on the X (Telarc) with guests John Hiatt, Freddy Fender, Lyle Lovett, and Delbert McClinton
Mice Parade - "Nights Wave" (Bubblecore) new five-song CD EP
Moby - Hotel (V2) featuring a cover of New Order's "Temptation"
New Roman Times - International Affairs (Social Recordings) nervous indie pop from Orlando, Florida
Out Hud - Let Us Never Speak of It Again (Kranky)
The Perceptionists - Black Dialogue (Def Jux) new from Mr. Lif, Akrobatik, and Fakts One
Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyze (Interscope) also available in a deluxe-edition CD, this new album features guests Dean Ween of Ween, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Shirley Manson of Garbage, and Brody Dalle of The Distillers
Radar Brothers - The Fallen Leaf Pages (Merge)
Screeching Weasel - My Brain Hurts (Asian Man) remastered CD re-issue of this punk classic from 1991
Shipping News - Flies the Fields (Quarterstick) with guest vocalist Fay Davis Jeffers of Pit Er Pat
Six Feet Under - 13 (Metal Blade)
Smoke or Fire - Above the City (Fat Wreck) full-length debut from Richmond, Virginia, featuring "California's Burning"
The Static Age - Neon Nights Electric Lives (Tarantulas) featuring bonus remixes from Jade Puget of AFI and Dave Prentice-Walsh of The Explosion
Strappling Young Lad - Alien (Century Media)
Subtitle - Young Dangerous Heart (Gold Standard Labs) full-length debut featuring production by Aceyalone, Thavius Beck, Busdriver, and more
Sundayrunners - Sundayrunners (Machine)
Tuna Helpers - I'll Have What She's Having (Minicry) described as "Cruella Deville meets Mary Poppins meets Kate Bush"
Weerd Science - Friends & Nervous Breakdowns (Super Rap/Equal Vision) solo album from Josh Eppard of Coheed & Cambria
The Wonder Stuff - Escape from Rubbish Island (Reincarnate Music) the smart-power-pop group's first studio album in 12 years; touring the USA in April
Yo La Tengo - Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs 1984-2003 (Matador) two-CD collection featuring a bonus disc of rarities
various artists - Cinema: A Windham Hill Collection (Windham Hill/Sony Legacy) newly recorded versions of famous film themes from Amelie, Babe, The Graduate, The Princess Bride, and more
various artists - The Appalachians (Dualtone) 23-track companion to the PBS film
various artists - Roxy Re-Modeled (Basic Lux) new tribute to Roxy Music from dance, down-tempo, and deep house artists
various artists - Teenbeat 20th Anniversary (Teenbeat) budget-priced sampler CD featuring Unrest, Tuscadero, Flin Flon, and more
• Also due Tuesday is the long-awaited return of French electronic duo Daft Punk and its stellar new album Human After All. Recorded in the group's home studio last year in a six-week session, the result is a dance-music masterpiece that takes to dizzy new heights Kraftwerk's notion of melding man and machine. The album achieves the magic funky balance between big, buzzing electronic loops and sinewy, sweaty beats; are these robots with soul, or camera-shy humans who chose to speak only through machines? Rising and falling like the hills of the Tour de France, this is blood-pumping, hunch-churning, strobe-light-spinning perfection. Available as a CD on Virgin Records, the album is also being released by the Astralwerks Records imprint in a special gatefold two-LP set. Highly recommended.
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Ashanti on Thursday and the Doves on Tuesday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Gwen Stefani on Monday and Queens of the Stone Age on Tuesday; The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson features Nic Armstrong on Tuesday overnight; Last Call with Carson Daly offers up The Dears on Tuesday overnight; Jimmy Kimmel Live boasts Christina Milian on Friday overnight and Louis XIV on Tuesday overnight; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is Gwen Stefani.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, March 22:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
A Frames - Black Forest (SubPop) new from members of The Dipers and The Intelligence
The Agony Scene - The Darkest Red (Roadrunner)
Aqualung - Strange & Beautiful (Slightly Bigger/Red Ink) domestic collection of songs from his two hit UK albums
The Arts & Sciences - Hopeful Monsters (Daemon) new from Atlanta indie popster Paul Melancon and band
Brendan Benson - The Alternative to Love (V2)
Scott Biram - Dirty Old One Man Band (Bloodshot)
The Blasters - 4-11-44 (Rainman) all new
Cex - Know Doubt (Record Label) it's down the rabbit hole with this tripped-out beat tornado from the creative duo of Cale Parks and Riyan Kidwell of Joan of Arc and Aloha, buzzing with scratchy, wicki-wicki loops and electronic jolts of mind flutter
A Change of Pace - An Offer You Can't Refuse (Immortal) roaring debut from this Arizona emo punk quartet, just out of high school
Vic Chesnutt - Ghetto Bells (New West) with guests Bill Frisell and Van Dyke Parks
Copeland - In Motion (Militia Group) featuring a bonus acoustic CD EP in the first pressing
Darediablo - Twenty Paces (Southern) powerful instrumental collective from New York City
The Decemberists - Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars)
Dinosaur Jr. - Dinosaur, You're Living All Over Me, and Bug (Merge) CD re-issues with bonus videos and live tracks
John Doe - Forever (Yep Roc) new solo album from the X founder, with guests Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses and Dave Alvin of The Blasters
El Toro - May & Marielle (Undecided)
Mark Farina - Mushroom Jazz 5 (Om Records) excellent mix CD of blunted beats featuring J Boogie, Soundproviders, Pete Rock, and more
Billy Idol - Devil's Playground (CSP/Sanctuary) all new with guitarist Steve Stevens
Dave Insley - Call Me Lonesome (Redeye) with guest Rosie Flores
Jars of Clay - Redemption Songs (Essential)
Danko Jones - We Sweat Blood (Razor & Tie)
Los Super Seven - Heard It on the X (Telarc) with guests John Hiatt, Freddy Fender, Lyle Lovett, and Delbert McClinton
Mice Parade - "Nights Wave" (Bubblecore) new five-song CD EP
Moby - Hotel (V2) featuring a cover of New Order's "Temptation"
New Roman Times - International Affairs (Social Recordings) nervous indie pop from Orlando, Florida
Out Hud - Let Us Never Speak of It Again (Kranky)
The Perceptionists - Black Dialogue (Def Jux) new from Mr. Lif, Akrobatik, and Fakts One
Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyze (Interscope) also available in a deluxe-edition CD, this new album features guests Dean Ween of Ween, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Shirley Manson of Garbage, and Brody Dalle of The Distillers
Radar Brothers - The Fallen Leaf Pages (Merge)
Screeching Weasel - My Brain Hurts (Asian Man) remastered CD re-issue of this punk classic from 1991
Shipping News - Flies the Fields (Quarterstick) with guest vocalist Fay Davis Jeffers of Pit Er Pat
Six Feet Under - 13 (Metal Blade)
Smoke or Fire - Above the City (Fat Wreck) full-length debut from Richmond, Virginia, featuring "California's Burning"
The Static Age - Neon Nights Electric Lives (Tarantulas) featuring bonus remixes from Jade Puget of AFI and Dave Prentice-Walsh of The Explosion
Strappling Young Lad - Alien (Century Media)
Subtitle - Young Dangerous Heart (Gold Standard Labs) full-length debut featuring production by Aceyalone, Thavius Beck, Busdriver, and more
Sundayrunners - Sundayrunners (Machine)
Tuna Helpers - I'll Have What She's Having (Minicry) described as "Cruella Deville meets Mary Poppins meets Kate Bush"
Weerd Science - Friends & Nervous Breakdowns (Super Rap/Equal Vision) solo album from Josh Eppard of Coheed & Cambria
The Wonder Stuff - Escape from Rubbish Island (Reincarnate Music) the smart-power-pop group's first studio album in 12 years; touring the USA in April
Yo La Tengo - Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs 1984-2003 (Matador) two-CD collection featuring a bonus disc of rarities
various artists - Cinema: A Windham Hill Collection (Windham Hill/Sony Legacy) newly recorded versions of famous film themes from Amelie, Babe, The Graduate, The Princess Bride, and more
various artists - The Appalachians (Dualtone) 23-track companion to the PBS film
various artists - Roxy Re-Modeled (Basic Lux) new tribute to Roxy Music from dance, down-tempo, and deep house artists
various artists - Teenbeat 20th Anniversary (Teenbeat) budget-priced sampler CD featuring Unrest, Tuscadero, Flin Flon, and more
