Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 14, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
Bad Meets Evil – Hell: The Sequel [EP] (Interscope Records)
Bella Morte – Before The Flood (Metropolis Records)
Black Veil Brides – Set The World On Fire (Republic)
The Book Of Knots – Garden Of Fainting Stars (Ipecac Recordings)
Marc Broussard – Marc Broussard (Atlantic) The Dear Hunter – The Color Spectrum(Triple Crown)
Departures – When Losing Everything Is Everything You Wanted (FITA Records)
Dismantled – The War Inside Me (Metropolis Records)
Emily’s Army – Don’t Be A Dick (Adeline Records)
Jackie Evancho – Dream With Me (Sony Music Distribution)
Gel Roc – Beautiful Tragedy (Abolano Records)
Andy Grammer – Andy Grammer (S-CURVE)
Junior Boys – It’s All True (Domino)
Ledisi – Pieces of Me (Verve Forecast)
Ziggy Marley – Wild And Free (Tuff Gong Worldwide)
Matt – What I Became (Piccadilly Records)
Pat Metheny – What’s It All About (Nonesuch)
Mr. J. Medeiros – Saudade (De Medeiros LLC)
Marissa Nadler – Marissa Nadler (Box Of Cedar)
Of Mice & Men – The Flood (Rise Records) Owl City – All Things Bright and Beautiful(Universal Republic) — Rudy Klapper
Madeleine Peyroux – Standing on the Rooftop (Decca)
Planningtorock – W [Physical Release] (DFA Records)
Q-Tip & J. Period – The [Abstract] Best vol.1 (RBC Records)
Random Axe – Random Axe…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 07, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
Above & Beyond – Group Therapy (Ultra Records) All Time Low – Dirty Work(Interscope/Hopeless) — Dave Donnelly
Amorphis – The Beginning Of Times (Nuclear Blast) Arch Enemy – Khaos Legions(Century Media) — Mike Stagno Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See(Domino) — Joseph Viney Battles – Gloss Drop(Warp Records) Black Lips – Arabia Mountain(Vice Records)
Blindside – With Shivering Hearts We Wait (Red Int/Red Ink)
Mike Bloom – King Of Circles (Little Record Company) City and Colour – Little Hell(Vagrant Records) CMG (Conscious Daughters) – The Jane of All Trades (Llerrad Music Group) Cults – Cults(Columbia)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – It’s A Corporate World (Warner Bros.)
Def Leppard – Mirrorball [Live] (Bludgeon Riffola/Mailboat Records)
Depeche Mode – Remixes 2: 81-11 [Deluxe Edition] (Reprise)
The-Dream – Love Affair (Def Jam)
Elevate: I Am – The Ghost Eclipse Sessions (A Lullaby Factory) Ford & Lopatin – Channel Pressure (Software) Fucked Up – David Comes to Life (Matador Records)
Chilly Gonzales – The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales (Wagram)
Hail Mary Mallon – Are You Gonna Eat That? (Rhymesayers)
Hammerfall – Infected (Nuclear Blast)
Hiromi – Voice (Telarc)
Ashlyne Huff – Let it Out (Liquid Digital Media) …
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 31, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
Arch Enemy – Khaos Legions {EU} (Century Media)
Autopsy – Macabre Eternal (Peaceville
Big L – The Danger Zone (RBC Records)
Blue Stone – Pandora’s Box (Neurodisc)
BT – These Re-Imagined Machines (Nettwerk Records)
Kate Bush – Director’s Cut (Fish People)
Dave Matthews Band – Live at Wrigley Field (RCA) Death Cab For Cutie – Codes and Keys(Atlantic) — Rudy Klapper
The Dismemberment Plan – Live in Japan 2011 (Bad News Records)
Egypt Central – White Rabbit (FAT LADY MUSIC)
Eliane Elias – Light My Fire (Concord Picante)
Samantha Fish – Runaway {EU} (Ruf Records)
Flogging Molly – Speed Of Darkness (Thirty Tigers)
Matthew Good – Lights of Endangered Species (Cobraside)
Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School of Medicine – Enhanced Methods of Questioning (Alternative Tentacle)
Jordan Knight – Unfinished (JK Music)
Kool G Rap – Riches, Royalty, Respect (Fat Beats Records) Loss – Despond(Profound Lore) — Adam Thomas Madlib – Channel 85-Nittyville (Now Again Records)
Maybeshewill – I Was Here for a Moment, Then I Was Gone (Function Records)
The Melvins – Sugar Daddy [Live] (Ipecac Recordings)
My Dying Bride – Evinta (Peaceville) My Morning Jacket – Circuital(ATO RECORDS) — Rudy Klapper
Kelli O’Hara – Always (Ghostlight)
Pagan’s Mind – Heavenly Ecstasy (Steamhammer)
Pain – You Only Live Twice {EU} (Nuclear Blast)
Robert Pollard – Lord Of The Birdcage (Guided By Voices)
Seapony – Go With…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 24, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
Acid Reign – Diversity (Uncommon Records)
Aerosmith – Tough Love: Best Of The Ballads (Geffen Records)
Against Me – Total Clarity (Fat Wreck Chords)
Amorphis – The Beginning Of Times {EU} (Nuclear Blast)
Army of the Universe – Mother Ignorance (Metropolis Records) Art Brut – Brilliant! Tragic! (Cooking Vinyl) — Joseph Viney
David Bazan – Strange Negotiations (Barsuk)
Black Stone Cherry – Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea (Roadrunner Records)
Black Tusk – Passage Through Purgatory [Remastered] (Relapse)
Boris – Attention Please (Sargent House)
Boris – Heavy Rocks (Sargent House)
Carter’s Chord – Wild Together (Universal Music)
Cave In – White Silence (Hydra Head Records)
Clan Of Xymox – Darkest Hour (Metropolis Records)
Coerce – Ethereal Surrogate Saviour {AU} (Capitalgames Records) Destroyer 666 – To the Devil His Due (Hells Headbangers)
The Devil Whale – Teeth (The Devil Whale) Fireworks – Gospel(Triple Crown Records) Foster the People – Torches(Columbia) — Rudy Klapper
Friendly Fires – Pala (XL Recordings)
Haemorrhage – Hospital Carnage (Relapse)
Inevitable End – Oculus (Relapse)
In Solitude – World the Flesh the Devil (Metal Blade)
Johanna & The Dusty Floor – Northern Lights (Red Valise Records) King Creosote and Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine (Domino Records) — Observer Lady Gaga…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 17, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
Anaal Nathrakh – Passion(Candlelight Records) — Jared Ponton Arsonists Get All The Girls – Motherland (Century Media)
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones – Rocket Science (Entertainment One Music)
Chrome Division – 3rd Round Knockout (Nuclear Blast)
Company of Thieves – Running From A Gamble (Wind-Up)
Danger Mouse & Daniel Luppi – Rome (Capitol)
Edo G – A Face In the Crowd (Traffic Ent. Group) The Elected – Bury Me in My Rings(Vagrant Records) — Rudy Klapper
Face To Face – Laugh Now, Laugh Later (People Like You Records)
Gallhammer – The End (Peaceville)
Glasvegas – Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\ (Columbia)
Hammerfall – Infected {EU} (Nuclear Blast)
Ben Harper – Give Till It’s Gone (Virgin Records)
Hell – Human Remains (Nuclear Blast)
Sarah Jarosz – Follow Me Down (Sugarhill)
J Rawls – The Hip Hop Affect (Green Streets Entertainment)
King Sun – XL (Traffic Ent. Group)
Mai Doi Todd – Cosmic Ocean Ship (Virtual Label)
Mayan – Quarterpast [Epica Side Project] {EU} (Nuclear Blast)
Metal Mother – Bonfire Diaries (Post Primal)
Moby – Destroyed (Mute)
Neek the Exotic+Large Pro – Still On the Hustle (Fatbeats)
New Boyz – Too Cool to Care (Asylum Records)
Oddisee – Odd Seasons (Mello Music Group)
Pestilence – Doctrine (Mascot Records)
Planningtorock – W (DFA Records)
A Storm…
Marissa Nadler has a sound that is a little hard to nail down. Her music is commonly referred to as ‘Dream-Folk’, but it often feels less like a dream and more like the morning after a drunken cry. Her music is generally soft and introspective as subtle acoustic melodies are washed over by layers of warm sound and Marissa’s beautifully expressive voice. This is a sound that Marissa has been perfecting since the release of her debut album in 2004, Ballads of Living and Dying. The album title itself should leave little doubt that Marissa doesn’t often sing about summer days and sunshine. Her last album, Little Hells, was released more than two years ago, but it appears that the wait is almost over.
Marissa Nadler’s self-titled fifth album will be released on June 14 through Box of Cedar Records. In preparation for the album’s release, Marissa has posted the video for the first single, “Baby, I Will Leave You in the Morning.” The video stars Marissa Nadler (apparently only the second video for her music that she has ever actually appeared in) singing in an old theatre that can only be described as haunting. The video continues its eerie trip as it fades from one peculiar location to the next while Marissa continues to sing in her flowing white dress. The song itself…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 10, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
16Volt – Beating Dead Horses(Metropolis Records) — Trey Spencer
Africa Hitech – 93 Million Miles (Warp Records)
And One – Tanzomat (Metropolis Records) The Antlers – Burst Apart(Frenchkiss Records) — Rudy Klapper
Anvil – Juggernaut Of Justice (The End)
Balance and Composure – Separation (No Sleep Records)
Black Label Society – Song Remains Not the Same (Entertainment One Music)
Blue October – Ugly Side: An Acoustic Evening with Blue October (RED GENERAL CATALOG)
Greg Brown – Freak Flag (Yep Roc Records)
The Cars – Move Like This (Hear Music)
Cirkus – Medicine (Booga Bisquit) Ema – Past Life Martyred Saints(Redeye Label)
Hate Eternal – Phoenix Amongst the Ashes (Metal Blade)
Jesu – Ascension (Caldo Verde) Miles Kane – Colour of the Trap (Columbia Records) — Davey Boy Hugh Laurie – Let Them Talk {UK} (Warner Bros)
Le Butcherettes – Sin Sin Sin (Rodriguez Lopez Productions) The Lonely Island – Turtleneck And Chain(Universal) — Channing Freeman Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math(Favorite Gentlemen Recordings) — Matt Wolfe Man Man – Life Fantastic(Anti/Epitaph) — Adam Thomas
Man Overboard – The Human Highlight Reel (MRI)
Mexicans With Guns – Ceremony (Innovative Leisure)
Matthew Morrison [Glee] – Matthew Morrison (Island)
We’ll be streaming Sarah Fimm’s upcoming album through the entire week so be sure to check it out here. Also, it appears that Rudy Klapper has completed his coverage of this year’s Coachella festival. Feel free to check into that as well.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 03, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
Karrin Allyson – Round Midnight (Concord Records)
And So I Watch You From Afar – Gangs (Richter Collective) Architecture In Helsinki – Moment Bends(Downtown Records) — Davey Boy Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part 2(Capitol Records)
Cat’s Eyes – Cat’s Eyes (Downtown Records) Decree – Fateless(Artoffact Records) — Trey Spencer
Donny and Marie – Donny and Marie (MPCA) Dredg – Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy(Superball Music)
Elusive – Beat Placement (Fly Definition) Sarah Fimm – Near Infinite Possibility(Sarah Fimm LLC) — Trey Spencer Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues(Sub Pop) — Tyler Fisher
Foundation – When The Smoke Clears (Bridge Nine Records)
Galactic – The Other Side Of Midnight: Live In New Orleans (Anti/Epitaph)
Have Nots – Proud (Paper and Plastick)
Kate & Anna McGarrigle – Tell My Sister (Nonesuch)
Leaves’ Eyes – Meredead (Napalm Records)
Jennifer Lopez – Love? (Island)
Midnattsol – The Metamorphosis Melody (Napalm Records)
Musiq Soulchild – MUSIQINTHEMAGIQ (Atlantic)
Neranature –…
Note: The stream for Sarah Fimm’s new album has run its course. Thanks again to Sarah for making this music and allowing us to share it before the official release date. The album is now streaming at theAOL site.
Remember, if you liked what you heard you should seek it out and support independent artists:
This album has really been a decade in the making. Obviously Sarah Fimm hasn’t spent the last ten years writing for Near Infinite Possibility, but every previous release has been building to this. Each album has slowly saw Sarah’s songwriting skills increase and her reliance on electronics and sparse compositions fade. They have been little snapshots in time — displaying her gradual inclusion of additional instruments and guest musicians. This progress seemed to culminate with Red Yellow Sun in 2009, but apparently it was but another stepping stone.
Near Infinite Possibility sounds full and varied as it picks up where Red Yellow Sun left off and leaps forward another ten steps. It is a mixture of 70s psychedelic rock, alt. rock, moments of prog and elements of folk. It is a moody album that is sometimes dark and sometimes strange, but always excellent.
Be sure to check out Rudy Klapper’s Coachella Festival coverage beginning here.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 26, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
About Group – Start & Complete (Domino Recording Co.)
Agoraphobic Nosebleed/Despise You – And On and On… (Relapse) Augustana – Augustana(Epic) — Jared Ponton
Bootsy Collins – The Funk Capitol of the World (Mascot Records)
Bowling For Soup – Fishin’ For Woos (RED GENERAL CATALOG) Boxcutter – The Dissolve(Planet Mu)
Circle of Silence – The Blackened Halo (Massacre Records)
Dawn Of Disease – Legends Of Brutality (Noise Art Records) Deafheaven – Roads to Judah(Deathwish Inc)
Steve Earle – I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (New West Records)
The Echocentrics – Sunshadows (UBIQUITY RECORDS) Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care(Temporary Residence)
Girl Names – Dead To Me (Slumberland Records)
Emmylou Harris – Hard Bargin (Nonesuch)
Insidead – Chaos Elecdead (Massacre Records) In the Nursery – Blind Sound(ITN Corp) — Trey Spencer
Katatonia – Last Fair Deal Gone Down [Deluxe Edition] (Peaceville)
Katatonia – Night is the New Day [Deluxe Edition] (Peaceville) KMFDM – WTF?!(Metropolis Records) — Trey Spencer
Lake Of Tears – Illwill (AFM Records) Laura Stevenson & the Cans – Sit Resist (Don Giovanni Records) — Channing Freeman Lions!Tigers!Bears! – Shallow Waters, Endless Depth (TRAGIC HERO RECORDS)
Julian Lynch – Terra (Underwater…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 19, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
Azymuth – Aurora (Far Out Recordings)
The Belle Brigade – The Belle Brigade (Reprise)
Blackfield – Welcome To My DNA (Kscope)
Blu – Her Favorite Colo(u)r (Nature Sounds)
Kimberly Caldwell – Without Regret (Capitol)
Cam’ron & Vado – Gunz N Butta (Entertainment One) Del The Funky Homosapien – Golden Era (The Council)
Dengue Fever – Cannibal Courtship (Fantasy)
DJ Quik – The Book of David (Mad Science) Duff McKagan’s Loaded – The Taking(Eagle Records) — Joseph Viney
Eliza Doolittle – Eliza Doolittle (Capitol) Explosions In The Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care {UK} (Temporary Residence Limited)
Former Thieves – The Language That We Speak (No Sleep Records)
French Horn Rebellion – The Infinite Music of… [Digital release] (Once Upon A Time Records)
Graveyard – Hisingen Blues (Nuclear Blast America)
The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart (Sub Pop)
I’m From Barcelona – Forever Today (MUTE)
InfinitiRock – Apeirophobia (Base Trip Records)
Lanu – Her 12 Faces (Tru Thoughts Recordings)
Leaves’ Eyes – Meredead {EU} (Napalm Records)
Lenka – Two (Epic)
Mf Doom – Operation Doomsday: Lunchbox [Box set] (Metal Face Records)
Midnattsol – The Metamorphosis Melody {EU} (Napalm Records)
Mike Tramp & Rock N Roll Circuz – Stand Your Ground (Cleopatra)
Tracy Nelson – Victim of the Blues (Delta Groove Productions) Norther – Circle Regenerated(Century Media)
Pendragon – Passion (Snapper Madfish)
Periphery – Icarus Lives!…
I’ll admit that my opinion of Korn’s music is pretty low these days. I haven’t even remotely enjoyed one of their albums since Take a Look in the Mirror in 2003. I understand that a band has to expand their sound after a decade of releasing variations of the same idea, but See You on the Other Side and Untitled were terrible. It seems that even the band knew that they were headed down the wrong path because they eventually released a ‘back-to-roots’ album called Korn III: Remember Who You Are. Unfortunately, it seemed to lack actual conviction and appeared to confirm that God stole the only decent songwriter in the band. This takes us to the new song, “Get Up”, that features American electronic artist Skrillex.
When explaining “Get Up” Jonathan Davis had this to say: “I heard a few of Skrillex’s re-mixes and really felt there would be a good chance that he would have the right sensibility to connect us to a new hard sound and direction, but still keeping Korn guitars and our vibe. We were just thinking of trying something new, to be honest, so I had my manager reach out to the Skrillex camp. When we got into the studio the connection was instant!”
The song is apparently due to be released on a new Korn EP in May, and I’m not sure if this is a one-time engagement or if Skrillex will collaborate on…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 12, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
Azam Ali – From Night to the Edge of Day (Six Degrees)
Alison Krauss & Union Station – Paper Airplanes (Rounder) Atmosphere – The Family Sign(Rhymesayers)— John A. Hanson Autechre – EPs 1991-2002 (Warp Records) Believer – Transhuman(Metal Blade Records) — Trey Spencer
Bell X1 – Bloodless Coup (Yep Roc Records)
Between the Buried and Me – The Parallax (Metal Blade Records)
Caustic – The Golden Vagina Of Fame And Profit (Metropolis Records)
Classified – Handshakes+Middle Fingers (Decon)
Clemits – My Secret Garden (MSG Records)
Combichrist – Throat Full of Glass [EP] (Metropolis Records) Crystal Stilts – In Love With Oblivion (Slumberland Records)
Brett Dennen – Loverboy (Dualtone Music Group)
Elbow – Build a Rocket Boys! (Downtown/Cooperative Music)
The Feelies – Here Before (BAR NONE ENT) Foo Fighters – Wasting Light(RCA) — Nick Butler
Fractured – Beneath the Ashes (Metropolis Records)
Dana Fuchs – Love to Beg (RUF RECORDS)
Generationals – Actor-Caster (PARK THE VAN RECORDS)
Guano Apes – Bel Air {EU} (Columbia Europe)
Holy Ghost! – Holy Ghost! (DFA) Jessie J – Who You Are(Universal Music Group)
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit – Here We Rest (LIGHTNING ROD REC.)
Joan As Police Woman – The Deep…
Believer will be releasing their fifth album, Transhuman, on April 12th through Metal Blade Records. They initially released a video for the song “G.U.T.” which showcased the band’s new direction — a direction that seemed to focus more on stiff rhythms than on thrashy aggression. It was also the first song to showcase the band’s new vocal style on the choruses. The clean harmonized vocal style worked well contrasted with the band’s typical metal ‘rasp’ and showed that they were serious about continuing to push their progression.
The next song to be released was “Mindsteps”. This is an uplifting song that closes out the album with more stiff rhythms and a huge focus on melody. It also features nothing but Kurt Bachman’s new clean singing style. “Mindsteps” is also notable because it’s easily one of the band’s most subdued numbers. With the release of this song the band proved beyond a doubt that Transhuman had the potential to be a huge departure.
They’ve now released the final song before the release of the album, “Ego Machine”. “Ego Machine” displays yet another facet of Transhuman’s overall sound. This song brings back some of the band’s thrash leanings as well as the high pitched rasp associated with it. The chorus has the potential to be a surprise to fans with its deep throaty growl contrasted with clean singing in the background. Despite the thrashier sound it also still adheres to the band’s focus on stiff rhythms and a slightly…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 05, 2011. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors.
2562 – Fever (When In Doubt) 3:33 – EP 1 (Parallel Thought)
Ambrose Akinmusire – When the Heart Emerges Glistening (Blue Note Records)
Artillery – My Blood (METAL MIN2)
Asking Alexandria – Reckless & Relentless (Sumerian Records) Katy B – On A Mission(Columbia Records) The Blackout – Hope (Cooking Vinyl) — Davey Boy Blueprint – Adventures In Counter Culture (Rhymesayers Entertainment)
John Brodeur – Tiger Pop Ten (Mr. Duck Records)
Brotha Lynch Hung – Coathanga Strangla (Strange Music)
Craig Campbell – Craig Campbell (Bigger Picture)
Cold Cave – Cherish The Light Years (Matador Records) Daft Punk – Tron: Legacy Reconfigured(Disney)
Ray Davies – See My Friends (Decca Records)
FM Static – My Brain Says Stop, But My Heart Says Go (Tooth & Nail Records) Ghostlimb – Infrastructure(Vitriol Records)
Kina Grannis – Stairwells (One Haven)
Hollywood Undead – American Tragedy (A&M/Octone)
Hot Tuna – Steady As She Goes (Red House)
Ill Bill & Vinnie Paz – Heavy Metal Kings (Enemy Soil) The Kills – Blood Pressures(Domino) — Rudy Klapper
Kool Keith – Legend of Tashan Dorrsett (Junkadelic Music)
Mandisa – What If We Were Real (Sparrow)
George Michael – The Lowdown (SEXY INTELLECTUAL)
Negura Bunget – Focul Viu [CD/DVD] (Prophecy)
Gretchen Parlato – The…
