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Pop Rock Nation

Category: Releases

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  • New Music In Stores & Online 10/14/08: Keane, Ray Lamontagne and More!!

    The cover of Keane's new album "Perfect Symmetry".Keane: Perfect Symmetry:

    I posted Keane’s new single “Spiralling” in a Single Life column a couple weeks back, and I was surprised not only with its’ quality, but also with how peppy it was. I mean, Keane aren’t totally mopey, but their songs generally have a melancholy quality to them-those Coldplay comparisons aren’t totally farfetched. Perfect Symmetry is rumored to have a more upbeat, Eighties vibe to it, and I can’t wait to hear it.

    Ray Lamontagne: Gossip in the Grain

    Speaking of mopey, raspy voiced singer/songwriter Ray Lamontagne has not been known for being completely upbeat, but there are moments on Gossip-his third album-that are relatively cheery and even reveal a-gasp-sense of humor!! Of course, there are also plenty of tortured ballads here, but the album would be worth it if just to hear his creepy/hilarious tribute to “Meg White”.

    Nikka Costa: Pebble to a Pearl

    Each of the three artists profiled so far is releasing their third album today. Nikka Costa might be the most frustrating of the bunch. Her first album revealed quite a bit of promise, fusing funk and rock in a way not seen since the heyday of Teena Marie. The follow-up, to put it plainly, blew. Switching labels from Virgin over to Stax, Nikka returns after a three-year layoff with a new album, and I’m skeptical about spending my hard-earned ducats on it, so one of you guys reading is gonna have to tell me how the album is.

    …and, there’s not really much else out this week. You can get your metal fix with the new album from Boston’s own Unearth and check out a new EP from singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. There’s also a new one from alt-country giant Lucinda Williams, plus live efforts from Buena Vista Social Club and Phoebe Snow. Otherwise, it’s all reissues and holiday albums.

    The Ho Ho Ho train is in full swing at this point, as there are new holiday-themed efforts from the likes of Los Lonely Boys (!), Sixpence None the Richer (!!) and the Queen of Soul. Aretha Franklin takes some time from bashing Tina Turner and is putting out the first Christmas album of her five-decade career. Of course, it would have been nice if she’d released a holiday album back when she could actually, you know, sing.

    On the reissue tip, Philadelphia International is releasing several of its’ most treasured classic albums, including selections from The O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. The two-disc compilation “Multi-Dimensional Warrior”, featuring some of Carlos Santana‘s best work, is also in stores. There’s also a 2-CD, 1-DVD special edition of Johnny Cash‘s “Live from Folsom Prison”, and the first compilation from R&B crooner Joe hits shelves today.

    Get your full list of new music here

  • Single Life: Special Beyonce Edition: Single Ladies and If I Were a Boy

    For her upcoming third solo album, the lovely Beyonce Knowles has decided to grace us with two singles at once. “If I Were a Boy” and “Single Ladies” are the two opening tracks from her new, as yet untitled album, which is scheduled to hit stores in mid-November. The videos premiere later today, but until then, I’m sure you’re wondering what the songs sound like (if you haven’t heard them already). You can check them out for yourself on Beyonce’s website.

    “If I Were a Boy” is something of a departure for Beyonce. Before actually hearing the song, I was a little concerned that the theme and the song would rip off Ciara’s recent hit “Like a Boy”. While the two songs are thematically similar, Beyonce’s song is more mature from a lyrical and musical standpoint (it should go without saying that Beyonce is a much better singer than Ciara ever will be). I would have loved to hear Beyonce go for the full-on rock treatment and use live drums here, but the song’s still pretty impressive. On the other hand, “Single Ladies” starts off in the same let’s-go-to-the-club vibe as previous Beyonce/ singles like “Jumpin’ Jumpin’” and “Get Me Bodied”. As such, it’s significantly less enjoyable than “If I Were a Boy”. It’s not a bad song per se-again, the beauty of someone as vocally talented as Beyonce is that anything she records is going to at the very least be interesting. However, it’s certainly a letdown after “If I Were a Boy”. Let’s hope that her upcoming album contains more material like “If I Were a Boy” and less material like “Single Ladies”.

  • Kanye’s “Love Lockdown” Video: Mr. West Goes Tribal

    Kanye West. Photo by Tyler Curtis.
    Kanye West. Photo by Tyler Curtis.

    With attention building for his upcoming fourth album “808s and Heartbreak” (out November 25th), Kanye West has just premiered the video for his Top 5 single “Love Lockdown”. Typical of the artier-than-thou West’s previous works, this is a pretty arresting video visually. I can see this cleaning up at next year’s VMAs…and it’s so damn refreshing to see a hip-hop video where the ass-shaking is not coming from a sea of bikini-wearing chicks. I’m just glad ‘Ye didn’t decide to do any of the dancing or dress in any of the tribal gear himself. The other thing I realized while watching this is that the song’s kind of monotonous. Nevertheless, it’ll be interesting to see what the always entertaining Kanye has in store for us in just about six weeks.

    Check out the video here and let us know what you think.