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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Led Zeppelin

  • New Music In Stores & Online 7/22/08: Miley Cyrus, Nine Inch Nails, U2 Reissues & More!!!

    So I still haven’t gotten the Hold Steady record yet. I was away all week and never made it to a record store that sells new music. When I finally did Saturday night (in a rush because I was on my way to a party), the place I went was sold out. Grr. I consoled myself with the new Nas record. So, this week, I’m gonna pretend that “Stay Positive” is a new release…because not much else here interests me. Here are the Top 5 picks.

    *Miley Cyrus “Breakout”: If you’d told me five years ago that Billy Ray Cyrus’s teenage daughter was going to be one of the biggest pop singers in the country, I’d have laughed in your face. Shows you what I know. “Breakout” is the first album where Miley is not at least partially in character as Hannah Montana. If you’re under 16 and female and you want this, I’m cool with that because it means in five years you’ll probably be listening to metal to get that sanitized pop taste out of your mouth. If you’re over 16 and female and you listen to this, the last train to Adulthood is pulling out of the station! Better hop on! If you’re male and you want this CD, either you need your dick cut off, or you’re a creepy old man. In which case you need your dick cut off. So there.

    http://www.mileycyrus.com/official

    *Nine Inch Nails “The Slip”: This is Trent Reznor’s third album of new material in a 16-month span, and it’s a 3-CD set. Shades of Prince circa 1997. “Year Zero” was an OK album, although I’ve sort of grown tired of 40-something year old Trent whining about how fucked up the world is. First single “Discipline” jams harder than any NIN single since “Only”,and the rest of the album (which was pretty much recorded on the fly) promises to at least be interesting. Those of you who are NIN superfans probably have this already, because it was made available on their site a couple of months back. (The CD version of this album is a limited release, folks. So get it while you can.)

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    *U2 “Boy”/”October”/”War” (special editions): Following last year’s successful 20th anniversary re-release of “The Joshua Tree”, U2’s first three albums are given the deluxe treatment, with an added disc each of live stuff, alternate takes and other bonus goodies. They’re all remastered, as well. If memory serves, this is the first remastering job that has been done on these albums, and the improved sound is sorely needed. Although I’m a major U2 fan, I started at “The Joshua Tree” and only went part of the way backwards from there (I don’t own “Boy”, and have only sparingly listened to “October”). That said, “War” is an absolutely must-have album with at least three stone-cold classics (“New Year’s Day”, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “Two Hearts Beat as One”). Might be worth the extra scratch for this special edition. Not that they need the money or anything.

    http://www.u2.com/

    *Sugarland “Love on the Inside”: Actually, this album comes out in earnest next week (which means, given the scarcity of quality releases next week, I may write about this again!). However, there’s a special edition “fan pack” in stores today as well as the vinyl version of the release (you haven’t heard, y’all? Vinyl is back!). You probably remember Sugarland as the country duo who sang with Bon Jovi on “Who Says You Can’t Go Home?” (the God-awful “s’awright, s’awright” song…it won a fucking Grammy, people). I read an Entertainment Weekly article on them over the weekend, and this album-allegedly inspired by artists as varied as Marvin Gaye and R.E.M.- sounds vaguely interesting. It would have to be damn good in order for me to forgive that damn Bon Jovi song.

    http://www.sugarlandmusic.com/splash.html

    *One Day as a Lion “One Day as a Lion (EP)”: Those of you waiting for that eternally-in-gestation solo debut from Zack De La Rocha are gonna have to wait some more. But in the meantime, the former Rage Against the Machine frontman releases this EP with some guy called Jon Theodore. Nope, I dunno who he is either.

    http://www.onedayasalion.org/

    Here are a couple of “WTF” releases for you: Candlebox (remember “Far Behind”? Well, you do know because I’m posting the video) are releasing “Into the Sun”, their first album in ten years. Cue the sound of interested fans numbering into the single digits. Also, apparently Danny Aiello (who the average person either remembers as Sal the pizzeria owner from “Do the Right Thing” or as the guy who played “papa” in Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach” video), is releasing “Live from Atlantic City” today. Danny Aiello sings? Who knew?

    Also…former Squeeze frontman Chris Difford releases the hilariously titled “The Last Temptation of Chris”, former Three Six Mafia associate La Chat is back in action with another album that’s gonna set female rappers back 25 years, blues stalwart Buddy Guy returns with another guest-star filled album (including the requisite Clapton spot), Jam frontman Paul Weller is putting something out, and for those of you who want to relive 1976, Led Zeppelin‘s “The Song Remains the Same” is being re-released on vinyl. Yep, you can still separate your sticks from your seeds in the gatefold sleeve.

    A full list of this week’s releases can be found here.

  • Chart Action: Better Late Than Never

    Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.

    This week’s chart is all about Alicia Keys, who tops the singles and albums charts in both the pop & R&B categories with her third studio album “As I Am”, and it’s first single “No One”. All of Keys’ four albums (including her 2005 “Unplugged” set) have topped the Billboard Albums chart, while “No One” marks her third #1 single, following 2001’s “Fallin’” and 2004’s duet with Usher, “My Boo”. Expect “As I Am” to have a fairly lengthy chart life, especially since Grammy darling Keys will not be eligible to take home any trophies from this album until 2009.

    And yes, you don’t have to rub your eyes. It is 2007, not 1977, and yes, Led Zeppelin and The Eagles are both in the Top Ten.

    While T-Pain continues to make waves on the singles chart by virtue of his sheer presence, the 12-8 move of Fergie’s “Clumsy” gives the singer her fifth Top 10 single from her album “The Dutchess”. As it has become harder for artists to repeatedly crack the Top 10 on the singles chart, Fergie’s achievement is noteworthy because she is the first female artist to draw 5 Top 10 singles from one album since Janet Jackson did it in 1993-1994. She is also the first debut artist to accomplish this feat since Paula Abdul and Milli Vanilli did it in 1989-1990

    This Week’s Top 10 Albums (all chart info courtesy of Nielsen Soundscan & Billboard communications)

    1) “As I Am” Alicia Keys
    2) “Noel” Josh Groban
    3) “Taking Chances” Celine Dion
    4) “Now 26” Various Artists
    5) “The Ultimate Hits” Garth Brooks
    6) “Long Road Out of Eden” The Eagles
    7) “Mothership” Led Zeppelin
    8) “American Gangster” Jay-Z
    9) “Carnival Ride” Carrie Underwood
    10) “Exclusive” Chris Brown

    This Week’s Top 10 Singles:

    1) “No One” Alicia Keys
    2) “Kiss Kiss” Chris Brown feat. T-Pain
    3) “Apologize” Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
    4) “Low” Flo-rida feat. T-Pain
    5) “Bubbly” Colbie Caillat
    6) “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” Soulja Boy Tellem
    7) “Good Life” Kanye West feat. T-Pain
    8) “Clumsy” Fergie
    9) “Cyclone” Baby Bash feat. T-Pain
    10) “Stronger” Kanye West

  • New Releases 11/13/07

    Welcome, folks, to the biggest New Release Tuesday of 2007, where big-name artists in several genres enter a steel cage match for chart supremacy. Well, no, it’s not that serious, but there is a lot of music coming out today. Here’s what you should (or should not, depending) be looking for.
    It’s a good day to be a diva. Alicia Keys unleashes her third studio album, As I Am today. Preceded by the Top 5 hit “No One” and containing collaborations with John Mayer and 4 Non Blonde Linda Perry, this album has more of a pronounced singer/songwriter feel to it than her previous albums. Also in diva-dom, Celine Dion returns from a longer-than-normal absence with her new album, Taking Chances. Once the biggest-selling artist in the world, this album represents a comeback try after laying dormant (or just performing in Vegas) for the past four years. Now for a diva that likely influenced both the aforementioned artists: Aretha Franklin. Big Ree is releasing a highly publicized duets album called Jewels In The Crown. This set contains previously released hits like the #1 “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” with George Michael, and also contains new songs with the likes of Fantasia, Mary J. Blige and John Legend.
    Speaking of returning veterans, it’s hard to believe, but Duran Duran is closing in on their 30th Anniversary. Red Carpet Massacre is the name of their new album, and it contains boldface collaborations with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. While we’re on the topic of funky Brits, you might wanna check out System, the fifth album from Seal. While his last couple of albums found him perfecting the ethereal ballad thing, this album teams him with producer Stuart Price and returns him directly to the dance floor. On the country side, Trisha Yearwood follows her hubby by a week, releasing a new album entitled Heaven, Heartache & The Power of Love.
    Greatest hits albums more your thing? Check out the two-CD best of Led Zeppelin called Mothership. David Gray’s Greatest Hits also arrives today, featuring all the hits from his ATO/RCA tenure, including “Babylon”, “Please Forgive Me” and “The One I Love”. There’s also a compilation summing up the past decade or so in the land of The Goo Goo Dolls. This album contains the massive hits “Iris”, “Name” and “Slide”. Stretching the definition of “hits compilations”, there’s also a live CD/DVD set from James Taylor called One Man Band, and the 26th edition of the venerable Now That’s What I Call Music! series.
    Finally, if you have a jones to relive the Nineties, two albums might interest you. First off, there’s the return of Boyz II Men with an album of Motown covers. Might this be enough to restore interest in the biggest-selling R&B group of all time? Well, it debuted in the Top 10 overseas, so this just might do the trick. If not, you can always pick up the new album by Shaggy, called Intoxication. As with every R&B, reggae or hip-hop album released in 2007, it contains an obligatory Akon cameo.
    Get a complete list of new releases here: http://www.pauseandplay.com/cdfront.htm