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Tag: New Music

  • The New Music Files 12/16/08: Ending the Year With a Bang

    Well, folks, we’ve come to the end of the road for 2008. The last big release date of the year. The labels are emptying their chambers until 2009 (and from the looks of the ’09 release schedule…those chambers won’t be emptied until we’re way into 2009). Here’s what you can expect to see on the new release shelves in stores today.

    Fall Out Boy Folie a Deux: This is supposed to be Pete Wentz and the boys’ “political” album, originally scheduled to release on Valentine’s Day. While I kinda like FOB (their last album impressed me, actually), I’m not so sure that I want to hear them talking about politics. Anyway, Folie a Deux continues their move from emo to power-pop as evidenced by their hit single “I Don’t Care”. Debbie Harry and Lil’ Wayne-of course-are among the guests on this album.

    Anthony Hamilton The Point of it All: This man, ladies and gentlemen, is a soul singer the way they used to make ’em. His first two albums have been excellent, and even the pre-fame vault releases that have been put out are pretty good. The Point of it All is touted as a more uptempo effort from Anthony, but I’ve heard the whole album, and it’s not much different from his first two. This is a good thing, because I was scared when I found out the first single had a cameo from rapper David Banner.

    Keyshia Cole A Different Me: It took Mary J. Blige 13 years and seven studio albums before she went from “troubled” to “diva”. Keyshia Cole is trying to turn the same trick in five years and three albums. Of course, Mary had to deal with drug and alcohol addiction and an abusive relationship. Keyshia’s pretty much only had to deal with being a hoodrat. This new album is already off to a shaky start, as the first single heads back to the grave of Tupac Shakur one more time. Leave the man alone! He’s been dead 12 years now!!!

    Soulja Boy Tell ’em ISouljaboytellem.com: What’s that sound? It’s the sound of Soulja Boy Tellem’s career dying a quick and undignified death! The maker of last year’s biggest novelty hit returns for round 2, only this time, no one cares.

    Jamie Foxx Intuition: Back when Jamie was playing Ugly Wanda on “In Living Color”, did anyone think the words “Oscar winner” would precede his name? Probably not, but here we are a decade and a half later, and Foxx has a successful dual career as actor and singer. This, his third solo album, features more slightly lecherous R&B (dude, you’re 40!) with cameos from T.I., Ne-Yo, and (you guessed it) Lil’ Wayne.

    But wait, there’s more!

    The All-American Rejects follow up their breakthrough album, Move Along, with When the World Comes Down, which features the hit single “Gives You Hell”. They’re joined on this week’s release schedule by rapper Plies (didn’t he just release an album?), Josey Scott & Saliva, and in this week’s oddest release, Vibes,a reggae album by Heavy D. Yes, that Heavy D.

    On the reissue tip, The Bee Gees re-release their Love Songs compilation a full month and a half in advance of Valentine’s Day.How thoughtful. There’s also the annual Dave Matthews Band live album (I think this might be one of the last shows sax man Leroi Moore played), a best of from Ghostface Killah, and budget compilations from the likes of Bob Dylan, Brooks & Dunn and REO Speedwagon, so if you’ve been interested in checking these bands out, you can do so at a low price.

    Get your full list of this week’s new releases here.

    And with that, “The New Music Files” is taking the remainder of 2008 (and the first week or two of 2009) off. Enjoy the holiday season and see you next year!!

  • The New Music Files 12/9/08: Common, Maroon 5 & More

    Common Universal Mind Control
    The rapper formerly known as Common Sense is used to being one of the most critically acclaimed emcees by the music press. That apparently has stopped with Universal Mind Control. The Chicago wordsmith’s eighth album has been panned by just about every publication I’ve laid my eyes on. Common has forgone his usual soulful, thoughtful raps for a more danceable, electronic style-apparently inspired by an experience at a club in Europe where he apparently got upset because none of his songs were being played. Hey, man…not all good music is danceable. The jury’s out on this, but I’m prepared to be disappointed.

    Maroon 5 Call & Response: The Remix Album
    The remix album is a phenomenon that’s kinda fallen by the wayside in recent years, and probably with good reason-anyone remember Limp Bizkit’s attempt at one? At any rate, Maroon 5’s album contains reworkings by the likes of DJ Premier, Jazzy Jeff and ?uestlove of The Roots, as well as some more club-conscious remixes by some of today’s hottest electronic producers. I’d trust Adam Levine and the boys to make my body rock a little more than Common does. Just sayin’.

    Brandy Human
    It’s Moesha, y’all!! The former teen idol is now pushing 30, and has a great deal of life experience behind her. She suffered the indignity of a lie she told the public about getting married blowing up in her face, and she was involved in a car accident a couple years back that killed a woman. So, we’re looking at a new, thoughtful Brandy. So if you’re one of those folks who was bopping to The Boy is Mine back in the day, you can welcome your girl home.

    Musiq Soulchild OnMyRadio
    I like Musiq Soulchild, despite the fact that he’s essentially made the exact same album four times in a row. I’m not expecting #5 to be any different, so I’m on the fence about getting this. The current single, “Ifyouleave” (cut it out already with the stupid song titles), features Mary J. Blige and is a pleasant enough song. Just not sure if it’s good enough to make me part with my eleven dollars.

    Avant     Avant
    The only thing notable about Avant is that he sounds like R. Kelly. Well, there’s also the fact that people seem to buy his records for some odd reason. This is, if I’m not mistaken, his fifth album. And apparently, there’s a duet with R. Kelly on it! Ha! I get it!

    As you can tell, this Tuesday is a heavily R&B and hip hop-centric release date, so it’s up to Thrice to represent for all the rock folks out there. Live at the House of Blues is a 3-CD set which should appeal to diehard fans of the band (whoever they are). In the “Where Are They Now?” department, the first solo effort from Ken Block, the lead singer of rootsy-rock band Sister Hazel, is hitting stores today as well.In the re-issue department, a couple of classic albums have been expanded and re-released: Jimi Hendrix‘s Electric Ladyland and Pavement‘s alt-rock classic Brighten the Corners. Finally, Motown #1s is a multi-CD box set that collects every single #1 record in the U.S. or the U.K. from the legendary label. So you not only get the best of The Supremes, Tempts and Tops, but you get Seventies Classics from Stevie and Marvin, some 80s flavor from DeBarge and Lionel Richie, and a little bit of Nineties courtesy of Boyz II Men. If you’ve got the scratch and a jones to hear these classic tunes (or know someone who does), this would make a very nice stocking stuffer!

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

  • The New Music Files 12/2/08: Britney, Akon & (Not Much) More!

    Here we are folks, the dog days of December. The list of releases has trickled to a crawl for the next couple of months, which means we’re gonna have to stretch to find five noteworthy releases some weeks-like this one. Matter of fact, I’m not even gonna try to come up with a list of five. There are exactly three albums coming out tomorrow that anyone gives half a damn about, and they are as follows:

    Britney Spears Circus: She may have gotten off the crazy train, but there’s nothing to suggest that Britney’s music has undergone any sort of change in the year and change since the Platinum Blackout hit store shelves. Mindless dance pop is still the order of the day, and Britney’s vocal contributions are, as always, negligible-but have no actual bearing on whether the music within is good or not. Choice title? If You Seek Amy. Confused. Say it reallllly slooowwwww. Get it now? Yeah. Proof that all the antidepressants in the world can’t bring you class.

    Akon Freedom: Fresh from dry-humping teenage girs and tossing fans into crowds (oh, and lying about his criminal past), Akon’s third album reveals more of the wafer-thin (in vocal talent as well as stature) artist’s clubby dance anthems and simple pop songs. The guest list on this album reads like a shopping list, but you can bet that the ubiquitous Lil’ Wayne and T-Pain are both represented here.

    Scarface Emeritus: You gotta give the O.G. props for trying, right? Half a decade since anyone gave a damn, the grandfather of Southern rap returns with his umpteenth solo album. ‘Face has flown pretty far under the radar these past couple of years (being on a label like Asylum probably doesn’t help much), but this album will appeal to just about anyone who’s bought his work (either solo or as part of The Geto Boys and Facemob) over the past 20 years.

    Elsewhere, there’s a Panic at the Disco Live record out for the 7 of you who still care, and the Cadillac Records soundtrack also hits stores. The film, which tells the story of legendary blues label Chess Records, stars Mos Def and Beyonce, who sings Etta James’ At Last on the soundtrack. On the reissue tip, there’s also a Chess Records anthology featuring the original versions of the songs featured in this movie. And yeah…that’s all, folks.

    Get a complete list of this week’s releases here.