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New Music Tuesday: April 29, 2008

Madonna releases her 11th album, Hard Candy today.

And with that begins a New Music Tuesday with less chit-chat and more facts and figures.

• We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things - Jason Mraz
• Rising Down - The Roots
• Can't Love, Can't Hurt - Augustana
• Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch (hell yes that's Tom Petty)
• Third - Portishead
• Robyn - Robyn
• Nine Lives - Steve Winwood
• The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark - Dillard & Clark (fantastic though ill-forgotten 1968 debut)
• Jim - Jamie Lidell

Elvis Shares Love Of Vinyl With New Album Release

Elvis Costello has never been one for anything conventional. Since his punk/new-wave beginnings through his sometimes controversial social commentary he's always done things the way he sees fit. His latest album and twenty-fourth overall, won't be any different.

Momofuku was released April 22nd as a digital and vinyl release only. Why release the only hardcopy on vinyl? According to the man himself, “This is how it sounds the best: with a needle in a groove, the way the Supreme Being intended it to be.” As an added incentive and bonus for those who buy the album on vinyl, the double disc edition includes a free digital download of Momofuku. If you like Costello but don't buy vinyl then it sucks to be you. At least for a few weeks anyway.

“You may prefer other, more portable, less scratchable, editions that will soon become available for your convenience," says Mr. Costello. How soon? May 6th will see Momofuku released on the boring media of compact disc.

The album was named after the famed cup of noodle inventor, Momofuku Ando and includes appearances by Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis as well as songs co-written with Loretta Lynn and Rosanne Cash.

Try Madonna's "Hard Candy" Online

For you fossil collectors out there; Madonna's upcoming album, Hard Candy, will be out next week. Perhaps i'm being too harsh or maybe I missed the boat by growing up in the 90s but i've never been that impressed with Madonna's music. The fact that she changes musical styles like a porn star changes partners is somewhat impressive but less so if it's viewed as just jumping on whatever bandwagon is popular at the time.

Our review of Hard Candy will be out shortly but in the meantime you can stream the album in its entirety on Madonna's Myspace Page.

Regina Spektor is "On The Radio"

For your viewing and auditory pleasure we present to you the new music video for Regina Spektor's On The Radio and her masterful treatment of John Lennon's Real Love. If you like what you see and hear then check out Regina's last album, Begin To Hope. You can find her cover of Real Love and many other Lennon songs covered by various popular musicians on the album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur.

Weezer Return With Self-Titled "Red Album"

Some truly glorious news for music fans. Weezer's sixth studio album and third self-titled album will soon be upon us. That's right, the "Red Album" will be out June 24th. The first single Pork And Beans will be released tomorrow and is already up for preview on the band's website. If you pre-buy the album on iTunes you'll receive two bonus tracks - I Can Love and It's Easy and early access from Ticketmaster for pre-sale tickets to Weezer's upcoming US tour.

Weezer (The Red Album) promises to be a big departure from the band's varied but common scene albums before it. Rivers Cuomo has described the songs on the new album as being non-traditional song forms with elements of synths, different members singing and writing, and even Southern Rap.

Side Note: this is undoubtedly the best Weezer album cover ever. Period.

New Music Tuesday: April 22, 2008

Ashley Simpson continues to make albums for her uh, "fans?"Anyway, it seems that Ashley is still searching for whatever sound sells her the most albums and now jumps on the current dance bandwagon on Bittersweet World. With tracks produced by Timbaland and the Neptunes how could it go wrong? Oh so many ways. On a personal note, her dad gives me the creeps. Anybody else?

Fresh off their Showtime special, Australia's number one all male- acoustic - singer/songwriter duo Flight Of The Conchords finally release their first album, brilliantly titled - Flight Of the Conchords. These guys are pretty damn funny though the album does leave out the gut-busting song Jenny. The album is on the Sub Pop label which is home to alot of indie rock groups including The Shins and The Postal Service. Relevant? No. Interesting? Only slightly.

And now the rest:

• The Doors: Vinyl Box Set - The Doors (Buy VINYL!)
• Hello Destiny - Goldfinger
• Tiffany Evans - Tiffany Evans
• The Black Swan - Story Of The Year
• Elephant Shell - Tokyo Police Club
• Hideaway - The Weepies
• H.N.I.C, pt. 2 - Prodigy
• The Fashion - The Fashion
• Walk This Way - The White Tie Affair
• For My Friends - Blind Melon
• When Life Hands You Lemons, You Paint That Sh*t Gold - Atmosphere (kinda of a catchy title)
  

KT Tunstall - If Only music video

The latest single off of KT Tunstall's Drastic Fantastic is If Only and is accompanied by a great retro video. The way it's shot reminds me of some of the segments Sesame Street or Mister Roger's Neighborhood would use to fill out their shows.

New Music Tuesday: April 15, 2008

Mariah Carey makes history by tying the Beatles with 18 number one singles. Her new single Touch My Body off of E=MC2 entered lower on the singles charts in late February but climbed its way to the top by April. As a follow up to the critically successful Emancipation of Mimi, E=MC2 has alot to live up to but seems to be receiving mostly positive reviews. Nice to see an artist that doesn't have to use sex to sell records but still insists on it.

Phantom Planet, known mostly for the song California that opened the show The O.C., finally release their follow up to 2004's self-titled release with Raise The Dead. Reportedly a concept album, Raise The Dead leaves behind the dirty garage-rock sound of Phantom Planet and returns to the more fan friendly sounds of The Guest. A good move depending on how much you liked that second record.

The Rest:

• Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs (Soundtrack) - Various
  
• Hello - Tristan Prettyman (not a dude)
• Hannah Montan/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds in Concert - Miley Cyrus (when will it end Lord? when?)
• The Alchemy Index, Vol 3 & 4: Air & Earth - Thrice
• Count To Ten - Tina Dico
• Through These Walls - Hilary McRae (Joss Stone, is that you?)
• The Singer - Teitur (good singer-songwriter)
• Phoenix - Asia (i'm probably not the demographic they're after; still, nice to see Steve Howe in anything)
• Saturdays = Youth - M83 (Mariah's not the only one who can use "=")
• The Vegas Years - Everclear (whoa, a flashback to the summer of 98)
  
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New Music: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

I'm not quite sure how this one slipped by us since we had a post on it a couple weeks ago but, Nick Cave & the Bad Seed released their fourteenth album, Dig, Lazarus Dig!!! last Tuesday. Normally i'd just let it go but it's worth going back for Nick Cave. Give it a go and if you "dig" the sound, you might also want to check out his work with Grinderman.

Radiohead Kicks Off World Tour In US

Radiohead will begin the North American leg of their international tour May 5th in Florida with at least 20 confirmed dates to follow. Check Ticketmaster to see if they'll be playing a show in your area.

Frontman Thom Yorke is notorious for his distaste for long tours and subsequently Radiohead don't tour that often and even less so stateside. A couple of the shows are already sold out so get your tickets early. And if you have yet to pick up a copy of In Rainbows - what the hell are you waiting for? It's their best work since OK Computer - according to some (read Kid A fan).

You can read more about the tour on Billboard.

New Music Tuesday: April 8, 2008

Leona Lewis is a Brit who hit it big on an American Idol like show in her home country called The X Factor. She took the top prize in the show's third season and won a world-wide launch for her debut album, Spirit. Her R&B tinged pop style has already put her album at number two on iTunes album chart. As a sidenote, Simon Cowell is credited as The X Factor's creator/producer/judge.

Rapper Ray J releases his fourth album, All I Feel, and continues to underwhelm. You might know him as R&B singer Brandy's younger brother. However, if you're a net junkie then you probably know him better for his co-starring role in the Kim Kardashian sex tape. I know him as Brandy's younger brother...

The Rest:

• When Angels & Serpents Dance - P.O.D. (I didn't know they were still around either)
• Unfold - Marie Digby (YouTube phenom)
• 19 - Adele (A British songbird who's not in rehab)
• Mountain Battles - The Breeders
• Neptune - The Duke Spirit
• Let's Get Physical - Elephant Man (album cover of the year?)
• Walk It Off - Tapes 'N Tapes
  

Drum Video: Kanye West "Stronger" Remix

New Sixpence None The Richer Album

Good news for Sixpence None The Richer fans. The band is back in the studio and already have a new track up for preview with more new material coming soon. Sixpence None The Richer is probably best known for the song Kiss Me - which was a late 90s teen movie and tv soundtrack favorite. Unfortunately for the band they never got past that "teen pop" label, but, in fact they have quite a few good songs in the bank and of course, there's Leigh Nash's ethereal vocals. You can hear the new track and read a small blog blurb on the subject at Sixpence's Myspace page.

New Music Tuesday: April 1, 2008

Aging techno-whiz Moby is back with his follow up to the rather straight forward and instantly forgettable Hotel with Last Night, his ninth studio album. It's a back to basics approach that thankfully moves Moby back to more familiar dance floor territory. You can hear the entire album on Moby's Myspace page here.

Michael Stipe and R.E.M. are back with Accelerate, their first album in four years. Accelerate is already getting mainly positive reviews and after the disappointment of 2004's Around The Sun, it's a much needed boost for the band.

On Attack & Release the Black Keys continue to put all the White Stripes comparisons to rest by taking the lo-fi blues attack in their own direction. It's just another Black Keys album that reminds you just how uncool your music collection is without them.

The rest:

• **** Live In Phoenix - Fall Out Boy
• Shine A Light (Soundtrack)- The Rolling Stones
• Troubadour - George Strait
• Keep It Simple - Van Morrison (original compositions)
• The Bright Lights of America - Anti-Flag
• Chaper VII: Hope And Sorrow - Sevendust
• A Sense Of Purpose - In Flames
• April - Sun Kil Moon