There is an interesting selection found here folks. I am really not sure where to throw my money for the first round of tunes this week. I am very interested (and slightly due to patriotism and cultural heritage) in hearing the remastered "Native North America" series, but also interested in what David Guetta (not so sure after some of the reviews though), Thomas Giles, and Circa Survive all have to bring to the table.
Sure shots like Eminem, Cloudkicker, and Soundgarden are already top notch in my book, but hopefully without being of blind faith to your readers. Round out the rest of this rant with Bjork, Attila, and Coldplay will no doubt have decent sales considering the followings behind them, so I need not bore you with my intentions of listening to those albums more than once (I am respectful of their input into the music industry, regardless of personal taste in music choice).
So that being said, I hope you all enjoy these releases as much as I will this week. Be sure to drop by a local record store not only to show love for the artist, but the fine business owners of the record shop. If online is more your thing, then grab it from an online retailer, or a trusted digital source. Cheers!
Native North America likewise shows the extent to which popular music welcomes and nourishes marginalized perspectives; the form is endlessly adaptable and fundamentally democratic—even when democracy itself is not. Most of these artists faced prejudice or hardship of varying severity, which naturally informed their music.
The comp celebrates those distinctions even if it can’t quite underscore them, which means the extensive liner notes become a crucial guide for listening. A problem that affects so many compilations becomes especially acute: You not only want to hear more songs by these artists, but also want to hear more songs in their original context. -Pitchfork
The album does offer a refreshingly intimate look at his songwriting style and state of mind, which, after a divorce from his wife of 20 years, seems contemplative.
Despite its all-but-guaranteed success, it may not bring Guetta anywhere he hasn’t already been over the past 30 years. Instead, it shines a light on what he does perhaps better than anyone in EDM: write songs that feel poignantly, unequivocally now. -Billboard
(Thomas Giles - Modern Noise)
There’s little negative that can be said here, except perhaps that the end of the album starts to trail off a little bit, and whilst each track has its powerful moments, often you can let it sink into the background and take no real notice. Oftentimes, and for many people, this is considered fine. However to do this here would perhaps be a waste, as several areas possess many layers and levels, and to let that slip by would almost discredit the work itself. It is a release that certainly deserves more focus and attention than you may initially realise. -Metal Mouth
Aside from Marshall, Shady XV also celebrates the artistry of the rest of the team. Yelawolf and Royce Da 5’9 stand out in particular for their versatility. Fans of both artists will be pleased to hear them deviate for this album. Yela shines on “Down,” while Royce holds his own alongside Em’ on “Psychopath Killer.” In keeping with the theme of nothing but straight bars, the Slaughterhouse track “Y’all Already Know” is particularly down home. Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, Joe Budden and Royce all go in over a DJ Premier beat swollen with nostalgia. -Hip Hop DX
(Cloudkicker - Live With Intronaut)
It’s immediately evident that Sharp made the right choice in scouting Intronaut for his performances, with both parties seamlessly replicating the studio feel with pinpoint accuracy, albeit with some readjustments for a live setting. It’s cathartic to finally have Sharp’s material performed live, with the vivid, spirited vibe of fan favourites such as ‘Dysphoria’ becoming even more animated before that enthused audience who, most likely, share my sentiments. With the abundance of material revitalised by a stimulating gig environment, Sharp would be a fool to let Cloudkicker return to a lone project. The record very much feels like a tease of what’s yet to come, with Cloudkicker hopefully expanding into a full band project, with some fresh new minds to inject even more vitality into Sharp’s already-thriving creative muscle. -Metal Blast
(Circa Survive - Descensus)
Both conceptually looser and musically tighter than anything they’ve done before, ‘Descensus’ is the culmination of a decade’s worth of experimentation and the most aesthetically diverse and brilliantly realized effort of Circa Survive’s already impressive career. Kicking off with the raucous lead single, ‘Schema,’ which is potentially the heaviest song they’ve ever written, ‘Descensus’ starts with a sonic punch in the teeth in stark contrast to ‘Birth of the Economic Hitman,’ the sprawling, seven-minute opener on ‘Violent Waves.’ -Diffuser
(Soundgarden - Echo of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across the Path)
Soundgarden's latest release is a 3-CD rarities collection, 'Echo Of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path.'
Among the seven unreleased tracks is a brand-new recording, 'Storm,' recorded in May with producer Jack Endino in Seattle. The new collection was curated and hand-selected by guitarist Kim Thayil. 'Echo Of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path' is the first time an official Soundgarden release has included more than 26 years of rarities that have appeared as B-sides, album bonus tracks, EPs, soundtracks, compilations and live recordings, a must for any fan of the band. The package features three separate thematic discs in a clear plastic slipcase with three separate mini-jackets, each sporting its own unique art, a booklet and inserts, allowing fans to mix and match, personalizing their own album graphic layout. -Amazon
(Björk - Biophilia Live)
Some fancy editing aside, Biophilia Live is a document of a remarkable performance from a remarkable artist. Björk looks fantastic. Like a crazy art student, she’s dressed in a frizzy rainbow wig and a bubble-wrap dress. Sure, at first she looks a bit silly, but the playfulness of her costume quashes any concerns that she might be taking herself too seriously. That's no bad thing when she sings a song like 'Thunderbolt': "My romantic gene is dominant and it hungers for union" and "Thunderstorm come, scrape those barnacles off me!". -NME
(Coldplay - Ghost Stories Live)
There are certainly songs on Ghost Stories Live that are worth you listening to, as highlighted above. However, the album doesn’t do too much to differentiate itself from the studio album released back in May. If you haven’t listened to Ghost Stories yet then I would recommend listening to the studio version and if you enjoy that then check out Ghost Stories Live. If you’re a huge Coldplay fan, like myself, then this is definitely worth a listen, if only so you can choose a couple of tracks to download instead of the entire thing. And if you’re really like me you’ll just go back to blasting LeftRightLeftRightLeft. Now THAT is a live album. -MWN
