Back in the saddle and ready for another week of music releases and new music video folks. As you can see from the list below, you should have no problem picking up a few of these albums as there is a little something out there for everyone this week. Whether you're looking to dance, funk, rock, headbang, or even do nothing...it seems that the music industry was looking to cover all angles this week.
Highly anticipated return albums from artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Drive-By Truckers, Sheryl Crow, Katatonia, and Ministry will all be a top priority for eager fans and critics. Katatonia however will feature a new mood and vibe of the band and may stray from their original sound, which could be both good and bad depending on your take of Katatonia. At the same time there are a few newcomers to the table such as Death Ray Vision and Gemini Syndrome who equally have decent followings and will no doubt be coming back with some sophomore albums.
So the usual rant folks. Whether a new band or a seasoned one, they need for fans to buy albums/merch/tickets for their existence. So if you can get a chance to breakaway from the workplace then head to your local record store, online retailer or other legal source to spin some of the new tunes. Cheers!
Down to a core trio of Philip Bailey, Verdine White, and Ralph Johnson, EWF made their first album since 2005's Illumination with a little help from Larry Dunn and guidance from Maurice White. The Whites, Bailey, and Dunn, along with Al McKay, were inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame in 2010, yet Bailey co-wrote only two songs here, while Dunn contributed to one. In addition to Johnson's two co-compositions, a long list of writers was involved, with Bailey's son Philip Doron Bailey given the heaviest load beside the likes of Siedah Garrett and Lee "Son of Leroy" Hutson, Jr. A couple elements of certain songs excepted -- the rigid beat of "Dance Floor," the hard rhythmic drive of "Night of My Life" -- the Earth, Wind & Fire of Open Our Eyes through Faces seems to have been in the mind of each of the involved. The songs are generally enjoyable and recall that era of the band, filled with an easygoing and positive spirit with soaring vocal arrangements, Verdine's thumping bass, and those beaming horns. "My Promise" and "Guiding Light" especially rise high enough to be slotted between classics without losing listener interest. Now, Then & Forever demonstrates the lasting value of the band's classic sound. Its two-disc deluxe edition adds a seven-track selection of favorites picked by the likes of Raphael Saadiq, Lenny Kravitz, and Pharrell. Only Clive Davis ("Power") digs deep. -All Music
In fact, it is a credit to Knopfler that after 35 years in the music business he is still releasing material of such high quality. Privateering may be a double album but it doesn’t fall into the trap that many other double LPs stumble into. There is rarely a lull or a track that feels out of place over the 20 songs, which see Knopfler capture the sound of Americana.
Knopfler’s seventh studio album delivers two discs of songs that will take you back to when everything sounded less artificial. Privateering is arguably Knopfler’s strongest solo effort and one which shows off his ability as a guitarist, a vocalist and a songwriter. It’s a testament to his talent that he can pull off a double album with so few weaknesses and from this evidence, Knopfler has many more miles left in the tank. -Music OMH
The album is at its best when it sticks to the timeless stuff about love and loss. On “Homesick,” the ghosts of a departed lover make the narrator long for life on the road; it’s got the kind of stirring heartbreak that can be found on some of Bonnie Raitt’s late-period ballads. “Waterproof Mascara,” co-written with Brad Paisley, is a classic country tear-jerker about a single Mom trying to stay strong for her son. With the killer refrain “Thank God they make waterproof mascara/’Cause it won’t run like his Daddy did,” it’s the kind of thing that Loretta Lynn or Dolly Parton would have knocked out of the park in the day. Comparisons aside, Crow makes these songs all her own.
Considering how comfortable she seems in this new setting, Feels Like Home is an appropriate title. Commercial success will probably determine whether country music is a pit stop or a destination for Sheryl Crow. The genre switch has paid artistic dividends already. -American Songwriter
(Ry Cooder & Corridos Famous - Live At The Great American Music Hall)
This live album recorded two years ago - his first in 35 years - may be the commercial corrective because it has an easy familiarity with well-known covers (Crazy 'Bout an Automobile, The Dark End of the Street, Sam the Sham's gimmicky Wooly Bully) alongside Spanish soul (Volver Volver sung by Juliette Commagere, who appeared with him here four years ago), irony (the white man's complaint on Lord Tell Me Why), a nasty and updated treatment of Woody Guthrie's Vigilante Man, blues (Goodnight Irene) and lively accordion from guest Flaco Jimenez. -New Zealand Herald
(Rise Against - Long Forgotten Songs [B-Sides & Covers 2000-2013])
On the surface, it almost feels like the band are playing the covers a bit too close to the originals, but played alongside some of their originals, the imprint these bands had on Rise Against is undeniable. While Long Forgotten Songs: B-Sides & Covers 2000-2013 might appeal more to longtime fans than casual listeners, it's a solid compilation of songs that hold up on their own and it's not immediately apparent to the listener why they were relegated to soundtracks and compilations in the first place. -All Music
(Arctic Monkeys - AM)
Turner's evocative lyrics and the band's libidinous energy aside, AM bags a bit around the middle when it revisits the melancholic Britpop of their previous release, Suck It and See, with "No. 1 Party Anthem," a John Lennon-esque ballad, and "Mad Sounds," on which Helders and O'Malley deliver maudlin background coos like a couple of R&B hook girls. The Black Keys-style call-and-response blues of "R U Mine?" and the unhinged neo-psychedelia of "Knee Socks," which features a cameo from Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, offer better proof that the band's borrowing isn't just imitation, but intoxicating fusion, new musical branches cannily spliced onto the Arctic Monkeys' own salacious form of rock n' roll. -Slant Magazine
(Drive-By Truckers - Alabama Ass Whuppin)
A live recording featuring a great collection of punk-based country rock. This is some stomping, driving music, with an urgency not heard in most alt-country. Patterson Hood's raspy vox perfectly fit the music, and the warm guitar sound dominates. Since this is a live album, the songs incorporate some extended bluesy jams. The performance is staggering enough to elicit the drunken shouts for "More!" at the end of the album. The punk roots of the band are evident, most explicitly in the Jim Carroll cover on track 11. "Steve McQueen" is a rousing tribute to a childhood hero, which segues into "Gimme Three Steps" and back again. "The Avon Lady" is an improvised tale of a neighbor who's a tad overzealous in the pushing of make-up products. "Margo & Harold," a song about how people grow weirder with each passing year, also does the service of explaining the title. The most powerful track on the disc is "The Living Bubba," a plaintive cry from a musician dying of AIDS, needing just a little more time to live as he's "got another show." The drunken pyschobilly is what gives the compositions their energy and momentum, but it is songs like this one which gives the album its power. Great stuff. -All Music
(Ministry - From Beer To Eternity)
Al Jourgensen has stated that ‘From Beer to Eternity’ will concretely be the final album from the influential industrial project Ministry. This statement has more power to it based on the sad and untimely death of guitarist and collaborator Mike Scaccia, who was also one of Al’s closest friends. While it may seem that the Ministry founder is unable to stay away from his most revered project, it is quite possible that this is the end of the road. If it truly is the last Ministry album, ‘From Beer to Eternity’ is an excellent parting shot from the band and is a fitting farewell. Thanks, Big Al. -Loudwire
(Gemini Syndrome - Lux)
For Lux, the band also employs a wide range of visual and lyrical imagery from legend, myth and history: for example, each of the twelve tracks is designated by a universal symbol, together representing the universal cycles of time – the clock, the calendar, and the Zodiac – on both a personal and cosmic scale. It's quite an intimidating concept for a band's first album, but Nordstrom and company are thankfully up to the task, bringing impressive songwriting talent to bear, complemented by the award-winning production skills of Kevin Churko, who has worked with Ozzy Osbourne and Five Finger Death Punch (another band with whom Gemini Syndrome has been compared).
While the majority of Lux could be taken at face value for mainstream hard rock, there's an emotional sincerity to the songwriting that distinguishes Gemini Syndrome from much of their radio-friendly peers, and I can imagine these intensely hooky anthems getting crowds to their feet, whether it be a party playlist or an arena-sized venue. -FEARnet
Although this is not something entirely new to Metal, Death Ray Vision would be a breath of fresh air for anyone annoyed of the seemingly repetitive strain of Metalcore and Deathcore bands that popular Metal seems to keep spewing out at an increasing pace. If you’re a fan of Hardcore, Punk or Thrash, then this is a real treat but if you’re yet to have heard of the band, than I strongly recommend that you at least give them a listen.
A beautiful mix of different styles of Metal that is so perfectly crafted and greatly complimented by its amazing production, We Ain’t Leavin’ Till You’re Bleedin’ is a great piece of work that will keep fans of the band very satisfied and will be sure to attract a few new listeners. Although this isn’t the best album ever made, it is one which certainly stands out in 2013 and will be one that will sure leave a great, big, stupid looking grin on your face after you’ve finished listening to it. -Kill The Music
*no reviews given yet*
(Katatonia - Dethroned & Uncrowned)
Another element that I felt was well executed / incorporated, was the use of piano. During the duration of the album the piano will be used and will usually hang in the background just as cigarette smoke would linger as you sit in a dimly light bar drowning the pains of life away. The use of acoustic guitar also works in this same way. Essentially this album is all about the subtle elements. The use of piano is but one example. Also, sometimes, Renske, will slide into the background and allow the melody to consume the listener and allow them to feel the music. Dethroned And Uncrowned is a very emotional experience.
Overall, even though Katatonia has decided to drop the metallic elements this time round, Dethroned And Uncrowned will still appeal to diehard fans of the band. It still sounds like Kataontia, and is instantly recognizable, but it’s a calmer, moodier experience. This album is a journey, and guaranteed you won’t come out the same after hearing it. This album is like a nice warm blanket on a cold lonely night, or a reassuring hug letting you know everything will be alright … -Axis of Metal
Box Sets:
(The Clash - Sound System Box Set)
*I highly recommend reading the full review of this box set. Julian Marszalek has done an amazing breakdown of the band and the relation to this box set.*
But with a price of around the £80 mark, and coming from a band who famously kept record and ticket prices within the financial reach of their fans – double album London Calling retailed for £5 on its release in 1979 while its follow-up a year later, the hefty triple album Sandinista! was pegged at £5.99 – as well as re-releasing and re-mastering the albums in the closing overs of the 20th Century, the question remains of who this box-set is aimed at. In these tough economic times it seems unlikely that a new generation of fans will be willing to fork out the asking price which, given the still-relevant messages contained within these grooves, is a crying shame. And yet for a total of 11 CDs, one DVD and an excellent re-mastering job by guitarist Mick Jones that breathes new life into this material, this still represents good value for money if you’ve got that much to hand. So while you might not buy into it, ultimately this is music that shouldn’t be ignored. Even from a distance of thirty-plus years, The Clash is as relevant, vital and important now as they were then. Just stop to consider the evidence. -The Quietus
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