BARBRA STREISAND 'Love Is The Answer' [Release Date 28/09/2009]
CD I 2CD: 'Love Is The Answer' is the first full-length collection of new studio recordings from eight-time Grammy award winner Barbra Streisand since 2005's 'Guilty Pleasures'. 'Love Is The Answer' provided an opportunity for Streisand to work for the first time with the Grammy-winning Canadian jazz artist Diana Krall [piano] and her quartet [guitar, bass, drums] who brought a refined and sensual poignancy to the album's spare and subtle accompaniments. Rounding out the album's smoky after hours ambience with his sublime orchestrations is the legendary songwriter and Grammy-winning arranger Johnny Mandel [who worked with Streisand on her 1993 Back to Broadway album and arranged / co-produced Krall's 1998 Grammy-winning 'When I Look In Your Eyes'].
MAPS 'Turning The Mind' [Release Date 28/09/2009]
CD: Maps - aka James Chapman - has announced details of the release of a new album. 'Turning The Mind,' recorded with Tim Holmes [Death in Vegas] at the Contino Rooms in London, is Maps' second album and follows the Mercury Prize shortlisted debut 'We Can Create' (2007). Talking about the album, James Chapman explains, "'Turning The Mind' is essentially an album which explores themes related to the human mind and the way certain stimuli, particularly chemical, can affect the mind in different ways. The tracks for this album never seemed to stop flowing from the day I began working on them, it is a true statement of Maps' music at this precise moment." 'Let Go The Fear,' a one-off collaboration with renowned Berlin based producer / DJ Oliver Huntemann and Tim Holmes received a limited download only release in May and was described by The Guardian as "the kind of music that makes you want to indulge in very urgent dancing."
CAROLINA LIAR 'Coming To Terms' [Release Date 21/09/2009]
CD: Carolina Liar release their debut album 'Coming To Terms' on September 21st, the album is preceded by single 'I'm Not Over' on September 7th. 'I'm Not Over' is the follow up to radio favourite 'Show Me What I'm Looking For', which was released in June. The band have also played a string of UK dates which included a show at London's Hoxton's Bar And Grill on August 20th. Having wowed festival crowds at T in The Park, Oxygen and Wakefest the band performed to massive crowds at V festival. A chance meeting in Sweden between Max Martin and Chad Wolfe, the band's singer and songwriter, kick-started the process of 'Coming To Terms' becoming the record it was always destined to be. Living in his car in Los Angeles and struggling to make ends meet, Chad was invited out to Stockholm for the summer by a friend - an offer he eagerly accepted. It was on this sojourn that he met Max Martin - a meeting that would end with Martin hearing (and loving) Chad's songs. So impressed was Martin that he immediately passed a copy of Chad's demos to a friend at Atlantic Records, and things finally began to take shape. If there's anyone with an ear for pop perfection, it's Max Martin - having penned and produced the million-selling hits that launched the careers of Pink, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson [to name a few], he's arguably the most important songwriter and producer in contemporary pop music today. Immediately recognising the indelibly addictive and instant familiarity of Carolina Liar's early demos, he quickly jumped on board and assumed production duties. The result is 'Coming To Terms' - a ridiculously accomplished debut, filled with hit singles. As Martin's phenomenal 17 year career clearly proves, the sound and face of music may change infinitely year-on-year, but the beauty of a pop hook never goes out of fashion. 'Coming To Terms' is set to be one of the most unforgettable modern rock albums of this year.
MANASSAS 'Pieces' [Release Date 21/09/2009]
CD: Rhino gathers unreleased studio recordings by Manassas for a single disc collection. * Features sessions from both of the band's albums. * The collection also includes the legendary group's unreleased performances of 'Sugar Babe' and 'Word Game'. * The remaining tracks include 'Like A Fox,' a song recorded with blues guitarist Bonnie Raitt on background vocals and the Latin-tinged 'Tan Sola Y Triste'. Stephen Stills has influenced generations with his powerful voice, song writing artistry, and passionate guitar playing, both as a solo artist and as a member of Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and Manassas. After recording his second solo album, in 1971 Stephen Stills formed Manassas with a talented group of musicians that included Chris Hillman, a former member of the Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Manassas released two albums, 1972's eponymous double-album debut and the 1973 follow-up, 'Down The Road'. 'Manassas - Pieces' features alternate versions of two songs from 'Down The Road': 'Do You Remember The Americans' and 'Lies' (featuring guitarist Joe Walsh).
BIG STAR 'Keep An Eye On The Sky' [Release Date 21/09/2009]
4CD: Big Star Shines: Rhino salutes the revered group with a four-disc boxed set that compiles key album tracks with unreleased demos, alternate takes and live performances. Big Star inspired a fevered allegiance among fans of power pop, giving rise to a cult of believers who spent decades spreading the gospel. Their enthusiasm turned this obscure Memphis pop band - one that got little airplay, sold few records, and only played a handful of times - into a remarkable rock and roll resurrection story. Big Star's trek from obscure Memphis band to standard bearers for an entire genre of music has never been fully mapped - until now. Rhino presents the definitive look at the definitive power-pop band with a four-disc boxed set divided between key cuts from Big Star's three studio albums and unreleased music. 'Keep An Eye On The Sky' spans 1968 to 1975 and shows the progression of Big Star through selections from such studio precursors as Rock City and Icewater; music from Big Star's acclaimed recordings ['#1 Record', 'Radio City' and 'Third/Sister Lovers']; and relevant solo work by group principals Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, who formed Big Star in 1971 with bassist Andy Hummel and drummer Jody Stephens. The collection also uncovers a trove of unreleased demos, unused mixes, alternate versions of songs, and a 1973 concert recorded in Memphis. In these 95 tracks you can hear what turned artists as diverse as R.E.M, Cheap Trick and The Replacements into Big Star fans. Spotlighting the band's roots, the boxed set opens with several songs recorded before Big Star formed, including 'Try Again', one of the first songs Bell and Chilton wrote together. Those early cuts are followed by Big Star's 1972 debut #1 Record, re-imagined here using a mix of album tracks and unreleased alternate mixes of favourites like 'Thirteen', 'When My Baby's Beside Me', and more. Among the disc's rarities are 'Country Morn' [issued as a flexi-disc single by a Big Star fanzine], the demo for 'I Got Kinda Lost', and an unreleased acoustic demo of Chilton singing Loudon Wainwright's 'Motel Blues'. Ardent Records, the band's label, experienced problems with distribution that hindered any chances at success for #1 Record. Its failure was a major blow to Bell, who quit the band to go solo. In 1974, the Alex Chilton-led Big Star regrouped and released 'Radio City', an album more attuned to the band's live energy that featured the power-pop confections 'September Gurls' and 'Back Of A Car'. The second disc of 'Keep An Eye On The Sky' opens with a trio of unreleased demos: 'There Was A Light', 'What's Going Ahn' and 'Life Is White'. The original song sequence for Radio City follows, combining album versions with unreleased alternate mixes ('Way Out West' and 'You Get What You Deserve'). The disc features unissued versions of 'She's A Mover' and 'Mod Lang', several unreleased demos for Big Star's third album, plus Bell's acclaimed 1978 single 'I Am The Cosmos' and its B-side 'You And Your Sister'. Sadly, Bell died in a car accident a few months after the single's release. When Big Star reconvened in 1975 to record 'Third/Sister Lovers', only Chilton and Stephens remained. Famed Memphis maverick Jim Dickinson was enlisted to supervise the recording, which languished on the shelf for years before its release in 1978. Despite its bleak timbre, wild dynamics, and fragility, the music possesses a startling grace. 'Keep An Eye On The Sky's third disc opens with seven demos (most previously unreleased) for songs that appear on Third/Sister Lovers, including 'Jesus Christ', 'Take Care', and 'Holocaust'. Among the album's 19 songs collected here is 'For You', 'Kizza Me' and 'Kanga Roo'. Also featured is 'Lovely Day', an early, unreleased version of 'Stroke It Noel' with different lyrics; Chilton vamping with photographer Bill Eggleston at the piano for Nat King Cole's 'Nature Boy'; and a raucous cover of The Kinks' 'Till The End Of The Day'. The collection's final disc contains unreleased highlights from three sets Big Star performed at Lafayette's Music Room in Memphis in January 1973. It is the best live recording ever of the band. The show captures Chilton, Hummel, and Stephens playing many of the songs on '#1 Record', which had just recently been released. The set list includes a retooled version of 'ST 100/6' lengthened by both guitar and drum solos [with a middle eight heisted from the Rock City song 'The Preacher']. Also in the repertoire are 'There Was A Light' and 'I Got Kinda Lost'. In addition, the concert includes fully formed versions of several songs recorded later for Radio City: 'Back Of A Car', 'Way Out West', 'O My Soul' and a particularly rocking 'She's A Mover'. Those originals are mixed with a selection of covers: Todd Rundgren's 'Slut', T Rex's 'Baby Strange', The Kinks' 'Come On Now', and The Flying Burrito Brothers' 'Hot Burrito #2'. The lavish packaging for 'Keep An Eye On The Sky' includes extensive liner notes, rare and never-before-seen photos, and insightful essays about the cult of Big Star and the band's history. In the notes, Stephens reflects on the band's belated triumph. "Sure, it would've been nice to have been huge at the time. But, here we are, 30 years later, and Big Star is still playing, our music is turning up in movie soundtracks, and young people are still excited to discover the records. I mean, if that isn't success, I don't know what is".
VARIOUS ARTISTS 'Where The Action Is! LA Nuggets 1965 - 1968' [Release Date 21/09/2009]
4CD: Rhino mines Los Angeles Nuggets for 'Where The Action Is' - 4CD box set excavates more than 100 nuggets from Los Angeles' eclectic music scene from 1965-68, spotlighting Sunset Strip gems and psychedelic cult classics. In Los Angeles during the mid 60's, music was everywhere - from the garages of Orange County, to the dingbat apartments of the San Fernando Valley, to the bungalows of Laurel Canyon. But without a doubt, the epicentre of the music scene was the Sunset Strip, where 'freaks' filled the rock clubs lining the famed Hollywood thoroughfare. Rhino continues the storied Nuggets tradition with a four-disc boxed set that mines the city's rich musical history for unsung gems. Andrew Sandoval, one of the collection's producers, explains the set's concept in its liner notes: "...the Nuggets series is something of the alternative musical history of the 1960's. Not so much a survey of what happened, but more what could have happened had music charted on merit alone". 'Where The Action Is!' compiles 101 tracks that mix many of the city's brightest stars (The Byrds, Love, The Doors, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, Captain Beefheart, The Mamas & The Papas, Lowell George, Iron Butterfly, The Monkees) with talented artists whose stellar songcraft sadly flew under the radar (The Seeds, The Electric Prunes, Modern Folk Quintet, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Spirit, The Everpresent Fullness, Kaleidoscope, The Standells, The Bobby Fuller Four). Where The Action Is! encompasses four discs arranged thematically to cover different aspects of the pop, rock, club, and Top 40 sounds of the era. The first covers some of the most notable bands that performed in the clubs of Hollywood's Sunset Strip. Disc 2 features a sampling of the musicians who began life in South LA, East LA, and such far-flung suburbs as Riverside and Bakersfield. Disc 3 delves into the artistry of LA's producers, arrangers, and Wrecking Crew of studio players. The final disc takes us from the nascent seeds of folk rock to the first blooms of canyon rock, country rock, and full-blown psychedelia in the region. It also shows how rock pioneers such as Del Shannon and Rick Nelson took their own stabs at fitting in with 'the kids'. Among the many highlights are an alternate take of The Beach Boys' 'Heroes And Villains', Warren Zevon and producer Bones Howe performing '(You Used To) Ride So High' as The Motorcycle Abeline, 'Take A Giant Step' by The Rising Sons, 'Acid Head' by The Velvet Illusions, local scenester Kim Fowley's 'Underground Lady', Jan & Dean's 'Fan Tan', The Monkees' 'Daily Nightly', Jesse Lee Kincaid's 'She Sang Hymns Out Of Tune', 'Come To The Sunshine' by Van Dyke Parks, 'Sister Marie' by Nilsson, and 'Hippy Elevator Operator' by The WC Fields Memorial Electric String Band. The set also offers a trio of previously unreleased tracks: a recently discovered demo version of 'Sit Down I Think I Love You', recorded by Stephen Stills and Richie Furay shortly before they formed Buffalo Springfield; a demo of 'Words' by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, one of the West Coast's most successful songwriting teams; and 'Once Upon A Time', a collaboration between Tim Buckley and lyricist Larry Beckett. Beautifully packaged in a coffee table book resembling the San Francisco Nuggets collection from 2006, the set provides a wealth of information about Los Angeles' music scene, including a comprehensive timeline, unpublished photos, new quotes from many of the artists, a listing of the clubs and who performed there, an essay about the LA radio stations that defined the era, plus a track-by-track commentary with detailed session info on each song.
VARIOUS ARTISTS 'A Boy's Own Odyssey: Acid House Scrapes & Capers' [Release Date 21/09/2009]
2CD I 2LP: Junior Boys Own; a label that not only defined what British dance music actually sounded like but also what it should sound like. These are not just great records, or even great house records, but they evoke something that is embedded in British culture" - Bill Brewster "A label that looked like it sounded and sounded like it looked" - Ben Turner An era defining collection of records from artists that have become the backbone of what we now know as dance music and club culture. CD1 travels from the Balearic optimism of Boca Juniors, Jah Wobble and Paradiso, to the Boys Own remixes of Indie / Dance anthems from Primal Scream, James, The Farm and the Happy Mondays. CD2 is an adventure into the early era of UK house and Acid house, focusing on the labels highlights: Fire Island, Chemical Brothers, Pete Heller and the anthems of all anthems 'Born Slippy' by Underworld. Features extensive JBO history sleeve notes from former Muzik editor Ben Turner, plus track by track notes from JBO founders Steve Hall & Terry Farley
KING CRIMSON 'Red' [Release Date 21/09/2009]
CD/DVD-Audio: 'Red' is the first release in the King Crimson 40th anniversary series. The classic album has been mixed for 5.1 Surround Sound from the original studio masters by Steven Wilson [Porcupine Tree] and is fully approved by Crimson founder Robert Fripp. The CD features 3 extra tracks (2 previously unreleased) including pre overdub mixes of the title track & 'Fallen Angel' by the Fripp / Wetton / Bruford trio track that illustrate perfectly why the album has been such an enduring influence for generations of musicians. The DVD-A [compatible with all DVD players & DVD Rom players] features a 5.1 DTS Mix and High Resolution Stereo mixes [24bit/48khz]. DVD-A players can, additionally, access a 5.1 Lossless audio mix and Lossless Stereo mixes [24bit 96khz]. DVD-A also features two of the additional tracks from the CD in 5.1 DTS & MLP Lossless Audio & all three track in High Resolution stereo plus one further track in Surround & Hi-Res. Features rare DVD performance footage of 4 tracks broadcast by French TV in 1974 ['Larks' Tongues in Aspic II', 'The Night Watch', 'Lament' and 'Starless], long sought after by fans of the band. Presented as a 2 x digipack format in a slipcase with new sleeve notes by Robert Fripp & King Crimson biographer Sid Smith along with rare photos and archive material. The series is already highly anticipated among fans of the band as Robert Fripp has frequently written about the mixing and preparations for the series in his diary page at dgmlive.com. Steven Wilson has also been talking about the series and his involvement with the project online and in various rock magazines. By the time King Crimson entered the studio in July 74, the band had spent the best part of two years on the road, recorded two albums along the way ['Larks' Tongues In Aspic' and 'Starless & Bible Black'], and shed two band members en route [percussionist Jamie Muir left for a monastery, violin/mellotron player David Cross had left at the end of the US tour a week earlier]. They had also built a reputation as one of the tightest, most powerful bands on the rock circuit. Recording as a trio in Olympic studios in London, with contributions from former members and friends on sax, violin, oboe, clarinet and a string section, the group produced the last Crimson studio album of the 70's and one of the decade's masterpieces - 'Red'. 'Red' emerged as a distillation of everything Crimson had been working towards live and in the studio between 72 - 74. In the thirty-five years since its release, 'Red' has built an enviable, enduring reputation among fans & professional musicians alike - with bands from each succeeding decade citing it as an important influence. Vernon Reid [of Living Colour] has spoken of being "amazed" at the power of this band live, Butch Vig reputedly played it to Nirvana as the ideal rock trio sound/template prior to the recording of 'Nevermind', bass maestro Billy Sheehan regards it as one of the all time great recordings, while Primus' Les Claypool and the members of Tool - with whom a more recent line-up of Crimson toured in 2002 - are also firm enthusiasts of the album. As with so many key records of the era, it is only in recent years that the album's real significance has become apparent. As younger generations of fans discover the band - whether directly or via some of the musicians mentioned above referring to it - the album has become one of Crimson's most successful. It also routinely emerges as the favourite studio album for many long term fans of the band - no mean feat with such a rich and varied recording history to choose from. Presented as a CD/DVD-A package, with the album completely remixed for 5.1 surround sound by Steven Wilson [Porcupine Tree], featuring extra tracks [CD & DVD-A], lossless stereo [DVD-A], extra tracks in 5.1 surround sound & packaged in a digi-pack with new sleeve notes by Robert Fripp & King Crimson biographer Sid Smith alongside rare archive material and photos, this is the ultimate edition of 'Red'. Steven Wilson summed it up recently - "I hear it as a power trio record albeit an ambitious and experimental power trio" Talking of the tracks 'Red' and 'Starless', he noted "these tracks are landmarks, real masterpieces". While Steve Vai, in a lengthy online eulogy to Crimson & Fripp written during the 2004 G3 tour that featured Steve, Joe Satriani & Robert Fripp wrote - "It's impossible to quantify the effect that this band has had on contemporary musicians".
BACKSTREET BOYS 'Straight Through My Heart' [Release Date 28/09/2009]
C5: The first single from the 'This Is Us' album
NEWTON FAULKNER 'Rebuilt By Humans' [Release Date 28/09/2009]
CD I LP: Newton's debut album has now sold 1 million copies worldwide and in the UK was one of the 20 biggest albums of 2007, spending 2 weeks at #1 and 40 weeks inside the Top 40. 'Hand Built By Robots' is also still one of the Top 20 biggest selling digital albums of all time. His new album 'Rebuilt By Humans' is released on September 28th and includes the lead single 'If This Is It'.
PALOMA FAITH 'Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?' [Release Date 28/09/2009]
CD: "A sophisticated soulful seductress" - GQ "Effortless fabulousness" - The Sun "The vampish fashion vixen we will all be copying next. Great song too" - Sunday Times Style "Paloma's voice is quirky and catchy and both singles are fabulous" - Heat "The most seductively smoky thing this side of Amy Winehouse" - Q "Faith has clearly got the voice, the tunes and the spark to do very well indeed" - The Guardian "With huge 'Don't Kill Bambi' eyes and Beat-Girl insouciance issuing from Betty Page lips, Paloma Faith is a born performer" - i-D magazine Paloma Faith releases her fabulous debut album 'Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful' on September 28 through Epic. It's preceded by the single 'New York' on September 14. The Hackney born 25-year-old singer has been collecting critical acclaim throughout 2009, and it's easy to see why. Her songs shine with soulful pop perfection and the unmistakable stamp of her inimitable persona. She draws on influences as diverse as Billie Holiday, Etta James, P.J. Harvey and Edith Piaf. Like her music, Paloma's story never fails to thrill. In the lead up to her becoming a singer, she has been a magician's assistant, trained contemporary dancer, St. Martin's alumni with an MA in theatre direction, a performer in burlesque shoes, and an actress. Paloma wrote her debut album in the UK, Sweden and America and recorded it entirely in London. The album features writing collaborations with Ed Harcourt, Jodi Marr [Mika], Greg Kurstin [Lily Allen, Kylie], Steve Robson [Take That] and Jorgen Elofsson.
MATTHEW FRIEDBERGER 'Winter Women' / 'Holy Ghost Language School' [Release Date 28/09/2009]
2CD: Matthew Friedberger is one half of the The Fiery Furnaces. This is Matt's first solo record and Thrill Jockey proudly present this double album in a new package with updated artwork. Matthew Friedberger wrote and arranged all the music, played all the instruments (except for some drumming from John McEntire of Tortoise) and sings all the songs. The record was co-produced by Bill Skibbe at Key Club Recording at Benton Harbor, Michigan 'Winter Women' is a summer record of memorable, accessible, un-ironic, sixties inspired songs, and 'Holy Ghost Language School' is the musical equivalent of a stormy Murakami novel with the requisite sonic twists that makes Matt's work so original. Both albums will appeal to fans of The Fiery Furnaces but have a broader reach. Originally available on import in 2006 on 859 Recordings, this double album is now available in Europe and features updated artwork and extra tracks. The two CDs come housed in a four panel mini-LP style gatefold package.
** Artwork To Be Confirmed **
LOU BARLOW 'The Right' [Release Date 28/09/2009]
Ltd 7": 'The Right' is the first 7" to be taken from Lou Barlow's new album 'Goodnight Unknown'. * Lou Barlow, legendary member of Dinosaur Jr and founder of Sebadoh and The Folk Implosion, releases his first new music in over three years. * The new music recalls vintage Lou - upbeat, yet always yearning and endearing, memorable songs to break your heart.
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