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OF MONTREAL DEAL WITH TOTALITARIANS
Of Montreal's "thecontrollersphere" EP (Polyvinyl) is a "little freak out record" says founder Kevin Barnes. "There are many noisy moments that represent my attempt to communicate, in a sub human language, all that cannot be expressed with our earth tongue and all manners of mouth mechanisms." And adds Barnes, Bob Dylan once said, "I'd dance with you Maria, but my hands are on fire." But to Barnes, "the world is roughly one year from extinction... or not." Due April 26. Titles include Black Lion Massacre, Slave Translator and L'Age D'or.
BEAR WITH IT
From Bear Family comes a 3-CD boxed set (LP-size) "Acadian All-Star Special" with 80-page-hardcover book, 78 tracks and a playing time 209:50m. "The dawn of modern Cajun music! Records so rare that just a few copies exist of most of them! Very few of these recordings ever reissued on 45, LP, or CD until now! Songs include the original version of 'Diggy Liggy Lo' plus 'Big Texas' the song that Hank Williams adapted into 'Jambalaya'." Bear Family took years assembling the box. "It took ages to figure out exactly how many classic Cajun recordings had been made by legendary record producer J.D. Miller in the 1940s and '50s, and then it took even longer to find them and painstakingly restore the sound." This is a must for music history buffs and fans of Cajun music. Due April 25 for £69.99
TRIBUTE TO IAN STEWART
Ben Waters' 'Boogie 4 Stu: Tribute To Ian Stewart' is an album of blues dedicated to the late founding member of the Rolling Stones who later became their long-serving road manager. Pianist Ben Waters played with Stu's band Rocket 88 and is now in The A, B, C & D Of Boogie Woogie with Charlie Watts. Ben Waters plays throughout, with both Charlie Watts and Jools Holland on many tracks. Other guests include Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, PJ Harvey and Hamish Maxwell but for many the highlight of the album will be the bluesy cover of Bob Dylan's 'Watching The River Flow' featuring Mick Jagger on vocals, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood on guitars, Charlie Watts on drums and Bill Wyman on bass. Due April 18.
EQUAL RIGHTS EXPANDED
Peter Tosh's "Equal Rights: Legacy Edition" 2-CD expanded remaster of his 1977 album is due June 21. The album included a number of songs that became human rights anthems over the next two decades: Get Up, Stand Up, Downpressor Man, African, Apartheid, and the title tune. There were also intensely personal songs of his revelations as a Rasta: I Am That I Am and Jah Guide; and the ultimate rude boy, proto-punk declaration of Stepping Razor, by reggae's original roots-rock and Rasta ragamuffin. The Legacy Edition presents the original eight-song, 40-minute album on CD1. Then the disc follows up with seven previously unreleased outtakes from the original album recording sessions. CD two presents a well-sequenced mix of 15 tracks about half of which are previously unreleased. These include original session alternate and extended versions, and extremely rare dubs.
CARAVAN'S 40th ANNIVERSARY
A 3CD 40th Anniversary release of one of their best albums, 'In The Land Of Grey And Pink', Canterbury band Caravan are expected to offer remastered audio, some video content and 5.1 mixes by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree. Due May 30 for £15.99.
FAITHFULL SERVICE
Marianne Faithfull's 'Live In Hollywood' (DVD) was filmed in Hollywood in spring 2005. It features tracks from her 2004 album 'Before The Poison', along with hits such as 'Ballad Of Lucy Jordan' and 'As Tears Go By' and classic tracks like 'Sister Morphine' and 'Broken English'. Running Time: 143 minutes approx. Plus a 30 minute interview with Marianne Faithfull. Due April 18 on Eagle Records.
HE DON'T WALK ABOUT IN PUBLIC NO MORE
Robbie Robertson's new album 'How To Become Clairvoyant' is due to be released April 5. But digital copies already float on the net and lossless as well. Fans who want all the new songs are in a quandary. There's the Japanese edition with one bonus demo, Best Buy has the exclusive 2CD version with one bonus disc. iTunes also has a couple of extra tracks unavailable anywhere else. So what's a fan to do? Well go to Robbie Robertson's website to see the 22 track limited edition version selling for US$300.00. http://www.robbie-robertson.com/store/. That's right, you pay $300 for 2CDs. No wonder the first single off the album is called 'He Don't Live Here No More'. You don't have to be a mind-reader to figure angry fans will be bangin' on your door.
FINAL A-HA
"Ending On A High Note - The Final Concert" (2CD + DVD Edition) from a-ha is the final concert, live at Oslo Spektrum on Dec 4, 2010. Also available separately as a 2CD set, with the filmed concert available as a single DVD and as a blu-ray. Due April 18.
SHADES OF THE SHADS
Brian Setzer's "Setzer Goes Instru-MENTAL!" (Surfdog) is the cat's first all-instrumental album after 43 years in the biz. Tunes include standards Blue Moon Of Kentucky, Be-Bop-A-Lula and other delicacies. Due April 19.
MOONS AGO
The Moonglows' 'Most Of All - The Singles As & Bs' is the first compilation ever to include the A and B sides of every single up to 1960 of this remarkable R&B vocal group. Due April 11 for £8.99 on Jasmine Records.
TOMMY'S ALONE IN THE BIG CITY
"Tommy James album 'A Night In Big City' was recorded in 1994 and reunited Tommy with arranger Jimmy 'Wiz' Wisner whom Tommy had teamed up with back in the '60s on one of his smash hit singles 'I Think We're Alone Now'. The album was inspired by Tommy's fascination as a boy growing up in a pre-television age where the family radio was an enchanting source of national stories. The bonus tracks on the album were all recorded 1974 to 1991. Due April 11.
NOT IN VAIN
Loudon Wainwright III's '40 Odd Years' (4CD/DVD) proves you can't put down an old singer-songwriter despite lack of commercial breakthrough. "Loudon Wainwright III is being celebrated with an aptly named career-spanning 4-CD/1-DVD box set, including a 40-page book, with an essay by renowned journalist/author David Wild and an introduction by filmmaker and box set co-producer Judd Apatow, to be released by Shout! Factory on May 3, 2011." This set contains songs from throughout his career. The 3+ hour DVD includes an extremely rare documentary made for Dutch television entitled One Man Guy, TV appearances on the BBC, Saturday Night Live, and Austin City Limits, as well as several unreleased concert performances.
THE SAME OLD S***
The SODD label released their third volume of Rolling Stones' outtakes called Stones From The Vaults Vol. 3 on Masterfile. This 2CD set covers outtakes from 1969 to 1974. According to fans, there's nothing new here.
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S' WONDERFUL
From Hip-o Select: 'S Wonderful: Ella In Japan, a new release from the acclaimed Verve Select imprint at Hip-oSelect.com, is a brand-new 2-CD set of previously unheard Ella Fitzgerald: on tour in Japan with the Roy Eldridge Quartet in January 1964, she and the band were hailed as American jazz heroes, feted in every city, then recorded over two brilliant nights in Tokyo. They ran through Song Book favorites, a smattering of other classics and Ella's own blues, first at Tokyo's equivalent of Carnegie Hall (Disc 1), then in an invitation-only, late-night gig at a luxury hotel ballroom, with Japanese entertainers in attendance (Disc 2). Eldridge's Quartet got their own set as well, joined in a jam session with local musicians. (Ella fans take additional note: this album features the first recordings of Ella with her longtime pianist Tommy Flanagan.)
Where was 'S Wonderful: Ella In Japan all these years? Ella's producer and manager Norman Granz made stereo mixes, devised separate LPs for the American and Japanese markets, sent detailed memos to his staff - and then, owing to the abundance of Ella in Verve's vault, cancelled the releases. Published discographies also had incorrect recording dates, adding to the mystery. After nearly 50 years, not only were the tapes rediscovered, but writer Marc Myers made his own discoveries with Japanese journalists and surviving musicians and, in the liner notes, he tells the full story of these extraordinary recordings for the first time. Myers' essay in the set's 24-page booklet is augmented with rare photos from the tour as well as tour program reprints, and more.
All 26 tracks from both planned LPs are now available for the first time ever on 'S Wonderful: Ella In Japan - a 2-CD collection equal to Ella In Hollywood and, to some, better than that award-winning set, as it's Ella a few years later, a little more confident, swinging with supernatural ease. Due April 26. Buy this excellent discovery.
NEW RADIOHEAD SINGLE
Radiohead will release a new single for Record Store Day. A two-sided single with two new songs 'Supercollider' and 'The Butcher', will be out on April 16. There are expected to be 2,000 copies of the seven-inch vinyl single available and it is rumoured to cost £10.
AMY AND TONY SING A DUET
Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett will sing a duet for Bennett's next album, Duets II, due Sept 19. The album will feature duets with Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones among others. The title of the Winehouse/ Bennett duet is still not known.
BOWIE DYING? SINGLE
The Flaming Lips' new single 'Is David Bowie Dying?' has been made available online. The physical release of the single was only sold in Dallas record shop Good Records and the Guestroom Records shop in Oklahoma City, reports Pitchfork. The single is a collaboration with Neon Indian. The track was part of a limited-edition EP also feturing the songs 'Alan's Theremin', 'You Don't Respond' and 'Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Truth Part 2'. Listen here.
FOR JAPAN
"Songs For Japan" is a various artistes 2-CD benefit compilation (Legacy) with proceeds to the Japanese Red Cross Society. The album with songs from John Lennon, U2, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen and the usual suspects is due April 5. The 38 songs are almost all chart-topping hits. One artist present left us scratching our heads. Josh Groban?
LOVE OR LEAVE RANDY?
Randy Meisner is probably best known as the bassist and founder member of the Eagles - Love Me Or Leave Me Alone was originally released in 2004 and features Randy alongside other rock luminaries such as Spencer Davis, James Griffin of Bread and Billy Swan. The material featured here includes songs written or co-written by Randy and a treat for Eagles fans with a live version of Take It To The Limit and a re-recording of Take It Easy. To be reissued on May 3.
STICKS FOR CLAIRE
Tindersticks' 'Claire Denis Film Scores 1996-2009' is a brand new 5CD set or 5LP set due April 25. The set gathers all six of the French director Claire Denis soundtracks written and performed by Tindersticks or their members. Four of the six soundtracks are previously unreleased. These are all of the film scores recorded since 2002, including the most recent for celebrated film White Material. Taken together, the soundtracks represent a subtle, beautiful body of work and an essential part of the Tindersticks oeuvre". Both CD and vinyl boxsets come in slip cases with a window-cut box. The package also includes a perfect-bound booklet of colour film stills and an essay by renowned music writer Michael Hill.
REMIX MODE
"On 6 June 2011, Depeche Mode will release Remixes 2: 81-11 on Mute. An inspiring collection of new and classic mixes of material covering their entire career, the album includes remixes of tracks from their 1981 debut Speak And Spell, through to 2009's Sounds Of The Universe, and is the follow-up to 2004's million-plus selling Remixes 81-04. This new compilation includes classic mixes from M83, UNKLE, Trentemã¸ller, Francois Kervorkian and Dan The Automator, alongside all-new mixes from Stargate, Eric Prydz, Karlsson & Winnberg (from Miike Snow) and Royksopp. In addition to this, the expanded editions include exclusive remixes by former band members Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder - the first time either artist has remixed tracks for their former colleagues." Remixes 2: 81-11 will be available in two different CD formats; Single and Triple Disc versions and as a 6 x 12" vinyl LP box set. Expanded editions feature a total 13 brand new mixes plus a previously unreleased mix from 2009's Sounds Of The Universe era. Due on June 6.
JANIS IAN GETS AUDIOPHILE RELEASE
Janis Ian's 1975 album "Between The Lines" will get a gold CD audiophile remaster from BoxStar, a new audiophile label. This was the seventh, and best-known, album from her containing her hit single At Seventeen. The single reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts while the album reached #1 on the Billboard 200 charts. Ian was awarded the 1975 Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song. Due April 19.
BEFORE TWITTER
'Tell Me One More Time: The MGM Rock 'n' Roll Collection' (CD/2x Vinyl LP) by Conway Twitty is Twitty's years as a pop, rock 'n' roll singer before he became a country legend. "Compiled by Stuart Colman, Tell Me One More Time features the pick of the lip-curling litter that Conway Twitty bequeathed to Metro Goldwyn at the Owen Bradley studio in Nashville throughout a 28-month period beginning in May 1958." Due April 25.
BS AT THE BBC
The Beautiful South - 'Live At The BBC' (3CD/DVD) is a "beautifully packaged four-disc set with 3CDs of radio recordings including acoustic session versions of some of their biggest selling chart toppers and In Concert recordings from some of their finest UK tours. Disc 4 is a DVD of their classic BBC TV performances kicking off in style on Top of the Pops and includes a dozen appearances on Later." Due May 2.
BO'S BEACH PARTY
Bo Diddley's Beach Party, the legendary rocker's first live album ever. A rough n tumble affair recorded live at a raucous Myrtle Beach beach club on July 5 and 6, 1983 the album presents Rock n Roll Hall Of Famer blasting his way through 10 songs, nine originals plus an instrumental take on Chuck Berry's 'Memphis'..." Reissued April 11 at the new lower price of £11.99.
BECKLEY'S CASINO
Gerry Beckley of America has just released his new album, Unfortunate Casino. Beckley was careful not to shame casinos in his interview at huffingtonpost.com. America, the band, do a lot of work in casinos in Las Vegas and around the world. From the interview, it looks like another adult oriented rock/pop album. Hello and Simpson Sky were co-written with Bill Mumy. A recent interview with Beckley can be found here.
BEAT IT
The Go-Go's "Beauty and the Beat - Deluxe Edition" (2CD EMI) will be released on its 30th anniversary, May 17. This edition includes a special bonus audio CD that features previously unreleased music from a 1981 live show. There will also be a very limited pink vinyl edition.
SOFT MACHINE FILM EMERGES
A rare recording on video of Soft Machine from 1967 surfaced at torrent sites late in March. Ce Soir Le Dance uns Soft Machine live in August 25, 1967. The 25-minute film was first broadcast on by French TV, October 1967. Some discussion suggests that an official release may also be forthcoming but fans will believe it when they see it. Nonetheless, this free torrent is a likely target for a commercial bootlegger to get his hands on. Godfather anyone?
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