Aural Notes™

There are so many goodies this week that I’m not sure where to begin.

For starters, our favorite virtual group is back.   Plastic Beach is the third studio release from Gorillaz, which boasts an eclectic array of songs that highlights the adventures of Murdoc, 2D, and company.  Plastic Beach marks a bit of a departure for the group, nothing like previous efforts, but it is quite compelling and noteworthy.  And if that isn’t enough, there is enough star power to make you dizzy.  There are guest appearances from legends Lou Reed and Bobby Womack, hip-hop giants Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, and De La Soul, as well as Little Dragon, Sinfonia Viva, and Paul Simonon and Mick Jones of The Clash. (can you stand it?!)  The lead single, “Stylo,” featuring Bobby Womack and Mos Def is just a little taste of what Plastic Beach has to offer.  What a fun ride!

The debut release from Broken Bells is also out today.  For those who haven’t heard, Broken Bells is a collaboration between James Mercer of The Shins and producer Danger Mouse.  As a fan of  The Shins, it is good to hear another side of Mercer’s artistry.  And coupled with the fact that Danger Mouse is one of the most musically gifted producers around, Broken Bells is sure to be one of the more popular debut releases of the year.

Other great music out this week as follows:  Ludacris (Battle of the Sexes), Serj Tankian (Elect the Dead Symphony),  Frightened Rabbit (The Winter of Mixed Drinks),  Ted Leo & the Pharmacists (The Brutalist Bricks), Josh Rouse (El Turista), The Morning Benders (Big Echo), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Beat the Devil’s Tattoo), and Liars (Sisterworld).

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New music out this week from Joanna Newsome, Butch Walker, Clem Snide, Chayenne, Shout Out Louds, and Daniel Merriweather.

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A plethora of great new music has been released today.  What will you add to your collection?
Look for new music from Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore, Freeway & Jake One, Nick Curran, Jason Faulkner, Robert Pollard, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Juliana Hatfield, Solas, Field Music, Tindersticks, Adam Green, and Lightspeed Champion.

Formerly of The Moldy Peaches, Adam Green’s latest is titled Minor Love and features the wildly engaging “Buddy Bradley”.  Enjoy.

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I knew that interesting things were on the horizon when the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger was announced in January, but I wasn’t quite prepared for this announcement.  Live Nation and Wal-Mart have entered an agreement, allowing the world’s largest retailer to sell tickets to concerts and other events.  Initially, Wal-Mart will sell tickets in select markets in the U.S., including Chicago and L.A.  With the proliferation and convenient access to digital music, major brick and mortar music outlets have closed, and as a result, Ticketmaster lost a lot of retail outlets.  In this new agreement with Wal-Mart, Ticketmaster (Live Nation) stands to gain far more retail presence than it ever lost with the larger music chains.  Other than convenience, I’m still not sure of the upside for consumers.  I do recognize that if done properly, these entities could deliver unique music experiences.  Think about it…the world’s largest retailer partnering with the newly formed conglomerate that is the leader in online ticketing and concert promotions.  Could be interesting.  What do you think of this newest partnership?  Is it a step in the right direction?  Or, could this possibly be a massive music monopoly in the making?  Thoughts?

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This weekend, I, along with countless others, watched the debut broadcast of the “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” video.  It is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since USA for Africa released the original “We Are the World” to benefit famine relief in Africa.  And now, due to the devastating earthquake that rocked (literally) the Caribbean nation of Haiti in January, musicians and other celebrities have come together to lend their voices to the remake.  Uniting to help those in need is a wonderful thing.  Yet, while I was moved by the collective effort, I would have liked a different execution.  Here’s why.

I’m not a big fan of remakes.  I’ll admit that every now and then an artist comes along with an interesting re-interpretation of a song, but those moments are few and far between.  When listening to “WAtW25”, I don’t think of the plight of the people of Haiti and how the proceeds of this song will be used to help them.  I am mentally transported back to 1985 when I first heard “WAtW”.  The fact that this happens means that a connection is not being made between the song and the current crisis at hand in Haiti.  That’s a problem.  There is no disputing the fact that Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie are musical geniuses, but I think that this is one instance where an original song for Haiti would have resonated a bit more.  Another aspect of the song that left me a bit stunned was the archival sample of Michael Jackson (who duets with sister Janet, in the same vein as Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole).  As co-writer of “WAtW”, I understand that the song is part of Jackson’s musical and humanitarian legacy; however, his presence was a little too eerie for me.  This could be due to the fact that after seven months, his death still feels very recent to me.  (I also had another eerie moment when I thought that an archival sample of Ray Charles’ verse had been added to “WAtW25”, but then I looked up and saw Jamie Foxx impersonating Charles.)  I appreciated the addition of a rap verse.  Lyrically, this is the part of the song that speaks specifically to what has transpired in Haiti, and it provides further linkage since many of the rappers featured in the song have Caribbean roots.  It is interesting to note that the inclusion of rap artists is one of the biggest differences in the two versions.  Back in 1985, rap music was still seen as a fad by many and hadn’t broken into the mainstream.  Now in 2010, rap (or hip-hop) artists play a pretty significant role in popular music, so their presence in “WAtW25” makes sense.  Very disappointing that Auto Tune made an appearance via T-Pain.  I know that is his “thing” but it felt wrong in this tribute song.  And what about Lil Wayne getting a solo verse?  Proof positive that rap music has definitely made its presence heard.

While I would have liked an original song, I support the cause and encourage others to do so as well.  Here’s hoping that such charity singles will not be commonplace in our lives.  The devastation and loss of lives is much too much to bear.

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So much good music out today that I’m not sure where to start.

Well, let’s begin with probably the most anticipated release of the week, if not the year.  Sade is back after a 10-year absence.  Soldier of Love is the 6th studio recording in what has been an extraordinary career.  And with the release of this latest CD, she is everywhere, and I do mean EVERYWHERE.  Catch her appearance on BET’s “106 & Park”.  Go get that younger demographic, Sade.

Also out this week, sophomore release from Yeasayer (Odd Blood), the latest from R&B crooner Jaheim (Another Round),the incredible debut from DJ Center (Everything In Time),  and the seventh studio release from HIM (Screamworks: Love in Theory & Practice).

You want more? Even more hot releases from Massive Attack (Heligoland), Silhouette Brown (Two),  The Watson Twins (Talking to You, Talking to Me),  Georgia Anne Muldrow (Kings Ballad),  Galactic (Ya-Ka-May), and Hot Chip (One Life Stand).

More music than you can handle.  There are some gems on this list.  Do yourself a favor and give them a listen.

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This week brings all sorts of musical treats to add to your collection.  Metal giant Rob Zombie releases Hellbilly Deluxe 2, twelve years after his debut release of Hellbilly Deluxe.  Lil Wayne’s much anticipated first “rock” CD, Rebirth, also hits shelves today.  Canadian-rockers Priestess release the sophomore effort Prior to the Fire, while Salvador Santana’s (yes, Carlos’ son) drops the latin funk/jazz-flavored Keyboard City.  Jose James‘ Blackmagic is now out on Brownswood Recordings (Gilles Peterson’s label), while Midlake and Malakai release The Courage of Others and Ugly Side of Love, respectively.  San Diego quartet The Soft Pack’s self-entitled CD is now available on Kemado Records.  Finally, Nigerian neo-soul vocalist Nneka’s fourth CD, Concrete Jungle, is out on Decon Records.  Nneka is currently on tour in the U.S. and fans may very well hear her perform this song…

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Like so many others, I’m anxiously awaiting February 9^th so that I can get my hands on Sade’s new CD, Soldier of Love. It has been 10 years since Sade’s last release (Lovers Rock) and fans have been jonesing for something new.  By now, most have heard the title track, which has served as a teaser, but in an effort to whet fans’ appetite even more, Epic Records is now streaming six new tracks.  In a very interesting promotional marketing move, each track is being streamed on various entertainment sites.  The exclusive tracks and partner sites are as follows:

• “Babyfather” – People.com
• “Be That Easy” – BarnesandNoble.com
• “Bring Me Home” – SheKnows.com
• “In Another Time” – Ellen DeGeneres
• “Long Hard Road” – Starbucks.com
• “Skin” – BET.com

With seven of the projected 10 songs available for public consumption, what do you think of Sade’s new release?  Will you be adding Soldier of Love to your collection?

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Wow!  January is quickly drawing to a close, but not before the latest round of great new music is released.  New music out this week from the lovely Corinne Bailey Rae, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Magnetic Fields, Youssou N’Dour, Beach House, Celtic Woman, Four Tet, and Patty Griffin.

Welsh band Los Campesinos! latest release is entitled Romance Is Boring (of course, not if its done right), and here is the first video from the album, “There Are Listed Buildings”.  Until next week.

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The release of new music is why Tuesday is hands down the best day of the week. (take that Friday… and Saturday…and )

This week brings new music from  SPOON, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, EDITORS, EELS, SURFER BLOOD, SEMI PRECIOUS WEAPONS (an EP), and SIZZLA.

Also out this week is DAWN LANDES with her third album, Sweetheart Rodeo, which is well worth a listen (a little alt-country with electronic elements…interesting).  Here’s a little taste of the first single, “Romeo”.

And finally, Mr. Ramble John Krohn (aka RJD2) is back with his fourth full-length studio release, The Colossus. This also marks the first release on his own record label, Electrical Connections. For a little taste of what The Colossus has to offer, give a listen to “Let There Be Horns”.  Oddly entertaining.

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