Music Set

This Collectors’ Choice pairing finds two interesting and modest entries in the Nat King Cole oeuvre placed together on one CD: Songs from St. Louis Blues from 1958 is paired with Looking Back from 1965.

Songs from St. Louis Blues is associated with the 1958 Paramount film that starred Nat as legendary blues composer W.C. Handy. The movie also featured a number of jazz and blues greats, including Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, and Eartha Kitt.

» Read the full Music Review: Nat King Cole - Songs from St. Louis Blues/Looking Back article…

A Los Angeles-area blogger who admittedly posted nine tracks in June from the forever-in-the-works Chinese Democracy album was arrested today on suspicion of violating federal copyright laws. FBI spokesman Thom Mrozek says agents took 27-year-old Kevin Cogill into custody at his residence in Culver City for uploading the songs to his website, antiquiet.com. Rather than a federal offense, some may argue Cogill was doing a public service.
» Read the full Guns N’ Roses Blogger Busted for Chinese Leaks (E! Online) article…

Slipknot did something special in creating their fourth studio album: they went home. Preparation for All Hope Is Gone began in 2007 and the recording process began in early 2008 at the Sound Farm Studio in Iowa, marking the first major label album from Slipknot to be recorded in their home state.

And it sounds like home.

All Hope Is Gone is a shadowy, down-to-earth record with twisting melodies, some unexpectedly light tones, and a great equilibrium of radiance and gloom.

» Read the full Music Review: Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone article…

The Mojomatics, Don't Pretend That You Know Me

The Mojomatics make a lot of noise for two guys, and a joyful noise it is. Their hype makes much of the country and bluegrass strains in their hard-driving pop-punk, but despite the presence of harmonica and a certain hillbilly Kentucky Headhunters vibe, the music fits right in with the post-Green Day likes of the Hives.

Like a good basketball team - or maybe more like a pair of beach volleyballers - the Mojomatics execute their fundamentals just right: short, speedy songs with big beats, some punchy hooks, and just as important, a sincere sound.

» Read the full Indie Round-Up: Mojomatics, Duane Andrews, Brandie Frampton, Alex Statan article…

In 1989, Prince released his soundtrack to Tim Burton's blockbuster movie Batman. Music critics generally viewed the album as a disappointment. His fan base largely dismissed it as merely marking time. Nearly twenty years later, it is high time for reappraisal. The past decade-plus of mostly subpar Prince albums has benefited Batman. If the same album was released now, I daresay it would be hailed as a return to form.

I was among the staunchest critics upon initial release of Batman, primarily because of my die-hard admiration of Prince.

» Read the full Music Review: Prince - Batman: Motion Picture Soundtrack article…

I haven’t been to Rome for a while, but the last time I checked it out it seemed full of ice cream eating tourists queuing up to see the Sistine Chapel ceiling. So imagine my shock when Motorama’s Psychotronic is the Beat landed on my doormat. Formed back in 2000 and consisting of Daniela on guitar, main vocals, and keys alongside Laura on drums this band really knows how to, not only create a good slab of punk in all its trashy tradition, but also get a great image going that would have me walking the seven hills of Rome looking for them.

» Read the full Music Review: Motorama - Psychotronic is the Beat! article…

Another in a series of Concord albums celebrating the Monterey Jazz Festival (previously: Brubeck, Tjader) presents the music of an American-born, but purely Latin music maestro, Tito Puente. It was recorded during his band's triumphant appearance at the 1977 festival, the first of many he would make at the storied venue through the years. At the time, Puente was a respected, well-known Latin musician and bandleader, but had not yet started the string of chart-topping records and Grammy wins that would be coming his way.
» Read the full Music Review: Tito Puente - Live At The 1977 Monterey Jazz Festival article…

I’ve never really stopped to think about what our friends across the pond think about our New York-centric Steely duo, but it comes to mind now that I’m checking out the UK release of the new Walter Becker joint, Circus Money, on Sonic 360.  Perhaps they didn’t grow up sneaking their parents’ Steely Dan records like I did, giving them spins in between Iron Maiden and Def Leppard albums, and becoming addicted to the sheer sonic quality and unique songwriting of Becker and Fagen. 

There was always something special to the quality of Steely Dan music; it walked the musical tightrope between jazz and rock, but sneered at you before you were able to lump it into the same pile of other fusion garbage that came from the mid-'70s.  There was some really good stuff that came out of that fusion era and there was a lot of bad… and then there were the innovators like Steely Dan.

» Read the full Music Review: Walter Becker - Circus Money (UK Release) article…

Brad Paisley definitely has had a successful year. 2008 is not even over and Brad Paisley has sold over 500,000 seats for his Bonfires and Amplifiers tour and his current Paisley Party tour, CMT reports. He hit 500,000 concert viewers during his stop in St. Paul, Minnesota last Friday, August 22nd. He has performed 56 concerts in 2008 alone. And Brad Paisley isn’t done yet — he’s planning another tour in 2009.

"This number means more to me this year than ever knowing how strapped people are economically these days," says Paisley.

» Read the full Brad Paisley Performs for a Half Million in 2008 article…

After a bit of back and forth with my kind editor here at Blogcritics, we have decided to tweak the column a bit. Now I started this tweak last week with the overhang of stuff that was bubbling over on my blog.

This week we shall start the “feature review” where I will devote a few more words to one particular release. This week’s lucky release is the rather good new one from Extreme.

» Read the full Music Reviews: Extreme, Regurgitator, Todd Rundgren, Delight, Rogue Male, and Control Denied article…