Quantcast
Channel: Dave K. – Barnes & Noble Reads
Viewing all 88 articles
Browse latest View live

Pop Stars Cover Disney Songs And More New Releases

0
0

This fresh crop of new and upcoming vinyl albums available at Barnes & Noble includes holiday albums from Yo-Yo Ma and Pentatonix, reissues of Loreena McKennitt’s first two albums, the soundtrack to the upcoming Peanuts animated movie, and two Disney compilations that will gather the whole family ’round the turntable. Some of these albums are Barnes & Noble exclusives that aren’t available anywhere else, and a couple of them are pressed on limited-edition colored vinyl, so pick them up now, while supplies last.

We Love Disney
This compilation sees pop stars from everywhere on the musical spectrum take on classic Disney songs, and it turns out to be quite a melting pot; NE-YO, Gwen Stefani, Ariana Grande, Jhené Aiko, and Fall Out Boy are just a handful of the artists contributing to this album. Stefani’s version of “The Rainbow Connection” captures the same wide-eyed sweetness as the original, and Fall Out Boy’s take on “I Wanna Be Like You” actually makes a lot of sense as a Fall Out Boy song. Jessie Ware’s version of “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella is not only one of this record’s best tracks, it’s something of a personal triumph for Ware, who has taken some heat from critics in the past for her Disney-like voice.

Disney Legacy Collection Compilation
Collecting the best songs from Disney’s impressive roster of animated musicals has to be a daunting task, but the Disney Legacy Collection intends to do just that. This exclusive LP digs up songs from The Aristocats, Pocahontas, The Lion King, Toy Story, and Pinocchio, among others, and is as much a chance for underrated songs to get their due as it is a celebration of beloved classics. “Thomas O’Malley,” from The Aristocats, has a natural swing and a Sinatra-esque, big band feel, similar to the jaunty and more orchestral “Rotting Along to Pleasure Island” from Pinocchio. And for a film that isn’t held in the same high regard as many of its peers, Pocahontas has one of the best songs on this compilation with “Just Around the Riverbend.”

Elemental, by Loreena McKennitt
McKennitt’s first album, released in 1985, is notable for two reasons. The first is that it’s really, really good. The second is that it’s really, really good in a way that first albums usually aren’t. A lot of very talented singers take a few albums to find their own unique voice, but McKennitt basically arrived with hers right from the start. Her clear, sharp soprano takes center stage here, backed by sparse arrangements that blend Celtic melodies and instrumentation with new age ambiance. Standout tracks include “Kellswater”; “Stolen Child,” which is based on a poem by William Butler Yeats; and “Lullaby,” which references a poem by William Blake, and was originally written for a Stratford Festival of Canada production of Blake.

To Drive The Cold Winter Home, by Loreena McKennitt
McKennitt’s second studio album, released in 1987, isn’t a holiday album so much as a winter music album, drawing on her memories of the church songs and carols she heard as a child. As one might expect, this album also features simple arrangements, and was recorded in a series of three great halls (two Canadian, one Irish) to capture a bigger, more communal sound. This approach really works, bestowing warm echoes and natural reverb on most of the songs here. Speaking of, McKennitt’s vocals on “In Praise of Christmas” are bright enough to win over the most belligerent humbug, and “Let All That Are To Mirth Inclined” is beautifully haunting, with bells as the only accompaniment to McKennitt’s ethereal voice.

Songs of Joy & Peace, by Yo-Yo Ma
This massive double-LP is a Christmas album in which Yo-Yo Ma collaborates with an impressive list of guest artists (including James Taylor, Allison Krauss, and Dave Brubeck) for 22 tracks of holiday cheer. Many of the songs here are traditional winter holiday songs like “Dona Nobis Pacem,” “The Wassail Song,” and “Joy to the World,” but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few pop surprises sprinkled in to keep things lively. This album features two songs written by Beatles members—George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun” and John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over),” which he wrote with Yoko Ono—and Diane Krall cameos on a lovely rendition of “You Couldn’t Be Cuter.”

Peanuts Movie Soundtrack
Peanuts continues its legacy of great music with the official soundtrack for the upcoming The Peanuts Movie, released on vinyl exclusively for Barnes & Noble. The classic Peanuts melody “Linus and Lucy,” as performed by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, starts the soundtrack off on the right foot, and Meghan Trainor’s new single “Better When I’m Dancin’”, written specifically for the film, carries that momentum forward. Flo Rida contributes his bouncy, house-inspired “That’s What I Like,” which turns out to be a perfect fit, and we get two more Vince Guaraldi songs—“Skating” and “Christmas Time Is Here”—before Christophe Beck’s impressive film score takes over.

That’s Christmas to Me, by Pentatonix
Pop a cappella group Pentatonix released their second holiday album, That’s Christmas to Me, last year, and now it’s being released on exclusive blue vinyl just in time for this year’s holiday season. Pentatonix have received much critical acclaim for their crisp vocal melodies and unique arrangements, both of which are on display here; their version of “Sleigh Ride,” which features some frankly incredible beatboxing, is the most fun version of that song since the Ventures turned it into a surf standard. Speaking of instrumentals, “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy” might be the crown jewel of this album. The group’s melodies, riffing, and vocal percussion bring this song to life in a way that traditional instruments haven’t for a long time.

Banjo Banjo, by Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Along with being husband and wife, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn are two of the best banjo players walking the face of the earth right now, so it’s a real treat whenever they team up on a project. Banjo Banjo is just such a project, with three live tracks and three studio recordings, including a cover of Europe’s synthrock classic “The Final Countdown.” That song, along with the live recording of “Shotgun Blues,” best captures Fleck and Washburn’s formidable skills and shared sense of fun. “Shotgun Blues” is just a wonderful song all around, with a rustic intro that blends perfectly with Washburn’s imperfect-but-confident voice.

 


On Vinyl: Boxed Sets You Can’t Miss

0
0

In addition to all the great single-album vinyl offerings at Barnes & Noble, there are a lot of great vinyl boxed sets to add to your collections. Boxed sets are a great value, in that they compile whole chunks of an artist’s career, as well as rare tracks and B-sides that are hard to find elsewhere. They usually include exclusive extras, too, such as bonus CDs or LPs, photo albums, posters and artwork, and other goodies. Check out these fully loaded boxed sets from Third Man Records, David Bowie, Motörhead, and more!

Third Man Box Set, by Jack White
Jack White’s record label, Third Man Records, has released some pretty great music since its founding in 2001, and this boxed set of 7-inch records continues that trend. Featuring double-sided records by Jack White, PUJOL, Michael Kiwanuka, the Alabama Shakes, rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis, and hilarious non-musician Conan O’Brien, this box set is an eclectic sampling of Third Man’s catalog and general aesthetic. The music here is what you’d expect from White’s label—basic, catchy, radio-friendly rock music with just enough grit to be interesting, but not off-putting—and Conan’s contribution is an improvised retelling of Frankenstein titled “And They Call Me Mad?”, with an interview by Jack White on the B-side.

Beneath The Skin, by Of Monsters and Men
Icelandic indie-folk band Of Monsters and Men are known for upbeat songs, shout-a-long choruses, and lyrics that reference animals, but Beneath The Skin is something of a departure from that. This album has a darker atmosphere with a more somber tone, and the compositions here are more expansive and cinematic. Overall, the band’s sound is maturing in a noticeable and powerful way, as evidenced by the gorgeous “Hunger,” and the opening track, “Crystals,” shows that they can still have fun, too. Best of all, this album is a Barnes & Noble exclusive boxed set that includes two 12” LPs of the album, a 10” LP of bonus tracks, handwritten lyric prints, randomly selected photos of the band taken during the recording process, and a fold-out poster.

Five Years 1969-1973, by David Bowie
David Bowie’s long, storied career as a pop musician is notable for his innovation in the recording studio, the intellectual ambition of his music, and the evolution of his public image from androgynous space alien to effortlessly cool rock ‘n roll statesman. To celebrate his many achievements, he is releasing a series of boxed sets collecting his recorded output thus far, and the first one is set to drop this September. Five Years is a whopping 10-album set, with six original studio albums and two live performances, as well as a two-disc compilation of non-album singles and B-sides. The set also includes an unreleased single edit of “All The Madmen” and the original version of “Holy Holy,” both of which are nearly impossible to find outside of this set.

Bad Magic, by Motörhead
Motörhead is not just an incredible rock ‘n roll band, they are a testament to human durability. Their singer/bassist Lemmy is pushing 70 and stricken with diabetes and heart problems from years of living on the road, and yet he’s still writing albums and touring. Needless to say, his gravelly voice sounds even more weathered on his band’s 22nd studio album, but that’s actually perfect for Motörhead’s loud, intense, uncompromising brand of heavy metal-infused rock. Every track here is a winner, especially their cover of “Sympathy for the Devil,” which was basically written about Lemmy before anyone knew who he was. The deluxe boxed set version of this album includes the LP itself, a CD, and a poster, plus back and sleeve patches.

Complete Columbia Album Collection, by Simon & Garfunkel
A lot of bands can claim to be the heart or soul of the 1960s folk movement, but only one group can say they were the intellect: Simon & Garfunkel. Their combination of intelligent, highly-articulate lyrics (composed primarily by Simon) and clear, scalpel-sharp vocal melodies (driven by Garfunkel) made them one of the most popular and revered folk duos of all time. The Complete Columbia Album Collection compiles Simon & Garfunkel’s first five studio albums (Wednesday Morning 3 AM; Sounds of Silence; Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme; Bookends; and Bridge Over Troubled Water) and their 1972 greatest hits album. Picking out favorite tracks from such an impressive collection would be impossible, but most of their songs, like “America” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” mean as much in 2015 as they did when they were originally written.

Box Set, by Burning Witch
Vinyl junkies outside the stoner/doom metal community may not be familiar with Burning Witch, but they occupy an interesting space in their subgenre. Slower and heavier than many of their contemporaries, with lots of empty space in their songs and lyrics that even the metal community considered dark and sour, Burning Witch released four albums before breaking up in 1998 to pursue other projects, including Goatsnake and Sunn O))). These four albums are collected in this boxed set, which also comes with a 40-page photo book and a DVD of previously unreleased live performances. Be prepared for plodding tempos, weird song structures, droning, downtuned guitars, and vocals that range from howls to pained shrieks. If you love Black Sabbath but want to hear what a slower, angrier version of them would sound like, look no further than Burning Witch.

Pre-Order a Brand-New Album from Adele

0
0

For four years, Adele’s millions of fans have patiently waited for her to release a new album. At last, the wait is almost over: Adele’s new album, titled 25, will be out this November, and it’s now available for pre-order on CD and vinyl!

In a crowded pop music marketplace, Adele stands alone. Her lovely contralto voice, unblemished by Autotune or vocal effects, and her commitment to soulful material instead of club-influenced dance music, make her one of a kind. In particular, her appoggiatura (meaning “grace note”) vocal embellishments create natural tension in her music that most other pop singers can’t match, and when you combine that with her vocal range, which is exceedingly rare in pop music, you get something very special.

What’s more, she’s working with a great team of collaborators on her new project: songwriter/OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, former Sessions bassist Tobias Jesso Jr., and producer/Gnarls Barkley member Danger Mouse are all confirmed contributors to 25.

The release of the moody, emotional music video for “Hello” gives you a sense of what’s in store on this exciting album.

After you’ve pre-ordered 25, check out Adele’s other albums, both of which Barnes & Noble offers on vinyl, and both of which are fantastic. You can catch up with where she’s been before you see where she’s headed next.

19, by Adele
Released back in 2008, Adele’s debut album surprised critics who didn’t expect such a young pop singer to a) present such maturity right off the bat, or b) come out of the gate with a fully-formed voice. While her lyrics still had some adolescence left in them (which isn’t a bad thing, especially considering that the album is named for the age Adele was during production) her voice was already the real deal, a warm blend of blues, folk, and jazz influences that could soar higher (in both pitch and intensity) when needed. “Chasing Pavements,” the jazzy “Best For Last,” and Adele’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” are the standouts here. Among many other awards, Adele won the Grammy for Best New Artist on the strength of 19.

21, by Adele
Yes, this is the album with “Rolling In the Deep” on it. Adele released this album in 2011, and scored the biggest crossover hit in the United States in 25 years with her aforementioned single, along with six Grammy awards for the album itself, which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The success of “Rolling In the Deep” sometimes overshadows how good the rest of this album is. Adele’s voice is soulful, but with plenty of bite and venom, like Amy Winehouse with clearer enunciation. “Rumor Has It” and “He Won’t Go” are two great examples of this. Adele may have also recorded the best sad pop song of the past 10 years with “Someone Like You,” the emotional and vocal complexity of which are absolutely gut-wrenching when paired with her simple piano accompaniment.

A Beatles Album Exclusive to Barnes & Noble, Plus More New Releases

0
0

There’s a lot of great vinyl new and coming soon to Barnes & Noble, including albums by 5 Seconds of Summer, Kendrick Lamar, and Rod Stewart; a fantastic album of Christmas songs by Mariah Carey; and Barnes & Noble exclusive boxed set of Beatles singles! With the weather getting colder, now’s the time to huddle up around your turntable with any one (or all) of these vinyl albums.

The Singles, by the Beatles
This limited-edition set of Beatles singles is worth buying for the songs alone; “Ticket To Ride” and “Yes It Is” are on the first disc, and “Yellow Submarine” and the incomparable “Eleanor Rigby” are on the second. All four songs demonstrate how well-rounded the Beatles’ sound was, and how they’d mastered just about every aspect of pop songwriting, with “Yellow Submarine” standing as evidence that, for all their success, they didn’t take themselves too seriously. This set of singles is exclusively numbered and packaged in their original artwork, and the set comes with a Beatles poster and a single hub for your turntable, just in case you need one.

Sounds Good Feels Good, by 5 Seconds of Summer
Australian pop punk band 5 Seconds of Summer’s sophomore effort is nothing if not ambitious. While they haven’t strayed from their emo and powerpop-influenced style, this album sees the band figuring out what their collective identity is, and playing much more confidently as a result. “She’s Kinda Hot,” the first single from this album, will thrill fans of McFly and Blink-182, and “Hey Everybody!” has an infectious, four-on-the-floor beat that’s almost more suitable for dancing than rocking out. Anyone who wrote this band off as just One Direction with guitars would be wise to heed Kerrang’s review of this record; “Sounds Good Feels Good won’t change the world,” they said in their review, “but it might just change your mind.”

To Pimp a Butterfly, by Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar’s third album, released in March 2015 to widespread critical and commercial acclaim, broadens Kendrick’s range of influences to include funk, spoken word, and jazz. The presence of Dr. Dre and Pharrell (among many others) as producers on this album should be taken as a sign that Kendrick’s music is getting slicker and more upscale. That doesn’t mean it’s getting less real, though; Kendrick has a lot to say about how America treats its African-American community. “Wesley’s Theory” suggests a purposeful lack of financial education for black men, and “King Kunta” takes aim at ghostwriters in hip-hop.

Merry Christmas, by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey has a real gift for Christmas music, which extends to both performing and writing it. This album, released in 1994 at an early peak in her career, features traditional Christmas songs and carols alongside songs she wrote with Walter Afanasieff. Carey’s original material received high praise from critics, especially “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which has become a Christmas carol in its own right, and was also the bestselling holiday ringtone in the United States at one point. Her versions of “Silent Night” and “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” are two of this album’s major highlights, as both songs were seemingly made for voices like her.

Another Country, by Rod Stewart
Another Country is Rod Stewart’s twenty-ninth studio album, if you can imagine, and was recorded in his house with Pro Tools. That may sound awfully modern and progressive for someone Stewart’s age, but he’s never been one to get stuck in his ways, a strength that is illustrated quite well by this album. Incorporating bits of reggae, ska, and Celtic into his sound, Stewart shows that he’s not scared of trying new things at a point where most musicians feel like they don’t have to, which makes this album a lot of fun. Songs of note include “Batman Superman Spiderman,” influenced by the bedtime stories he told his youngest son, and the title track, in which Stewart muses about life in the Army and the subsequent distance from family and friends.

New and Upcoming Albums Available Only at Barnes & Noble

0
0

This most recent haul of new and upcoming vinyl features editions exclusive to Barnes & Noble, including double-LPs from Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck, and the legendary Elvis Presley, as well as a Christmas album by the Piano Guys and a limited edition, orange vinyl pressing of Neko Case’s critically acclaimed third album, Blacklisted.

Silver Lining: The Music of Jerome Kern, by Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett, who could be very accurately described as a living legend, made a career out of singing jazzy showtunes, so it’s only natural that he’d turn his attention to the music of composer Jerome Kern, one of the fathers of modern musical theatre. In this double LP, Bennett pays tribute to Kern by performing 14 of his songs with pianist Bill Charlap. Since Kern was primarily a composer, he didn’t write lyrics for his songs, but he did collaborate with some of the best American songwriters of his era, including Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin, and Oscar Hammerstein III, all of whom are honored on this album. As one might expect, Tony knocks every song out of the park, especially “I’m Old Fashioned” and “The Last Time I Saw Paris.”

Family Christmas, by the Piano Guys
The Piano Guys—Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson, Paul Anderson, and Al van der Beek—made their name on YouTube, where their piano-and-cello arrangements of pop songs won them millions of subscribers and billions of views, and eventually a deal with Sony. Family Christmas is one of the many fruits of that signing, and has the Piano Guys taking on a mix of traditional holiday songs and their own compositions/arrangements. As it turns out, they’re equally adept at both, making this a fun, upbeat holiday album and a perfect soundtrack to opening presents on Christmas morning. In fact, the song “Christmas Morning” is one of this album’s many highlights.

The Essential Dave Brubeck, by Dave Brubeck
A pioneer of “cool jazz,” Dave Brubeck created classically-infused compositions, sharp improvisational abilities, and use of unorthodox time signatures and tonalities that made him a jazz legend, which you can hear for yourself on this 31-track compilation of his best work. Even if Brubeck’s name isn’t one you immediately recognize, some of his songs (like “Take Five” and the theme from Mr. Broadway) are almost ubiquitous, and are good examples of the man’s talents. Even at its most weird, Brubeck’s music is smooth and relaxed, which makes it more approachable to casual listeners than the harder bebop style he was countering.

Essential Elvis Presley, by Elvis Presley
This greatest-hits compilation, originally released in 2007, is being pressed onto vinyl exclusively for Barnes & Noble, and just in time for what would have been the King’s 80th birthday. Essential Elvis Presley is a comprehensive, two-disc set that spans a pretty wide arc of Elvis’ career, from his beginnings as a rockabilly singer, to his ascent and the peak of his stardom, to his comeback, and finally to his Las Vegas years. Over two discs and 39 tracks, you hear Elvis transition from rebellious rock ‘n roller to legitimate pop star and then pop music elder, and you also hear his voice bloom into full maturity; the Elvis that sang “Hurt” in the 1970s is much different that the one who sang “Blue Moon of Kentucky” in the 1950s.

Blacklisted, by Neko Case
Originally released in 2002, this album—Neko’s third—is being pressed onto limited edition orange vinyl exclusively for Barnes & Noble. This album features some of Neko’s best songs, including “I Wish I Was the Moon,” “Pretty Girls,” and “Deep Red Bells,” an enchanting ballad about growing up in Tacoma during the Green River Killer’s string of murders. Other highlights include the noirish “Look For Me (I’ll Be Around)” and the abstract, bluegrass-tinged “Things That Scare Me,” and really every song on this album is pure dynamite because they all feature Neko’s once-a-generation voice; dusky, versatile, and packed full of emotion without being saccharine.

Disney, Mad Men, Elvis, and More

0
0

Just in time for the start of family holiday season, Barnes & Noble has some great new vinyl coming in! We’ve got compilation albums of great music from Disney, the acclaimed period drama Mad Men, and the upcoming Peanuts animated film, plus a highly-anticipated entry in Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series and an orchestral album celebrating Elvis Presley’s 80th birthday. As usual, some of these records are exclusives, and they’re all worth making shelf space for in your vinyl collection.

Disney Legacy Collection Compilation
Collecting the best songs from Disney’s impressive roster of animated musicals has to be a daunting task, but the Disney Legacy Collection intends to do just that. This exclusive LP digs up songs from The Aristocats, Pocahontas, The Lion King, Toy Story, and Pinocchio, among others, and is as much a chance for underrated songs to get their due as it is a celebration of beloved classics. “Thomas O’Malley,” from The Aristocats, has a natural swing and a Sinatra-esque, big band feel, similar to the jaunty and more orchestral “Rotting Along to Pleasure Island” from Pinocchio. And for a film that isn’t held in the same high regard as many of its peers, Pocahontas has one of the best songs on this compilation with “Just Around the Riverbend.”

Retrospective: The Music of Mad Men 
Not only was Mad Men an amazing, groundbreaking show, it had an incredible soundtrack that, for whatever reason, never got the accolades it deserved. Until now, that is. This compilation of 24 songs from the acclaimed AMC period drama features a diverse array of music from artists old and new, and it’s exclusive to Barnes & Noble. Highlights include Roy Orbison’s fragile, mariachi-tinged “Shadahroba,” originally the B-side to his 1963 single “In Dreams,” and the Beach Boys’ dreamy, melancholy “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times,” taken from Pet Sounds. The Zombies’ “This Will Be Our Year” must be mentioned as well, since it accompanied one of the show’s most touching scenes.

Joy to the World, by Pink Martini
Portland, OR-based “little orchestra” Pink Martini started their career hoping to play political fundraisers, but fate and their formidable talents have taken them all over the world, playing a fun and approachable blend of classical music, jazz, pop, and world music. Their 2010 Christmas album, Joy To The World, saw them take on holiday music with great success, and this special edition is a Barnes & Noble exclusive, pressed on clear vinyl. Highlights include “White Christmas II,” sung in Japanese by Saori Yuki, their catchy and eerie version of the Ukranian bell carol “Schedryk,” and their version of “We Three Kings,” which was released as a Starbucks free download when the album first came out.

If I Can Dream, by Elvis Presley
To commemorate what would have been Elvis’ 80th birthday this year, If I Can Dream sets out to do something that Elvis, despite his many other career accomplishments, never got the chance to do: perform with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The album combines archival recordings of Elvis’ one-of-a-kind voice with new orchestral arrangements, as well as duets with Michael Bublé (who joins him on “Fever”) and Italian trio Il Volo (who join him on “It’s Now Or Never”). In total, 14 of Elvis’ best songs are given the orchestral treatment, and a new sense of relevance, on this album, which shows off not just the elegance and adaptability of Elvis’ music, but also its timelessness.

{{ean5}}Peanuts Movie Soundtrack
Peanuts continues its legacy of great music with the official soundtrack for the upcoming The Peanuts Movie, released on vinyl exclusively for Barnes & Noble. The classic Peanuts melody “Linus and Lucy,” as performed by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, starts the soundtrack off on the right foot, and Meghan Trainor’s new single “Better When I’m Dancin’”, written specifically for the film, carries that momentum forward. Flo Rida contributes his bouncy, house-inspired “That’s What I Like” to this album, which turns out to be a perfect fit, and we get two more Vince Guaraldi songs—“Skating” and “Christmas Time Is Here”—before Christophe Beck’s impressive film score takes over.

Best of the Cutting Edge 1965-1966, by Bob Dylan
Part of Dylan’s Bootleg Series, this album compiles unreleased tracks from Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde. These alternate takes, which sometimes include different lyrics and instrumentation than the studio tracks, take listeners into the studio and offer a deeper understanding of Dylan’s creative process. Plus, some of the alternate tracks are great, and a few of them rival their accepted-studio-version counterparts. “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?”, originally recorded during the Highway 61 Revisited sessions, is arguably sung with more feeling here than anywhere else, and the bass in “Sitting On a Barbed Wire Fence” drives the song’s drunken rhythm in a wonderful direction.

New from Tony Bennett, Justin Bieber, and More

0
0

This week’s new and upcoming vinyl includes new releases from pop sensations Justin Bieber and One Direction, British rock legend Jeff Lynne (recording as Jeff Lynne’s ELO) and legendary jazz singer Tony Bennett, as well as re-released albums from alternative/jam band moe. This week also marks the re-release of the soundtrack to Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers. A lineup this diverse just shows you that no matter what you want for your vinyl collection, you’ll find it at Barnes & Noble.

Silver Lining: The Music of Jerome Kern, by Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett, who could be very accurately described as a living legend, made a career out of singing jazzy showtunes, so it’s only natural that he’d turn his attention to the music of composer Jerome Kern, one of the fathers of modern musical theatre. In this double LP, Bennett pays tribute to Kern by performing 14 of his songs with pianist Bill Charlap. Since Kern was primarily a composer, he didn’t write lyrics for his songs, but he did collaborate with some of the best American songwriters of his era, including Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin, and Oscar Hammerstein III, all of whom are honored on this album. As one might expect, Tony knocks every song out of the park, especially “I’m Old Fashioned” and “The Last Time I Saw Paris.”

Purpose, by Justin Bieber
Beliebers rejoice! Justin Bieber’s new album is scheduled to drop on November 13th, and he’s already setting records with “What Do You Mean,” the album’s first single. Not only is it his first number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, it made him the youngest male artist to debut at the top, earning him a Guinness Record for that achievement. Both that song and the follow-up single, “Sorry,” are a blend of Bieber’s pop sound and tropical house, making his work even catchier and more danceable than it already was. Critics across the board agree with this, and Jezebel’s Bobby Finger claims that Bieber released the three best singles in 2015, referring to “Where Are Ü Now,” “What Do You Mean?” and “Sorry.”

Made in the AM, by One Direction
One Direction plans to take a hiatus next year, but not before releasing Made in the AM, their upcoming album and their first without Zayn Malik. The first single from this angle, “Drag Me Down,” got an astonishing 350,000 downloads in its first week, the group’s best sales week to date. As if that wasn’t enough, their second single from this album, “Perfect,” marked their fifth Top 10 debut on the Hot 100 chart, breaking a record previously held by the Beatles. As a whole, this album blends sleek electropop with elements of the Beatles, U2 (especially obvious in the album’s third single, “Infinity”), and Paul Simon. If this album precedes more than just a hiatus for One Direction, it’s a heck of an album to go out on.

Alone In the Universe, by Jeff Lynne’s ELO
Some ELO fans don’t realize that founding member Jeff Lynne resuscitated the band in 2001 as more or less a solo project; always a multi-instrumentalist, he plays everything except the shaker and the tambourine on this album. Considering that Lynne is knocking on 70 years of age, the clarity of his voice is incredible. You could filter creek water through his vocal performance on “When I Was a Boy,” and “When the Night Comes.” Since Lynne is also a recording engineer, the mix of instruments used throughout this album is perfectly balanced as well. The wall of sound elements that defined classic ELO have receded in favor of a cleaner, sharper sound, but that’s not a change as much as it is an upgrade.

No Doy, by moe
Released almost 20 years ago in 1996, No Doy was moe’s major label debut. More polished than the band’s previous albums and their notoriously freewheeling live presence, No Doy is nevertheless a strong debut for a band that combined the mellowness of a typical jam band with the goofy, sardonic attitude that pervaded a lot of 1990s alternative rock. And unlike a lot of other bands with similar pedigrees, the band’s strong musicianship keeps this album as fun and relevant as it was in the mid-90s; in particular, drummer Chris Mazur should have gotten way more accolades for his strong rhythm and great, meaty fills. Standout tracks here are “Spine of a Dog” and fan favorite “Saint Augustine.”

Tin Cans and Car Tires, by moe
This album, released two years after No Doy, was their first album with drummer Vinnie Amico, who replaced Chris Mazur after No Doy‘s release. Luckily, Amico was every bit as good as his predecessor, and the other members stepped up their game as well; this album is bigger, better, and more diverse than No Doy, with more emphasis on the funk elements of their sound. The second track, “Spaz Medicine,” shows off the band’s musical flexibility with unorthodox time signatures and Middle Eastern melodies, whereas “Head” could have been a Presidents of the United States of America song thanks to its straightforward guitar work and humorous tone.

Natural Born Killers Soundtrack
Diverse in a way that few soundtracks are, the soundtrack to Oliver Stone’s infamous comedy about serial killers features everything from grunge to pop to hip-hop to classics like Leonard Cohen and Patsy Cline, all assembled by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. Seeking to replicate the hallucinatory weirdness of the film, Reznor splices in dialogue and sound effects to connect the songs, making it an interesting conceptual album in its own right. The context brings new life to songs like Cowboy Junkies’ cover of “Sweet Jane” and Duane Eddy’s rockabilly instrumental “The Trembler,” so they fit right in alongside darker, more contemporary fare like Nine Inch Nails’ “Burn” and Jane’s Addiction’s “Sex Is Violent.”

Celebrate Vinyl Day with These Must-Own Releases

0
0

Vinyl is back, and it’s cooler than ever. On November 21, we’re celebrating this new/vintage trend at all Barnes & Noble stores. Vinyl Day will feature events, giveaways, special offers, signed editions, and exclusive products.

While you’re in the store, be sure to pick up and pre-order these new and upcoming vinyl releases, which include thirteen editions exclusive to Barnes & Noble from Johnny Cash, Neko Case, Michael Buble, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and more. And for all you Don Draper fans, the Mad Men retrospective compilation album, featuring songs that appeared in the hit AMC drama, will be perfect for your vinyl collection. We also have the scoop on Adele’s new album, the most-anticipated release of the year.

25, by Adele
Adele’s new album, 25, has been the talk of the pop music world since she teased the album’s lead single, “Hello,” in a 15-second TV ad. Once “Hello” was officially released, it was met with rapturous enthusiasm by fans and critics alike, and became the first single to sell one million downloads in a release week, beating the record previously held by Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball.” This album continues exploring the themes that drew us all to Adele’s music—regret, loss, heartbreak—but with the renewed energy of someone who, after questioning whether or not to quit music altogether, decided that she had more to say. As of now, Adele hasn’t confirmed whether or not her album will be available on streaming services, but it is absolutely available on vinyl from Barnes & Noble.

The Essential Johnny Cash, by Johnny Cash
In this double LP, an exclusive edition available only at B&N, 28 of Johnny Cash’s most enduring songs lead you through one of the most unique, and longest lasting, careers in American music. From his Sun Records rockabilly days to his later, more serious material, the progression of Cash’s lyrics is matched every step of the way by his consistency as a performer; his voice may waver with age, but there’s a stoicism to his plainspoken bass voice that no one else can imitate. A lot of the old favorites like “I Walk the Line,” “Big River,” “Ring of Fire, ” “Folsom Prison Blues,” and “Man In Black” are present here, and his wife June Carter-Cash chimes in on “Jackson” and “If I Were a Carpenter.” Somewhat lesser-known songs like “Guess Things Happen That Way” are given a chance to shine here, too.

That Would Be Me, by Harry Connick, Jr.
For this album—another Barnes & Noble exclusive edition—Harry Connick, Jr. wanted to do something he’d never done in his long, storied career: remove himself from the driver’s seat. Connick told NPR that “there were things suggested to me that I may not have thought of,” regarding the album’s content and execution, “but nothing felt out of place.” Indeed, Connick sounds very much at home in every track, from the uptempo, handclap-driven “(I Like It When You) Smile” to the gospel-influenced “Like We Do.” There’s also a bold, pop crispness to this album, provided by producers Butch Walker and Eg White, that was absent from Connick’s previous work. That transition into a bigger pop sound can be challenging for some, but Connick knocks it out of the park.

Retrospective: The Music of Mad Men
Not only was Mad Men an amazing, groundbreaking show, it had an incredible soundtrack that, for whatever reason, never got the accolades it deserved. Until now, that is. This compilation of 24 songs from the acclaimed AMC period drama features a diverse array of music from artists old and new, and it’s exclusive to Barnes & Noble. Highlights include Roy Orbison’s fragile, mariachi-tinged “Shadahroba,” originally the B-side to his 1963 single “In Dreams,” and the Beach Boys’ dreamy, melancholy “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times,” taken from Pet Sounds. The Zombies’ “This Will Be Our Year” must be mentioned as well, since it accompanied one of the show’s most touching scenes.

Blacklisted, by Neko Case
Originally released in 2002, this album—Neko’s third—is being pressed onto limited edition orange vinyl exclusively for Barnes & Noble. This album features some of Neko’s best songs, including “I Wish I Was the Moon,” “Pretty Girls,” and “Deep Red Bells,” an enchanting ballad about growing up in Tacoma during the Green River Killer’s string of murders. Other highlights include the noirish “Look For Me (I’ll Be Around)” and the abstract, bluegrass-tinged “Things That Scare Me,” and really every song on this album is pure dynamite because they all feature Neko’s once-a-generation voice; dusky, versatile, packed full of emotion without being saccharine.

Silver Lining: The Music of Jerome Kern, by Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett, who could be very accurately described as a living legend, made a career out of singing jazzy showtunes, so it’s only natural that he’d turn his attention to the music of composer Jerome Kern, one of the fathers of modern musical theatre. In this double LP, Bennett pays tribute to Kern by performing 14 of his songs with pianist Bill Charlap. Since Kern was primarily a composer, he didn’t write lyrics for his songs, but he did collaborate with some of the best American songwriters of his era, including Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin, and Oscar Hammerstein III, all of whom are honored on this album. As one might expect, Tony knocks every song out of the park, especially “I’m Old Fashioned” and “The Last Time I Saw Paris.”

It’s Time, by Michael Buble
This album, which originally came out in 2005, is a collection of the Canadian singer’s take on pop and jazz standards including the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love,” George and Ira Gershwin’s “A Foggy Day (In London Town),” and Stevie Wonder’s “You and I,” among others. Buble’s vocal clarity and tone are outstanding, and the album’s guest stars compliment his vocal talents nicely. Nelly Furtado duets with Buble on “Quando Quando Quando,” and jazz trumpeter Chris Botti joins in on Leon Russell’s “Song for You.” And, in a first for Buble’s recording career up to that point, this album features a song (“Home”) that he helped write, which became the album’s second single.

Call Me Irresponsible, by Michael Buble
Spurred on by the success of his first self-penned song, Michael helped write another one for his third studio album, Call Me Irresponsible. That song, “Everything,” was the lead single for this album, and was written for Emily Blunt, who he was dating at the time. The rest of the album follows Buble’s general pattern of pop and jazz standards, but his choices are a bit more daring this time around; they include Leonard Cohen’s “I’m Your Man,” Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight,” which he performs as a duet with Ivan Lins, and “Comin’ Home Baby,” which sees Buble pair up with new jack swing legends Boyz II Men. Not only is it a great album, it’s a Barnes & Noble vinyl exclusive.

Cinema, by Andrea Bocelli
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli turns his attention to film scores for his fifteenth studio album, a double LP released exclusively through Barnes & Noble. This album features Bocelli’s take on 13 songs from a variety of classic and contemporary films, some of which may surprise the listener. It makes total sense that Bocelli would sing selections from West Side Story and Phantom of the Opera, or “Brucia la Terra” from The Godfather, and he does a great job with them. His selections from Gladiator and Scent of a Woman, though, are what make this album fun. They are exceptionally well performed, with Bocelli’s precise, lovely tenor in full effect, and there’s always something invigorating about operatic singers acknowledging more contemporary work.

The Essential Dave Brubeck, by Dave Brubeck
A pioneer of “cool jazz,” Dave Brubeck’s classically-infused compositions, sharp improvisational abilities, and use of unorthodox time signatures and tonalities made him a jazz legend, which you can hear for yourself on this 31-track compilation of his best work, available on vinyl exclusively through Barnes & Noble. Even if Brubeck’s name isn’t one you immediately recognize, some of his songs (like “Take Five” and the theme from Mr. Broadway) are almost ubiquitous, and are good examples of the man’s talents. Even at its most weird, Brubeck’s music is smooth and relaxed, which makes it more approachable to casual listeners than the harder bebop style he was countering.

Essential Elvis Presley, by Elvis Presley
This greatest-hits compilation, originally released in 2007, is being pressed onto vinyl exclusively for Barnes & Noble, and just in time for what would have been the King’s 80th birthday. Essential Elvis is a comprehensive, 2-disc set that spans a pretty wide arc of Elvis’ career, from his beginnings as a rockabilly singer, the ascent and peak of his stardom, his comeback, and finally his Las Vegas years. Over two discs and 39 tracks, you hear Elvis transition from rebellious rock ‘n roller to legitimate pop star and then pop music elder, and you also hear his voice bloom into full maturity; the Elvis that sang “Hurt” in the 1970s is much different that the one who sang “Blue Moon of Kentucky” in the 1950s.

Ultimate Sinatra, by Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra would have been 100 years old this December, and Ultimate Sinatra was compiled with this in mind, consisting of 100 songs recorded between 1939 and 1979. There’s no shortage of Sinatra compilations out there, but this one feels more complete than the others. With 100 tracks spread over four discs, it gives the listener a better understanding of why Sinatra was so popular, and why that popularity endured for as long as it did. As you’ll hear, Sinatra’s exemplary vocal range, his consistency, and his ability to recognize good songwriting are what propelled his career and made him an American classic. As an added bonus, this box set was pressed on limited-edition blue vinyl exclusively for Barnes & Noble.

Shatter Me, by Lindsey Stirling
After the success of her first album, it was almost expected that Lindsey Stirling would hit a sophomore slump, as many pop successes before her have done. Instead, her 2014 album Shatter Me was a more progressive, more interesting, and more complete album than her debut, and it was responsible for the biggest sales week of her career. The album’s title track is a dynamic mix of electropop and Stirling’s own talents as a violinist, and features her first collaboration with another vocalist, specifically Lzzy Hale. “We Are Giants” is another collaboration, this time with ARCHIS lead singer Dia Frampton. Not only is this album a Barnes & Noble vinyl exclusive, it’s a limited edition pressing that comes with an autographed postcard.


Bands You Should Be Listening To

0
0

In addition to our multitude of pop offerings, Barnes & Noble’s ever-expanding vinyl catalog includes bands that are a little faster, wilder, and weirder than what you’ll normally hear on Top 40 radio. Not only does alternative rock still exist, it’s gotten better since the term was coined in the 1990s. Albums from bands like the critically-acclaimed Future Islands, Shannon and the Clams, Video, White Reaper, and Radioactivity prove that you don’t have to be a superstar to write great music, and a reissued live LP from garage punk legends the Cramps proves that you never did.

Singles, by Future Islands
Thanks to frontman Sam Herring’s dance moves, Baltimore-based synthpop band Future Islands made a viral sensation of themselves on the David Letterman show in March 2014. They were, in fact, promoting this album and playing its opening track and lead single, “Seasons (Waiting On You),” which was later voted the best song of 2014 by NME, Pitchfork Media, and Spin. Funkier and more danceable than previous albums (especially on tracks like “Doves”), Singles is driven by William Cashion’s rock-solid bass and the uninhibited passion of Sam Herring’s voice; there’s a heart to this music that’s largely absent from contemporary synthpop. Besides “Seasons,” the best tracks on this album are the uptempo numbers, namely “Spirit” and “Light House,” and the slower “Fall From Grace.”

Gone by the Dawn, by Shannon and the Clams
Shannon and the Clams play an infectious mix of punk rock, soul, and the kind of early-1960s girl-group pop you’d hear in a John Waters movie, complete with falsettos. This unlikely combination has won them a lot of fans, and you’ll be one of them after listening to their newest record, Gone by the Dawn. While they may seem like a quirky, vintage novelty band at first glance, Shannon and the Clams are versatile songwriters who don’t let the kitsch overwhelm their talents. Lead singer/bassist Shannon Shaw’s smooth, husky voice works perfectly for calling out unfaithful lovers (“The Point of Being Right”) and ruminating on the past (“I Will Miss the Jasmine”), and the male vocals on “It’s Too Late” are just gritty enough to convey emotion without sounding out of place.

The Entertainers, by Video
Recently signed to Jack White’s Third Man Records, The Entertainers is Video’s first full-length LP, and they make it count. Their paranoid, nihilistic lyrics are straight out of early Cronenberg movies, as is their consistent banter about being the best band in the world, bent on global domination. It’s meant to be funny, but with members of Bad Sports, Radioactivity, and the Wax Museums propelling their sound, there’s a fair amount of truth to their bluster. Their mix of punk, garage rock, and dissonant noise (which they call “hate wave”) makes for plenty of catchy riffs and sharp guitar melodies, with sneering vocals that punch hard. Standout tracks here are the title track, which sounds like the opening to a punk rock spaghetti western, “New Immortals,” and “Drink It In.”

White Reaper Does It Again, by White Reaper
If you like your garage rock bratty, weird, and melodic, Louisville, KY’s White Reaper is the band for you. Released earlier this year, White Reaper Does It Again is their first proper full-length album, and it’s a real gem. Full of thudding drums, fuzzed-out guitars, and minor-league baseball keyboard melodies, the album rips through twelve tracks in just over a half-hour without ever feeling spastic or out of control. Not to mention, this record might have the best two opening tracks of 2015: “Make Me Wanna Die” and “I Don’t Think She Cares” are two garage-pop ragers that introduce the rest of the album perfectly. Other standout tracks include “Sheila” and “Wolf Trap Hotel.”

Coast to Coast, by the Cramps
Coast to Coast, released back in January, is comprised of two live shows recorded for radio broadcast in 1979, a year before the Cramps’ first full-length album came out. As one might expect, these songs are raw, unhinged, and a little sloppy, but that was always part of the Cramps’ charm. In fact, part of the reason why their music has endured is because that lack of polish makes it fun. The combined swagger of Lux Interior’s voice and Poison Ivy’s guitar propels tracks like “Human Fly” and their cover of Jack Rhodes’ “Rockin’ Bones,” and the stomping rhythm of drummer Nick Knox keeps everything lively. Other standout tracks include “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” and “Twist And Shout.”

Silent Kill, by Radioactivity
Following up an album as good as Radioactivity’s 2013 self-titled LP is no easy task, but the Denton, TX four-piece has managed it. Guitarist Dan Fried has cited the Ramones as one of his favorite bands, and it shows here; Silent Kill is a high-energy slap of old-school, three-chord pop punk, with an improved guitar attack and enough sing-a-long lyrics to make you hoarse. The opening track, “Battered,” lets the band rock out for a full minute before the vocals kick in, and the next track, “Stripped Away,” builds on that momentum. By the time you get to “I Know,” the catchiest song on the record, your neck will already be sore from bopping along with the drums.

Underappreciated Albums that Deserve to Shine

0
0

Some great albums are immediately understood and appreciated for what they are, but others get lost to history. Whether it’s because they were bucking trends in music, badly promoted, ahead of their time, or considered less notable than other work in the artist’s catalog, some great albums have been underappreciated in their own time. Fortunately, Barnes & Nobles’ extensive vinyl selection makes it easier to find these albums and shine some much-deserved light on them; enjoy these lost classics from ZZ Top, Public Enemy, the Ramones, the Offspring, and Death.

Ignition, by The Offspring
In another case of “the album before the album that made them famous,” Ignition was the Offspring’s second studio album, released before the monstrously-successful Smash. The TSOL influence is still very strong on this album, but it’s ultimately more cohesive than Smash, and the volley of curse words that kicks off the first song, “Session,” should have gotten a lot more attention than it did, especially because it leads into a great drum riff by Ron Welty. The cynical and provocative lyrics that were the Offspring’s trademark are present here, especially in tracks like “Take It Like a Man,” the politically-charged “LAPD,” and “Kick Him When He’s Down,” whose riffs, pace, and composition make it the best song on the album.

Rio Grande Mud, by ZZ Top
Believe it or not, ZZ Top recorded albums that weren’t Eliminator and songs that weren’t “Legs,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” or “Gimme All Your Lovin’.” In fact, their second album, Rio Grande Mud, is a dirtbag blues-rock masterpiece and one of their best albums. Unfortunately, because it’s the album before the one that made them famous (Tres Hombres, released a year later in 1973), it never gets the attention it deserves. That’s a shame, because tracks like “Chevrolet” and the Hendrix-influenced “Just Got Paid” are close to perfect; despite their greasy, bar blues feel, there isn’t an ounce of fat or any wasted motion in either song. Another standout is “Sure Got Cold After The Rain Fell,” which will leave you waving a lighter in the air by the time it ends.

He Got Game, by Public Enemy
Not only is this album the soundtrack to the 1998 Spike Lee film, it’s Public Enemy’s sixth studio effort, and one of their best records. It also marked the return of the Bomb Squad and Professor Griff, who’d left the group four years earlier (and in Griff’s case, not without controversy). Though the album sold poorly when it was released, it absolutely deserves a second listen; Chuck D’s sports-infused lyrics about basketball representing black male ambition are some of his best ever, and the lead single/title track is a collaboration with Steven Stills that manages to reinvigorate both parties involved. The production, which is slower, less noisy, and more deliberate, was a good change for Public Enemy. And lest things get too serious and dour, Flavor Flav keeps things fun with tracks like “Shake Your Booty.”

Acid Eaters, by The Ramones
The Ramones weren’t strangers to cover songs (one of their early “hits” was a cover of the Rivera’s “California Sun”), but their 1993 album Acid Eaters was an entire album of them in tribute to the Ramones’ influences, both obscure and popular. By this point, the Ramones were taken for granted by most rock music fans (despite the fact that they’d developed into a formidable band with airtight performances), so this album is still an obscurity of theirs. Nevertheless, it’s a really solid outing by the Ramones, and their versions of “Substitute” (with Pete Townshend providing backing vocals), “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” and “My Back Pages” are superb. In addition to Townshend, infamous porn star Traci Lords makes a cameo, providing vocals for the Ramones’ cover of “Somebody to Love.”

Truth and Soul, by Fishbone
Fishbone’s frenetic mix of soul, hard rock, punk, and ska was difficult for critics (and fans) to parse through sometimes, but their second album is perhaps the best example of how well they blended genres. Featuring hard rock guitar riffs, a bouncing rhythm section, groovy horns, and Angelo Moore’s enthusiastic vocals, Truth and Soul is the perfect album for days where you need to get, and stay, pumped. The opening track, a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Freddie’s Dead,” breathes new life into the funk classic, and is immediately followed by the ska-styled “Ma and Pa.” Later, “Deep Inside” mixes punk rock and ska well before that was acceptable. If it seems a little all over the place, that’s the joy of Fishbone: they always give the listener more than they promised.

For The Whole World to See, by Death
Hailing from Detroit, Death played Ramones-style punk rock before the Ramones even existed, and this album, originally recorded in 1976, wasn’t officially released until 2009. Not only was this band unappreciated in their own time, they were mind-blowingly good. In addition to their blazing, protopunk sound, there are elements of the MC5 in the rhythm section and Jimi Hendrix in the vocal delivery. From the opening riffs of “Keep on Knocking” to the anthemic, rousing “You’re A Prisoner,” all the way through to “Politicians in My Eyes,” this album doesn’t slow down or compromise itself for anyone. If a template exists for “must-listen” albums, it’s For The Whole World to See.

New Releases from Ryan Adams, Coldplay, and More

0
0

Whether you’re looking for last-minute holiday gifts or figuring out how to spend your holiday cash, Barnes & Noble has a new influx of vinyl to consider! With new albums from Ryan Adams, Coldplay, Enya, Carrie Underwood, Cage The Elephant, and a re-pressed singles compilation from the Beatles, there’s enough here to satisfy any music lovers in your family, no matter how picky. And as usual, some of these albums are Barnes & Noble exclusives pressed on stylish colored vinyl.

1989, by Ryan Adams
Not satisfied with just covering one or two songs from the smash hit album Taylor Swift released last year, eccentric singer/songwriter Ryan Adams decided to cover the whole thing, track by track. As one might expect, Adams’ version of the album is quite different than the original; Adams himself thinks it sounds like a mix of Bruce Springsteen and the Smiths, and he’s not wrong. But this cover album isn’t a gimmick, either. Adams’ somber, introspective tone and arrangements work surprisingly well with Swift’s lyrics, especially “Blank Spaces.” His version of “Shake It Off,” on the other hand, succeeds on the sheer audacity that he would turn such a bright, poppy radio hit into plainspoken indie-folk.

A Head Full of Dreams, by Coldplay
For this, their seventh studio album, Coldplay pulled out all the stops and collaborated with Beyoncé, Noel Gallagher, and Merry Clayton, among others. They even sampled President Barack Obama singing “Amazing Grace.” They meant business this time around, and the sales reflect that; while the album’s chart position was upended by Adele in several markets, A Head Full of Dreams brought Coldplay their highest first-week album sales since 2008. The band said from the start that this album was going to be “colorful and uplifting,” and they deliver on that, from the jaunty, world-music flute melody in “Adventure of a Lifetime” to the piano-driven “Everglow,” which also features uncredited guest vocals from Gwyneth Paltrow.

Dark Sky Island, by Enya
Enya recorded this album after a four-year break from music, and her creative rejuvenation is obvious here. Dark Sky Island retains Enya’s gorgeous vocals and sweeping, majestic song structures, but experiments with a darker, more somber tone that will surprise listeners who think they have her formula figured out. Enya also plays every instrument on this album, with the exception of a double bass on the track “Even In the Shadows.” Not only is this her highest-charting UK album since 1991, critics are gushing over Dark Sky Island, and its enchanting opening track “The Humming” in particular, as some of the best work Enya has ever produced.

1, by The Beatles
Originally released in 2000, this album is a collection of 27 Beatles singles that were #1 hits in either England or the United States (and often both). As if that weren’t enough of an accomplishment, this album became the fastest-selling album of all time, thereby proving that Beatlemania wasn’t a fad as much as a phenomenon with a tremendous amount of momentum behind it, even decades after the bandmates went their separate ways. For this release, this double-LP collection was remixed and pressed onto 180-gram heavyweight vinyl, and it comes with four art cards and a poster of single sleeve designs from all over the world. And of course, all the best Beatles songs are present, from “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Yesterday” to “Penny Lane” and “Hey Jude.”

Storyteller, by Carrie Underwood
This album, released in October 2015, saw Carrie returning to the narrative roots of country music, and taking on a mellower, twangier sound than her previous records. Those were good decisions on her part, and this album proves once and for all that there is a wellspring of talent behind her diva-next-door image. As far as storytelling is concerned, the songs “Choctaw County Affair” and “Church Bells” are surprisingly dark; the former is about two lovers dealing with a blackmailer, and the latter is a full-blown murder ballad in which a woman kills her abusive spouse. That they’re on the same album as the legit club anthem “Clock Don’t Stop” should tell you something about Carrie’s creative flexibility, and dissuade you from ever underestimating her.

Tell Me I’m Pretty, by Cage The Elephant
Cage The Elephant was aiming for emotional transparency with this album (their fourth so far), and they drew inspiration from David Bowie’s eclecticism. As a result, each song on Tell Me I’m Pretty is its own self-contained entity; opening track “Cry Baby,” for example, has a completely different personality than the bluesy “Mess Around,” which in turn has a much different vibe than the slower, more fanciful “Trouble,” and so on. The one major unifying element here is the simmering Black Keys influence on this record, due in no small part to Dan Auerbach’s production, and the vocals are better for it; this record marks Matt Shultz’s best vocal performance to date.

Beat Your Seasonal Depression with These Happy, Energetic Albums

0
0

Short days, cold weather, and stress can make winter a rough time for many of us. If you’re suffering from the January blues, your turntable can be an ally; listening to great music is a surefire way to give yourself a lift, and Barnes & Noble carries a lot of records that will soothe your seasonal depression. So put on your coziest sweater and get happy with these great albums from Wildhoney, Operation Ivy, Sam Cooke, and more.

Aliens In the Outfield, by Diarrhea Planet
It’s tempting to write off Nashville rock sextet Diarrhea Planet because of their name, but you’d be making a huge mistake; this band writes surprisingly complex and earnest heavy rock with plenty of punkish irreverence. And, because of their four-guitar assault, it’s heavy enough to appeal to metal fans, as well. Aliens In the Outfield, released in 2014, isn’t just a great record, it’s a controlled chaos experiment full of blazing guitar solos, inhuman drum fills, and impressive creative ambition. Opening track “Heat Wave” gets the energy going with chugging rhythm guitar set at a mid-career Ramones tempo, and “Spooners” has the gang vocals and upthrust energy of a Japandroids song.

Your Face Sideways, by Wildhoney
Baltimore-based shoegaze band Wildhoney got some unexpected press earlier this year, when a record pressing plant accidentally shipped out a few hundred copies of this album instead of Lana Del Rey’s new record. Luckily, Your Face Sideways is glorious and totally deserving of the exposure. Fuzzed-out, wall-of-sound guitars, hazy female vocals, and drifting song structures are this record’s defining characteristics—and they owe much to certain brands of 1990s indie rock—but Wildhoney’s music has a certain forward momentum that their contemporaries don’t have, and while it can be relaxing, it’s never listless or dull. “Laura” and “Thin Air” are great examples of this.

Energy, by Operation Ivy
One of the all-time classic American punk records, Energy is a chipper and endearingly sloppy album by one of the pioneering bands of the East Bay punk scene (from which Green Day would rise to stardom). It’s also notable for the people who played on it; guitarist Tim “Lint” Armstrong and bassist Matt Freeman would later form Rancid, and main vocalist Jesse Michaels would resurface in Common Rider and Classics of Love. Playing ska-punk well before it was cool, Operation Ivy’s music is bright and energetic, especially tracks like “Sound System,” “Jaded,” and “Bankshot.” Even on the slower tracks (“Take Warning”) or the more traditionally punk songs (“The Crowd”), this is a record where you can actually hear the fun being had.

Wonderful World of Sam Cooke, by Sam Cooke
Blessed with an incredible singing voice and one of the smoothest vocal deliveries in soul music, Sam Cooke was an important figure in pop music despite the relatively short length (and tragic end) of his career as a solo performer. More importantly, his music is one of the best known cures for a bad mood; songs like “That’s Heaven to Me” or “With You” make frowning almost impossible. Cooke preferred a relaxed tempo, and his musical arrangements and lyrics are uplifting, and sometimes genuinely romantic, without sounding corny or dated. That last item is important, because this album was originally released in 1960 and it hasn’t aged a day.

Maggot Brain, by Funkadelic
This album, released in 1971, is something of a departure from Funkadelic’s party-band reputation, featuring more psychedelic influences, socially conscious lyrics, and sonic weirdness than their normal, groove-oriented output. It also has one of the best, and most wrenching, guitar solos ever recorded, which comprises the majority of the album’s title track. Under orders from George Clinton to play like he’d just heard his mother had died, guitarist Eddie Hazel lays down ten minutes of pure catharsis, which is perfect for those days when you just want to get the holidays out of your system. After that, you’re free to dance to tracks like “Hit It and Quit It” and “Super Stupid.”

Rockin’ With Wanda, by Wanda Jackson
Straddling the country and rockabilly genres with her homespun voice and glamorous appearance, Wanda Jackson was a fun and versatile performer, as demonstrated by this mix of her rockabilly and mid-tempo country material. Wanda’s take on country was sweeter than many of her contemporaries, and her faster rockabilly songs gave her a chance to show off how gritty her voice could get. “Mean Mean Man” and her most enduring hit, “Fujiyama Mama,” are great examples of this, and her unvarnished style was a big influence on more contemporary performers like Cyndi Lauper and Rosanne Cash. On the country side of things, even heartbroken songs like “You’ve Turned to a Stranger” are good for slow dancing with someone special around the Christmas tree (or menorah).

Grammy-Nominated Albums on Vinyl

0
0

It’s Grammy season again, and luckily for music fans, every album being considered for Album of the Year is available on vinyl from Barnes & Noble! This year’s nominees are a phenomenal mix of talent and pop success, including Alabama Shakes, Kendrick Lamar, Chris Stapleton, Taylor Swift, and the Weeknd. You’ll have to wait until February to find out who wins, but you can buy any (or all) of these great records in the meantime.

Sound & Color, by Alabama Shakes
After spending a few years in near-total obscurity, Alabama Shakes blossomed in 2015 with Sound & Color, a widely-praised album that debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200. Led by guitarist/singer lead Brittany Howard, the Shakes’ earthy, gritty, and earnestly soulful sound borrows from rhythm and blues and classic rock, and this Grammy-nominated album sees them dipping into other influences as well. The band listened to everything from shoegaze to protopunk bands like the MC5 during their songwriting process, and the variance in their sound says a lot for that approach. “Future People,” “Dunes,” and “Shoegaze” are the standouts on this album, available on clear vinyl from Barnes & Noble.

To Pimp a Butterfly, by Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar’s third album, released in March 2015 to widespread critical and commercial acclaim, broadens Kendrick’s range of influences to include funk, spoken word, and jazz. The presence of Dr. Dre and Pharrell (among many others) as producers on this album should be taken as a sign that Kendrick’s music is getting slicker and more upscale. That doesn’t mean it’s getting less real, though; Kendrick has a lot to say about how America treats its African-American community. “Wesley’s Theory” suggests a purposeful lack of financial education for black men, and “King Kunta” takes aim at ghostwriters in hip-hop.

Traveller, by Chris Stapleton
It’s not every year that someone’s debut album gets a Grammy nomination, but that’s what happened with country/bluegrass musician Chris Stapleton’s Traveller. Patterned after country albums from the late 1970s, the songs on Traveller are introspective, sad, and ultimately determined to go their own way. The album’s lyrics have gotten a lot of compliments; Stapleton was a songwriter for Adele, Tim McGraw, Peter Frampton, and Sheryl Crow, among many others, and he clearly learned a lot from those experiences. His gift for nuance is impressive, especially on “Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore,” and “Tennessee Whiskey” is proof that he’s good at straightforward, crying-in-your-beer drinking songs, too.

1989, by Taylor Swift
Plenty of Grammy-winning albums have recognized the impermanence of youth, but 1989 is one that recognizes, and celebrates, its own youth. Named for Taylor Swift’s birth year, and for the 1980s influence throughout the album, 1989 is her first real pop album, as opposed to the country sound of her previous efforts; “Shake It Off” began the internet’s sudden love affair with her, and songs like “Style” and “Blank Space” justify it. Swift claims Madonna, Annie Lennox, and Fine Young Cannibals as influences for this album, and you can definitely hear echoes of all three, but they don’t impede Swift’s reach for a timeless sound.

Beauty Behind the Madness, by the Weeknd
Canadian singer/producer the Weeknd has been criticized for making “PBR&B,” a snarky term for synthesizer-driven R&B music made by and for hipsters, but don’t let that kind of snark turn you away from his music; the Weeknd is the real deal. With a voice reminiscent of young Michael Jackson and a Prince-inspired sound heavy on slow tempos and echoing bass, the Weeknd has plenty of old school chops to compliment his lyrics, which are at once vulgar, lonely, and anxious. While unorthodox, his songwriting is a more varied, and honest, alternative to traditional R&B lyrics, best heard in “Tell Your Friends,” “Often,” “Earned It,” which appeared on the soundtrack to Fifty Shades of Grey, and “Prisoner,” which has a guest vocal spot from Lana Del Rey.

Colorado and the Carolinas Face Off in a Musical Super Bowl

0
0

The Denver Broncos take on the Carolina Panthers (no, really!) at this year’s Super Bowl, and that made us wonder how many bands in our ever-expanding vinyl catalog were from either place. Turns out, lots of great bands (and great records) come from Colorado and the Carolinas, so we’ve picked three from each region to showcase here. Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Dressy Bessy, and the Lumineers represent Colorado, and Flat Duo Jets, Weedeater, and Superchunk represent the Carolinas.

An Scac 102: An Introduction for Young and Old Europe, by Slim Cessna’s Auto Club
If you’re a fan of Old Crow Medicine Show, but wish their music was creepier, you’ll love Slim Cessna’s Auto Club. Formed in Denver in 1992, Slim Cessna and co. have been exploring the darker side of Americana for almost a quarter-century, with a sound that pulls from country and western, gospel, carnival melodies, and all things eerie and rural. Their newest album, released last year, is a retrospective of some of their best work to date: “This Is How We Do Things In The Country” could have been a Flannery O’Connor short story, “Cranston” conveys punk rock’s weird anger with mostly acoustic instruments, and “Pine Box” is an incredible arrangement of cynical alt-country that builds to tent revival bliss.

Holler and Stomp, by Dressy Bessy
Dressy Bessy, also from Denver, made a name for themselves as a cute indie-pop band and then tried to subvert those expectations with albums like this one, released in 2008. The critical response was mixed, but now that they’ve had some time to clean their ears out, they’ll be able to hear how good this album really is. There’s some grunge messiness in the guitars and more aggressive bass, and singer Tammy Ealom’s voice matured a bit since the band’s earlier releases, but no matter how much they down-tuned, their knack for writing pop dance music never went away. “Sindy Says” has a fun Pixies/Breeders vibe, and “Pretty Pleaze” has an under-appreciated T. Rex flavor to it.

The Lumineers, by The Lumineers
For a band that formed in response to the death of a close friend, there’s a subtle joy in the Lumineers’ cinematic, offbeat brand of folk rock. They find inspiration in Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Leonard Cohen (and Guns N’ Roses, although that one is less obvious), so their music is rustic, but not lacking in catchy hooks or unobservant of pop song structure. “Submarines,” for example, is a weapons-grade earworm that uses somber piano and stomping drums to great effect, as does “Ho Hey,” the single that drove this album’s sales up to the #2 spot on the Billboard 200. Apart from the singles, songs like “Charlie Boy” demonstrate how well the band builds atmosphere with sparse instrumentation.

Red Tango, by Flat Duo Jets
Fans of the White Stripes (Jack White has claimed them as an influence in more than one interview) or the Black Keys will love this North Carolina–based, two-person rockabilly outfit. Led by roots rock legend Dexter Romweber on guitar and vocals, the band’s sound emphasized the stomp of classic rockabilly, rather than the swing. Picture the Cramps with less horror movie shtick and more soul in the vocals and you’re in the right ballpark. While a bit less raw than previous albums, Red Tango has plenty of grit, with just enough polish to not totally alienate people unfamiliar with the gutbucket outskirts of rock ‘n roll. “Madman on the Loose,” “Blackbeard,” and the haunting, organ-tinged “Sea of Flames” are the standout tracks here.

God Luck and Good Speed, by Weedeater
Hailing from Wilmington, NC, Weedeater occupies a unique space in the sludge/stoner metal continuum; while most stoner bands are all about guitars and riffs, Weedeater’s sound is bass-driven, low, thicker than syrup, and punishingly heavy. God Luck and Good Speed, released in 2003 and produced by Steve Albini, is Weedeater at their best. More than any other band in their genre, they know how to find a groove and ride it out to the end, as evidenced by the title track, “For Evan’s Sake,” and their cover of Lynyrd Skynrd’s “Gimme Back My Bullets.” In a notable departure from their trademark sound, vocalist “Dixie” Dave Collins gives his unique baritone voice a chance to shine on “Alone,” where his only accompaniment is a banjo.

On The Mouth, by Superchunk
Quite frankly, it’s odd that the wave of 1990s nostalgia hasn’t swept Chapel Hill, NC’s Superchunk back into the popular consciousness yet. Their music straddled the gap between the moody grunge and radio-friendly college rock that defined that era of rock ‘n’ roll, and they don’t get enough credit for doing it so well. On The Mouth, originally released in 1993, might be the best example of how underrated they were, as it’s a highly underrated treasure of ’90s rock. At this time, the band was breaking in new drummer Jon Wurster, who perhaps felt like he had something to prove; drums are the driving force behind much of this record. Tracks like “Precision Auto,” “Package Thief,” and “Flawless” are packed with energy, and comparatively slower songs like “From The Curve” are busy enough to not feel slow.

5 of David Bowie’s Most Indelible Albums

0
0

The world went into mourning last month when word got out that David Bowie passed away just two days after his 69th birthday. Not only was Bowie an inspiration to millions of people, but his contributions to rock and pop music were enormous. Over the course of 27 studio albums, nine live albums, 49 compilations, and countless other projects, Bowie established himself as a multi-talented musician, producer, and songwriter, and his experimentation with style and persona made him a mercurial creative presence that started, rather than followed, trends. Due to his tremendous output, picking a mere five albums to highlight as his standout work is just about impossible, but an artist like Bowie is worth the effort. In an industry full of people who call themselves one of a kind, he actually was, and as sudden and sad as his passing was, his music and legacy remain.

Blackstar
We’ll start with his final album, Blackstar, which we now know was intended as a “goodbye” to his fans. It’s a great album because Bowie kept pushing himself to explore and create, even though he could have gotten by just fine by sticking to what he knew. In fact, Blackstar is one of the weirder and more expressive things he’s ever done, even as it embraces the 1970s-style indulgence that made him popular in the first place. The title track, for example, is a nine-minute jazz-rock opus with Gregorian chant–styled tonal melodies and weirdness aplenty. Similarly, “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)” has a cinematic, film noir feel to it, but Bowie’s instinct for considering the audience kept even his most abstract compositions fun and lively.

Space Oddity
Space Oddity was Bowie’s second studio album, and marks his transition from a cabaret-inspired performer to the progressive rock/folk hybrid that would guide him to stardom. The title track and its opening lyric, “Ground control to Major Tom/Take your protein pills and put your helmet on,” have since become iconic in their own right, and “Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed” will strut out of your speakers like a funkier version of Bob Dylan. Otherwise, this album is a trippy, catchy exploration of space folk, defined here as a pairing of acoustic instrumentation with progressive rock composition and lyrical themes. “Cygnet Committee” and “Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud” are the most complete examples of this style found here.

The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders from Mars
The real “cult of Bowie” began with his Ziggy Stardust persona and the heavy, glam-influenced rock music that propelled it to a massively successful stage show and album. If you’re wondering what ignited the passion of every Bowie fan on your Facebook feed, it was probably this era of Bowie. The music is key here; plenty of cool rock concepts have floundered because they didn’t have anything substantive backing them up, but The Spiders from Mars were a rock-solid band, and Bowie’s songwriting was more than good enough to match his commitment to the Stardust persona. Some of his best songs—“Starman,” “Hang On to Yourself,” and “Suffragette City”—appear on this album, and “Moonage Daydream” is, in typical Bowie fashion, a nod to the more experimental music he would record in years to come.

The Man Who Sold The World
Most people recognize this album for its title track, which was famously covered by Nirvana for their MTV Unplugged album. Beyond that, however, The Man Who Sold The World is important for being Bowie’s first proper rock ‘n’ roll album, abandoning his largely acoustic output for a heavier, guitar-driven sound. The beginnings of goth, death rock, and arguably glam can be heard on this album, which features future Spiders from Mars members Mick Ronson (guitar) and Mick Woodmansey (drums), and it was unsurprisingly one of Kurt Cobain’s favorites. Besides the title track, this album’s standouts are “She Shook Me Cold,” “Running Gun Blues,” and “Black Country Rock,” which has a Muscle Shoals-esque groove to it.

Diamond Dogs
When Bowie released this album in 1974, he’d famously abandoned his Ziggy Stardust persona during a live performance, and many fans thought he was retiring from music altogether. Imagine their relief when they dropped this album on the turntable. Not only is it best described as a post-apocalyptic, glam rock concept record, it’s also really good. The title track has an obvious Rolling Stones influence, as does the now-classic “Rebel Rebel,” but there’s enough of Bowie’s arty weirdness for it to stand out on its own. So much, in fact, that this album ended up influencing the first wave of British punk rock; Johnny Rotten once claimed the only song he knew during his busking days was “We Are the Dead,” from this album).


5 Great Albums from 2016 Grammy Award Winners

0
0

This year’s Grammys saw lots of great artists up for awards, including many who’ve been featured in Barnes & Noble’s vinyl roundups, such as Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and the Weeknd. And believe it or not, they’re just a few of the award-winners whose records are available here! Check out these Grammy-winning albums from Ghost, D’Angelo, Marc Ronson, and the legendary Jefferson Airplane, as well as a compilation CD of this year’s nominees.

2016 Grammys CD
What better place to start than with a compilation of the nominees? The 2016 Grammy nominee collection is one of the best in recent memory, with an impressive variety of styles showing off the breadth of this year’s hopefuls. Where else would the Weeknd’s Michael Jackson–inspired “Can’t Feel My Face” be mentioned in the same breath as Florence and the Machine’s rousing “Ship to Wreck,” or Courtney Barnett’s nouveau slacker anthem, “Pedestrian At Best”? And that’s just a taste of 2015’s best songs; Meghan Trainor, the Alabama Shakes, Kendrick Lamara, and Taylor Swift are all featured here.

Uptown Special, by Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson is best known as a producer, but after this album, he’ll be known as an astute scholar of funk and R&B, as well. Uptown Special is both a loving tribute to Ronson’s taste in hard funk, and an instantly likable album with lots of star power and fantastic hooks. “Uptown Funk” won a Grammy for Record of the Year, which it deserved, both for Ronson’s production and Bruno Mars’ performance, but that’s not the only standout on the album. “Uptown’s First Finale” features none other than Stevie Wonder doing what he does best, and Mystikal’s charismatic, if foul-mouthed, performance in “Feel Right” is the best thing he has done in years.

Meliora, by Ghost
Swedish heavy metal band Ghost made a memorable appearance at the Grammys by accepting their award for Best Metal Performance in full costume and corpse paint, but they are by no means a gimmick band; all three of their studio albums have met with critical praise, and their Grammy win further proves their growing fanbase is right about them. This album, which owes as much to progressive and psychedelic rock as it does to ’70s-era metal (Black Sabbath, Pentagram), could be described as the perfect soundtrack to a Tim Burton film that hasn’t been made yet. This is especially true for the album’s Grammy-winning lead single, “Cirice.”

Black Messiah, by D’Angelo and the Vanguard
After a 14-year hiatus and heaps of personal turmoil, D’Angelo returned to the studio for his third album, Black Messiah. Anticipation for this record had been building for years when it was released in December 2014, and to say that it delivered would be a massive understatement. Black Messiah is both a massive leap forward for D’Angelo as a musician and a stirring, passionate musical response to the Eric Garner and Ferguson cases; comparisons have been made to Sly and the Family Stone’s There’s A Riot Goin’ On, and as it turns out, D’Angelo blends genres as well as Sly Sylvester ever did. For proof, just listen to “Really Love,” which won Best R&B Song this year.

Surrealistic Pillow, by Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane got a Lifetime Achievement award this year, which has already reinvigorated interest in the band and their catalog. More than just a hippie band, Jefferson Airplane was a ferocious live act driven by Grace Slick’s fearless vocals and the rhythm section of bassist Jack Casady and drummer Spencer Dryden, and their sound was heavier and more improvisational than modern listeners realize. Their second and most successful album, Surrealistic Pillow, is also their peak, with two songs—“White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love”—that endure as modern classics. The album’s deep cuts are no slouch, either; “How Do You Feel?” and “Embryonic Journey” combine that era’s prevailing folk-rock sound with the oomph of talented musicians who had something to prove.

February’s Best New Vinyl of the Month

0
0

February may be a short month, but it’s long on vinyl this year. Lots of great records will be hitting shelves here at Barnes & Noble, including debut albums and established records that are just now getting the vinyl treatment. Get your hands on records by the late Amy Winehouse, the Neighbourhood, and the 1975, plus new albums from Bonnie Raitt and Elton John and a fantastic EP from the Foo Fighters.

Frank, by Amy Winehouse
Named as much for the late Amy Winehouse’s straightforward personality as it was for Frank Sinatra’s influence on her music, Frank is one of the strongest debut records in recent memory. More influenced by jazz than her later work, which emphasized funk and blue-eyed soul, Frank opens with an honest-to-God scat vocal that leads into “Stronger Than Me,” a smoky, neon-lit track that shows off Winehouse’s sultry, purposely slurred voice. The jazz influence is most potently felt in songs like “You Send Me Flying,” and the lyrics shift from morose and heartbroken to flirty for songs like “Amy Amy Amy,” more playful than her usual fare. Winehouse herself may not have been fully satisfied with how this album turned out, but it’s still a modern classic that hinted at her eventual stardom.

Saint Cecilia, by Foo Fighters
Originally released as a free download for the band’s fans, and dedicated to the victims of the November 2015 Paris attacks, Saint Cecilia is being pressed on vinyl as a proper EP. Stylistically, it’s reminiscent of the first two Foo Fighters albums, especially the songs “Sean” and “Savior Breath,” which will be a welcome throwback for fans who liked the punky energy of the band’s earlier incarnations. The same could be said of “The Neverending Sigh,” which would have fit right in on The Colour and the Shape. As is often the case with EPs, Saint Cecilia is a short record—the five tracks breeze by in about 18 minutes—but every song is so good it demands repeat listens.

I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It, by The 1975
Named after a marginal scribble from one of Jack Kerouac’s poetry books, and influenced by Talking Heads, My Bloody Valentine, and Phil Collins, the 1975 are an ethereal and interesting presence in pop music. I Like It When You Sleep… will be their second studio album, which they spent most of 2015 recording, going so far as to suspend their social media presence during the process. Whether that was to help them concentrate on the matter at hand or just drum up publicity is uncertain, but this record promises to be even better than their strong debut. Vocalist Matthew Healy’s vocals really shine on “UGH!,” and “Love Me” has an early Peter Gabriel vibe that is sorely underrepresented in modern pop.

Wonderful Crazy Night, by Elton John
Not only is this Elton John’s 32nd studio album, but it’s the first one to feature his band since 2006. Anyone who thinks that all those years writing Disney songs has dulled John’s passion for music needs to listen to this album pronto, because there’s still plenty of zing on the Rocket Man’s fastball. The title track starts the album off with a lot of energy, and “Looking Up” is one of the catchiest songs he’s written yet, with an effortless swinging rhythm and plenty of opportunities to sing along. Amazingly, this album still has the same exuberance that made him a hit in the first place, and his band is in fine form here as well. Hopefully they’ll stick around for good this time.

Wiped Out!, by The Neighbourhood
The Neighbourhood is determined to make “goth R&B” a thing, and this album—their second, released in October—might just do it. The moody, atmospheric, beachy vibes established in their previous work are continued here, most notably on “Beach” and “Greetings From California,” which uses a tribal drumbeat to gather momentum. While the album’s production is slick, it doesn’t lose any of the band’s trademark gloom; “Daddy Issues” features a particularly good vocal performance from singer Jesse Rutherford, and “RIP 2 My Youth,” which has around 4 million views on Youtube as of this writing, is a stomping, anthemic end to the album.

Dig in Deep, by Bonnie Raitt
How do you follow up an album that won a Grammy? That’s the question Bonnie Raitt answers with her latest album, Dig In Deep, which is as good as (if not better than) her previous one. Raitt produced the album herself, and it has more original songs than most of her previous albums, which she attributes to falling in love with music again in 2012. Her band still plays lean and gritty, best heard in tracks like “Gypsy in Me,” and she covers “Need You Tonight” by INXS and “Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes” by Los Lobos. As expected, she totally nails them both with her uncompromising style.

6 Mellow Albums for Cold Nights

0
0

When it’s too cold and windy outside to go out anywhere, your best recourse is to cozy up with your turntable and listen to something calm and mellow. And we’ve got exactly what you need to keep you company on those chilly nights. Enjoy great albums by John Coltrane, Stan Getz and João Gilberto, Neko Case, Carole King, Loretta Lynn, and an album of unreleased covers by the late Jeff Buckley.

Getz/Gilberto ’76, by Stan Getz and João Gilberto
Jazz and bossa nova fans shouldn’t miss this one, a collaboration between legendary tenor saxophonist Stan Getz and Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto. Over the course of their careers, both men established bossa nova as a defined musical genre, which they elevated to new heights whenever they recorded together. Getz/Gilberto ’76 is a great album for unwinding after a long day, or for entertaining a low-key gathering of friends, because it’s mellow without being listless. The rhythms and melodies here are expertly played, and Gilberto’s soft voice is treated as another instrument instead of the album’s focal point. Standout tracks include “Aguas de Março,” “Rosa Morena,” and “Doralice.”

Furnace Room Lullaby, by Neko Case and Her Boyfriends
Neko Case’s second solo album is an alt-country masterpiece that hasn’t aged a day since its original release back in 2000. It’s really just an excellent country album, with lots of twangy guitars and homespun harmonies alongside Neko’s powerful and engaging voice. The title track was her attempt at a Louvin Brothers–style murder ballad, and it delivers on multiple levels; it’s one of Neko’s best vocal performances, with great lyrics that draw from classic country and Edgar Allan Poe. Other standout tracks include the brassy “Mood to Burn Bridges,” the slow and heartbroken “Bought and Sold,” and the faster-paced, bluegrass-tinged “Guided By Wire.”

A Love Supreme, by John Coltrane
Originally released in 1965, A Love Supreme is considered not only John Coltrane’s best work, but one of the greatest jazz albums of all time. Blending the bluesy melodic concepts and rhythms of hard bop with the chaotic expression of free jazz, Coltrane created something remarkable, and its impact on jazz cannot be understated. The album is a suite of four pieces that communicates a spiritual message, said to be influenced by Coltrane’s exposure to Ahmadiyya Islam, and features Coltrane “reciting” the words to a poem on his tenor saxophone while his band absolutely rages in the background. Listening to A Love Supreme as one continuous piece is as transcendent an experience as you’re likely to find in modern music, which only sweetens the appeal of this vinyl release.

Tapestry, by Carole King
Even if you’re not familiar with the name Carole King, you probably know her songs; King was one of the best pop songwriters of the 1970s, and her 1971 album Tapestry establishes her talents very quickly. Not to mention, she worked with a bunch of great musicians on this album, including future stars Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. King’s voice was part folk singer and part Motown, lending a lot of spark to songs like “I Feel the Earth Move” and “You’ve Got a Friend,” as well as her version of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” which she originally wrote for the Shirelles. And, of course, her recording of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” is still the best one.

Full Circle, by Loretta Lynn
Like Neko Case, Loretta Lynn is unashamed of her country music roots, but there’s nothing “alt” about Loretta; she’s pure country, through and through. Her upcoming album, Full Circle, is her first studio album in over a decade, and it’s aptly named. Lynn is playing the same brand of old-school country music—slide guitars, sad lyrics, humble presentation—that made her famous so many years ago. But if Lynn’s music is somewhat downbeat, it can also be clever. “Everything It Takes” is full of great lines, including “she’s got everything it takes/to take everything you’ve got” and “she’s had a million old flames/so to her, you’re nothing new.”

You and I, by Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley’s tragic death in 1997 has overshadowed other aspects of his life and short career, but this upcoming album of unreleased covers will shine the spotlight where it belongs: on his voice. Buckley was blessed with a four-octave tenor range that he used to maximize the emotional impact of his songs. Where other singers would have been content to show off, Buckley realized the true power of his voice. His vocal performances on Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman” and Led Zeppelin’s “Night Flight” are undeniable proof of that. He also recorded dynamite versions of two Smiths songs, “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side” and “I Know It’s Over,” and Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everyday People.”

The Best Vinyl We’re Spinning in March

0
0

March is here, which means two things: winter is just about over, and more awesome records are pouring into Barnes & Noble! Check out these great albums from M. Ward, Esperanza Spalding, Bob Mould, Celtic Thunder, and some B&N exclusive vinyl from Sara Bareilles. We’ve also got great film and musical soundtracks, including the original soundtrack from West Side Story and the special edition, 3-disc behemoth score for the upcoming film Batman v Superman. There’s no better way to welcome the coming spring than by putting one of these great records on the turntable, opening all your windows, and letting the sunshine in!

What’s Inside: Songs from Waitress, by Sara Bareilles
Bareilles’ fifth album is the score from the stage adaptation of the 2007 film Waitress, for which she wrote both the music and the lyrics. Modern theatre is full of film adaptations, but none of them have soundtracks this good; while these songs were touched up for a proper album release, they maintain the clarity and playfulness of Broadway showtunes without losing what makes Bareilles’ voice so unique. Her songwriting and vocal chops make this an impressively versatile album. “Opening Up” is as bright and joyous as a beam of sunlight, where “Soft Place to Land” is quieter, more introspective, and carried by beautiful harmonies.

More Rain, by M. Ward
Portland-based singer/songwriter M. Ward (also one half, with Zooey Deschanel, of She & Him) carries the influence of his hometown’s signature weather—damp, gray, but somehow pleasant—into this solo album, his eighth overall. While its tone is unassuming and somewhat downcast, the lyrics take what Ward calls a “bird’s eye view of humanity,” processing unhappy observations into a sort of rainy-day optimism. This is most evident on songs like “Girl From Conejo Valley” and “Confession,” both of which are earnest and unironic thanks to Ward’s voice and a few dreamlike touches to the album’s production.

Emily’s D+Evolution, by Esperanza Spalding
If you want proof of singer and bassist/cellist Esperanza Spalding’s skills, she’s only 31 and has four Grammys, and was the first jazz musician to win one of them (Best New Artist, in 2011). Her upcoming album, Emily’s D+Evolution, makes a bit of a shift from jazz fusion into simpler, and more explosive, flirtations with rock. Spalding’s exemplary bass skills are joined by guitarist Matthew Stevens and, depending on the track, Justin Tyson or Karriem Riggins on drums, and as bandleader, Esperanza pairs rock ‘n’ roll energy with dynamic jazz composition. The results make for really compelling music, especially the tracks “One” and “Judas.”

Vinyl: Music from the HBO Original Series, Vol. 1
A show about the music industry during the original heyday of vinyl records is expected to have a killer soundtrack, and Vinyl surpasses that expectation. A blend of era-appropriate pop, rock, disco, and soul, Vinyl captures the essence of a very active decade in music without sounding beholden to it. Along with classics by Otis Redding, Ruth Brown, and Foghat, this album got New York Dolls’ singer David Johansen back in the studio to breathe new life into two of his band’s best songs, “Personality Crisis” and “Stranded In the Jungle,” and Kaleo’s raging “No Good” channels the blues rock of the 1970s so well that it’s as much a seance as it is a great song.

Batman v Superman Deluxe Soundtrack
The hype train for Batman v Superman has been greatly aided by its fantastic score, composed by Dreamworks bigwig Hans Zimmer and Dutch producer/multi-instrumentalist Junkie XL. Many times, movie scores are underwhelming on their own, because their entire purpose is to elevate the visual aspects of a film, but Zimmer and XL’s collaboration is a powerful, intense, combative piece of work. The elements of Superman’s brash, public confidence and Batman’s dark, secretive brooding are all present in the music, even without the accompanying visuals. “Their War Here” and “Men Are Still Good” are the most evocative for us, but with three discs in this set, you’ll have to pick your own favorites.

West Side Story, by Leonard Bernstein
Musical soundtracks don’t get much better than Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s legendary collaboration on West Side Story. Essentially a retelling of Romeo & Juliet in 1950s New York, West Side Story was considered an extremely edgy and risky production in its heyday, and Bernstein’s music played a big role in that. His marriage of classical rigor and pop spontaneity (and catchiness) was a revolution in and of itself, and resulted in some of the most iconic songs of the 20th century. The finger-snapping rhythms and distinctive melodies of “Prologue” have become pop culture mainstays in their own right, and “Jet Song,” “Gee Officer Krupke,” and “I Feel Pretty” have endured among pop music fans and theatre enthusiasts alike.

Patch the Sky, by Bob Mould
In a statement about his upcoming solo album Patch the Sky, former Hüsker Dü and Sugar frontman Bob Mould (who also wrote the theme song for The Daily Show) said he “withdrew from everyday life [and] wrote alone for six months” in preparation. The resulting album is “generally simple and catchy” on one side, and “heavier in spirit and tone” on the other. He loves both sides of this new album, and after hearing it, so do we. As much as he warns about the dark lyrics and themes, there are some real earworms to be found here. Heck, the first track, “Voices in My Head,” is almost enough to sell this album by itself, and even darker material like “Black Confetti” makes for enjoyable listening.

Legacy, Vol 1, by Celtic Thunder
Celtic Thunder’s latest stage show, Legacy, is a tour de force performance of their best songs, picked from their impressive streak of standing-room-only world tours. It also sees the Irish singing group reunite with Damian McGinty, one of the group’s original members, who went on to play Rory Flanagan on Glee. As expected, the vocals on this record are in top form, especially on the tracks “Caledonia,” “The Mountains of Mourne,” and “Danny Boy,” but the musicians deserve some love, too. Providing hefty, complex arrangements full of strings, guitars, percussion, whistles, pipes, and keyboards, the Celtic Thunder Band is no joke.

6 Albums To Help You Welcome Spring

0
0

Spring is here! Finally! Temperatures are warming up, birds are chirping merrily in the trees, and vinyl collectors are emerging from hibernation to look for albums that will help them celebrate the season. Your first stop should be Barnes & Noble, where there’s no shortage of new (or new to you) music to remind you of spring; rebirth, renewal, or just the joy of watching snow melt and knowing you won’t be seeing it again for a while. Check out these great records from Rites of Spring, the Raveonettes, the Pixies, Green Day, the Kinks, and the Ronettes.

End On End, by Rites of Spring
Since we’re talking about spring this week, this band marks the most obvious place to start: it’s right there in the name! This album is really a compilation of the band’s self-titled first album and the follow-up EP, All Through a Life, showcasing a sound that paved the way for emo, with an emphasis on melody and deeply personal lyrics that was considered unorthodox in 1980s punk rock. In that sense, Rites of Spring marked a period of rebirth, moving away from meathead hardcore without losing the energy and immediacy that drew them to underground music in the first place. Standout tracks are “Remainder,” “Drink Deep,” and, of course, “Spring.”

Raven in the Grave, by the Raveonettes
Danish garage rock duo the Ravonettes are known for their simple, fuzzed-out, effortlessly melodic noise pop, but there’s something about their 2011 album Raven in the Grave that reminds us of a spring thaw. Tracks like “Forget That You’re Young” and “Summer Moon” capture a certain sense of awakening, a stirring after a long period of hibernation. The slower tempos accentuate that feeling, and guitarist/singer Sune Rose Wagner has observed that this album feels more like a soundtrack than anything else they’ve done. Many of the classic Raveonettes trademarks are present here, including guitar tones warm enough to melt leftover snow drifts.

Doolittle, by Pixies
Originally released in 1989, Doolittle represents a spring cleaning of sorts for the Pixies, in that the band’s surreal, dark lyrics and grungy sound were given the clean production quality of a proper pop album. The band had mixed feelings about this at the time, but Doolittle has gone on to become one of their most popular albums, and a perennial favorite of rock critics. Along with more aggressive tracks like “Tame” and “Crackity Jones,” they introduced slower, more melodic material like “I Bleed” and “Here Comes Your Man.” And, in true Pixies fashion, they have songs that shouldn’t be catchy but are, like delightfully weird opening track “Debaser.”

Kerplunk!, by Green Day
If spring is the lead-in to summer, then Kerplunk! absolutely belongs on this list. It was the full-length album that preceded Dookie, and although Kerplunk! is less polished, it predicts the band’s future success with one great song after another. Along with an early cut of “Welcome to Paradise,” which was rerecorded for Dookie, this album contains some serious jams. “2000 Miles Away” starts it off with a catchy synthesis of early Kinks and in-their-prime Ramones, “Private Ale” shows off their gifts for pop hooks and melodies, and “Who Wrote Holden Caulfield” is a rager that ranks among the best songs they’ve written.

Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, by the Kinks
Speaking of the Kinks, no less an authority than Pete Townshend said this album is “what makes [Ray Davies] the definitive pop poet laureate,” and it’s hard to argue with him. Village Green Preservation Society is the Kinks’ sixth album, as well as the last one recorded by the original lineup, and captures an idyllic version of spring: sunny, warm, perpetually in bloom. Tracks like “Animal Farm” and “All My Friends Were There” are tinted with pastoral nostalgia, and the title track starts off with Simon and Garfunkel-esque minimalism and builds into a rollicking, organ-driven song with a singalong chorus. “Picture Book” has the most urgent rhythm on the album, and is a standout track because of it.

Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica, by the Ronettes
It wouldn’t be a spring album collection without a debut, since spring is widely considered the first proper season of every new year. And there’s no better debut to feature than that of the Ronettes, who released this album in 1964. Their lively girl-group harmonies and approachable lyrics about love and dating, combined with Phil Spector’s innovative “wall of sound” production, made for a lot of hit singles and memorable songs; in fact, “Be My Baby” and “(Walking) in the Rain” rightfully made it onto Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Other standout tracks include “Chapel of Love” and the lesser-known “I Wonder.”

Viewing all 88 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images