New Music - May 2011

The Case Files
$16.95
Model: cd_CaseFiles

Peter Case

Pop/Folk

The longtime alt-folkie takes a look back at his catalog, offering rarities, outtakes, and lesser known pieces. The songs span the entire range of Case's solo career, from 1984 through 2011.


Celebration, Florida
$12.95
Model: cd_CelebrationFlo

Felice Brothers

Pop/Folk

". . . [Their] new and fourth LP Celebration, Florida is an exhilarating amalgamation of frightening horn sections, unexpected 808s, ambient synth lines, schoolyard taunts, booming, primitive drum beats, heavy bass lines, piano, violin, accordion, ringing guitars, rave beats, and sinister acid jazz that captivates and mystifies."


Heirloom Music
$16.95
Model: cd_HeirloomMusic

Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Pop/Folk

Gilmore, a singer from West Texas, writes songs that would be described as alternative country. But for his forthcoming album, Heirloom Music — in which Gilmore teams up with the band The Wronglers — he says he was thinking more in terms of bluegrass music, or heirloom music.


The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 2
$18.95
Model: cd_RandyNewman

Randy Newman

Pop/Folk

Randy Newman takes a fresh look at both classic and more recent work in new solo takes on 16 of his celebrated songs, surveying 40 years of recordings. Songbook Vol. 2, includes songs spanning from the 1968 album Randy Newman through Newman’s most recent, 2008’s Harps and Angels. MusicOMH calls it "an invigorating celebration of the power of music, and a delicate declaration of the power of one man and his piano."


Sleep With One Eye Open
$15.95
Model: cd_SleepWith

Chris Thile & Michael Daves

Pop/Folk

Sleep with One Eye Open, the debut album from mandolin-virtuoso Chris Thile and guitar maven Michael Daves, was recorded live to tape over four days at Jack White’s Third Man Studios in Nashville. The album is a collection of 16 traditional tunes by bluegrass legends like The Monroe Brothers, The Louvin Brothers, Jimmy Martin, and Flatt & Scruggs.


Afrodiaspora
$16.95
Model: cd_Afrodiaspora

Susana Baca

World Music

"As the album title indicates, the material on Afrodiaspora is from all over South America and the Caribbean, coming from countries with a strong African element in their music due to the slave trade. Baca infuses every song and style with her own understated elegance, adding elements of son, cumbia, plena, son jarocho, and other types of music to her own Afro-Peruvian style."


The Dreaming Fields
$13.95
Model: cd_DreamingFields

Matraca Berg

Pop/Folk

Country songwriter Berg has recorded only sporadically, but has written numerous tunes over the years, mostly for mainstream artists.  As she penned songs she felt too personal or dark, she set them aside for her own, long-awaited new release. 


 


Freak Flag
$16.95
Model: cd_FreakFlag

Greg Brown

Pop/Folk

 The contemporary singer-songwriter's 24th studio album is also his first for the Yep Roc label.  Produced by his longtime guitarist Bo Ramsey, Freak Flag focuses on Brown's more recent country-blues sound, including covers of songs by Iris Dement and his daughter Pieta Brown. 


Rocket Science
$16.95
Model: cd_RocketScience

Bela Fleck & the Flecktones

Pop/Folk

Marks the first new recordings by the original four Flecktones in nearly 20 years, including percussionist Howard Levy.  Over the space of an album, Fleck & co. cover a remarkable array of genres, including classical, bluegrass, blues, world, and more.  


Ramble at the Ryman
$17.95
Model: cd_RambleAt

Levon Helm

Pop/Folk

The former drummer and singer for The Band has been hosting "rambles" at his Woodstock, NY, home for years. Moving the proceedings to Nashville's legendary Ryman Auditorium, Helm is joined by Sheryl Crow, Buddy Miller, Sam Bush, and more.  


Follow Me Down
$12.95
Model: cd_FollowMe

Sarah Jarosz

Pop/Folk

"Her approach to acoustic music is expansive and vital and she sees no need to choose between old-timey and modern material. With her picking, singing and writing ability and her desire for experimentation along with reviving tradition… Jarosz does all of it, and pushes it all further, on her new album." 


A Nod to Bob, Vol. 2
$17.95
Model: cd_NodTo

Various Artists

Pop/Folk

In celebration of Bob Dylan's 70th birthday, a selection of folk and Americana artists offer their interpretations of his classic songs.  Contributors include John Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson, Hot Tuna, and more.


Dirty Radio
$11.95
Model: cd_DirtyRadio

Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside

Pop/Folk

Fueled by Sallie’s love of The Beatles, Cat Power and Tom Waits, they are a rock-a-billy hybrid with elements of folk, punk, blues, and jazz. Most noticeable at first are Ford’s quirky vocals, but after a few listens, an appreciation builds for the nuances of the band.


The Essential Roseanne Cash
$13.95
Model: cd_EssentialRoseCash

Roseanne Cash

Pop/Folk

Provides a survey of the contemporary country/folk songwriter.  Songs range from her earliest work to her most recent;  from "Seven Year Ache" to "Sea of Heartbreak."
 


Strictly Whatever
$16.95
Model: cd_StrictlyWhatev

Harry Manx

Pop/Folk

The second collaboration between Harry Manx and Kevin Breit, two of Canada's foremost guitarists.  With shared songwriting and singing credits, the instrumentalists cover blues, country, folk and world music territory.
 


Rock And Roll Joe
$16.95
Model: cd_RockAndRollJoe

Chip Taylor and Friends

Pop/Folk

For his new project, Chip Taylor assembled a band of longtime friends and musicians for a tribute to unheralded session musicians, "rock and roll joes."  With guitarist John Platania, vocalist and fiddler Kendel Carson and others, the results are consistent with Taylor's more recent releases.  Sometimes whisper-quiet, sometimes irreverent, generally nostalgic glimpses back to a time when Taylor wrote his early hits like "Wild Thing" and "Angel of the Morning".


Secret
$16.95
Model: cd_Secret

Vieux Farka Toure

World Music

"Vieux Farka Touré has become one of the most celebrated African guitarists in history. Vieux now takes a dramatic next step with his new record, The Secret, produced by Soulive's Eric Krasno and featuring Dave Matthews, John Scofield,  Derek Trucks, and Vieux's final collaboration with his legendary father, Ali Farka Touré."


The Graduation Ceremony
$15.95
Model: cd_GraduationCerem

Joseph Arthur

Pop/Folk

As heard on NPR.  Arthur has filled his last several projects with great amounts of sound and instrumentation.  For this new collection of dark pop, Arthur is still surrounded by strings, drums, and backing vocals, but he demonstrates an ability to exercise restraint and employ nuance.


Helplessness Blues
$13.95
Model: cd_HelplessnessBlues

Fleet Foxes

Pop/Folk

The Seattle band's (very) long-awaited sophomore release finds the band still focused on '70s folk arrangements and harmonies. The new album adds a more complex, full band sound while maintaining their intimate spirit.


Live at Benaroya Hall With The Seattle Symphony
$11.95
Model: cd_LiveBenaroya

Brandi Carlile

Pop/Folk

Carlile wowed fans of her first two studio albums with a powerhouse voice and truly dramatic song readings. Her first live album carries on the love affair with the live stage, backed by her longtime band and a symphony orchestra. 


Take The High Road
$14.95
Model: cd_TakeThe

Blind Boys of Alabama

Pop/Folk

This gospel-folk ensemble has been around in one form or another for decades. Their new album is their first to blend their gospel sound with country music. Produced by Jamey Johnson, it features the quintet pairing with artists such as Patty Loveless, Willie Nelson, and Johnson himself. 


Tell My Sister
$25.95
Model: cd_TellMy

Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Pop/Folk

This tribute to Anna and her late sister Kate focuses on their first two albums as a duo. In addition to remastered versions of these well-known songs, the collection offers outtakes and unheard demos.

 


Roses at the End of Time
$17.95
Model: cd_RosesAt

Eliza Gilkyson

Pop/Folk

Over the space of her last couple releases, the contemporary folk and Americana singer-songwriter has managed to balance the personal and the political, the personal and the global. All the while, she arranges and sings her songs beautifully.

 


Putumayo Presents: Jazz
$15.95
Model: cd_PutumayoPresents

Various Artists

Jazz

The world music label offers a veritable "who's who" of essential jazz artists. Offerings include pieces by Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Nina Simone, and more.