This week’s new albums: Jan. 17, 2010
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)Jan 18, 2010 11:19 PM
Motion City Soundtrack, Spoon, Editors, RJD2 and Gretchen Wilson head up this week’s list of new releases.
Motion City Soundtrack, “My Dinosaur Life” (Sony)
The Minnesota power-pop/punk outfit jumps back into the fray with the release of its fourth studio album. “My Dinosaur Life” follows 2007’s “Even If It Kills Me,” which peaked at No. 16 on The Billboard 200 chart.
“My Dinosaur Life” was produced by Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, who also handled Motion City Soundtrack’s second album, “Commit this to Memory.” The first single from the album is the track “Disappear.”
Motion City Soundtrack will showcase “My Dinosaur Life” during its upcoming North American tour. The road trip commences with a hometown show in Minneapolis, MN, on Jan. 23 and continues through a Feb. 16 gig in San Francisco.
Spoon, “Transference” (Merge)
The Austin, TX-based indie-rock group returns with a follow-up to 2007’s highly successful “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart. Spoon frontman Britt Daniels penned the lyrics for all 11 tracks on “Transference.”
“Transference” has already spawned two singles: “Got Nuffin” and “Written in Reverse.” Although Spoon currently doesn’t have any concert dates lined up in North America, the band does plan to spend a week touring Europe in February.
Editors, “In this Light and on this Evening” (Fader)
The British indie-rock act is set to drop its third full-length set, which follows 2007’s “An End Has a Start.” “In this Light and on this Evening” was released in the band’s homeland back in October, quickly rising to the No. 1 spot on the U.K. album chart.
The Editors will support “In this Light and on this Evening” with a 12-city North American tour. The trek begins Feb. 5 in Seattle and is currently set to conclude with a Feb. 21 date in Washington, DC.
RJD2, “The Colossus” (RJ’s Electrical Connections)
The electronic-music whiz kid is hoping to generate a big reaction from “The Colossus.” The album follows the major career retrospective “2002-2010,” a four-disc box set that hit shelves back in October.
RJD2—the stage name for musician Ramble John Krohn—is supporting “The Colossus” by performing in 28 cities throughout mostly the eastern portion of the US over the course of two months. RJD2 is set to perform in Knoxville, TN, tonight (Jan. 19) and will remain on the road through a Feb. 20 date in Urbana, Il.
Gretchen Wilson, “Greatest Hits” (Sony)
The Illinois native treats her fans to an 11-cut collection of her best-known songs. Wilson’s “Greatest Hits” includes such favorites as “Redneck Woman,” “Here for the Party” and “Homewrecker.” It also features a live recording of the country star covering Heart’s “Barracuda.”
Also in stores this week:
Aziz Ansari, “Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening” (Comedy Central)
Danny Barnes, “Pizza Box” (Ato)
Blue Highway, “Some Day: 15th Anniversary Collection” (Rounder)
Miles Davis, “The Complete Columbia Album Collection” (Columbia)
The Hotrats, “Turn Ons” (Fat Possum)
Monica Naranjo, “Adagio” (Sony)
Pearl, “Little Immaculate White Fox” (R.E.D.)
Gail Pettis, “Here in the Moment” (OA2)
The Len Price 3, “Pictures” (Wicked Cool)
Lawson Rollins, “Espirito” (Infinita)
South Memphis String Band, “Home Sweet Home” (Memphis International)
Surfer Blood, “Astro Coast” (Kanine)
Various Artists, “2010 Grammy Nominees” (Capitol)
Soundtracks and scores:
“Crazy Heart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” (New West)