Street Date April 23: Kenny Chesney, Cee-Lo, Elvis Costello
[B]Also:[EB] 12 Stones, Paul Westerberg, Pet Shop Boys, Wilco, “Star Wars: Episode II,” Mark Eitzel, Michael Bolton and more.
[B]Also:[EB] 12 Stones, Paul Westerberg, Pet Shop Boys, Wilco, “Star Wars: Episode II,” Mark Eitzel, Michael Bolton and more.
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Kenny Chesney - “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” (BNA)
Chesney sticks with the familiar on his first full album of new recordings in more than three years, and again turns to the production team of Buddy Cannon and Norro Wilson--the same duo that was behind his previous two releases. Among the tracks is a Bill Anderson/Dean Dillon collaboration, “I’d’ve Done a Lot of Things Different,” and a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “One Step Up.”
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Cee-Lo - “Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections” (Arista)
The founding member of Atlanta hip-hop group Goodie Mob wrote, produced and arranged this wide-ranging set. The first single and video from the album is the gospel-tinged “Closet Freak.” John Popper of Blues Traveler contributes harmonica to “Country Love.”
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Elvis Costello - “When I Was Cruel” (Island)
The word on the street is that this is a rock album, and it does feature two members of his old backing band the Attractions--keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas--but in an interview with Billboard, Costello says the music is “rowdy rhythm,” and isn’t “in any way rooted to the past.” Reportedly, there are “supporters at radio stations” who want to play the album’s lead track, rock-ily titled “Tear Off Your Own Head (It’s a Doll’s Revolution).”
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12 Stones - “12 Stones” (Wind-up)
The self-titled debut from this New Orleans quartet features the first single, “Broken,” as well as “My Life,” a track featured on the recently released “The Scorpion King” soundtrack. Fans can download a “Broken” mp3 file, and can also view the song’s companion music video, at the group’s official website. Next month, 12 Stones heads out on tour with Creed.
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Paul Westerberg - “Stereo/Mono” (Vagrant)
Westerberg’s first release for the Southern California indie label Vagrant--and his first since his largely ignored 1999 release “Suicaine Gratifiction--is a two-CD set. The “Stereo” disc is populated by quieter, sometimes acoustic tracks, while the “Mono” disc (credited to Grandpaboy) hearkens to the sloppy, endearing punk rock of his old band, the Replacements. (Vagrant Records issued a limited-edition version of “Mono,” in March. Click here to read a review).
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Pet Shop Boys - “Release” (Sanctuary)
These ‘80s-era favorites deliver the follow-up to 1999’s “Night Life.” “Release,” which features the new single “Home and Dry,” hit stores in the British duo’s native country in early April, where it debuted at No. 7 on the U.K. album chart. In May, Pet Shop Boys will launch a U.S. tour.
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Wilco - “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” (Nonesuch/Atlantic)
Wilco bought back the rights to this album after it was rejected by its former label, Reprise. Frontman Jeff Tweedy and his band had little trouble finding a new home, and a number of critics are already touting the release as one of the year’s best. The CD will be familiar to many fans, who listened to it last year when the band streamed the entire disc on its website.
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“Star Wars: Episode II - “Attack of the Clones” (Sony Classical)
The highly anticipated “Star Wars: Episode II” arrives in theaters next month, and that can only mean one thing: a new album from blockbuster composer John Williams. Sony has set up a website dedicated to the soundtrack, at which a track titled “Across the Stars (Love Theme)” is streamed. The song’s music video premieres on MTV on Tuesday (4/23) at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, according to Sony.
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Mark Eitzel - “Music for Courage & Confidence” (New West)
In the indie world over the past few years, interpreting a song has become almost as respectable as writing one. Songwriter Mark Eitzel releases an album of 10 covers, including Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” His section on New West Records’ website has the full track listing and two MP3s: his covers of Curtis Mayfield’s “Move on Up” and Glen Campbell’s “Gentle on My Mind.”
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Michael Bolton - “Only a Woman Like You” (Jive)
The popular love-balladeer’s latest is the follow up to 1998’s “My Secret Passion.” The title track is streamed in its entirety at Jive’s official Michael Bolton website, as are samples of the album’s other 10 tracks. The site also features details about Bolton’s many release-week appearances, including stops on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” “CBS Early Show,” “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
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Other new releases:
Alfie - “A Word in Your Ear” (Beggars Banquet)
Audra - “Going to the Theatre” (Projekt)
Autopilot - “Off Autopilot Off (EP)” (Island)
Susana Baca - “Espiritu Vivo” (Luaka Bop)
Philip Bailey - “Soul on Jazz” (Heads Up)
Jay Bennett & Edward Burch - “The Palace at 4 A.M.” (Undertow)
Big Moe - “Purple World” (Priority)
Black Tape for a Blue Girl - “The Scavenger Bride” (Projekt)
Bill Bruford - “Footloose and Fancy Free” (Discipline Global Mobile)
W.C. Clark - “From Austin with Soul” (Alligator)
Cornershop - “Handcream for a Generation” (V2)
Damon and Naomi - “Song to the Siren: Live in San Sebastian” (Sub Pop)
Kevin Denney - “Kevin Denney” (Hollywood)
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band - “Medicated Magic” (Atlantic)
Dishwalla - “Opaline” (Immergent)
Florence Dore - “Perfect City” (Slewfoot)
Fall Silent - “Drunken Violence” (Revelation)
Cor Fijneman - “Mesmer1” (Razor & Tie)
Fiver - “Here It Comes” (Future Farmer)
John Forte - “I, John” (Trasparent)
Sage Francis - “Personal Journals” (Anticon)
Gay Dad - “Transmission” (Thirsty Ear)
Jerry Joseph & the Jackmormons - “Conscious Contact” (Terminus)
Jivaro - “Jivarodelia” (Kindercore)
The Kickovers - “Osaka” (Fenway)
Greg Long - “Balance” (Shadow)
Joe Lovano - “Viva Caruso” (Blue Note)
Luna - “Romantica” (Jet Set)
Lupine Howl - “Vaporizer (EP)” (Beggars Banquet)
Mad Happy - “Feel Good Music… for the Broke Middle Class” (Bar None)
The Meat Purveyors - “All Relationships Are Doomed to Fail” (Bloodshot)
Mae Moore - “It’s a Funny World” (Paras Group)
Peter Murphy - “Dust” (Metropolis)
Otophobia - “Malignant” (Slap-a-Ham)
Oxymoron - “Feed the Breed” (GMM)
Eddie Palmieri - “La Perfecta II” (Concord)
John Pizzarelli with the George Shearing Quintet - “The Rare Delight of You” (Telarc)
Gary Primich - “Dog House Music” (Antone’s)
The Promise Ring - “Wood/Water” (Epitaph)
Toshi - “Toshi” (Razor & Tie)
Will Rigby - “Paradoxaholic” (Diesel Only)
The Rooks From the Shelves of Soundscape Studio” (Not Lame)
Charlie Sizemore - “The Story Is ... The Songs of Tom T. Hall” (Rebel)
Sloan - “Pretty Together” (RCA)
Sneaker Pimps - “Bloodsport” (Tommy Boy)
Reid - “Speed Resonance” (Breakbeat Science)
Stevens Sisters - “Little by Little” (Rounder)
Curtis Stigers - “Secret Heart” (Concord Jazz)
Still Breathing - “September” (Tooth & Nail)
Strung Out - “An American Paradox” (Fat Wreck Chords)
Tall Paul - “Back & Forth” (Moonshine)
James Talley - “Touchstones” (Cimarron)
Luther Wright and the Wrongs - “Rebuild the Wall” (Narada)
Various artists - “Because We Care: Benefit for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County” (Glue Factory/Oglio)
Various artists - “Exposure 1” (4 Foot 11)
Various artists - “Explorations in Chill” (Paras Group)
Various artists - “Still More Bounce” (Wolfpac)
Various artists - “Trance: The Progressive Experience” (Capitol)
Soundtracks and scores:
“Ansel Adams” (Green Linnet)
“Chelsea Walls” (Rykodisc)
“Dark Angel” (Artemis)
“The New Guy” (Epic)
Click here to read last week’s “Street Date” feature.
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