Here are the major album releases, TV appearances, anniversaries and other events coming up in the next seven days. Mark your calendars and pre-order your favourites — but don’t blame me if things change at the last minute:
TOP NEW ALBUMS
Backstreet Boys
DNA
The previous millennium’s teen heartthrobs turned to one from this millennium — singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes — for help with their first new album in five years. Hey, the BSB’s mothers didn’t raise any fools.
Bring Me the Horizon
amo
Singer Oli Sykes says “amo is a love album that explores every aspect of that most powerful emotion … It deals with the good the bad and the ugly, and as a result we’ve created an album that’s more experimental, more varied, weird, and wonderful than anything we’ve done before.” Well, he got married in 2015, divorced in 2016 and married again in 2017, so he’s clearly an expert.
The Dandy Warhols
Why You So Crazy
The Portland vets’ 10th album in 25 years is said to include references to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Don MacLean’s Chevy, and the church of Bowie’s Modern Love. So basically, it’s another Dandys album.
FIDLAR
Almost Free
The third album from these California skaters — whose name stands for Fuck It Dog, Life’s a Risk — includes songs called Get Off My Rock, Flake, Alcohol, Scam Likely and Good Times Are Over. So basically, it’s another FIDLAR album.
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Stay Human Vol. II
You’re forgiven if you don’t remember Vol. I — it’s been almost 18 years since the singer-songwriter released the predecessor to this 10th studio album. Which is almost as long as it’s been since he wore shoes.
Keuning
Prismism
Killers guitarist Dave Keuning finally follows in his Las Vegas bandmates’ footsteps by releasing his first solo album. What took you so long, dude? I can see getting beat by Brandon, but Ronnie? Freakin’ Ronnie? You’re just not trying, man.
KISS
KISSWORLD: The Best of KISS
Shock me: Gene, Paul and the Guys Who Are Not Ace and Peter plop out yet another compilation to soak the fans in conjunction with their latest “farewell” tour — which will almost certainly be followed by a Las Vegas residency or some other gotcha loophole.
Lee Harvey Osmond
Mohawk
A funny thing happened on the way to Tom Wilson’s latest solo album — he learned that he was adopted and his biological parents were Mohawks from the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal.
Santana
In Search of Mona Lisa
The singer-guitarist and eternal hippie drops this five-song EP to prime the pump for a Rick Rubin-produced album due this summer. Oh yeah, by the way, Carlos: It’s in the Louvre.
OTHER RELEASES:
January 25
• Aggression | Feels Like Punk, Sounds Like Thrash
• Altarage | The Approaching Roar
• Ancient Bards | Origine: The Black Crystal Sword Saga, Pt. 2
• Arkdown | The Calling
• Andrew Austin | Starts & Fits
• A Secret Revealed | Sacrifices
• Balthazar | Fever
• The Beat Feat. Ranking Roger | Public Confidential
• Big Star | Live on WLIR
• Blackstone Co. | Betrayed
• Breathe Atlantis | Soulmade
• Burly | Self-Titled Demon EP
• Ivan Conti | Poison Fruit
• Cyanide Sundae | Blinded Generation
• Dawn | New Breed
• Eerie Wanda | Pet Town
• 1865 | Don’t Tread on We!
• Evergrey | The Atlantic
• Fedez | Paranoia Airlines
• Ina Forsman | Been Meaning to Tell You
• Mindy Gledhill | Rabbit Hole
• Green River | Rehab Doll, Dry as a Bone Deluxe
• Heart | Live in Atlantic City DVD
• Hecate Enthroned | Embrace of the Godless Aeon
• Toby Hitchcock | Reckoning
• Trevor Horn | Trevor Horn Reimagines the Eighties
• House of Krazees | The Post Apocalyptic Word
• Ides of March | Friendly Strangers: The Warner Bros. Recordings
• Illism | Illuminate
• Inglorious | Ride to Nowhere
• Jack & Jack | A Good Friend Is Nice
• Jetboy | Born to Fly
• Josin | In the Blank Space
• Julia Kent | Temporal
• Kid Koala | Music To Draw To: Io
• King Diamond | Songs for the Dead Live
• Mike Krol | Power Chords
• Light Vibes | Past/Present
• Lip Talk | Days
• Joe Lovano | Trio Tapestry
• Lowtec | Light Surfing
• Malamorte | Hell for All
• Manhattan Transfer | The Very Best of The Manhattan Transfer
• Massive Attack | Mezzanine Deluxe Edition
• Michael McCarthur | Ever Green, Ever Rain
• Leyla McCalla | The Capitalist Blues
• Addie McDaniel | After the News
• Mind Whispers | Serpentarius
• Mono | Nowhere Now Here
• Neal Morse Band | The Great Adventure
• Nightmares on Wax | Back to Mine
• Paris_Monster | Lamplight
• Henry Paul Band | The Complete Atlantic Recordings
• Piqsiq | Altering the Timeline
• Puppy | The Goat
• Rival Sons | Feral Roots
• Kane Roberts | The New Normal
• Royal Canoe | Waver
• Rudimental | Toast to Our Differences
• Hunt Sales Memorial | Get Your Shit Together
• Say Anything | Oliver Appropriate
• Sneaks | Highway Hypnosis
• Starbreaker | Dysphoroa
• Mark Stewart & The Maffia | Learning To Cope With Cowardice / The Lost Tapes
• Swervedriver | Future Ruins
• Toy | Happy in the Hollow
• Walter Trout | Survivor Blues
• Twig Pigeon | Beyonds
• William Tyler | Goes West
• Vangelis | Nocturne (The Piano Album)
• Various Artists | 2019 GRAMMY® Nominees
• Viana | Forever Free
• Wake the Nations | Heartrock
• Chase Walker Band | Live at the Woodshed
• Watermelon Slim | Church of the Blues
• Amelia White | Rhythm of the Rain
• Dee White | Southern Gentleman
• White Fence | I Have to Feed Larry’s Hawk
• Paul Young | The CBS Singles Collection 1982-1994
MUSIC ON TV
Monday January 21
Joe Jackson | Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Method Man | Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Death Cab For Cutie | Late Night With Seth Meyers
Kane Brown | Live With Kelly & Ryan
Tuesday January 22
6lack | Jimmy Kimmel Live
Brothers Osborne | Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
< Maggie Rogers | Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Lauren Jauregui | Late Late Show With James Corden
Wednesday January 23
Flipp Dinero | Jimmy Kimmel Live
Offset | Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Better Oblivion Community Center | Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Ava Max | Late Late Show With James Corden
Shinedown | Live With Kelly & Ryan
Dean Lewis | Ellen DeGeneres Show
Thursday January 24
Backstreet Boys | Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Dermot Kennedy | Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Young the Giant | Late Night With Seth Meyers
Future | Ellen DeGeneres Show
Saturday January 26
Better Oblivion Community Center | CBS This Morning
Meek Mill | Saturday Night Live
Willie Nelson | Austin City Limits
BOOKS
Mapping Woody Guthrie
Will Kaufman
The iconic itinerant American troubadour once sang: “I ain’t got no home, I’m just a-roamin’ round.” And he wasn’t kidding. Woody Guthrie spent much of his life on the move — and this book traces his movements with the help of both his public works and private archives.
Joni Mitchell: New Critical Readings
Ruth Charnock, Editor
This collection of academic works examines the Canadian singer-songwriter’s work as “a musician, composer, cultural commentator and antagonist” — along with pieces on specific songs, performances, her guitar technique, politics and her relationship with feminism.
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
Monday January 21
If not for you: On this day in 1966, George Harrison married Patti Boyd in Surrey. Paul McCartney was the best man — until Eric Clapton came along, that is. It’s also a big day for birthdays: Wolfman Jack arrived in 1938, Placido Domingo and Richie Havens both were born in 1941, Edwin Starr and Mac Davis came along a year later and Jam Master Jay was born in 1965. Leaving the building on this date: Elvis Presley‘s lifelong manager ‘Colonel’ Tom Parker, who had a fatal stroke in Las Vegas, Nevada at age 87.
Tuesday January 22
Famous last words: In 1959, Buddy Holly recorded his final songs — Peggy Sue Got Married, Crying, Waiting, Hoping, That’s What They Say, What To Do, Learning The Game and That Makes It Tough — with an acoustic guitar and tape recorder in his New York City apartment. And another slew of birthdays, including soul man Sam Cooke (1931), Sex Pistols manager Malcolm Mclaren (1947), original E Street Band drummer Vini (Mad Dog) Lopez (1949), Journey singer Steve Perry (1953), INXS frontman Michael Hutchence (1960), and Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler (1965).
Wednesday January 23
Today in weird: In 1956, Cleveland banned minors from dancing in public unless accompanied by an adult. Where was Kevin Bacon when they needed him? And in 1991, shortly after the start of the Gulf War, an Albuquerque radio station planned to play Stairway To Heaven for 24 hours — until police reportedly showed up with guns drawn, fearing the station had been taken hostage by terrorists. Today in tragic: In 1978, Chicago guitarist Terry Kath accidentally killed himself while playing with a gun he didn’t know was loaded. And today in sadly familiar: In 2003, R. Kelly was arrested in Miami on child pornography charges after police said digital pictures were found at his home. The charges were later dropped. Today’s birthdays include gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt (1910), E Street Band keyboardist Danny Federici (1950) and Cheap Trick frontman Robin Zander (1953).
Thursday January 24
Your lovin’ don’t pay my bills: In 1962, Brian Epstein became The Beatles‘ manager, taking 25% of the band’s gross earnings. Good deal, dude. In other Fab news, U.S. prosecutors warned record dealers in 1969 that they would be charged with distributing pornography if they sold John Lennon and Yoko Ono‘s LP Two Virgins, which pictured them naked on the cover. I beg your pardon: In 2005, Rose Garden singer Lynn Anderson was arrested for shoplifting after stealing a Harry Potter DVD from a New Mexico supermarket and punching a police officer. And today in irony: Amy Winehouse went to rehab for drug addition in 2008. The birthdays: Aaron Neville and Neil Diamond (1941), along with Warren Zevon (1947).
Friday January 25
Another day of weirdness: In 2008, British Sea Power keyboard Phil Sumner landed in hospital after an unsuccessful head-first stage dive. In 2011, Canadian Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy became the first person in the world to graduate with a master’s degree in The Beatles from Liverpool Hope University. I’m sure her folks were thrilled. And in 2014, Susan Boyle considered applying for a minimum-wage cashier’s job at a bookstore. Presumably she changed her mind after remembering she’s a multi-millionaire. Also doing fairly well: Birthday girl Alicia Keys, who was born in 1981 and will host this year’s Grammy Awards.
Saturday January 26
Next time just say thanks: In 1977, former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green was committed to a mental hospital after threatening his accountant with an air rifle when the man tried to give him a £30,000 royalty cheque. On the birthday list: Singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams (1953), Eddie Van Halen (1957) and Wham!’s Andrew Ridgeley (1963). Wake him up before … you know.
Sunday January 27
Songs of the day: Elvis Presley released Heartbreak Hotel in 1956; John Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed Instant Karma! within hours in 1970; and Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne were given a songwriting credit on Sam Smith’s hit Stay With Me in 2015 because of its similarity to his 1989 hit I Won’t Back Down. Happy birthday to Elmore James (1918), Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason (1944), Cowboy Junkies singer Margo Timmins (1961) and Iron Maiden guitarist Janick Gers (1957). I once compared his onstage prancing to My Little Pony in a concert review. The link is still on his Wikipedia page. I’m strangely proud of that.
