There are two kinds of people: Those who care that Justin Timberlake has a new album coming next week and those who don’t. Guess which group I’m in. But even if JT isn’t on my list, plenty of other releases are. Including these:
The Black Crowes
Happiness Bastards
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Black Crowes are leaving the bullshit in the past. Some 15 years after their last album of original music, the Robinson brothers present Happiness Bastards, their 10th studio album. Some may say the project has been several tumultuous years in the making, but we argue it’s arriving at just the right time. Call it brotherly love or music destiny that brought them back together, the highly anticipated record consecrating the reunion of this legendary band just may be the thing that saves rock ’n’ roll. In a time where the art form is buried beneath the corporate sheen of its successors, The Black Crowes are biting back with the angst of words left unsaid penned on paper and electrified by guitar strings, revealing stripped, bare-boned rock ’n’ roll. No gloss, no glitter, just rhythm and blues at its very best — gritty, loud, and in your face.”
The Dandy Warhols
Rockmaker
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The cheekiest band in the land is back with Rockmaker, The Dandy Warhols’ 12th studio album. Produced and recorded by the band at their studio/funhouse The Odditorium in Portland, OR, Rockmaker sees the Bohemian Like You hitmakers celebrate their 30th year together with a sprinkle of glitter on their grime. Accompanied by guests Debbie Harry, Slash and Pixies’ Frank Black, The Dandy Warhols wrangle paranoia, untangle anxious discontent, and lust after life while the dance grooves go deeper, heady drones get weirder, and riffage fit for bong rips hammers. Rockmaker is the Dandy’s clearest statement yet, at no sacrifice to their outré leanings. This is the sound of outsider alt-psych fixtures looking in as the walls come down. “Sometimes we have a very focused idea of what we want,” Courtney Taylor-Taylor says. “It’s generally what we want somebody else to make but since they never do, we have to. It has a very specific sound. There aren’t a lot of heavy guitar records currently coming out that we like, so that was the impetus for Rockmaker.”
Kid Kapichi
There Goes The Neighbourhood
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kid Kapichi’s new album, There Goes The Neighbourhood, is their third album in as many years, a statement of intent from one of the U.K.’s hardest-working bands — a band who preaches a message of urgency. It’s a record that does what Kid Kapichi do best — make a real connection in the here and now, running the gamut of love, loss, and what it means to be alive in Britain today. “I know it’s a cliche, but this really is our best work ever. We put everything into this record, but actively decided not to stray too far from the path of Here’s What You Could Have Won, as we felt there was still more ground to be covered and honed in on that vibe,” says Jack. “Lyrically and musically, it’s more concise, meaningful, and deliberate, which ties everything together really well; it feels like a collection of songs from the same family.”
Lenny Kravitz
Blue Electric Light
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Timeless. Explosive. Romantic. Inspiring. How else to characterize Blue Electric Light, Lenny Kravitz’s 12th studio album? Kravitz’s mastery of deep-soul rock ’n’ roll is a long-established fact. As a relentless creative force — musician, writer, producer, actor, author, designer — he continues to be a global dynamic presence throughout music, art and culture. Blue Electric Light is an impassioned suite of songs, that broadens this distinction and is the latest contribution of a man whose music — not to mention his singular style — continues to inspire millions the world over. On the album, Kravitz’s talents as a writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist resonate as he wrote and played most of the instruments himself, with longtime guitarist Craig Ross. Kravitz has won four Grammy Awards and sold 40 million albums.”
John Lurie
Painting With John
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In the penultimate episode of his widely popular and critically acclaimed HBO series, Painting With John, its creator, John Lurie, sat in a Manhattan recording studio, working out musical parts for the show’s soundtrack. “After the illness started, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do this again,” said Lurie. Even as he occupies an enigmatic, multi-faceted, five-decade career characterized by the unexpected, perhaps even Lurie is surprised by this new release of a double-album collection of music, Painting With John, extracted from the series. Go back a quarter-century or so: As an exotic saxophonist and composer whose pieces alternately recalled cracked-mirror reflections of Thelonious Monk, or Fela Kuti, or Raymond Chandler, Lurie led the vastly influential, downtown N.Y.C. jazz ensemble, The Lounge Lizards, through dazzling albums and tours across the globe. He scored indie films and Hollywood hits, collecting a Grammy nomination for Get Shorty along the way and releasing his own surreality-TV series, Fishing with John.”
Kacey Musgraves
Deeper Well
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Seven-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves returns with her fifth studio album Deeper Well. Musgraves co-produced Deeper Well with longtime collaborators Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. Inspired by the energy of New York City’s Greenwich Village and its rich musical history, Musgraves recorded a good portion of the new album at the legendary Electric Lady studios. “I was seeking some different environmental energy, and Electric Lady has the best mojo. Great ghosts,” noted Musgraves. With her keen observations of the world and discerning eye for the subtle nuances of life, Musgraves’ lyrics serve as a lens focusing on moments of life that often go unnoticed, turning them into timeless songs that strike a chord deep within listeners. Saturn returns, cardinals embody a dead friend, love is given and taken, streets rush by, belongings are packed and old chapters deserted, new love blooms, jade bracelets serve as talismans, deep lessons emerge, small details define everything, the woods are a refuge and New York City serves as the same gleaming beacon as Oz.”
