OLD
97'S
Blame It On Gravity (Deluxe)
 The
bonus DVD contains a 44 minute documentary on the history of the band including
live performances featuring classics and new songs.
Blame It On Gravity
is the seventh studio album and the first new album in 4 years from alt-country
pioneers Old 97 s. The album finds the band turning up the amps and returning
to the satisfying crunch with a mix of rock, punk, pop and classic country that
defined the band s sound on earlier albums. The band credits the new album s enthusiasm
to their return to their hometown of Dallas, TX to record, the first time since
their initial independent release. The band, still comprised of original members
Rhett Miller, Murry Hammond, Ken Bethea and Philip Peeples, deliver what they
believe is the finest album of their 15-year career. (New West)
MORE
INFO + SOUND CLIPS
DELUXE CD $22.98
ALSO ON LP:
MORE
INFO
LP $18.98
ALSO
ON CD:
MORE
INFO
CD $16.98
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
Narrow
Stairs
 After
hearing Narrow Stairs earlier this week, it turns out that everything I had known
about Death Cab was wrong. They are actually a really great band, and Stairs is
unquestionably the best thing they've ever done. It's a ballsy, brave effort,
sonically every bit as dissonant and sanguine as you have heard, full of songs
that thrash and rattle and bounce around echo chambers, tunes that display muscle
and bravado and even brains. Lyrically, Ben Gibbard — who had always erred
on the literal side a bit too much for my tastes — goes to places he's never
visited before, documenting the harrowing (and often unspoken) truths that course
through our brains when we're trapped in dying relationships or dead-end lives.
It's terrifying and unsettling and liberating all at once — a record that
sounds like a band throwing caution to the wind and just going for it, which makes
it everything you could possibly ask for from a group of musicians, and an early
contender for the best album of 2008. -- James Montgomery, mtv.com
MORE
INFO
CD $15.99
JOE
COCKER
Hymn For My Soul
 Joe
Cocker's latest offering is a classy, soulful and accomplished piece of work from
start to finish - and despite being a relatively short 37 minutes in length it
is without doubt very good value for money. . . From the opening bars of You Haven't
Done Nothin', complete with a superb saxophonist performance from Tom Scott, all
the way through to gospel-esque title track, the album is infectious and Cocker's
voice as raw and powerful as ever. . . In addition to the above-mentioned tracks
the rest of the material on Hymn For My Soul spans the decades. Cocker lends his
trademark voice to cover the classic Bob Dylan track Ring Them Bells and George
Harrison's Beware Of The Darkness. There is also a fine version of the Creedence
Clearwater Revival song Long As I Can See The Light. . . . Cocker has said that
he wanted Hymn For My Soul to be a complete record and not just a string of singles
-- and with this offering he has certainly achieved his goal. The album is sung,
played and produced to a phenomenally high standard, and it is without doubt Cocker's
best work in years. . . The delicately soulful feel maintained throughout the
record makes Hymn For My Soul the perfect album to put on at lazy Sunday summer
afternoon barbeque this year, as Joe Cocker demonstrates once again he is stall
going strong as he approach's his twilight years. 8.5/10. Jamie Reid, inthenews.co.uk
(Concord)
MORE
INFO + SOUND CLIPS
CD $16.99
DUFFY
Rockferry
 Somewhere
there's an unofficial manual about how to create legendary soul albums. There's
advice for budding new artists on how to screw up their life a bit, get their
heart broken, acquire some 'issues' and turn it all into music. Listening to Rockferry,
it's evident that Duffy hasn't yet read this book; the haunting experience of
hurt is tangible by its absence. However, the scholarly pursuit of her craft has
resulted in an album that's a delicious confection of elegent, bluesy soul. It's
not legendary, but it's well over halfway there. . . The spine-tingling orchestration
comes courtesy of a dream team of writers and producers, one of which is indie
veteran Bernard Butler: the thinking man's Mark Ronson. He brings the album to
a dazzling denouement with Distant Dreamer - a sonic waterfall of strings so uplifting
you emerge drenched in hope. Elsewhere, the Dusty Springfield comparisons find
justification in the likes of debut single Rockferry and Warwick Avenue, a stirring
tale of strength and walking away. There are few low points to be found, with
the Gabrielle-esque Stepping Stone noticeably hanging limply in the tracklisting.
. . The subject matter of Rockferry is the preserve of classic soul - rueful tales
of myriad insubordinations at the hands of dastardly men - and Duffy's voice is
an understated sensation. Yet her youth and naivety mean she's been force-fed
pain like she's songstress foie gras. The result is that it's the quality of her
sound that resonates, rather than the emotional force of the lyrics. True soul
serves up solace for the broken-hearted. With Duffy, lyrics like ''In an instant
you were gone / And now I'm scared'' (from sublime relationship eulogy, Scared)
simply don't shatter romantic idealism the way they should. After three years
of musical growth, Duffy has found her voice - now it's time to enrich it by living.
-- Sophie Hammer, bbc.co.uk (Island Def Jam)
MORE
INFO
CD $10.99
ALSO ON LP
MORE
INFO
LP $15.99
ERSI ARVIZU
Friend For
Life
 Ersi
Arvizu is best known as the lead singer of '70s East LA group El Chicano. Ry Cooder
first tracked Arvisu down in 2002 as he put together Chavez Ravine. After year
of effort Cooder finally cajoling her into making a solo album.
The San
Diego Union-Tribune said, "Mostly autobiographic, these 12 tracks are Arvizu's
first solo effort, not to mention her first songwriting credits. She has a voice
that can be as hard as a revolutionary, or as gentle and sexy as a kitten. She
has lived the life she sings about." -- Anti-
Profile
in LA Times
NPR
story
Harp Magazine profile
MORE
INFO + SOUND CLIPS
CD $16.99
BOTTICELLIS
Old Home Movies
 Old
Home Movies, the debut album from the Botticellis, is polished, orchestral, and
surprisingly subtle, with a remarkably full and mature sound for such a young
band. The classic, larger than life production is full of delicate flourishes;
the Botticellis' stylized sound echoes the production aesthetic of some of the
great 70s pop records from Big Star, Chris Bell, and George Harrison. (Antenna
Farm)
Listen to and download tracks
recorded in-studio exclusively for Daytrotter.com
MORE
INFO
CD $13.98
AL KOOPER
I Stand Alone
& You Never Know Who Your Friends Are
 Raven
presents, on a Double CD, two landmark albums by legendary multi-instrumentalist,
producer and solo artist Al Kooper. Few American musicians have pursued a more
diverse or more fascinating career than Kooper. As well as playing organ on Bob
Dylan's timeless 'Like a Rolling Stone', having formed Blood Sweat & Tears
and produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kooper has issued a dozen solo albums. I Stand Alone
(his debut LP, 1968) incorporates soul and pop, jazz and classical elements, making
for a seamless and enjoyable whole. As well as covers of 'Hey, Western Union Man',
'Coloured Rain' and 'Blue Moon of Kentucky', Kooper excels with classy originals
'I Can Love a Woman' and 'Right Now For You'. You Never Know Who Your Friends
Are (1969) ups the ante with the brassy 'Magic in My Socks', the swooping, soulful
'Loretta (Union Turnpike Eulogy)', the joyous pop-rock of the title track and
extraordinary covers of Motown tunes 'Too Busy Thinking about My Baby' and 'I
Don't Know Why I Love You'. This top-value package comes complete with seven bonus
tracks, including 'Brand New Day' from Kooper's original soundtrack for the film
The Landlord (1970). Kooper maintains a busy touring and recording schedule to
this day (Black Coffee, 2005) and, as All Music states, he remains a formidable
performing talent, and one of the most inspired and intelligent people in rock
music. This great value 2-CD set showcases Kooper's incredible musicianship at
its creative and innovative peak. (Raven)
MORE
INFO
CD $28.99
VETIVER
Things Of The
Past
 Two
years after the highly acclaimed To Find Me Gone, Andy Cabic and Vetiver return
with a new album of old songs, all hidden treasures, entitled Thing of the Past.
Think of it as Cabic's fully realized mix tape to the world-- a collection of
some of his favorite songs from some of his favorite records-- but presented,
sequenced, and in this case performed by Cabic himself, with a little help from
his friends far and wide.
Featuring core Vetiver members Cabic (vocals/guitar/banjo),
Brent Dunn (bass), Sanders Trippe (guitar/vocals), Otto Hauser (drums/keyboards)
and Kevin Barker (guitar/banjo/vocals), the album includes contributions from
two of Cabic's heroes, Vashti Bunyan (who duets on "Sleep A Million Years")
and Michael Hurley (who does likewise on his own "Blue Driver"). Other
players include "Farmer" Dave Scher (keyboard/pedal steel/melodica),
Jason Quever (piano/keyboard), Ben Kunin (sarod), Jonathan Wilson (acoustic guitar),
Emma Smith (violin), and vocalists Meara O'Reilly and Abigail and Lily Chapin.
From good-time rocking on Hawkwind's "Hurry On Sundown" and
Loudon Wainwright III's "The Swimming Song" to the beautiful triptych
of songs that runs from Biff Rose's "To Baby" through Ian Matthews'
"Road To Ronderlin" and Garland Jeffreys' "Lon Chaney," this
is a diverse and harmonious collection of songs. With the album so centered around
the lasting resonance of the song, the focus inevitably falls upon Cabic's warm,
honey-toned vocals, which are perfectly suited to the material he's gathered.
Rather than obvious plundering from the well-worn rock cannon, these are largely
overlooked and forgotten tunes (spanning a period from 1967-1973), dusted off,
reverently refashioned, and given the opportunity to sing again. (Gnomonsong)
MORE INFO
CD $14.98
ALSO ON LP
MORE
INFO
LP $14.98
NIK FREITAS ** SOUND CLIPS ADDED
**
Sun Down
 "Though
a disciple of a path well beaten -- organic singer/songwriter wielding riffing
guitars and tapping ivories -- Nik Frietas carves a niche all his own with lyrically
meditative, wistful, and Americana-tinged tunes paying tribute to yet never aping
touchstones likes Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and even Ben Kweller. And with Sun Down,
Freitas' third record to date out May 6 via Team Love, the troubadour dives into
the frequented genre's fabric and offers an album that simultaneously evokes sentiments
of nostalgia and innovation." -- William Goodman, Spin.com
MORE
INFO + SOUND CLIPS
CD $13.98
ALSO ON LP:
MORE
INFO + SOUND CLIPS
LP $13.98
YARDBIRDS
Happenings Ten Years Time Ago 1964-1968
 For
the most comprehensive, single CD covering the Yardbirds entire career, look no
further than Raven's stunning 27-track, multi-label collection 'Happenings Ten
Years Time Ago 1964-1968'. Originally released as an earlier edition in 1990.
It is now presented with revised tracking and upgraded with the highest quality
audio and a superb booklet featuring detailed notes and a range of rare images.
This remains the first and best collection that covers all phases of the band's
career. The history of the band is well known - Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy
Page - and this is the essential way to delve into that history. It's all here
- guitar innovation, breathtaking virtuosity, pioneering psychedelia, feedback
and fuzz tone - but above all just great songs. All the band's landmark recordings
are present and correct: 'For Your Love', 'The Train Kept A-Rollin'', 'Heart Full
of Soul', 'I'm a Man', 'Over Under Sideways Down', 'Shapes of Things', 'Happenings
Ten Years Time Ago', 'Stroll On', 'Little Games'. There's the storming live version
of 'Smokestack Lightning', the metallic 'Psycho Daisies' and the mesmerizing 'Think
About It'. The sheer breadth of music the Yardbirds created and the extent of
their influence remains unparalleled. This is the ultimate single CD of the Yardbirds'
finest 78 minutes, featuring the cream of the band's recordings with Clapton,
Beck and Page. (Raven)
MORE
INFO
CD $21.98
AMOS GARRETT
Get Way
Back: Tribute To Percy Mayfield
 Amos
Garrett is one of the world's pre-eminent guitarists, praised by the likes of
the late Chet Atkins Mark Knopfler and Richard Thompson. Amos Has worked with
some of the music scenes top artists - Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, and Maria
Muldaur to name a few. His expressive, deep baritone voice, full of warmth and
sly innuendo, is as distinctive as his guitar playing. And suits the music of
Percy Mayfield to perfection. The combination of Amos's voice and passion for
this music may well make this album Amos's Masterpiece. The object of Garrett's
tribute is one of America's great songwriters, who has been called 'The Poet Laureate
of the Blues.' Percy Mayfield's hits include Hit the Road Jack and Please Send
Me Someone to Love; his songs have been recorded by almost every major R&B
artist, including Ray Charles, B.B. King, Jimmy Witherspoon, Aretha Franklin,
and Etta James. Amos Garrett is one of Stony Plain' signature artists and a Juno
Award winner (The Candian equivalent to a Grammy). (Stony Plain)
MORE
INFO
CD $16.98
ROBERT CRAY
Live At
The BBC (US Release)
 The
very best of his BBC Concert performances, recorded between 1988-1991 during the
tours to promote Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark and Midnight Stroll. Robert Cray
is one of the few blues artists who managed to cultivate a mainstream following
in the 1980s and 1990s. In the course of a long-running career that began in the
1970s, he uniquely blended elements of Rhythm and Blues, Pop, and traditional
Blues to win fans to a more contemporary Blues sound. He has to date, received
five Grammy Awards for his innovative style. (Universal)
MORE
INFO
CD $14.99
RAMBLIN AMBASSADORS
Vista
Cruiser Country Squire
 Almost
five years have passed since the Ramblin' Ambassadors' critically acclaimed album
Avanti, and now the band is back! This new release boasts eight new high-octane
instrumental originals as well as covers of The Surftones, The Bel-Airs, and The
Sadies. Vista Cruiser Country Squire explores the true core of the surf and cow-punk
sound: stinging guitar lines, aggressive rhythm passages, and just enough laid-back
West Coast feel. This is an album that balances tremolo and twang within an instrumental
presentation. It was recorded live off the floor, with minimal overdubs, in their
Calgary rehearsal studio. (Mint)
MORE
INFO
CD $16.98
CHUCK LEAVELL
Live In Germany: Green Leaves & Blue Notes
 As
the two-year long Rolling Stones' 'A Bigger Bang' tour came to an end in late
summer of 2007, Leavell remained in Europe for the 'Green Leaves & Blue Notes
Tour,' where he recruited some of Germany's top musicians to accompany him. In
a live performance recorded on September 14, 2007, for the German radio station
HR1, Leavell and his international crew, which included drummer Paul Hochstadter,
bassist Christian Diener, saxophonist Lutz Häfner, guitarist Frank Kuruc,
recorded 19 songs in an hour and a half set. In addition to performing a handful
of Leavell's original tunes, the group performed covers of such classic songs
as The Allman Brothers' 'Jessica' and 'Statesboro Blues' (with a cameo appearance
by Henning Eichler on harmonica) ;The Rolling Stones' 'Honky Tonk Woman' and 'Rip
this Joint;' a rousing rendition of Les McCann and Eddie Harris' 'Compared to
What;' moving renditions of Ray Charles' 'Georgia' and George Harrison's 'Here
Comes the Sun;' and a few standards including 'In the Wee Wee Hours' and 'Route
66.' (Evergreen Arts)
MORE
INFO
CD $17.98
SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY & THE ASBURY
JUKES
Fever Anthology 1976-1991
 For
a breathtaking introduction to the life and times of Southside Johnny & The
Asbury Jukes, this is the only place to start. Fever! The Anthology 1976-1991
covers the highpoints of the greatest ever bar-room band from Asbury Park, New
Jersey and is a gloriously entertaining and exhilarating collection of white hot
R&B, hard boiled blue-eyed soul and powerful rock 'n' roll. Led by dynamic
singer/harmonica player Johnny Lyon, and originally featuring guitarist 'Miami'
Steve Van Zandt, the Jukes cut a path through the US scene via a series of critically
acclaimed albums and scorching concert appearances. Originally signed to Epic,
they went on to cut albums for Mercury, Mirage/Atlantic and Impact/MCA. Early
on they recorded a number of Bruce Springsteen and Van Zandt tunes, before Lyon
and guitarist Billy Rush began writing their own high quality originals. Culled
from seven albums over four labels, this 21-track 77-minute collection brings
together the band's finest moments, from the masterful 'I Don't Want to Go Home'
and 'The Fever', the roof-raising 'This Time It's For Real', the heart-tugging
'Hearts of Stone' to their biggest hits 'I'm So Anxious' and 'Better Days' the
tension never lets up. Boasting superb quality audio and 12-page colour booklet
with detailed liner notes, Fever! The Anthology 1976-1991 is a must for all music
fans with a passion for life-affirming rock 'n' roll. (Raven)
MORE
INFO
CD $21.98
LOS STRAITJACKETS
Straitjackets
In Concert LP
 The
Los Straitjackets have made a career out of being one of the most dynamic and
skillful instrumental bands on the planet. Their renowned live show is filled
with mind-bending guitar theatrics, group choreography and fuzzed-out experiments
in high fidelity rock n roll showmanship. On their new DVD, In Concert, the luchadores
of rock document a 2005 gig at San Francisco s historic Great American Music Hall.
The set abounds with original tracks and signature far out covers (''My Heart
Will Go On'') done as only the Straitjackets can do them. The spellbinding shows
are captured in Dolby 5.1 surround sound and crystal clear video resulting in
a vintage snapshot of the band in lean, mean musical form. Complete with kitschy
cool intro sequences produced by the band, In Concert is the quintessential document
of the Los Straitjackets live experience. In Concert will also be available on
12 inch vinyl, complete with an alternate track listing and songs not available
on the DVD version. (Yep Roc)
MORE
INFO
LP $19.99
BACK PORCH MARY
Time Of The Broken Heart
 The
past six years for Back Porch Mary have been very busy, with lots of hard miles
traveled and more than a few new fans gained along the way. And if gallivanting
around the Country, playing over 1000 shows in thirty states, making new friends
and influencing people from every walk of life is not enough, the band has also
taken care of a few odds and ends in the rare moments they aren't traveling. They
started their own record label, Dry Gulch Records, and recorded their self-titled
debut album, "Back Porch Mary". They contributed four songs to the soundtrack
of major motion picture and appeared in several scenes as well. They built their
own state of the art recording studio and recorded their all-acoustic CD entitled
"Honest Hands". In June of 2005 the band released a live CD entitled
"The Last Rock Show". One common thread that runs through the bands
background and what may the primary contributing factor to this work ethic is
that they were all raised in small farming communities where hard work and hard
living go hand in hand. The band is often referred to as an Alt. Country Rock
Band; however, one listen to each of their CDs will reveal that this band is not
trying to fit into any pre-defined category. They will, however, acknowledge a
love for Honky Tonk, Rock, Rock-a-Billy, Punk, Country, Bluegrass, and just about
every other type of American Music. (Smith Music)
MORE
INFO
CD $13.98
TIM FITE
Fair Ain't Fair
 Fite
builds upon his signature samples here, but with a more restrained, mature hand.
Famous for mining record store bargain bins for long-forgotten CDs, Tim takes
tracks from their musical obscurity, dusts them off, and reburies them in his
own tunes. But now, with "Fair Ain't Fair", come the voices, layer upon
layer. Fite plays with melody in a way he never has before. Harmony rules, and
the results are a collection of exquisite songs. Features members of Sufjan Stevens'
band and My Brightest Diamond on guest vocals (Anti-)
MORE
INFO + SOUND CLIPS
CD $15.98
PETER BRUNTNELL
Ghost In A Spitfire (US Release)
 Sometimes
the best records are the hardest to describe. You want to say that this is what
you expect of an artist, and of course that's what they've delivered. Ghost In
A Spitfire goes beyond that assumption. Expanding from the rootsy grit we know,
he finds power and effect in a sonic vibe here that sways between the dreamy pop
of The Pernice Brothers and the occasional urgency of Teenage Fanclub. Not to
say he's given the acoustic numbers the boot, as the album pears down to the Brit's
bare essence in spare numbers like the moody "Little Lorelei", which
has an intriguing Neil Young-meets-America feel. Or the tender and haunting piano
graced "Something I Lost". Ghost In A Spitfire is downbeat but humbling;
it's a sincere collection of tunes that twist with heartbreak yet still cling
to hope, like that last leaf of the season. -- Robinson, Miles Of Music
REVIEW
+ SOUND CLIPS
CD $16.98
UK IMPORT COPIES STILL IN STOCK
AND PRICE REDUCED
REVIEW
+ SOUND CLIPS
CD $16.98
JOOLS
HOLLAND
Best Of Friends
 "To
tie in with the publication of his autobiography, Barefaced Lies & Boogie-Woogie
Boasts comes this CD/DVD package of him, his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and the
best selections from his well-thumbed Rolodex of stellar chums." - Daryl
Easlea, bbc.com. Track Listings:Tuxedo Junction - Jools Holland/Where Have All
the Good Guys Gone - Jools Holland, Lulu/Out of This World - Jools Holland, Chrissie
Hynde/Snowflake Boogie - Jools Holland, Edwin Starr/In the Dark - Jools Holland,
Norah Jones/Horse to the Water - George Harrison, Jools Holland/To Love a Child
- Jools Holland, Ruby Turner/Enjoy Yourself - Jools Holland, Prince Buster/First
Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Jools Holland, Stereophonics/Seventh Son - Jools Holland,
Sting/Just to Be Home with You - Jools Holland, Shane MacGowan/Darkness on the
Face of the Earth - Jools Holland, KT Tunstall/Return of the Blues Cowboy - Jools
Holland, Joe Strummer/I Put a Spell on You - David Gilmour, Jools Holland, Mica
Paris/Rock Me - The Blind Boys of Alabama, Jools Holland/Georgia on My Mind -
India.Arie, Jools Holland/Think - Jools Holland, Tom Jones/Valentine Moon - Sam
Brown, Jools Holland/Oranges and Lemons Again - Jools Holland, SuggsMabel - Solomon
Burke, Eric Clapton, Jools Holland/If You Wear That Velvet Dress - Bono, Jools
Holland. (Rhino)
MORE
INFO
CD $16.99
PETER WALKER
Echo My Soul
 Peter
Walker came up in the Cambridge MA and Greenwich Village folk scenes of the Sixties.
He recorded two albums for the Vanguard label in the late Sixties in a style best
described as American folk-raga. He studied with Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan,
and was Dr. Timothy Leary's musical director, organizing music for the LSD advocate's
"celebrations." A Raga for Peter Walker was released by Tompkins Square
in 2006, featuring four new tracks from Peter along with original, previously
unreleased compositions by revered contemporary guitarists Steffen Basho-Junghans,
James Blackshaw, Greg Davis, Shawn David McMillen, Thurston Moore, and Jack Rose.
In recent years, Walker has developed an intense interest in flamenco guitar and,
through regular trips to Spain, has been accepted into flamenco's exclusive musical
elite. Peter states, "The music on this CD was reviewed and acclaimed in
Andalucia by some of the old guard who have encouraged its release. With its roots
in ancient East Indian music, Flamenco has influenced much of the world's music.
These Spanish-inspired pieces reflect my passion for this musical rubric."
(Tompkins Square)
MORE
INFO
CD $14.98
|
