Archive for December, 2006

CBS Records returns for a spi

CBS Corp. is reaching into its past by reviving the CBS Records name for its latest business proposition.
The label is starting out small, with three artists –singer/songwriters Will Dailey and
P.J. Olsson, and rock band Senor Happy. Likewise, staffing will be kept at a minimum, with five hirings expected next month.
CBS bought Columbia Records — eventual […]

December 15th, 2006 - Posted in Music News

Bow Wow growing with his young fans

Bow Wow’s image as the cute preteen heartthrob who cut his teeth on pop confections still lingers.
But that’s not the Bow Wow criss-crossing the country promoting his fifth album, “The Price of Fame,” due in stores December 19 via Columbia. Yes, the rapper still leaves hearts throbbing. But now he’s added a less innocent feel […]

December 11th, 2006 - Posted in Music News

Velvet Revolver recording second album in L.A

Hard rock combo Velvet Revolver is eyeing a mid- to late-spring release for the follow-up to its Grammy-winning debut.
The group is recording the RCA release in Los Angeles with producer Brendan O’Brien, who stepped in for the band’s original choice, Rick Rubin, after that arrangement “did not work out,” according to frontman Scott Weiland. O’Brien […]

December 11th, 2006 - Posted in Music News

Italian pop star Pausini in Spanish foray

Italian superstar Laura Pausini’s new album, “Yo Canto,” is a collection of Italian pop standards that span the singer’s lifetime — 32 years.
Released in Italian and Spanish, the Warner Music disc highlights the synergies that exist between the Romance languages, and the musical similarities that allow a handful of artists, Pausini included, to navigate both […]

December 11th, 2006 - Posted in Music News

Police question Doherty on party death

The family of a man who fell to his death at a party attended by troubled singer Pete Doherty have called for a full police investigation into the incident. Actor Matt Blanco, 30, was found injured outside an east London apartment building where he had attended a party on Dec. 3 and died later in […]

December 11th, 2006 - Posted in Music News

THE SWEET ESCAPE - GWEN STEFANI

There can be no doubt Gwen Stefani feels the allure of being a solo artist — and who can blame her after selling 7 million copies of 2004’s “Love.Angel.Music.Baby.” Its follow-up comes more quickly than anticipated — especially since a return to No Doubt was expected first — and doesn’t stray too far from […]

December 9th, 2006 - Posted in Album Reviews

THE DESTROYED ROOM: B-SIDES AND RARITIES - SONIC YOUTH

Those yearning for the blunt, direct Sonic Youth of “Kool Thing” and “Dirty Boots” will be out in the wilderness with this contract-fulfilling 11-song archival release. The jams run free throughout, particularly on the nearly 26-minute psychedelic odyssey “The Diamond Sea,” which first appeared on “Washing Machine” as a “streamlined” 19-minute version. Not-very-tuneful items […]

December 9th, 2006 - Posted in Album Reviews

COLORBLIND - ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND

Pedal steel maestro Robert Randolph gets down and dirty on the sophomore release from his Family Band, which is staffed largely with actual cousins. Tighter and more focused than its bluesier predecessor, “Colorblind” finds Randolph gleefully indulging his inner Prince, uncorking funk-laden jams like “Deliver Me,” with its Family Stone-worthy chorus, and “Diane,” a […]

December 9th, 2006 - Posted in Album Reviews

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS - VINCE GUARALDI

For its 41st birthday, Guaraldi’s sweet, timeless and never out-of-print soundtrack gets a deserved and beautiful cleanup job that wonderfully accents the snowfall-soft piano and subtle wonder within. In a now-legendary goof, these songs–as well as the accompanying special–were given an ungracious thumbs-down by CBS upon initial release, but four decades on, compositions like […]

December 9th, 2006 - Posted in Album Reviews

BREAKING AND ENTERING: MUSIC FROM THE FILM - UNDERWORLD AND GABRIEL YARED

Make no mistake, salivating Underworld fans: It might be the band’s first long-player since 2002’s “A Hundred Days Off,” but “Breaking and Entering” is most definitely a soundtrack. And that’s just fine. The electronic heroes collaborated with filmmaker Anthony Minghella and composer Gabriel Yared to bring their bleak yet elegant sound to Minghella’s latest […]

December 9th, 2006 - Posted in Album Reviews

YOU KNOW MY NAME - CHRIS CORNELL

Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell jerks the 007 franchise back to life with a dose of straight-ahead rock. For “Casino Royale,” Bond movie No. 21, the formula is stripped to its essence as crunching power chords replace string-laden bombast. More barren desert than Vegas veneer, “You Know My Name” begins with Cornell slow-burning over fuzz guitars […]

December 9th, 2006 - Posted in Single Reviews

WHAT GOES AROUND … - JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Timberlake finally gets down to the business of making music after releasing two novelty — albeit No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 — singles, “SexyBack” and “My Love.” “What Goes Around …” is a quiet midtempo soul jam with subtle Middle Eastern influences that actually possesses the songwriting savvy to maintain relevance after its initial flush […]

December 9th, 2006 - Posted in Single Reviews

RESOLUTION - NICK LACHEY

In case you were wondering, Nick Lachey is still moping. Following heartsick ballads “What’s Left of Me” and “I Can’t Hate You Anymore,” he at least makes a “Resolution” this time around that “I’m letting go/And I just want to be the best man I can be.” We still favor uptempo “Beautiful,” as it shows […]

December 9th, 2006 - Posted in Single Reviews

GREAT DIVIDE - HANSON

The Hanson brothers recently spent time in South Africa and were duly affected by the devastation that AIDS has caused. Thus, “Great Divide” — the rocking first track from their forthcoming album “The Walk” and released on World AIDS Day — sees all proceeds going to the Perinatal HIV Research Unit in Soweto, South Africa […]

December 9th, 2006 - Posted in Single Reviews