Five Most Interesting CD Releases - 11/14/06

This post is way late - but I've been busy. I really need this Neil Young live album.

Five Most Interesting Releases
Johnny Cash: Live at San Quentin (Sony) – Expensive two CD/one DVD collection that captures the legendary concert (including the performances by the other members of his stage show). The DVD is a British documentary that primarily focuses on the prison and its inmates with the concert in the background.
Joanna Newsom: Ys (Drag City) – Music critic darling. Folk music with the harp. Steve Albini recorded it and Van Dyke Parks did the strings. She’s got a 92 on Metacritic. I think I fall in the Rolling Stone camp on this one. Live at El Rey on 11/30.
Tralala: Is That the Tralala (2005 Audika Records) – Brooklyn pop-punk band with “girl-group vocals and punk energy.” Appearing at Safari Sam’s on 12/5 and Spaceland on 12/6.
Various Artists: Do It Again – A Tribute to Pet Sounds (Houston Party) – Usually these things are disappointing, but I’m still interested. Will Oldham, Nobody & Mystic Chords of Memory, Daniel Johnston, Micah P. Hinson, Centro-Matic, Architecture in Helsinki pay tribute to one of the great albums ever.
Neil Young: Live at the Fillmore East (Reprise) – It’s only six long tracks but dates from 1970, so it features the late Danny Whitten. I just watched an old Neil Young acoustic performance on VH-1 Classics’ “BBC Jewels” and it was fantastic. He’s one of the few artists who is so good I gobble up all the live performances and music DVDs.

Also Released:
And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead: So Divided (Interscope) – The reviews are right in the middle on this one. Live at the Fonda on 11/30 and 12/1.
Graham Coxon: Love Travels at Illegal Speeds (Parlophone) – Domestic issue of the former Blue guitarist.
Depeche Mode: Best of Depeche Mode CD/DVD (Reprise)
The Game: Doctor’s Advocate (Geffen) – Reviews are pretty good. Kanye West makes an appearance. At the Avalon on 11/21.
Emmylou Harris & Mark Knopfler: Real Live Roadrunning w/DVD (Warner Bros.) – Live document of their LA appearance.
Ladybug Transistor: Here Comes the Rain EP (Green UFOs)
The Red Krayola: Red Gold EP (Drag City)
Damien Rice: 9 (Heffa) – Irish singer-songwriter. Reviewers are split on this one. He’s just a little too precious for me. Live at the Orpheum on 12/8 and 12/9.
Tahiti 80: Fosbury (Militia) – Fey Frenchies album Fosbury finally released domestically.
Tenacious D: Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (Sony) – At the Gibson Amphitheatre on 11/17.
Various Artists: ESL Remixed – The 100th Release of ESL Music (Eighteenth Street Lounge) – The lounge/downtempo label celebrates their 100th release. A good friend of mine used to manage the Chi-Cha Lounge in DC and would constantly listen to all this DC lounge music.
White Magic: Dat Rosa Mel Apibus (Drag City) – Female folk getting some blog love.
Yusuf: An Other Cup (Atlantic) – The artist formerly known as Cat Stevens is back with some spiritual songs and some covers. We all know that the Flaming Lips own Tea for the Tillerman, but do you? If not, pick it up.

Reissues – Built to Spill: Ultimate Alternative Wavers, Wrens: Secaucus, Wrens: Silver