"Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia"
Dandy Warhols
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Once billed as "the best Brit-rock band ever to come out of
Portland, Oregon," the Dandy Warhols live up to their
reputation on "Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia." The
band's third album stacks building blocks of guitars,
borrowing their best ideas from the Kinks and the Stones,
and presenting them with a grandeur matched only by some of
rock's most creative thinkers. Beautiful and twisted,
"Tales" is long on innovation and short on timeliness. Count
on this one being in your CD player for a long while.
"Rancid 2000"
Rancid
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Punk is not dead, thanks to Rancid's resurrection of the
Clash's call to arms. Politically minded and mad as hell,
Rancid might be considered shameless revivalists if their
music and lyrics weren't so right on. Keep the three-chord,
mohawked dream alive.
"Fragments of Freedom"
Morcheeba
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Fans of Morcheeba's "Big Calm" will find this new album
quite a departure. "Fragments of Freedom" is wholly a pop
album that almost completely abandons the trip-hop that
branded the group up until now. Fortunately, there's enough
here for everyone to take a bite: bright, radio-friendly
gospel choruses; shameless disco strings; wickedly itchy
grooves; and Chic-style struts. If the achingly serene "Big
Calm" was trip-hop's blissful dawn and Portishead's "Dummy"
its paranoid night, "Fragments of Freedom" just might be its
long-overdue Saturday afternoon.
"Now That's What I Call Music! 4"
Various artists
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The fourth installment of the "Now That's What I Call
Music!" series is a snapshot of recent blockbuster Top 40
hits. With singles from the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears,
Lenny Kravitz, Smash Mouth, and Ben Harper, the disc is like
playing the radio, hearing everything you want, and nothing
you don't.
"Infest"
Papa Roach
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Papa Roach have been lumped in with the current barrage of
rap-metal bands, but their album "Infest" ventures way
beyond the genre's norm. The band scours the Limp Bizkit
landscape with aggressive, yet slickly produced metal
guitars and Rage-like screaming vocal delivery and social
awareness. The thorough sonic workout is exhausting but
empowering.
TOP-SELLING REISSUE
"Sunflower/Surf's Up"
Beach Boys
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One of the most important Beach Boys reissues in years has
arrived. "Sunflower/Surf's Up" collects the group's classic
1970 and '71 albums, which marked some of their most mature
work since "Pet Sounds." Long unavailable on CD, the music
is remastered--and (pardon the pun) it shines. If you don't
know these songs, get ready to discover classics like "This
Whole World" and "Long Promised Road." If you do, get ready
to rediscover them.
WORD FOR WORD
If you haven't seen them live, maybe you've seen one of the
Blue Man Group's many performances on "The Tonight Show."
New York-based performance troupe the Blue Man Group's
playful, minimalist, and energizing shows have earned them a
legion of fans the world over. As heard on their delightful
debut CD, "Audio," they're more than serious about music,
too. Amazon.com editor Beth Massa spoke with the group
about taking the step from the stage to the recording
studio.
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"Silver & Gold"
Neil Young
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Declared by Young himself as something of a sequel to his
1970 classic "After the Gold Rush," "Silver & Gold" falls on
the gentle and reflective side of the spectrum for the
mercurial artist. Conceived as Young's first totally solo
effort, the 10-song set gradually took on added instrumental
weight while maintaining a sparseness, clarity, and
innocence that makes it instantly accessible and
beguiling. Read an interview with the artist and explore his
varied recording history in our Neil Young Store.
http://www.amazon.com/neil-young-store
"Return of Saturn"
No Doubt
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Following the megaplatinum success of their 1995 release
"Tragic Kingdom," Gwen Stefani and the guys recapture the
alterna-pop spotlight with "Return of Saturn." The band's
ska/new-wave/pop groove is not only as infectious as the
last record, but reveals an enriched sense of songcraft
that's never overly busy.
"High Fidelity"
Various artists
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Anyone who's ever made a mix tape for a girlfriend or
boyfriend will adore the film version of the beloved Nick
Hornby novel "High Fidelity." The soundtrack to the film
(which stars John Cusack as a hapless record-store owner
unlucky in romance) is as eclectic and intimate as the old
mix tape from a lost love, including tracks from the Kinks,
Smog, the Velvet Underground, Stereolab, Bob Dylan, and
Stevie Wonder.
"Figure 8"
Elliott Smith
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Elliott Smith has rocketed from indie obscurity to Oscar-
nominated fame, but the folk-punk troubadour is still best
described as a shrinking violet who prefers to communicate
through his lovely, intimate songs. He specializes in
crafting perfect little melodic gems that convey the
sad-happy pathos of his poetic lyrics. On "Figure 8," the
artist continues to amaze with a set of graceful songs that
range from gorgeously orchestrated mini-symphonies to
poignantly stark tone poems. Listen to a live interview and
performance in our Elliott Smith Artist Spotlight.
Toni Braxton
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After a lengthy absence from the recording scene (prompted
by legal troubles with her label), superstar Toni Braxton
returns with "The Heat," her first album since 1996. Already
a sure hit thanks to the single "He Wasn't Man Enough" and
its eye-popping video, "The Heat" finds the sultry-voiced
Braxton again straddling several genres. In addition to the
funky "Man Enough," the album mixes deep-dish romantic
ballads with elements of uptempo soul and hip-hop; one
track, "Just Be a Man About It," features a cameo from the
ubiquitous Dr. Dre.
EDITOR'S CHOICE
***************
"The Man Who"
Travis
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Travis, who are currently on tour opening for Oasis, have
been enjoying rapturous reviews and joyful applause from
audiences in every city. Considering that they have
consistently dominated Oasis on our Top Sellers charts, one
wonders who should be opening for whom? This Glaswegian
group's latest release enjoyed a comfortable stay at the top
of the U.K. charts and is now finally making waves in the
U.S. The album's sound visits the musical haunts of
Radiohead, but Travis's ghosts are less demented. Brit-rock
fans will go mad for the lullaby melodies, intricate
layering of acoustic guitars and organic-spirited synths,
and tastefully diverse instrumentation from sitar to
harmonica.
TOP-SELLING LIVE ALBUM
**********************
"Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live"
Pink Floyd
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Recorded in 1980 and '81 in London, Pink Floyd's "Is There
Anybody Out There? The Wall Live" captures the powerhouse
band performing one of rock's supreme concept albums in all
its glory. Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the release
of the studio version of "The Wall," the new two-disc
concert recording features tracks selected by James Guthrie,
the band's coproducer and engineer of the 1970 studio
masterpiece.
COMING SOON: NOT-YET-RELEASED CDS
*********************************
"Oops!... I Did It Again"
Britney Spears
Release date: May 16
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Sophomore album from America's doe-eyed, midriff-bearing
sweetheart.
"Lucy Pearl"
Lucy Pearl
Release date: May 23
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An innovative R&B release from former members of En Vogue, A
Tribe Called Quest, and Tony, Toni, Tone.
"Farmhouse"
Phish
Release date: May 16
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Latest offering from one of the world's premier jam bands.
"Mad Season"
Matchbox Twenty
Release date: May 23
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After his smash-hit collaboration with Carlos Santana, Rob
Thomas returns to his day job.
"Marshall Mathers"
Eminem
Release date: May 23
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The new release from Dr. Dre's punky Midwestern protege.
