New Releases: Jessica Simpson, Method Man, Tego Calderon, Pete Yorn, Too Short, Bob Dylan & More
Finally Going Public: Jessica Simpson fans better have slipped into their dance shoes a bit early in anticipation of her new album, A Public Affair. Those who preordered were rewarded with not just a collector's DVD, but also a free download of the same-named single, a preview of two more cuts and entry into the "Hang With Jessica" sweepstakes. Still, anyone who picks up the LP will be able to use it to unlock an extra tune, "I Belong to Me," as a Windows download. Although Jessica's writing contributions don't surface until later in the album, she executive produced the whole shebang with father Joe Simpson. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced three tracks, including "Push Your Tush," while Simpson does the throwback thing by borrowing from the Cars, Stevie Nicks and the Ohio Players elsewhere. Hot stuff.
A New Method: For 4:21 ... The Day After, Method Man dug up the ashes of Jimi Hendrix by recording in Electric Lady Studios, which the guitarist breathed more than just life into in the '70s. But this Man's effort is pure hip-hop, cemented by contributions from Lauryn Hill, Fat Joe, producer Scott Storch, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Ginuwine, Raekwon, Erick Sermon, Havoc and the RZA. Quite the party.
Reggae's Undisputed Champ?: Beenie Man is feeling pretty social these days too, ushering in a handful of R&B heavyweights for his distinctly dancehall record, Undisputed. Janet Jackson pays a visit on the Neptunes-produced "Feel It Boy," Akon helps him take care of "Girls," Scott Storch touches up "Dutty Wine Gal," and Lady Saw chimes in on "My World."
Tego to Go: While Beenie is one of reggae's biggest names these days, a pioneer of one of the genre's offshoots, reggaetón, is also checking in this week. Tego Calderón's The Underdog/ El Subestimado might seem like a bilingual effort, but it's almost all sung in Spanish, save the Buju Banton-featuring "Bad Man" and "Chillin' " with Don Omar. A sample of Jimmy Cliff's "Sooner or Later" also crops up on the record, half of which was recorded in Miami.
Blow-in' It: Too Short makes this week's competition even stronger by dropping Blow the Whistle, his first proper release since 2003's Married to the Game. David Banner bolsters "Baller," and Jazze Pha partakes in "16 Hoes," but Too Short proves he can hold his own with "I Want Your Girl," "Pimpin' Forever," "Call Her a Bitch" and other instructional songs.
Game On: With all the rap heavyweights dishing up new slices this week -- there's also Young Dro (Best Thang Smokin') and Loon (No Friends) -- the Roots' diverse Game Theory will be a breath of fresh air. The Philly phenoms sample the Jackson 5's "All I Do Is Think of You" on "Can't Stop This," which Jay Dee produced before he died earlier this year. And the record becomes even more eclectic as Black Thought, ?uestlove and the squad tap into Radiohead's "You and Whose Army" and Sly & the Family Stone's "Life of Fortune and Fame."
Singer/Songwriter Stew: Among all the hip-hop activity, a smattering of singer/songwriters are chiming in as well, and the truly varied crew is challenging the limitations of the term. Probably the best-known singer/songwriter of them all, Bob Dylan, tallies his first studio LP in five years, Modern Times. Fans will want to scoop up the limited-edition deluxe version, which has an expanded booklet, previously unreleased photos and a DVD with four goodies: a performance of "Cold Irons Bound" that was shot during the making of the 2003 bomb "Masked and Anonymous," a rendition of "Love Sick" from the Grammy Awards and videos for "Blood in My Eyes" and "Things Have Changed." There's also another DVD, "Bob Dylan 1966 - 1978: After the Crash," which was produced in conjunction with the well-regarded Dylan fanzine Isis and culls phone conversations, rarely seen material and interviews with his collaborators.
Fellow Columbia artist Pete Yorn -- who appeared alongside Dylan on the 2001 "Bandits" soundtrack -- brings to a close the three-album trilogy that launched his career with Nightcrawler, which he's been hyping with a litany of in-store and club performances. Fans who preordered were gifted with the bonus limited-edition EP Westerns, which he has said was inspired by Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison, but everyone will be able to enjoy "Bandstand in the Sky," "Policies" and "The Man," which features Dixie Chick Natalie Maines.
While Yorn's Nightcrawler is a distinctly rock record, Ray LaMontagne tones it down with Till the Sun Turns Black, produced by Ethan Johns (2004's Trouble, Ryan Adams). Expect stripped roots-folk throughout from the RCA Records artist, including "Truly, Madly, Deeply," "Barfly" and "Three More Days."
Continuing to buck the major labels is M. Ward, whose fifth record features guest spots by My Morning Jacket's Jim James, Neko Case and Saddle Creek Records production stalwart Mike Mogis. Post-War boasts "Today's Undertaking," "Neptune's Net" and "Chinese Translation."
You Hear It First artist Támar Davis injects some guitar soul into the mix with Milk & Honey, which is bound to be mixed up with John Lennon's album of the same name as it hits the record racks. "Beautiful, Love and Blessed" pits her with Prince, but people ranging from Naomi Judd to Arsenio Hall have been singing her praises.
Also stepping up to the plate is Bostonian Catie Curtis, whose 12-song Long Night Moon features Mary Chapin Carpenter and the Push Stars' Chris Trapper; Iowan William Elliott Whitmore, whose nine-track Song of the Blackbird finds him reinterpreting "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"; and New Yorker Sasha Dobson, whose Modern Romance sees her branching out into Brazilian music, folk and pop.
Song Title of the Week:
"Konichiwa Bitches" from Method Man's 4:21 ... The Day After
Other Notables:
Various artists' "Kill Your Idols" DVD: After winning the Tribeca Film Festival's rather narrow Best New York Documentary Feature honor but only getting a brief theatrical run, the underground-music film gets upped with bonus interviews and live-performance clips in the DVD version. If you've always wondered what was up with your brother's No Wave fascination, or give a hoot about Sonic Youth and the scene that spawned them, here's your chance.
The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds - 40th Anniversary: If you've been waiting to find the right time to get familiar with one of the most important pop records of all time, now's your chance. The limited-edition set, which is boosted by a DVD documentary, has four different mixes of the album, plus a photo gallery and suede digipak case. If you want to get even more authentic, look for the double-colored vinyl version, for which just 10,000 pressings are being made.
Motörhead's Kiss of Death vs. John Lithgow's The Sunny Side of the Street: This record probably won't spell doom for one of heavy metal's most enduring acts, as Lemmy and the gang hang tough with "God Was Never on Your Side," "Sucker" and "Devil I Know." Also included as a bonus is a newly recorded version of the band's 1991 punk salute "R.A.M.O.N.E.S.," further cementing Lemmy's affinity for the punk gods. Probably the most polar opposite disc to Kiss of Death is Lithgow's children's album, which immortalizes the actor's take on "Inka Dinka Doo" and "I Always Say Hello to a Flower." It's another bright move, so to speak, from the former "Third Rock From the Sun" castmember.
New Releases:
Read: [article id="1533408"]"Method Man Drops Diddy, Seeks Clarity On New LP, 4:21 ... The Day After"[/article]
Read: [article id="1527806"]"Jessica Simpson Album Shifts Gears Along With Personal Life"[/article]
Read: [article id="1534091"]"Dave Grohl Helps Pete Yorn Rock, Tupac Inspires Him To Be Prolific"[/article]
Notable Reissues and Archival Material:
Music DVDs:
Coming Attractions:
September 5:
Read: [article id="1527383"]"New Audioslave LP: 'Led Zeppelin Meets Earth, Wind & Fire' "[/article]
Read: [article id="1533201"]"Beyonce's Triple Threat: New Album, Film, Fashion Line Before Year's End"[/article]
September 12:
Read: [article id="1538469"]"Justin Previews New Tracks At Hollywood Show With Help From Will.I.Am, Timbaland"[/article]
September 19:
Read: [article id="1538614"]"Fergie's Split-Pea Soup: Reggae, Jazz, Ludacris, B Real On 'Crazy' Solo LP"[/article]
Read: [article id="1536227"]"In September, Get Jesse McCartney Right Where You Want Him"[/article]
