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Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band
Green Day released their first hits collection in 2001, just prior to opening up a wildly successful second act with 2004's American Idiot. Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band incorporates all the hits from that second act in an album ... and they're all the ones you'd expect: "Longview," "Welcome to Paradise," "Basket Case," "When I Come Around," "She," "Brain Stew," "Hitchin' a Ride," "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," "Minority," and "Warning." ... "American Idiot," "Holiday," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Wake Me Up When September Ends," "Know Your Enemy" -- with the triple-album ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré! being dismissed with only one song ("Oh Love"). To this foundation, the band adds two new cuts -- "Back in the USA" and a duet with Miranda Lambert called "Ordinary World" -- but the real appeal of God's Favorite Band is how it serves as a testament for the longevity of Green Day, which is the opposite argument of International Superhits! That collection still stands as an excellent distillation of Green Day's frenetic '90s, while this one paints the band as sturdy rock & roll lifers. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine , allmusic.com
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Punishment of Luxury
Of course, when it comes to electro-pop, there’s no school like the old school. Case in point: the latest album by 1980s superstars Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, who have been back on the scene since 2006. The Punishment of Luxury sounds, in a word, awesome: very definitely a product of an eighties band, but given how much eighties revivalism we’ve seen on the part of young whippersnappers over the past decade or two, that’s just another way of saying that it sounds remarkably up-to-the-moment. What matter, of course, are the songs, and they’re outstanding: opening with the title track (which nicely juxtaposes a candy-coated synth basis with a sort of sanitized Oi! “hey hey hey” shoutalong in the chorus) and then proceeding to offer a solid program of bleepy, bloopy pop tunes, this album is like a cool drink after a long walk in the desert of derivative music. And there’s a remixes and B-sides collection too! Highly recommended to all libraries - Rick Anderson, CD HotList
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Man of the Woods
Man of the Woods is almost as bemusing as its roll out. After three disparate preview singles arrived in close succession in January 2018, Justin Timberlake trekked, or more likely took a plane, to Minnesota. While there, he hosted a Man of the Woods listening party at Paisley Park, home of Prince, who on Timbaland's "Give It to Me" he ridiculed in retaliation for a harmless and reasoned slighting of "SexyBack." A few nights after bringing it on down to Paisleyville, Timberlake performed nearby at Super Bowl LII, .... Following the Trolls soundtrack hit "Can't Stop the Feeling!" -- which showed again that he's best at carefree post-disco pop – Timberlak remade his conceptually muddled, qualitatively uneven fifth full-length. Loosely inspired by his Southern upbringing but recorded primarily in Los Angeles, Man of the Woods resembles the soundtrack to a late-evening variety program that moves across departments of a high-end outdoor recreation outfitter. Timberlake brought some special guests and made it a family affair with appearances from his wife and son. The main collaborators are the Neptunes, who apply much more acoustic guitar and hand percussion than normal but don't veer far from familiar funk-laced pop -- the Italian Riviera trap of "Supplies" notwithstanding. One of the better moments, "Breeze Off the Pond," sounds like a sequel to Neptune Pharrell Williams' "Gust of Wind" with a flashback to "Rock Your Body." Chris Stapleton lends some country credibility to "Say Something," .... Ultimately, what comes across, through all the references to outdoor activities and apparel, is good times, comfort, romance, and seduction. - Andy Kellman, allmusic.com
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The Book of Keyboards
"French composer Philippe Manoury writes percussion music that is brutally demanding, in terms of both the technical requirements it places on the musicians, and the technical requirements for simply getting ready to play it. The six-movement title work (and the 22-minute Métal, which follows it on the program) require not only traditional percussion instruments like marimbas, vibraphones, and Thai gongs, but also the construction of a multipart instrument called the Sixxen. But although the music is hugely demanding of the performers, it’s quite accessible and enjoyable for the listener. The dense flurries of notes are impressive but also beautiful, and there are strong nods to familiar genres like gamelan and 20th-century minimalism in the mix. Strongly recommended to all libraries.” - Rick Anderson, CD HotList
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Sweetzerland Manifesto
Joe Perry invited a bevy of friends to help him make Sweetzerland Manifesto, a rough and heavy collection of rockers with a blues edge. David Johansen and Terry Reid stop by for three tracks apiece, while Robin Zander sings "Aye, Aye, Aye," which leaves just one song sung by Perry: a cover of P.F. Sloan's "Eve of Destruction," which was popularized by Barry McGuire. Generally, the Johansen songs are harder than the Reid tunes, but the former New York Doll does get to sing the spacy "I Wanna Roll." That said, the overall effect of Sweetzerland Manifesto is heavy, thick, and murky: Perry lays down some good leads and riffs, but listening to it from beginning to end is a bit of a slog. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com
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Junction
An eclectic, brightly attenuated recording, 2018's The Junction is the Manhattan Transfer's first studio album since the death of founding member Tim Hauser from a heart attack in 2014. It's also the first album the legendary vocal group has recorded with his replacement, M-Pact vocalist Trist Curless. Along with Curless, once again showcased are the talents of longtime group members Cheryl Bentyne, Janis Siegel, and Alan Paul. The Junction follows up 2009's ambitious The Chick Corea Songbook, and finds the group moving away from that album's organic, fusion-influenced sound and delving instead into a sparkling, jazzy mix of inspired covers and originals. Produced with studio savvy by Mervyn Warren (Whitney Houston, Michael Bublé, Take 6), The Junction is a sleek production, where the Transfer's laser-tone vocals are framed by warm keyboards, percolating beats, and just enough electronic flourishes to lend the proceedings a contemporary vibe. They kick things off with "Cantaloop (Flip Out!)," a deft rendition of Us3's "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)," which was itself a reworking of Herbie Hancock's classic "Cantaloupe Island." Also compelling is the group's take on XTC's "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul," in which they juxtapose Curless' lead vocals on the angular, loungey verses with the group's diamond-toned, horn section-accented harmonies on the choruses. Elsewhere, Paulshines on the languid, bossa nova-tinged "Sometimes I Do," and Siegel leads the group with emotive passion through Rickie Lee Jones' "Ugly Man." While Hauser's warm vocals and artistic vision were a huge part of the Manhattan Transfer, the group has found a worthy successor in Curless, who brings his own adept vocal skills to the ensemble. Furthermore, with all the members of the group adding their own original ideas to the album, as they've done in the past, The Junction works as both a tribute to Hauser and the mark of a new beginning. --Matt Collar, allmusic.com
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Rearview Town
“In many respects, Rearview Town is simply another sturdy Jason Aldean album -- "High Noon Neon," its meditative closer, could bleed into "Lights Come On," the opener from 2016's They Don't Know, and nobody could tell a different album had started -- but in subtle ways, the record reveals a singer who is beginning to feel out his middle age. None of this is related to the October 2017 tragedy in Las Vegas, where Aldean was on-stage when a shooter fired into a crowd during the Route 91 Harvest Festival, as Rearview Town was basically completed at that point. Instead, the album -- his eighth -- finds the singer taking a side glance at middle age and deciding it might not be a bad place to be after all. While he won't hesitate to raise a few and "Set It Off," he's no longer leaning into hell-raising anthems. Aldean pivots off his facility with romantic slow-burners to create songs where he takes a long look at where he's at, concluding he's "Better at Being Who I Am." Make no mistake, a good portion of Rearview Town is designed to soundtrack a party -- he even raps on "Gettin' Warmed Up" -- but, more than ever, Aldean is persuasive when he's softer and, despite the modern electronic glint of the production, he also sounds better when things aren't quite so steely. Along with that reflective "Better at Being Who I Am," he lays into the classic soul trappings of "You Make It Easy" without a hitch, suggesting that Rearview Townmay one day be seen as something more than another reliable Aldean album. Instead, it could wind up being the first chapter of his second act.” --Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com
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You're Driving Me Crazy
“Van Morrison reinvents jazz, blues standards and deep cuts from his catalog on the new LP, You're Driving Me Crazy, out April 27th via Sony Legacy Recordings. The soul singer collaborated with Hammond organ/trumpet virtuoso Joey DeFrancesco on the album, which is his 39th studio project.” --Ryan Reed, Rolling Stone
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In Transit
“One of the best straight-ahead jazz albums I’ve heard all year is the eighth album by bassist and composer Kyle Eastwood. Leading a quintet that also features saxophonist Brandon Allen, trumpeter Quentin Collins, pianist Andrew McCormack, and drummer Chris Higginbottom (with special guest sax player Stefano di Battista on several cuts), Eastwood delivers a rock-solid set of cool mid-tempo numbers (“Movin’,” “Night Flight”), high-energy bop (“Rush Hour”), and a lush ballad (“Cinema Paradiso (Love Theme)”). There’s also a very impressive rendition of Thelonious Monk’s “We See,” one that takes the tune at two very different tempos, maintaining a surprising elegance and delicacy throughout–not the approach one usually hears with interpretations of Monk tunes. This is a wonderful album that should find a home in all library collections.” --Rick Anderson, CD HotList
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Avatar Country
“The theatrical Swedish metal band Avatar's seventh LP, Avatar Country (eOne), is a conceptual love letter to rock and the titular King who rules over the land. Featuring ten tracks that each have "King" in their titles, Avatar Country is packed with melodic guitar heroics and frontman Johannes Eckerstrom's piercing vocals. Produced by Jay Ruston (Stone Sour, Anthrax, Steel Panther), highlights include the pummeling "King's Harvest," the two-part epic "Silent Songs of the King," and "Glory to Our King," Avatar's take on the Swedish royal anthem.” --Neil Z. Yeung, allmusic.com
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Stone Temple Pilots
“Stone Temple Pilots is the second Stone Temple Pilots album to be titled Stone Temple Pilots, following the first by eight years. A lot happened during those years. At the dawn of the decade, when STP issued their first eponymous album, the group reunited with their erstwhile frontman Scott Weiland, but that revival didn't last long: They fired the singer in 2013, hiring Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington in his stead. Bennington lasted two years before amicably parting ways in 2015. Not much later, Weiland died of an accidental overdose, but the remaining three STP were already gearing up for an online search for a new vocalist. By the end of 2017, the band revealed they'd hired Jeff Gutt -- a runner-up on the third season of The X Factor -- as their new lead singer. Gutt debuted on the 2018 self-titled set from Stone Temple Pilots and, from a certain perspective, he could be mistaken for a well-behaved Weiland. He nails how the late singer could slide from a snarl to a sigh, conjuring a bit of a snaky sexuality while still seeming a bit safe. In other words, he's a good fit for the DeLeos, because he can articulate their musical interests without causing a ruckus. That's not a bad thing at all. While there may not be much tension between the singer and the band -- which was a defining characteristic of STPduring their heyday -- this ease feels earned and welcome, not least because it makes it possible to appreciate the craft of the DeLeos. Whether it's psychedelicized hard rock or candied melodies, the pair not only know how to construct melodies, they know how to showcase these hooks with layered productions that skirt the edge of being ornate. These skills were evident as early as Purple, but on this album, there's not only no Weiland, there's also no Brendan O'Brien to credit. Stone Temple Pilots are now clearly lead by Robert and Dean DeLeo, and this 2018 album shows they haven't lost their knack for hooky-heavy hard rock that wedges its way into the subconscious. The album can't be called a comeback -- the group were toiling away during the 2010s, after all -- but it certainly opens the door on another act in their career, one that is sonically tied to their past but feels brighter (and more relaxed) than their first chapters.” - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com
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Dirty Computer
“Janelle Monae is one of the most unique artists in music today, with a sound and visuals that many compare to Prince. Her highly anticipated third full-length album was introduced with the buzzworthy singles Make Me Feel and Django Jane.” -MidWest Tapes
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44 / 876
“Sting spent the entirety of his career studiously avoiding the appearance of having a good time, which is why his 2018 collaboration with reggae star Shaggy seemed so odd: at the age of 66, the rock star decided it was finally time to crack a smile. 44/876 -- a collaboration named after the phone codes for their respective home countries -- is most certainly a party record, albeit one that cooks at a low simmer as it swings between fleet-footed reggae sunsplash tunes and mellow grooves. If Sting seems subservient to Shaggy, that makes sense. Shaggy specializes in doing one thing well, while Sting took it as a point of pride that he could do anything from jazz to symphonies. While 44/876 has a few AAA moments -- "Waiting for the Break of Day" could've slid onto 2016's 57th & 9th without any incident, "22nd Street" oddly evokes memories of slick yacht-soul -- it's firmly a modern reggae album filtered through the perspective of a pop star who knows how to spin this music into something appealing to a wider audience. Consequently, 44/876 can have its cutesy moments -- such as the rampant Lewis Carroll references in "Just One Lifetime" -- and it also puts a slick gloss over every element of its reggae, but this suits a collaboration that's fueled in part by the showbiz status of the two participants. Shaggy and Sting might not first appear to be an ideal match, but they're both rooted in reggae and are both international stars, so they share a vernacular that helps turn 44/876 into a surprisingly enjoyable pan-international pop album.” -Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com
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Mercer County Library System 2751 Brunswick Pike Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 989-6922 E-mail: nrsupprt@mcl.org |
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