CD releases slim in coming months
“There’s a headline for your article,” said a record company publicist earlier this week, “Music industry gives up.”
We’d like to assume he was joking, but then again, judging from the upcoming record release forecasts for the next few months, it appears as if the white flags have been collectively waved, at least for the time being.
Yes, if you’re looking for some hot new sounds from here until March, the pickins is slimmer than a starlet Exlax-ing for a photo shoot.
In fact, this week’s release of the latest Strokes CD says more about the quality of the album than the quantity of big-name releases on the way — i.e. industry garbage gets dumped in December and January when no one is looking.
Take next week for example (please note all release dates are subject to change).
The biggest new releases on that particular Tuesday — other than various artist collections, greatest hits and re-issues of older albums such as Yello’s Stella — come from Youngbloodz, The Autumn Offering and Colin Linden.
Hey, hey, calm down — I’m sure you’re record store has ordered enough for everyone.
The following Tuesday, Jan. 17, is just as unspectacular, with Calgary-based country artist Damian Marshall sharing shelf space with DualDisc re-issues of a handful of Talking Heads classics, including Talking Heads ’77 and Fear of Music.
Things pick up only slightly on the 24th, with new records from P.O.D. and UB40 (will they S.U.C.K.? Y.E.S.!), as well as Rosanne Cash, Yellowcard and Britpoppers Starsailor.
As January thuds to a halt, look for a new disc from Roots member ?uestlove — who is in town DJing at Tequila Jan. 13 — as well as buzz band She Wants Revenge.
February picks up where January left off, with the most exciting thing about the first Tuesday, Feb. 7, being a solo release from Kinks legend Ray Davies.
Also of note are new studio albums from Beth Orton, Richard Ashcroft, Young Buck and Lil Rob, as well as a live disc — because nobody asked for it — from Collective Soul.
There’s not much to love about Valentine’s Day, except maybe for a new disc from The Cardigans, live albums from Kid Rock, Marty Stuart and The Sugarcubes, and the rest of the Talking Heads re-issues including Little Creatures.
On Feb. 21, a new solo album from former Junkhouse frontman Tom Wilson is perhaps the biggest draw, with discs from Goldfrapp and Dilated Peoples also on tap.
On Feb. 28, we have a good-news, bad-news situation.
The good? Elvis Costello releases My Flame Burns Blue. The bad? It’s a live CD featuring a 52-piece Dutch jazz orchestra.
Also getting a release that day are new ones from Willie & Lobo, The Church, Ghostface Killah, Juvenile and, oh yeah, a reissue of the Ghostbusters soundtrack.
Oh, blessed be March — the month where things pick up considerably when it comes to the new and notable.
Well, we hope anyway, because while many of the labels’ new release schedules contain some big names in that month, most of the discs aren’t yet titled, which could make them even more tentative than most.
Still, should all go according to plan, March 7 will deliver new ones from Van Morrison, 3LW, Keshia Chante, Evanescence, Chingy, The Vines and lil’ Idol moppet Kalan Porter.
Speaking of tentative, the new OutKast album Idlewild is on the slate for March 14, although the disc, a soundtrack for their film, was originally scheduled for late last year, so, who knows?
If that’s not in stores, look for new ones from India Arie, Devo, Queensryche, Hoobastank and Trick Daddy. Or don’t.
The following week, March 21, gives the kids a little thrill, featuring, as it does, new releases from My Chemical Romance and recent corporate sell-outs Anti-Flag, as well as Placebo, Cassandra Wilson, LL Cool J, Ben Harper and, possibly, Canadian songstress Nelly Furtado.
Scheduled for seven days later are new albums from Pet Shop Boys, Pink, Paul Simon and Seal.
As for the rest of the spring, that’s a whole lot sketchier.
But, at the risk of getting your hopes up, there are some huge acts with new records in the works — ones that are either in the can and being tinkered with, or close enough to completion that the record companies are confident they’ll be ready for spring.
In April, cross your fingers and hope for new albums from Pearl Jam, Diamond Rio, jacksoul, Godsmack, Dashboard Confessional, Def Leppard, Shooter Jennings, Donna Summer and Rihanna.
And if you’re good, maybe May and June will bring studio recordings from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Too Short, Velvet Revolver, Tool, Alan Jackson, Clay Aiken, Billy Talent, Christina Aguilera, Eamon, Kenny Chesney, Chantal Kreviazuk and Justin Timberlake.
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