New CD Releases, December 4: Rufus Wainwright, Blake Lewis, Daft Punk
Rufus Wainwright “Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall”
The acclaimed singer/songwriter pays tribute to the great Judy Garland on this live set, which was recorded during a stand in New York City. “Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall” is Wainwright’s second release of 2007, following May’s studio effort “Release the Stars.”
For those who can’t get enough Wainwright on Garland, the vocalist is also releasing a live DVD of his London Garland show, “Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy! Live at the London Palladium.” The DVD is due in stores the same day as “Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall.”
Wainwright will end the year, and kick off 2008, by performing a series of solo shows. The tour kicks off Dec. 20 in Stroudsburg, PA, and continues into early January.
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Blake Lewis “Audio Day Dream”
The 26-year-old vocalist, who finished second to Jordin Sparks on the 2007 edition of “American Idol,” releases his debut full-length CD. The first single from the album is “Break Anotha.”
While appearing on “American Idol,” the Washington state native distinguished himself from other competitors by including Justin Timberlake-style beat-boxing in some his songs. He further exhibited that skill, to a great extent, during this year’s “American Idols Live” tour.
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Daft Punk “Alive 2007”
The Parisian electronic-music duo, consisting of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, returns with a souvenir of its most recent tour. “Alive 2007” was recorded at the cavernous Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy back in June.
That Paris date was one of many high-profile gigs the duo performed in 2007. Daft Punk also played Southern California’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, marking its first stateside performance in 10 years, and the Vegoose festival in Las Vegas.
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Godsmack “Good Times, Bad Times–10 Years of Godsmack”
The Grammy-winning metal combo provides fans with a proper holiday offering–a greatest hits package featuring 16 hard-rocking cuts. The disc includes such tracks as “Speak,” “Awake” and “Straight Out of Line.” The title track, a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times,” is a new recording. The package also features a 75-minute DVD of an acoustic Godsmack performance in Las Vegas.
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Trace Adkins “American Man: Greatest Hits Vol. II”
The country crooner releases his second best-of compilation. This one includes such hits as “You’re Gonna Miss This,” “Hot Mama,” “Arlington” and, of course, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.”
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More new releases:
James Brown, “The Singles, Vol. 4: 1966-1967” (Hip-O)
Nick Drake, “Fruit Tree” (Fontana)
Wyclef Jean, “Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant” (Sony)
Ghostface Killah, “The Big Doe Rehab” (Island)
Scarface, “M.A.D.E.” (Asylum)
2Pac, “Best Of 2Pac–Part 1: Thug” (Interscope)
2Pac, “Best of 2Pac–Part 2: Life” (Interscope)
Ronan Tynan, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (MRI)
Armin van Buuren, “Universal Religion 2008” (Ultra)
The Wreckers, “Way Back Home: Live From New York City” (Warner Bros)
Yuridia, “Entre Mariposas” (Sony)
Soundtracks and scores:
“Atonement” (Decca)
“Golden Compass: Original Soundtrack” (New Line)
“P.S. I Love You” (Atlantic)
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Soundtrack Treasures Collection” (Disney)
“Water Horse: Legend of the Deep” (Sony)
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