New CD Releases, March 3rd: U2, ‘Watchmen,’ Neko Case, Raul Malo, Rush, and more!
U2 “No Line On the Horizon” (Interscope)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers from Dublin, Ireland are set to unleash their 12th studio album, which marks the group’s first batch of new material since 2004’s “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.”
“No Line on the Horizon” was produced by longtime U2 collaborators Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Steve Lillywhite. The album’s first single is the track “Get On Your Boots,” which the band debuted in mid-February at the 2009 Brit Awards in London.
“No Line on the Horizon” will be made available in five versions, including a standard CD, a double-vinyl pressing and a deluxe box set.
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Various artists “Watchmen: Music From the Motion Picture” (Reprise)
Comic book fans are counting down the days until the release of the “Watchmen,” the major motion picture adaptation of the popular comic book series/graphic novel. The film hits theaters on Friday (3/6), but fans can get an advance taste of the film by purchasing “Watchmen: Music From the Motion Picture.”
This collection includes offerings by such legendary musicians as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. It also includes one track by a much newer band–My Chemical Romance offers up a cover of Dylan’s “Desolation Row.”
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Neko Case “Middle Cyclone” (Anti)
The popular singer/songwriter, who releases records both under her own name and as a member of The New Pornographers, delivers another solo album. “Middle Cyclone” follows 2006’s “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.”
The record was co-produced by Case and New Pornographers studio engineer Darryl Neudorf. “Middle Cyclone” features a number of guests, including M. Ward, Garth Hudson and Sarah Harmer, as well as members of The New Pornographers, Los Lobos, Calexico and Giant Sand, among others.
Case is set to support the new album with a tour that begins March 31 in Austin, TX.
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Raul Malo “Lucky One” (Fantasy)
The former Mavericks frontman drops his first set of original material since his 2001 solo debut, “Today.” In the interim, he released the cover collections “You’re Only Lonely” and “After Hours,” which feature songs written by his favorite performers, including Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson and Roger Miller.
Malo will showcase “Lucky One” during a five-week US tour. The trek launches March 6 in Portland, OR, and will hit more than a dozen clubs and theaters.
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Rush “Retrospective 3” (Atlantic)
This two-disc CD/DVD combo spotlights the multi-platinum Canadian band’s more-recent releases. “Retrospective 3,” which draws from the years 1989 to 2008, features such tunes as “Roll the Bones,” “Driven” and “Half the World.”
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More new releases:
Boston Spaceships, “Planets Are Blasted” (Guided by Voices)
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, “The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem In Person at Carnegie Hall: The Complete 1963 Concert” (Sony)
Justin Townes Earle, “Midnight at the Movies” (Bloodshot)
Bela Fleck, “Throw Down Your Heart, Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3: Africa Sessions” (Rounder)
Ian McLagan and Bump Band, “Never Say Never” (R.E.D.)
Buddy and Julie Miller, “Written in Chalk” (New West)
Nashville Pussy, “From Hell to Texas” (Steamhammer)
Alan Parsons Project, “Vulture Culture: Original Recording Remastered” (Sony)
Arvo Part, “In Principio” (ECM)
Prodigy, “Invaders Must Die” (R.E.D.)
Tierney Sutton, “Desire” (Telarc)
Thin Lizzy, “Still Dangerous: Live at the Tower Theater Philadelphia” (VH1)
Various Artists, “The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 11B: 1971” (Hip-O)
Soundtracks and scores:
“Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” (Lakeshore)
“Watchmen: Original Motion Picture Score” (Reprise)
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