New CD Releases, March 24th: Pearl Jam, Hannah Montana, The Decemberists, Indigo Girls, Martina McBride and more.
Pearl Jam “Ten” (Sony)
The alt-rock champs celebrate the legacy of their mighty debut, 1991’s “Ten,” by re-releasing the album in four different formats. Each offering will include two versions of “Ten”: a remastered version of the original album, plus a re-mixed rendition done up by the group’s long-time producer, Brendan O’Brien.
Big PJ fans will want to buy the deluxe edition, which includes a DVD of the band’s previously unreleased performance on MTV’s “Unplugged” from 1992.
The “Ten” reissues mark the beginning of a two-year catalogue re-release effort that will double as a countdown to the band’s 20th anniversary in 2011.
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Hannah Montana “Hannah Montana: The Movie” (Disney)
Are you ready for another round of Hannah Montana mania? The Disney character, portrayed by real-life star Miley Cyrus, will be the subject of a new feature film, “Hannah Montana: The Movie.”
The flick, which also stars hot country act Rascal Flatts, is set to hit theaters April 10, and tweens are probably already lining up around the block in anticipation. You can get ready for the big event by purchasing the soundtrack to “Hannah Montana: The Movie.”
The 18-track collection features plenty of Montana cuts, as well as offerings by Rascal Flatts, Billy Ray Cyrus (Miley’s dad) and the hottest singer on the planet, Taylor Swift.
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The Decemberists “The Hazards of Love” (Capitol)
The Pacific Northwest indie-rock troupe is set to drop its fifth studio album, which follows 2006’s “The Crane Wife.” Like that previous outing, which was inspired by both a Japanese folk tale and William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” “The Hazards of Love” is a concept, or thematic, work. This time around, the Decemberists tell “the tale of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake,” according to a press release.
The 17-track set features several notable guest stars, including My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark, My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden and Robyn Hitchcock, all of whom appear as “characters” in the album’s storyline.
Having recently appeared at opening night of the South by Southwest music conference in Austin, TX, the band will really get behind “The Hazards of Love” during a late-spring swing through North America. The tour begins May 19 at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Palladium and includes a stop in mid-June at Tennessee’s mammoth Bonnaroo festival.
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Indigo Girls “Poseidon and the Bitter Bug” (IG)
The famed folk-rockers are back with their 11th studio offering, “Poseidon and the Bitter Bug,” which marks the first release on the duo’s own IG Recordings label. The new album reunites the Indigo Girls with veteran producer Mitchell Froom (Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney), who turned the knobs for their previous release, 2006’s “Despite Our Differences.”
The duo–Emily Saliers and Amy Ray–will support “Poseidon” during a 35-city North American tour. The journey begins April 4 in Palm Springs, CA, and is currently scheduled to last through a July 17 stop at the California World Fest in Grass Valley, CA.
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Martina McBride “Shine” (RCA)
The versatile country vocalist, who’s known to toss a classic-rock cover or two into her live sets, returns with a new 11-track collection. “Shine” is McBride’s 10th studio release and her first since 2007’s gold-certified “Waking Up Laughing.”
The forthcoming album has already produced one smash radio hit, “Ride,” which was a Top 20 country single. The album was co-produced by McBride and Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts).
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More new releases:
Amadou & Mariam, “Welcome to Mali” (Nonesuch)
Blue October, “Approaching Normal” (Universal)
Eric Church, “Carolina” (Capitol)
Coheed & Cambria, “Neverender: Children of the Fence Edition” (Caroline)
Doom, “Born Like This” (Lex)
Keri Hilson, “In a Perfect World…” (Interscope)
Israel Houghton and New Breed, “Power of One” (Sony)
Stephen Lynch, “3 Balloons” (What Are Records)
Mastodon, “Crack the Skye” (Reprise)
Papa Roach, “Metamorphosis” (Geffen)
John Rich, “Son of a Preacher Man” (Warner Bros)
Various Artists, “NOW That’s What I Call Music! 30” (Universal)
Various Artists, “Walt Disney and the 1964 World’s Fair” (Disney)
Yanni, “Yanni Voices” (Disney)
Soundtracks and scores:
“Shrek: The Musical” (Decca)
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