The Crossing - February 2011

Hello again. I'm gonna make this short and sweet. The Grammy awards are tonight, Sunday, February 13th. In the hearts and minds of real music fans this news excites hardly anybody. But there are a few artists purportedly performing to watch for and they include Bob Dylan, Mumford & Sons, the Avett Brothers and the Arcade Fire. Florence of Florence + the Machine helps out in a tribute to Aretha Franklin, but wouldn't we rather have Aretha singing? Also, The Roots, I think, are also performing or, at least, playing back-up band to somebody. There will be a bunch of other people too. My advice: approach with caution and bring your own fun to the proceedings.

To find out more look here:

http://www.grammy.com/

On Sunday, February 27th, the Academy Awards aka the Oscars is televised. I don't remember the Grammys and the Oscars being so close together before but for some reason this year that's how they are scheduled. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you may not agree with `who' the winners are with the Oscars, but pretty much everybody who is nominated is deserving of an award. The same just can't be said for the Grammys where there is so much stylistic differences in music that there aren't enough categories, mismatched artists within categories are commonplace and hundreds of artists reside in the infamous Bermuda Triangle of Grammy obscurity in which whole careers aren't acknowledged or even known to exist. Yes, it's the annual rant once again rearing its ugly head. ;-)

Anyhow, we can all guess who the winners at the Oscars will be and feel pretty good that, at least, some of our favorite films are represented.

To find out who is nominated, go here:

http://oscar.go.com/nominations

Happy viewing and happy listening!!

Recently released and not mentioned in last edition:

* Buffalo Tom - Bones EP (free download.)
* Carolina Chocolate Drops - EP (download.)
* David Wilcox - Reverie
* Kate Jacobs - Home Game
* Lia Ices - Grown Unknown
* John Vanderslice - White Wilderness
* David Berkeley - Some Kind of Cure
* Destroyer - Kaputt
* Monotonix - Not Yet
* Jesse Dayton - One for the Dance Halls
* Greg Trooper - Upside Down Town
* Amanda Palmer - Amanda Palmer goes Down Under (download only; covers of Aussie artists.)
* Cloud Nothings - S/T
* Wanda Jackson - This Party Ain't Over
* Cold War Kids - Mine is Yours
* Seryn - This is Where We Are
* Talib Kweli - Gutter Rainbow

2/1

* Bob Marley - Live Forever: Live from Pittsburgh 1980 (Deluxe edition; the reggae king's last ever live performance in its entirety.)
* David Lowery ­ The Palace Guards (Singer of Cracker.)
* Matisyahu - Live at Stubbs II
* David Wax Museum - Everything Is Saved
* Nathan Moore - Dear Puppeteer
* The Bridge - National Bohemian
* The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
* Tristens - Charlatans of the Garden Gate 
* Tina Dico - Welcome Back Colour
* Todd Snider - The Storyteller (2 CD's.)
* Bobby Long - A Winter Tale
* Carrie Rodriguez & Ben Kyle - We Still Love Our Country
* Big Head Todd & the Monsters - Big Head Blues Club
* Jeff Beck - Rock `N Roll Party (honoring Les Paul.)
* Bang Tango - `Psycho Cafe' and `Dancin' On Coals' (reissues.)
* Warlock - `True as Steel' and `Triumph and Agony' (reissues.)
+ Conviction
+ Never Let Me Go
+ Monsters
+ Let Me In (American version of `Let the Right One In'.)
+ The Pat Tillman Story

2/8

* Over the Rhine - The Long Surrender (Produced by Joe Henry; Lucinda Williams guests.)
* Sean McCann - Son of a Sailor (Member of Great Big Sea.)
* Motorhead - The World is Yours
* Steve Kilbey - White Magic
* ...Trail of Dead - Tao of the Dead
* The Streets - Computers and Blues
* Rhino Bucket ­ Who's Got Mine
* Jessica Lee Mayfield - Tell Me
* The Wailin' Jennys - Bright Morning Stars
* Cut Copy - Zonoscope
* Esben and the Witch - Violet Cries
* Nicole Atkins - Mondo Amore
* Drew Holcomb - Chasing Someday
* Teddy Thompson - Bella
* Danny Schmidt - Man of Many Moons
* Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting
* Yuck - S/T
* Hurtsmile ­ S/T (Gary Cherone project.)
* Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak (Deluxe.)
* Shooter Jennings ­ Black Ribbon (Deluxe.)
+ Billy Joel ­ The Last Play at Shea
+ Waiting for `Superman'
+ The Romantics
+ It's Kind of a Funny Story
+ You Again
+ For Colored Girls
+ Life as We Know It
+ Middle Men
+ My Soul to Take
+ Paranormal Activity 2

2/15

* Bright Eyes - The People's Key (Conor Oberst, of course.)
* Drive By Truckers - Go Go Boots
* Hayes Carll - Kmag Yoyo & Other American Stories
* The Cowboy Junkies - The Nomad Series, Vol. 2: Demons (Songs of Vic Chesnutt.)
* The Dears - Degeneration Street
* P.J. Harvey - Let England Shake
* DeVotchka - 100 Lovers
* Black Pistol Fire - S/T
* Rev Theory - Justice
* Twilight Singers - Dynamite Steps
* Yellowbirds - The Color
* Skylit Drive - Identity on Fire
* Jude Johnstone - Quiet Girl
* Jackie Bristow - Freedom
* Peter Case - Live at Euclid
* Paul Pigat - Boxcar Campfire
* Susan James - Highways, Ghosts, Hearts & Home
* Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion - Bright Examples
* Jae - Balls and Kittens, Draught and Strangling Rain
* La Sera - S/T
* Stockholm Syndrome - Apollo
* Ben Ottewell - Shapes and Shadows (Member of Gomez.)
* Sonic Youth - Simon Werner a Disparu (soundtrack.)
* Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die... (Deluxe.)
* North Mississippi Allstars - Keys to the Kingdom
* Tim Burton & Danny Elfman - Music Box
* Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die (Deluxe.)
* Robin Trower - BBC 1973-75
* Stevie Ray Vaughn & Albert King - In Session (CD/DVD; Starbucks exclusive.)
* Nelson - Lightning Strikes Twice
* Mr. Big - What If (All four original members.)
* Stryper - The Covering (The Yellow and Black Attack cover all your 70's and 80's hard rock/metal favorites.)
* Blue Valentine soundtrack
+ Drive By Truckers - The Secret to a Happy Ending (documentary.)
+ Heart: Night at Sky Church
+ Unstoppable
+ Get Low
+ You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger

2/22

* Bayside - Killing Time
* The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh
* Adele - 21
* Florence and the Machine - Between Two Lungs 
* G. Love - Fixin' to Die (produced by Avett Brothers.)
* Lauren Pritchard - Wasted in Jackson
* The Books - The Lemon of Pink
* Gil Scott-Heron - We're New Here
* Gary Wilson - Electric Endicott
* Danielson - Best of Gloucester County
* Black 47 - A Funky Ceili (compilation.)
* Builders and Butchers - Dead Reckoning
* The Luyas - Too Beautiful to Work
* The Psychic Paramount - II
* Cave Singers - No Witch
* Cult of Youth - S/T
* Evergrey - Glorious Collision
* Joan Armatrading - Live at Royal Albert Hall
* Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Live at Nassau Coliseum 1978
* Johnny Cash - Bootlegs - Vol. 1: Personal File and Vol. 2: From Memphis to Hollywood
+ Depeche Mode - Rewind: 30 Years at the Edge
+ Fish Tank
+ Due Date
+ Megamind

3/1

* Lucinda Williams - Blessed (2 CD version available.)
* Buddy Miller - Majestic Silver Strings (Many guests; available w/DVD.)
* Eisley - The Valley
* Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding (Produced by Steve Lillywhite; members of Oasis.)
* Ray Davies - See My Friends (Kinks songs revisited w/many guests.) 
* John Popper - S/T (New side project band.)
* Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing
* Anna Calvi - S/T
* Ron Sexsmith - Long Player, Late Bloomer
* Those Dancing Days - Daydreams and Nightmares
* Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi - Rome
* Go Radio - Lucky Street
* Middle Brother - S/T
* Mike Watt - Hyphenated Man
* Alexander Ebert - Alexander (Member of the Magnetic Zeros.)
* Ari Hest - Sunset over Hope Street
* Be Good Tanyas - Blue Horse
* Antigone Rising - 23 Red
* Blessid Union of Souls - The Mission Field
* Papercuts - Fading Parade
* Baseball Project - Vol.2: High and Inside (Peter Buck side project.)
* The Dropkick Murphys - Going Out of Style (Bruce Springsteen guests.)
+ Love and Other Drugs
+ Faster
+ What If
+ Burlesque

3/8

* R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now (Patti Smith and Eddie Vedder guest.)
* Bruce Cockburn - Small Source of Comfort
* Buffalo Tom - Skins
* Johnny Greenwood - Norwegian Wood (score.)
* Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby
* Sara Evans - Stronger
* The High Kings - Memory Lane
* Parts & Labor - Constant Future
* Wye Oak - Civilian
* Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (40th anniversary Deluxe.)
* Rainbow - Rising (Deluxe.)
* The Mahones - many reissues
+ The Next Three Days
+ Morning Glory
+ Inside Job (documentary.)
+ Every Day
+ Four Lions

3/15

* June Tabor - Ashore
* Boxer Rebellion - Cold Still
* Rise Against - Endgame
* J. Mascis - Several Shades of Why
* Bob Geldof - How to Compose Popular Songs
* The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar
* Grails - Deep Politics
* Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys
* The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
* Noah and the Whale - Life Goes On
* The Accident Will - The Other Side of Forever (EP.)
* Screeching Weasel - First World Manifesto
* The Dodos - No Color
* Laura Jansen - Bells
* Nick Lowe - Labour of Lust
* Matt Wertz - Weights & Wings
* Caitlin Rose - Own Side Now
* Steve Martin - Rare Bird Alert (Comedian's second bluegrass album.)
* Michael Monroe - Sensory Overdrive
* Warrior Soul - a few reissues
* Sammy Hagar - Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock (Autobiography.)
+ The Fighter
+ The Switch
+ Hereafter
+ Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest

3/22

* The Strokes - Angles
* William Fitzsimmons - Gold in the Shadow (2 CD's.)
* Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep
* Yellowcards - When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes
* Karen Ann - 101
* Gretchen Parlato - The Lost and Found
* Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'
* Jeffrey Foucault - Horse Latitudes
* Maggie Bjorklund - Coming Home
* Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl
* The Poison Tree - S/T
* The Lonely Forest - Arrows
* Josh Kelley - Georgia Clay
* Tommy Shaw - The Great Divide
* Duran Duran - All You Need is Now 
* The Human League - Credo
* Saliva - Under Your Skin
* Green Day - Awesome as... (CD/DVD; Live from the 2009/10 tour.)
* Soundgarden - Live on I5 (1996 show.)
* The Kinks - a few reissues
+ Concert for George Harrison (blu-ray.)
+ Soulive: Live at the Brooklyn Bowl (many participants.)
+ The Tourist
+ Skyline
+ How Do You Know

3/29

* The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck
* Peter Bjorn & John - Gimme Some
* Heidi Spencer - Under Streetlight Glow
* Amy Speace - Land Like a Bird
* Michael Grimm - S/T 
* Those Darlins - Screws Got Loose
* Skybombers - Black Carousel
* Band of Heathens - Top Hat Crown and the Clapmaster's Son
* Panic at the Disco - Vices & Virtues
* The Sounds - Something to Die For
* Unwritten Law - Swan
* Bibio - Mind Bokeh
* Los Lonely Boys - Rockpango
* Pete Yorn - Music for the Morning After (10th anniversary Deluxe.)
* Mike Tramp - Stand Your Ground
* Whitesnake - Forevermore
* Derek & the Dominos - Layla and Other Love Songs (box set.)
* Mickey Thomas - Starship Marauder (covers.)
* SIN-atra - a metal tribute to Frank Sinatra (I agree it does sound horrendous.)
+ Fair Game
+ Tangled
+ All Good Things
+ Mao's Last Dancer
+ Made in Dagenham

4/5

* Glasvegas - Euphoric Heartbreak
* They Might Be Giants - TBA
* The Kills - Blood Pressures
* Raveonettes - Raven in the Grave
* Jim Bianco - Loudmouth
* Maritime - Human Hearts
* Robbie Robertson - How to Become Clairvoyant
* Brain Robertson - Diamonds and Dirt
* Roy Orbison - The Monument Singles Collection (2 CD's/1 DVD.)
+ Tron: Legacy available w/Tron
+ I Love You, Phillip Morris
+ Casino Jack

4/8

+ The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

4/12

* Foo Fighters - Primal
* Gillian Welch - TBA (Big time tentative date.)
* Alison Krauss - Paper Airplane
* Vivian Girls - Share the Joy
* K.D. Lang - Sing it Loud 
* Bell X1 - Bloodless Coup
* Fiery Furnaces - TBA
* Jason Isbell - Here We Rest
* Oh Susanna - Soon the Birds
* Brett Dennen - Loverboy
* 3 Doors Down - Time of My Life
* Mercenary - Metamorphosis
* The Rolling Stones - 45s box set: 1971-2006
* The Residents - Meet the Residents (reissue.)
* Nikki Sixx - This is Gonna Hurt. (book.)
+ White Material

4/15

+ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

4/19

* Bob Schneider - A Perfect Day
* Tab Benoit - Medicine
* Gorillaz - The Fall
* Piney Gir - Say I'm Sorry
* Steve Miller Band - Let Your Hair Down
+ The King's Speech
+ Rabbit Hole
+ The Way Back

4/26

* Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive (produced by T-Bone Burnett.)
* Explosions in the Sky - Take Care
* Augustana - S/T
+ Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back (blu-ray.)

5/3

* Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
* Lamb - 5
* Architecture in Helsinki - Moment Bends
* Stevie Nicks - In Your Dreams
* Colbie Caillat - All of You
* Priscilla Ann - When You Grow Up
* Neil Peart - Far and Away: A Prize Every Time (book.)
* Journey - Don't Stop Believin': the Untold Story (book.)
+ Levon Helm - Ramble at the Ryman

5/10

* The Cars - Move Like This (four of five original members return w/Ric Ocasek at the wheel.)
* Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
* Sleepy Rebels - Yellow Tree
* Okkervil River - I Am Very Far
* Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'
* Steven Tyler - Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? (book.)

LYRICS of the MONTH:
 

"Old pirates, yes, they rob I;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit.
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly.
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom
'Cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
'Cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? Ooh!
Some say it's just a part of it:
We've got to fulfill the book.

Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom-
'Cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our mind.
Wo! Have no fear for atomic energy,
'Cause none of them can-a stop-a the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book.
Won't you have to sing
These songs of freedom? 
'Cause all I ever had:
Redemption songs
All I ever had:
Redemption songs:
These songs of freedom,
Songs of freedom."
Bob Marley, `Redemption Song' originally off the album Uprising released in 1980 and also found on the outstanding compilation _Legend_.
http://www.bobmarley.com

Spring is not far off. See you in March.

Chris Barlow
cbcrossing@yahoo.com