The Crossing - March 2011

It may be cold and wet outside, but it's heating up on the music and movie release fronts. There's a whole lot of great stuff coming out in the not too distant future. Fans of music and movies should have no problem finding something to sink their teeth into. A look through this month's list should have one salivating at the mere sight of some of these artists' names. It will be up to the individual to decide to whom the salivating shall take place.

Six of the ten movies that were nominated for Best Picture at this year's Oscars are available now including _127 Hours_ which was just released. Another two (_The Fighter_ and _Black Swan_) will be out this month with this year's winner, _The King's Speech_ out next month. This leaves only _True Grit_ not on the radar just yet. It will most likely be out by June. 

So, not much to say here, other than to give reminders of the 3 cardinal rules of music and movie listening and watching:

1.) Always do your homework to ensure quality of said music and movies, ie. read reviews.
2.) Don't always give much weight to what the reviews say, but do give them some weight.
3.) Weigh your options in regards to what shall rock your world music and movie-wise.

I don't know if any of that helped, but it could.

Actually the best advice I can give anyone to get the most enjoyment and enrichment out of music and movies is to not bring any pre-conceived notions to the proceedings. That might just work!

Enjoy!   

Recently released and not mentioned in last edition:

* Radiohead - The King of Limbs (download.)
* Joe Walsh - Sweet Loam (member of the Gibson Brothers.)
* Laura Shay - Blue Light Sessions
* Gregg Rolie - Five Days EP
* Metric - iTunes Session EP 
* Malcolm Holcombe - To Drink the Rain
* Emily Jane White - Ode to Sentience
* Carrie Elkin - Call it My Garden
* Aaron Lewis - Town Line EP
* August 83 - Music from Bedrooms
* East River Pipe - We Live in Rented Rooms
* Tora Tora - Revolution Day 
+ Lemmy (documentary of the Motorhead frontman.)

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.) 
* John Popper - S/T (New side project band.)
* Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing
* Anna Calvi - S/T
* Ron Sexsmith - Long Player, Late Bloomer
* Serj Tankian - Imperfect (remix EP.)
* Those Dancing Days - Daydreams and Nightmares
* Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi - Rome
* Go Radio - Lucky Street
* Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
* Easter Island - Better Things
* Acrylics - Lives and Treasure
* Middle Brother - S/T
* Mike Watt - Hyphenated Man
* Nicolas Spaar - Space is Only North
* Pat McGee - No Wrong Way to Make it Right
* 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
* Tenth Avenue North - Inside & In Between (CD/DVD.)
* Baseball Project - Vol.2: High and Inside (Peter Buck side project.)
* The Dropkick Murphys - Going Out of Style (Bruce Springsteen guests.)
+ 127 Hours
+ Love and Other Drugs
+ Faster
+ What If
+ Burlesque
+ Bambi (blu-ray.)

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.)
* Josh Ritter - To the Yet Unknowing World (EP.)
* Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby
* Sara Evans - Stronger
* Exene Cervenka - The Excitement of Maybe
* Natalia Zukerman - Gas Station Roses
* The High Kings - Memory Lane
* Parts & Labor - Constant Future
* Wye Oak - Civilian
* Alexi Murdoch - Towards the Sun
* Riley Etheridge, Jr. - Powder Keg
* Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (40th anniversary Deluxe.)
* Rainbow - Rising (Deluxe.)
* The Mahones - many reissues
+ Billy Joel ­ Live at Shea Stadium (2 CD's/1 DVD.)
+ Asia - Spirit of the Night: Live (CD/DVD.)
+ The Next Three Days
+ Morning Glory
+ Inside Job (documentary.)
+ Every Day
+ Four Lions

3/15

* The Rainmakers - 25 On (Bob Walkenhorst, Rich Ruth & Pat Tomek w/new guitarist; all new material; first album in 14 years.)
* June Tabor - Ashore
* 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
* Alan Hampton - Moving Sidewalks
* Oh Land - S/T
* Snowblink - Long Live
* The Poison Tree - S/T
* The Damnwells - No One Listens to the Band Anymore
* Steve Martin - Rare Bird Alert (Comedian's second bluegrass album; Paul McCartney and the Dixie Chicks guest.)
* Michael Monroe - Sensory Overdrive
* Warrior Soul - a few reissues
* Giant Sand - a few reissues
* Sammy Hagar - Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock (Autobiography.)
+ Mastodon - Live at the Aragon (CD/DVD.)
+ The Fighter
+ The Switch
+ Hereafter
+ Waste Land
+ The Parking Lot Movie
+ 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
* Soloman Burke - Hold On Tight
* Gord Downie - The Grand Bounce (singer of The Tragically Hip.)
* Gretchen Parlato - The Lost and Found
* Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'
* Jeffrey Foucault - Horse Latitudes
* Maggie Bjorklund - Coming Home
* Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl
* The Lonely Forest - Arrows
* Josh Kelley - Georgia Clay
* Tommy Shaw - The Great Divide (Styx singer/guitarist goes bluegrass, he is from Montgomery, Alabama; Alison Krauss among the guests.)
* Panis at the Disco - Vices & Virtues
* Duran Duran - All You Need is Now 
* The Human League - Credo
* CKY - Bsides & Rarities
* Saliva - Under Your Skin
* Green Day - Awesome as... (CD/DVD; Live from the 2009/10 tour.)
* Soundgarden - Live on I5 (1996 show.)
* Tokyo Blade - Thousand Men Strong
* 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
+ Yogi Bear
+ Stand By Me (blu-ray.)
+ How I Won the War (1967 film starring John Lennon.)

3/29

* The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck
* Peter Bjorn & John - Gimme Some
* The Boxer Rebellion - Cold Still 
* Heidi Spencer - Under Streetlight Glow
* Amy Speace - Land Like a Bird
* Brian Wright - House on Fire
* Michael Grimm - S/T 
* Those Darlins - Screws Got Loose
* Skybombers - Black Carousel
* Band of Heathens - Top Hat Crown and the Clapmaster's Son
* The Sounds - Something to Die For
* Unwritten Law - Swan
* Bibio - Mind Bokeh
* Secret Cities - Strange Hearts
* Israel Nash Gripka - Barn Doors & Concrete Floors
* Emery - We Do What We Want
* Pearl Jam - `Vs' and `Vitalogy' (Deluxe reissues.) 
* Between the Buried and Me - Best of (CD/DVD.) 
* Los Lonely Boys - Rockpango
* Rory Block - Shake `Em on Down
* Pete Yorn - Music for the Morning After (10th anniversary Deluxe.)
* Colin Hay - Gathering Mercury (singer of Men at Work.)
* Mike Tramp - Stand Your Ground (singer of White Lion.)
* Whitesnake - Forevermore
* Derek & the Dominos - Layla and Other Love Songs (box set.)
* Mickey Thomas - Starship Marauder (covers.)
* Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis & Norah Jones - Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles
* Badlands - `S/T' and `Voodoo Highway' (reissues.)
* Circus of Power - `S/T' and `Vices'
* Thin Lizzy - The Boys are Back: the True Story (Book/4 DVD's.)
* SIN-atra - a metal tribute to Frank Sinatra (I agree it does sound horrendous.)
+ IMAX: Hubble
+ Black Swan
+ Fair Game
+ Tangled
+ All Good Things
+ Mao's Last Dancer
+ Made in Dagenham
+ King of Kings (blu-ray.)
+ The Ten Commandments (blu-ray.)

4/5

* Glasvegas - Euphoric Heartbreak
* Ha Ha Tonka - Death of a Decade
* They Might be Giants - TBA
* The Smithereens - Smithereens 2011 (all new album produced by Don Dixon.)
* The Kills - Blood Pressures
* Raveonettes - Raven in the Grave
* The Submarines - Love Notes/Letter Bombs
* Jim Bianco - Loudmouth
* Maritime - Human Hearts
* Midlake - Late Night Tales (covers.)
* Cold Cave - Cherish the Light Years
* Malakwa - Street Preacher
* Robbie Robertson - How to Become Clairvoyant
* Brain Robertson - Diamonds and Dirt
* Leon Russell - Best of
* Local H - Greatest Hits: the Island Years
* Hot Tuna - Steady As She Goes
* Rush - Moving Pictures (30th anniversary Deluxe CD/DVD reissue.)
* Ray Davies - See My Friends (Kinks songs revisited w/many guests.)
* Ray Charles - Live in Concert
* Roy Orbison - The Monument Singles Collection (2 CD's/1 DVD.)
+ Billy Joel - Last Play at Shea
+ Tron: Legacy available w/Tron
+ Little Fockers
+ I Love You, Phillip Morris
+ Casino Jack
+ Taxi Driver (blu-ray.)
+ A.I. (blu-ray.)

4/8

+ The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

4/12

* Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What (a few expanded reissues also come out on this day.)
* Alison Krauss - Paper Airplane
* Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
* Thursday - No Devolucion
* TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
* The Feelies - Here Before
* Vivian Girls - Share the Joy
* Dana Fuch - Love to Beg
* K.D. Lang - Sing it Loud 
* Bell X1 - Bloodless Coup
* Fiery Furnaces - TBA
* Jason Isbell - Here We Rest
* Panda Bear - Tomboy
* Low - C'mon
* Little Scream - The Golden Record
* Mazes - A Thousand Heys
* Joan as Police Woman - Deep Field
* Oh Susanna - Soon the Birds
* Wild Palms - Until Spring
* Old Calf - Borrow a Horse
* Brett Dennen - Loverboy
* Parachute - The Way it Was
* 3 Doors Down - Time of My Life
* Mercenary - Metamorphosis
* Kingdom Come - Rendered Waters
* Dave Matthews Band - Live at Wrigley Field
* Bob Dylan - Live at Brandeis University 1963
* The Rolling Stones - 45s box set: 1971-2006
* The Residents - Meet the Residents (reissue.)
* Nikki Sixx - This is Gonna Hurt. (book.)
+ Rory Gallagher - Irish Tour 1974 (blu-ray.)
+ Country Strong
+ White Material
+ Summer in Genoa
+ The Incredibles (blu-ray.)

4/15

+ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

4/19

* Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers - Unida Cantina
* Bob Schneider - A Perfect Day
* Ralph Stanley - A Mother's Prayer
* The Decemberists ­ Live at Bull Moose (EP.)
* Tab Benoit - Medicine
* Gorillaz - The Fall
* Lenka - Two
* Blackfield - Welcome to My DNA
* The Deftones - Covers
* Piney Gir - Say I'm Sorry
* The Guillemots - Walk the River
* Vains of Jenna - Reverse Tripped
* The Bell Brigade - S/T
* The Unthanks - Last
* The Tune-Yards - Whokill
* I'm from Barcelona - Forever Today
* The Heavenly States - Oui Camera Oui (EP.)
* Steve Miller Band - Let Your Hair Down
* Tracy Nelson - Victim of the Blues
* Pete Seeger - Complete Bowdoin College Concert 1960
+ The King's Speech
+ Rabbit Hole
+ Gulliver's Travels
+ The Way Back
+ Somewhere

4/26

* Emmylou Harris - Hard Bargain
* Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive (produced by T-Bone Burnett.)
* The Airborne Toxic Event - All at Once
* Explosions in the Sky - Take Care
* Silverstein - Rescue
* An Horse - Walls
* The Wombats - This Modern Glitch
* Augustana - S/T
* Brandi Carlile - Live at Benaroya Hall
* Brian Setzer - Setzer goes Instrumental
+ 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
* The Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee, Part 2
* Uriah Heep - Into the Wild
* John Mayall - Howlin' at the Moon
* The Waterboys - In a Special Place (piano demos for `This is the Sea'.)
* Loudon Wainwright III - Forty Odd Years (box set.)
* 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
+ The Green Hornet
+ The Dilemma

5/10

* The Cars - Move Like This (four of five original members return w/Ric Ocasek at the wheel.)
* Radiohead - The King of Limbs (CD.)
* Urge Overkill - Rock & Roll Submarine
* Warren Haynes - Man in Motion
* Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
* Sleepy Rebels - Yellow Tree
* Okkervil River - I Am Very Far
* The Wilderness of Manitoba - When You Left the Fire
* Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'
* Christina Perri - Lovestrong
* Sloan - The Double Cross
* Candy Golde - S/T (EP.)
* Steven Tyler - Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? (book.)
+ AC/DC - Black Ice World Tour: Live in Buenos Aires, Argentina 2009
+ Blue Valentine

5/17

* Ben Harper - Give `Til It's Gone
* Moby - Destroyed
* Company of Thieves - Running from a Gamble
* Hank Williams III - Hillbilly Joker
* Patti Austin - Sound Advice
* Nick Cave - a few Deluxe editions
* ZZ Top - Country Artists' tribute
+ Kaboom

5/24

* Journey - Eclipse (Wal-mart exclusive.)
* Seether - Holding on to Strings Better Left to Fray
* Brad Paisley - This is Country Music

5/31

* Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
* Flogging Molly - Speed of Darkness

LYRICS of the MONTH:

Interesting lyrics from an interesting band.

"I checked into a bargain priced room on La Cienaga,
Gazed out through the curtains of the parking lot.
Walked down to the corner store just before nightfall in my bare feet.
Black tarry asphalt, soft and hot.
And when I came back I spread out my supplies.
On the counter by the sink, 
I looked myself right in the eyes

St. Joseph's baby aspirin,
Bartles and James,
And you or your memory.

I ducked behind the drapes when I saw the moon begin to rise,
Gathered in my loose ends switched off the light.
And down there in the dark I can see the real truth about me.
As clear as day, lord if I make it through tonight
Then I will mend my ways and walk the straight path to the end of my days.

St. Joseph's baby aspirin,
Bartles and James,
And you or your memory."

John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats), the song `You or Your Memory' from the album The Sunset Tree released in 2005.

http://www.mountain-goats.com

See you in April.

Chris Barlow
cbcrossing@yahoo.com