The Crossing - July 2011 (Freedom Has Its Benefits edition.)

Everybody staying cool?

When the temperature heats up out there, you can always turn to the cool, soothing sounds of rock `n roll. You know that.

Cool movie theaters are a nice place to be too. You may be aware that there's a new Harry Potter film out there breaking all the records?

So far, I'd say 2011 has been a pretty cool year for both music and movies, especially DVD's/Blu-rays in particular. Let me give you one big example:

Three of the most ultra-popular film franchises will have been released on Blu-ray by year's end. The just released extended versions of the `Lord of the Rings' trilogy. The entire `Star Wars' saga gets the Blu-ray treatment in September. And, last but not least, the Harry Potter franchise which just came to fruition in theaters as of July 15th you know will get the DVD/Blu-ray treatment by Christmas. That's cause for celebration among movie fans!

Meanwhile, music shows no signs of letting up as we head into the back half of the year. Seemingly, the only band that might not get a proper 2011 release for a new album may be U2, unless you count the `Spiderman: Turn off the Dark' soundtrack which they had a hand in the writing of some of the songs. But, you never know, the year's not up.

As you can see in the below list, there is much to get excited about and to anticipate.

Enjoy, and do stay cool!

Recently released and not mentioned in last edition:

* Coldplay - Every Teardrop is a Waterfall EP
* Scars on 45 - Give Me Something EP
* Taking Back Sunday - S/T
* Lindi Ortega - Little Red Boots
* Black Country Communion - 2
* James Maddock - Wake Up and Dream
* Brian Olive - Two of Everything
* Bodies of Water - Twist Again
* Falling Water - Slow Down
* Rubblebucket - Omega La La
* Not Tonight Josephine - All on the Horizon
* The Appleseed Cast - The Middle States EP
* Animals as Leaders - S/T
* Adelitas Way - S/T
* Burn Halo - Up from the Ashes
* Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread
* Townes Van Zandt - Live in Texas
* The Chain Gang of 1974 - Wayward Fire
* The Elected - Bury Me in My Rings
* The Book of Knots - Garden of Fading Stars
* Junior Boys - It's All True
* Jolie Holland - Pint of Blood
* Cody Canada - This is Indian Land
* Golden State - Division
* Of Mice & Men - The Flood
* Sebadoh - Bakesale (Deluxe.)
* The Melvins - Sugar Daddy: Live
* Metallica - Live at Grimey's Record Store, Nashville 2008
* Kansas - `Vinyl Confessions' and `Drastic Measures' (remastered.)
* Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark soundtrack
* Bob Mould - See a Little Light (book.)
+ Bad Company - Live at Wembley
+ Deep Purple - Phoenix Rising: Live in Japan 1976
+ The Waiting City
+ Bloodworth

7/5

* The Old 97's - Grand Theatre, Vol. 2
* Radiohead - The King of Limbs remixes
* Bright Eyes - Live Recordings EP
* Basement - I Wish I Could Stay Here
* Brian Eno - Drums Between the Bells
* Steve Cropper – Dedicated
* Robert Ellis - Photographs
* Gardens and Villa - S/T
+ Das Boot (Blu-ray director's cut.)
+ Ironclad
+ Of Gods and Men

7/12

* Yes - Fly From Here (produced by Trevor Horn; new singer Benoit David w/Steve
Howe, Chris Squire, Geoff Downes & Alan White.)
* John Wetton - Raised in Captivity
* Incubus - If Not Now, When?
* J.D. Malone - Avalon
* Sleepy Kitty - Infinity City
* Alkaline Trio - Damnesia (Acoustic retrospective.)
* Theory of a Deadman - The Truth Is
* 311 - Universal Pulse
* Sepultura - Kairos
* William Elliott Whitmore - Field Songs
* Vanessa Carlton - Rabbits on the Run
* Kasey Chambers - Little Bird
* Samantha Fish - Runaway
* Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer
* Imelda May – Mayhem
* Ashton Shepherd - Where Country Grows
* Amy Stroup – The Other Side of Love Sessions
* Ronnie Vannucci – Big Talk
* Washed Out - Within and Without
* Fair to Midland - Arrows and Anchors
* Sons & Daughters - Mirror Mirror
* We the Kings - Sunshine State of Mind
* Robin & Linda Williams - Stonewall Country
* Status Quo - Quid Pro Quo
* Roger Glover - If Life was Easy
* George Thorogood - 2120 S. Michigan Ave.
* R.E.M. - Life's Rich Pageant (Deluxe.)
* Tesla - Twisted Wires
* Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? (Deluxe.)
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 soundtrack
+ Foo Fighters - Back and Forth (Tour documentary.)
+ The Lincoln Lawyer
+ Insidious
+ Miral

7/15

+ Rango
+ Arthur

7/19

* Burlap to Cashmere - S/T
* The Summer Set - Everything's Fine
* Brilliant Colors - Again and Again
* Jonell Mosser - Fortunes Lost, Fortunes Told
* Amy LaVere - Stranger Me
* Richard Youngs - Amplifying Hosts
* Anni Rossi - Heavy Meadow
* Jenny O. - Home
* Joshua Hyslop - Cold Wind EP
* Tom Morello & Nightwatchman - Union Town
* Cold - Superfiction
* They Might Be Giants - Join Us
* Spiro - Lightbox
* Portugal the Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud
* Memories of Machines - Warm Winter
* Fink - Perfect Darkness
* David Rotheray - Life of Birds
* Mike Zito - Greyhound
* REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity (30th anniversary Deluxe.)
* Tim Robbins - S/T (actor.)
* A Little Help soundtrack
+ Limitless
+ Take Me Home Tonight
+ Postiche
+ Chocolat (Blu-ray.)
+ Amelie (Blu-ray.)

7/26

* The BoDeans - Indigo Dreams
* Joss Stone - LP1
* Aretha Franklin - 30 Greatest Hits (2 CD's.)
* Rival Sons - Pressure and Time
* All Shall Perish - This is Where it Ends
* The Living End - The Ending is just the Beginning Repeating
* The Horrors - Skying
* The Features - Wilderness
* Little Dragon - Ritual Union
* Release the Sunbird - Come Back to Us
* Eric Church - Chief
* Vince Gill - Guitar Slinger
* Jimmie Vaughn - More Blues, Ballads & Favorites
* Queen - a few Deluxe editions
+ Johnny Winter - Rockpalast 1979
+ Source Code
+ Trust
+ Winter in Wartime
+ Life During Wartime
+ Mao's Last Dancer
+ Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
+ Blues Brothers (Blu-ray.)
+ Animal House (Blu-ray.)

8/2

* John Hiatt - Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns
* Richard Buckner - Our Blood
* Fountains of Wayne - Sky Full of Holes
* O.A.R. - King
* Fruit Bats - Tripper
* Puddle of Mudd - Re: (disc) overed (Covers project; some interesting covers on here.)
* Mat Kearney - Young Love
* Brian Keenan - Today This Year
* Keb Mo - The Reflection
* Kenny Wayne Shepherd - How I Go
* Wood Brothers - Smoke Ring Halo
* Himalayan Bear - Hard Times
* Boston Spaceships - Let it Beard
* Calm Blue Sea - S/T
* Antigone Rising - 23 Red
* The Arcade Fire – The Suburbs (Deluxe.)
+ Jewel - Essential Live Songbook
+ Rio
+ The Music Never Stopped
+ Soul Surfer
+ Last Night
+ The Perfect Game

8/9

* The Motels - Apocalypso
* Trivium - In Waves
* Drive A - The World in Shambles
* Scattered Trees - Sympathy
* The Beach Boys - Smile Sessions
* Stetsasonic - On Fire
* UFO - Best of Chrysalis Years: 1973-1979
* Michael Schenker - By Invitation Only
* Neil Young - Live on Air: the Lost Tapes
+ Lou Reed - Lollapalooza: Live 2009
+ Paul
+ Your Highness
+ Super
+ The Last Godfather
+ Jumping the Broom
+ Mars Needs Moms
+ The Fox and the Hound

8/16

* Blue October - Any Man in America
* Cut Off Your Hands - Hollow
* Psychic Babble - My Brother's Ears/My Sister's Eyes
* Hotel Lights - Girl Grafitti
* Botany - Feeling Today
* Case Studies - The World is Just a Shape
* Gold Leaves - The Ornament
* Guy Clark - Songs & Stories
* Ollabelle - Neon Blue Bird
* The Bottle Rockets - Not So Loud: Acoustic
* Marc Carroll - In Silence
* Maria Taylor - Overlook
* Sena Ehrhardt - Leave the Lights On
* Ana Popovic - Unconditional
* Eric Gales - Transformation
* Sly Stone - I'm Back, Family & Friends
* Jeff Bridges - S/T (actor.)
* Breaking Benjamin - Shallow Bay: Best of (2 CD version available.)
* O Brother, Where Art Thou - Deluxe soundtrack
+ Mark Kozelek - On Tour
+ The Grace Card
+ The Conspirator
+ Something Borrowed
+ Jane Eyre
+ Hoodwinked Too
+ Priest
+ The Big Lebowski (Blu-ray.)

8/23

* Stephen Malkmus - Mirror Traffic
* Astrid Williamson - Pulse
* Downhere - Let Me Rediscover You
* Black Tide - Post Mortem
* Stephen Merritt - Obscurities
* Gabe Dixon - One Spark
* Sunny Sweeney - Concrete
* Zee Avi - Ghostbird
* Patti Smith - Outside Society
* Sonic Youth - Hits are for Squares (compilation.)
* Don Airey - All Out
* Airrace - Back to the Start
* Riverdogs - World Gone Mad
+ Emerson, Lake & Palmer - 40th anniversary Reunion
+ Robert Plant - Blue Note documentary
+ Jesus Lizard - Club
+ The Beaver
+ Troll Hunter
+ Henry's Crime

8/30

* Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You
* Glen Campbell - Ghost on the Canvas
* Robert Earl Keen - Ready for Confetti
* Edwin McCain - Mercy Bound
* Juliana Hatfield - Speeches Delivered to Animals and Plants
* Melissa Bauer - Back Here Under the Stars
* Lenny Kravitz - Black and White America
* John Doe - Keeper
* Beirut - The Rip Tide
* Ray Bonneville - Bad Man's Blood
* Tommy Keene - Behind the Parade
* Nektar - Live in New York 1974
+ Counting Crows - August and Everything After: Live at Town Hall (CD/DVD.)
+ The 5th Quarter
+ Prom
+ Win Win
+ Forks Over Knives
+ In a Better World
+ Nightmare Before Christmas (Blu-ray.)

9/6

* The Horrible Crowes - Elsie (Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem side project.)
* Emm Gryner - Northern Gospel
* Lindsey Buckingham - Seeds We Sew
* Tom Russell - Mesabi
* 12 Stones - Only Human
* Gavin DeGraw - Sweeter
* Paul Simon - 'Graceland' and 'Rhythm of the Saints' (Deluxe.)
+ REO Speedwagon - Live in the Heartland
+ America - Live in Chicago
+ Everything Must Go

9/13

* The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time
* St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
* Bush - The Sea of Memories (Produced by Bob Rock.)
* Blondie - Panic of Girls
* The Gourds - Old Mad Joy
* Saves the Day - Daybreak
* Wild Flag - S/T
* Black Francis - Paley and Francis
* We Came As Romans - Understanding What We've Grown to Be
* Staind - S/T
* Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing
* Howling Bells - The Loudest Engine
* Wolves Like Us - Late Love
* Cant - Dreams Come True
* Joy Kills Sorrow - This Unknown Science
* Mason Jennings - Minnesota
* Lady Antebellum - Own the Night
* Nick Lowe - Old Magic
* Primus - TBA
* Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events (New drummer Mike Mangini.)
* Anthrax - Worship Music (Joey Belladonna returns.)
* Jimi Hendrix - `Winterland' (5 CD box set; Amazon exclusive.) and `In the
West'
+ Gentle Giant
+ Thor
+ Hesher
+ Meek's Cutoff
+ The Tempest
+ O Brother, Where Art Thou? (blu-ray.)

9/16

+ Star Wars (All six episodes on Blu-ray.)

9/20

* Bill Mallonee - The Power and the Glory (tentative.)
* Michelle Branch - West Coast Time (tentative.)
* Tori Amos - Night of Hunters (Tori goes classical...sort of.)
* Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical
* Katie Herzig - The Waking Sleep
* Kasabian - Velociraptor
* Ivy - All Hours
* Opeth - Heritage
* Leslie West - Unusual Suspects
* Tony Bennett - Duets II
* Nirvana - Nevermind (20th anniversary Deluxe.)
* The Waterboys - An Appointment with Mr. Yeats (import.)

9/27

* Super Heavy - S/T (Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart & Damien Marley.)
* Wilco - The Whole Love
* Switchfoot - Vice Verses
* Chickenfoot - III (Their second album, best not to ask.)
* VHS or Beta - Diamonds & Death
* James Morrison - The Awakening
* Dan Mangan - Oh Fortune
* Sebastian Bach - Kicking & Screaming
* Pink Floyd - Entire catalog remastered
+ Rush - Time Machine Tour: Live in Cleveland 2010
+ Conan O'Brien Can't Stop

10/4

* MuteMath - Odd Soul
* Evanescence - TBA

LYRICS of the MONTH:

"There was a camp town man, used to plow and sing
And he loved that mule and the mule loved him
When the day got long as it does about now
I'd hear him singing to his muley-cow
Calling, "Come on my sweet old girl, and I'd bet the whole damn world
That we're gonna make it yet to the end of the row"

Singing "hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, Bessie
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more"

Said it's a mean old world, heavy in need.
That big machine is just picking up speed
They were supping on tears, they were supping on wine
We all get to heaven in our own sweet time
So come all you Asheville boys and turn up your old-time noise
And kick 'til the dust comes up from the cracks in the floor

Singing, hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, brother
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more

But the camp town man, he doesn't plow no more
I seen him walking down to the cigarette store
Guess he lost that knack and he forgot that song
Woke up one morning and the mule was gone
So come on, you ragtime kings, and come on, you dogs, and sing
And pick up the dusty old horn and give it a blow

Playing, hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, honey
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, sugar
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more."

Gillian Welch, the song 'Hard Times' off of the album The Harrow and the
Harvest released in June 2011.

http://www.gillianwelch.com

See you in August.

Stay cool!

Chris Barlow
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