SXSW Music is this week, and that usually means a slow music release week.

As with every Will Oldham release, I will be scurrying down to my local music store tomorrow morning to pick up his latest Bonnie Prince Billy album, Beware (and finally replace the annoying promo CD sent my way last month).

I plan to pick up the Nick Lowe greatest hits 2-CD release, Quiet Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe as well as Willie Nelson's Naked Willie tomorrow.

From what has already been sent my way, I can also recommend An Horse's Rearrange Beds, Black Joe Lewis's Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!, Sara Lov's Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming, White Lies' How to Lose My Life, and Wavves' Wavvves.

The week's reissues are highlighted by four Scott Walker remastered albums. Boy Child 67-70, Classics & Collectibles, Sings Jacques Brel and Tilt.

What new releases can you recommend? Have I left anything off the list?

Continue reading "Largehearted Boy's Interesting CD Releases This Week"

Brighton, England's Bat For Lashes is set to release her highly-anticipated sophomore album, Two Suns, on April 6th, 2009. Two Suns is the follow-up to Natasha Khan's critically-acclaimed debut, Fur and Gold...

...Co-produced by Natasha and Dave Kosten, with whom she worked on Fur and Gold, Two Suns further enhances this idea of dualities in its music, mixing autoharps with intense electronics, complex drum rhythms with lush keyboards and strings. The album features guest turns from the legendary Scott Walker (on album closer "The Big Sleep"), Brooklyn psychrockers Yeasayer, and her own band The Blue Dreams (who toured with her this summer) on several tracks, but Khan herself worked the majority of the musical magic, playing pianos, synths, guitar, bass, drums, beat programming and more. And then, of course, there's Natasha's illuminating voice as the core of every song, sounding bolder, fuller and more impressive than ever before.

The whole North American tour hasn't been announced yet, but tickets go on Am Ex presale today at noon for an April 30th show at Bowery Ballroom, and for one May 2nd at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets on regular sale Friday. May 1st is in Philly (tickets currently on sale). All dates below...

Continue reading "BAT FOR LASHES - 2009 Tour Dates (Bowery/MHOW), new album 'Two Suns' starring Scott Walker & Yeasayer"

Continue reading "Scott Walker '30th Century Man' movie opening (NY/LA/SF)"

by Black Bubblegum

Opeth have announced details for their upcoming LP, "Watershed", to be released June 3rd via Roadrunner, the first since the departure of long-time guitarist Peter Lindgren and ensuing replacement by Fredrik Åkesson of Arch Enemy. In interviews, Mikael Akerfeldt has stated that "Watershed" is highly influenced by Scott Walker's latest album "The Drift", which he called "quite extreme & frightening". More details at Blabbermouth. Tracklist below.

Opeth is scheduled to hit the road in April on the "Progressive Nation Tour" supporting Dream Theater along with 3 & Between the Buried And Me. They play two shows at NYC's Terminal 5 in May. No tickets yet. All dates below....

Continue reading "Opeth - new album, influenced by Scott Walker, 2008 Tour Dates (w/ Dream Theater, two Terminal 5 shows)"