Reviews of new releases: From Dylan to Jolie Holland
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By staff and wire reports
- Annuals, “Such Fun”: Annuals are a baroque, epic and unwaveringly romantic indie rock band, sort of a kinder, gentler cousin to Arcade Fire. And though their sophomore album is full of sweeping anthems and low-key piano ballads, Annuals are not afraid to go a little bananas when the moment calls. Just when everything’s getting all consistent and “Death-Cabbie,” they throw in a rockabilly digression like “Down the Mountain” and make you see them in a whole new light. Grade: B+
- Jolie Holland, “The Living and The Dead”: On her fourth album, the sultry, smokey singer/songwriter who sounds like Billie Holiday rocks out a little more, but fortunately not too much. Holland’s stock and trade is still sad, soul-searching folk. Best listened to on an overcast day, alone and over a few glasses of wine. Grade: A-
— Micah Mertes
- Bob Dylan, “The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs — Rare and Unreleased 1988-2006”: This multiple CD set (it comes in two-disc and three-disc versions) is made up of unreleased tracks, alternate versions, demos, live cuts and movie soundtrack songs recorded by Dylan during his late-career renaissance. Surprisingly, it hangs together as a coherent record; it’s a documentation of our time in which things are falling apart and the center does not hold by the greatest songwriter in rock history. Some of the songs that didn’t make records, like “Time Out of Mind,” are stunners. One true gem, a blues lament called “Mississippi” that turns up three times on the record, feels like it should. Grade: A
- Oasis, “Dig Out Your Soul”: Studio album No. 7 finds the Gallagher brothers continuing to recycle The Beatles with a touch of glam rock thrown in for good measure. And some Brits are up in arms, saying the band ripped off Cliff Richard, too. Cliff Richard? In any case, this batch of Brit pop sounds pretty good. But it drones along a bit too much and the lyrics are too sophomoric philosophical for it to match up with the best of Oasis, much less the best of, say, The Beatles. Grade: B-
- L. Kent Wolgamott
Top 10 songs
1. “Whatever You Like,” T.I.
2. “So What,” Pink
3. “Love Lockdown,” Kanye West
4. “Disturbia,” Rihanna
5. “Paper Planes,” M.I.A.
6. “Hot N Cold,” Katy Perry
7. “Can’t Believe It,” T-Pain feat. Lil Wayne
8. “Closer,” Ne-Yo
9. “Love Story,” Taylor Swift
10. “American Boy,” Estelle feat. Kanye West
Other Billboard magazine chart leaders
Top pop album: “Death Magnetic,” Metallica
Hot R&B/hip-hop song: “Whatever You Like,” T.I..
Top R&B/hip-hop album: “Fearless,” Jazmine Sullivan
Hot country song: “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” Darius Rucker
Top country album: “Learn to Live,” Darius Rucker
Top music video sales: “No Bull: Live From the Plaza de Toros Las Ventas: Madrid, Spain,” AC/DC
Top VHS sales: “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Special Edition)”
Top DVD sales: “Made of Honor”
— Billboard magazine
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