December 24th, 2008
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10:00 am est
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AMG Staff
We’ve just placed the AllMusic Blog in a warm room with a five-disc DVD player stocked with Fireplace, Ambient Fire, Virtual Flames, Fireplace Lounge, and Ambience DVD Fireplace — as well as a laptop with an internet browser pointed at Rhino’s virtual yule log featuring Al Jarreau’s “Winter Wonderland” — to keep it company by playing on continual restful loop until the morning of January 5, 2009, when it will resume normal activity. In the meantime, the blog would love to have its archives scoured. There are album reviews, crush bands, buried treasures, recent favorites, Classical Corner, Whole Note, and so much more. Just as importantly, it does not want you to forget about all the series of 2008 roundups from the AllMusic editors:
AllMusic’s Favorite Albums of 2008
The AllMusic Pop Editors’ Favorites of 2008
The AllMusic Classical Editors’ Favorites of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Americana Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Blues Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Country Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Electronic Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Folk Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Garage Rock Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Hip-Hop/Rap Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Indie Rock Albums of 2008, Pt. 1
AllMusic’s Favorite Indie Rock Albums of 2008, Pt. 2
AllMusic’s Favorite Jazz Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Jazz Reissues of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Latin Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Metal Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Pop Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Pop/Rock Reissues of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite R&B Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Reggae Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Rock Albums of 2008
AllMusic’s Favorite Soundtracks of 2008
Rip It Off and Start Again: Noise to Enjoy in 2008
Some of Our Favorite Videos of 2008
Some of Our Favorite Mixes of 2008
Top Labels of 2008: Slumberland Records
Four Outstanding Classical Series for 2008
Most importantly, thank you all for reading and sharing your opinions!
December 23rd, 2008
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3:58 pm est
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AMG Staff
December 23rd, 2008
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10:30 am est
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AMG Staff
U2’s soon-to-be-released No Line on the Horizon will be released in five different packages when it hits stores in early March 2009, including three limited editions. The most elaborate package, which includes a 60-page hardcover book and a new Anton Corbijn film on DVD, will retail for $96. [Billboard.com]
Although it was one of the first major labels to work with YouTube, Warner Music Group has pulled its content from the streaming video site as negotiations between the companies hit a standstill (however, the official YouTube channels for several prominent WMG acts still seem to be working). [RollingStone.com]
Read the rest of this entry »
December 22nd, 2008
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11:44 am est
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Tim Sendra
Every year when you make your top tens, there are invariably some very worthwhile records that fall just short of making the list. These six albums all came very close to making mine….
Absentee - Victory Shorts
Absentee cut way back on the country-rock on their second album, Victory Shorts. What they don’t scale back is the mordant wit of singer Dan Michaelson’s lyrics, the band’s raucous approach, the size and strength of the hooks, and — best of all — Michaelson’s amazing voice. He has one of the deeper voices you’re likely to hear outside of doo wop or opera; he sounds sort of like a steadier Johnny Cash or a way steadier Calvin Johnson. Mostly, though, he just sounds pretty great as he staggers through the ballads like a heartsick, slightly drunken fool and romps through the rockers with an amazingly light touch. (Read more)
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December 22nd, 2008
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8:08 am est
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Uncle Dave Lewis
A type of release which is difficult to highlight around year’s-end “toplist” season -– the bane of most music reviewers -– are those issued in series. If the whole series is good -– and in classical, good album series are produced with remarkable consistency -– then it is difficult to single out one disc from the whole in order to add it to a toplist. In this blog post, the intention is to briefly touch upon four series that are, so to speak, “serially good.”
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December 19th, 2008
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4:00 pm est
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AMG Staff
From the 8th through the 19th, the AllMusic Blog has been publishing our editors’ favorite albums of 2008. We’ve covered well over a dozen genres and styles, from rap to reggae, R&B to electronic, country to Latin, blues to metal, folk to soundtracks, and several points in-between. Right now, on the AllMusic Blog, we take a jump over to the visual realm and look at some of our favorite videos of 2008. (Be sure to check our overall feature of new albums, reissues, and classical releases, as well as our editors’ individualized lists of favorite albums and songs.)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”
Deadelus – “Make It So”
Flight of the Conchords - “Ladies of the World”
The Foreign Exchange - “Daykeeper”
Fujiya & Miyagi - “Knickerbocker Glory”
Headlights – “Cherry Tulips”
Hot Chip – “One Pure Thought”
Ipso Facto - “Six And Three Quarters”
Metronomy - “A Thing For Me”
No Age – “Eraser”
Pacific! - “Number One”
Polysics - “Electric Surfin’ Go Go”
Pop Levi – “Never Never Love”
The School - “All I Wanna Do”
Stereolab – “Neon Beanbag”
Marnie Stern “Transformer”
Sebastian Tellier - “Divine”
December 19th, 2008
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1:45 pm est
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AMG Staff
From the 8th through the 19th, the AllMusic Blog will be publishing our editors’ favorite albums of 2008. We’ll be covering well over a dozen genres and styles, from rap to reggae, R&B to electronic, country to Latin, blues to metal, folk to soundtracks, and several points in-between. Right now, on the AllMusic Blog, we take a look at our favorite pop/rock reissues of 2008. (Be sure to check our overall feature of new albums, reissues, and classical releases, as well as our editors’ individualized lists of favorite albums and songs.)
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode: His Complete ’50s Chess Recordings
Big Dipper - Supercluster: The Big Dipper Anthology
Blue Ash - No More No Less
David Bowie - Live in Santa Monica ‘72
The Clash - Live at Shea Stadium
Commander Cody - The Early Years 1967-1970
Bo Diddley - Road Runner: The Chess Masters 1959-1960
Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs - Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006
The Flamin’ Groovies - This Band Is Red Hot 1969-1979
Jim Ford - Point of No Return
Dallas Frazier - The R&B Sessions: Elvira/Tell It Like It Is!
Genesis - Genesis 1970-1975
Robyn Hitchcock - Luminous Groove
Jan & Dean - The Complete Liberty Singles
The Jesus and Mary Chain - The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities
Billy Joel - The Stranger (30th Anniversary Legacy Edition)
Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool (Bonus Tracks)
Manfred Mann - Hit Mann! The Essential Singles 1963-1969
Mission of Burma - Signals, Calls and Marches (Definitive Edition)
Mott the Hoople - Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology
The Move - Anthology 1966-1972
Mudhoney - Superfuzz Bigmuff (Deluxe Edition)
Pavement - Brighten the Corners (Nicene Creedence Edition)
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (Deluxe Edition)
R.E.M. - Murmur (Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition)
The Replacements - Let It Be (Deluxe Edition)
The Replacements - Tim (Expanded Edition)
The Smiths - The Sound of the Smiths (Deluxe Edition)
Squeeze - Argybargy (Deluxe Edition)
Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (Legacy Edition)
Neil Young - Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968
Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon (Collector’s Edition)
Various Artists - A-Square (Of Course): The Story of Michigan’s Legendary A-Square Records
Various Artists - The Complete Motown Singles, Vol. 10: 1970
Various Artists - Thank You Friends: The Ardent Records Story
Various Artists - Titan: It’s All Pop!
December 19th, 2008
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11:22 am est
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AMG Staff
U2’s upcoming album, No Line on the Horizon, will be released on March 3, 2009. Originally scheduled to arrive in late 2008, the album’s release date was pushed back at the request of the bandmates themselves, who didn’t feel the record was complete. [Billboard.biz]
Brian Eno will score Peter Jackson’s next film, an adaptation of Alice Sebold’s 2004 novel The Lovely Bones. Slated for release in December 2009, the film marks a change for Eno, whose recent projects included designing an iPhone application, partnering with David Byrne, and producing Coldplay’s recent album. [PitchforkMedia.com]
Taylor Swift’s Fearless returned to the top of the charts this week, having sold nearly 250,000 copies in the past seven days. Since its release five weeks ago, the album has not fallen below number four. [Variety.com]
At Bruce Springsteen’s request, the Hold Steady have recorded a cover of “Atlantic City” for the upcoming charity album Heroes. Sales from the record benefit War Child, a charity that aids children affected by war. [Spinner.com]
Prince premiered four new songs on L.A.’s Indie 103 yesterday afternoon. Having grown tired of working with record labels, Prince is now looking to continue operations without a label’s help, with plans to release an album via “a non-record label vessel” in 2009. Meanwhile, the new songs can be found on various websites. [RollingStone.com]
Daniele Baldelli and Marco Dionigi - 
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