New Music CDs – 3/6/09

It’s Not Me, It’s You
Lily Allen
YA 781.63 ALL 2009
It’s Not Me, It’s You, is the follow-up to Lily Allen’s critically acclaimed 2007 debut, Alright, Still. The album finds Lily in top form, creating a record Blender’s recent “In The Studio” feature described as “part God, part country and all middle finger.” Allen wrote and recorded the album’s 12 songs with producer Greg Kurstin (the bird and the bee), who worked with her on three songs for Alright, Still – “Everything’s Just Wonderful,” “Alfie” and “Not Big.”

Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 U.S. Presidencies
CD 782.42 OF 2008
Rock balladeers Christian Kiefer, Matthew Gerken, and Jefferson Pitcher have performed a remarkable feat. They have composed and recorded 43 songs, one for each of the past and current presidents of these United States. Most songs were written as part of the 2007 RPM “Album in a Month” Challenge, but after the challenge ended they decided to finish the songs and sought out other artists to assist with the endeavor. They also plan on writing a song about our 44th president, available for free download from Standard’s website, once we know who it is going to be.

Performing This Week…Live At Ronnie Scotts [LIVE]
Jeff Beck
CD 781.66 BEC 2008
Jeff Beck is a true rock legend. From his time with the Yardbirds in the sixties, through the Jeff Beck Group and throughout his solo career his unique guitar style and constant desire to explore new musical areas and sounds has won him the admiration of his peers and the adoration of legions of fans. In 2007 Jeff Beck performed a series of concerts at the renowned Ronnie Scott’s club in London. They became the must have ticket of the year with a packed audience every night of the famous and the fans. This CD features performances recorded across the different nights and presents the best version of each track.

Hold Time
M. Ward
CD 781.62 WAR 2009
Although he’s been compared to everyone from John Fahey to Tom Waits to Howe Gelb, with “Hold Time”, it’s clear that M. Ward, with his brilliant guitar playing and innate sense of melody, is one of those rare and special talents who defy comparison and compartmentalization. His deft guitar picking, bar room piano, and voice like drizzled honey make him a huge favorite of music critics and the focus of public praise from such disparate talents as Norah Jones and Oasis’ Noel Gallagher.

Take It to the Floor
Cash Cash
CD 781.66 CAS 2008
The breakthrough, boisterous techno-pop of Universal Republic newcomers Cash Cash will be bounding into stores with their Universal Republic debut album to be made available to fans nationwide on January 20. The charismatic band is currently riding the wave of their insatiable hit “Party In Your Bedroom,” which has exploded on radio and via youtube, thanks to the turbo-charged chemistry supplied by brothers Jean Paul Makhlouf (vocals, guitar) and Alex Makhlouf (keyboards, programming), and the band’s riveting rhythm section: Sam Frisch (bass, vocals), Anthony Villacari (drums, percussion), and Mike Doerr (guitar, vocals).

Troubadour
K’Naan
CD 781.649 KNA 2009
2009 release. Recorded primarily in Kingston, Jamaica where K’Naan was granted unprecedented access by his friends Stephen and Damian Marley to their father Bob Marley’s original home studio at 56 Hope Road and the legendary Tuff Gong studios Troubadour is a Hip Hop album like no other. K’Naan successfully blends samples and live instrumentation for a sound that’s both rooted in traditional African melodies and the classic Hip Hop tradition. Features Kirk Hammett of Metallica on the song ‘If Rap Gets Jealous’.

2009 Grammy Nominees
Various Artists
CD 781.63 GRA 2009
A Winning Compilation Of The Best Songs & Artists Of The Year From The 2009 GRAMMY Awards, Music’s Biggest Night – Proceeds Benefit MusiCares And The Grammy Foundation!

Years of Refusal
Morrissey
CD 781.66 MOR 2009
Morrissey is often recognized as the most important British musician of his generation. The New York Times recently stated, “Morrissey isn’t just any singer: he has become one of the defining rock stars of the past few decades by virtue of his grand voice, his grander songs, and his charming habit of playing with melodrama”. His influence is felt worldwide through the countless artists that cite him as their primary inspiration. “Years of Refusal” is a masterful work that finds Morrissey and the band at their best with a muscular sound and the inimitable voice and lyrics of a legend.

Incredibad
The Lonely Island
CD 781.66 LON 2008
Dubbed by many critics as the world’s `funniest comedy team for the internet generation,’ the comedic collaborative of Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer will release, “INCREDIBAD”, their first comedy CD/DVD February 10, 2009. The innovative triumvirate commonly known as The Lonely Island made online and television history with some of the webs most popular satirical sketches.

Ryan Leslie
Ryan Leslie
CD 781.643 LES 2008
“They try to put me in a box–it’s impossible!” Ryan Leslie proclaims as he opens his Top 40 R&B hit “Diamond Girl,” the hit debut single from his highly anticipated self-titled U.S. debut. It’s impossible to imagine a box expansive enough to contain the singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, Internet visionary and chief executive of NextSelection Lifestyle Group. The Harvard graduate is a performer at heart, a prolific musician with his own infectious brand of R&B pop.

Mr Lucky
Chris Isaak
CD 781.66 ISA 2009
Chris Isaak, the epitome of modern musical cool, is back with Mr. Lucky, his first non-holiday studio album since 2002. Filled with his distinctive, sweetly moody, slyly sexy retro-pop, Mr. Lucky debuts alongside the television premiere of ‘The Chris Isaak Hour’, a weekly music-and-talk series on A&E’s Bio Channel. Isaak’s fans will consider themselves fortunate that new music from their Mr. Lucky has finally arrived.