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New Releases For The Week Of November 21, 2008
Edited by Jonathan Cohen
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Nickelback, "Dark Horse"
Chad Kroeger laughs when asked if the phenomenal sales for 2005's "All the Right Reasons" gave confidence to Nickelback as it set out to make its sixth studio album, "Dark Horse." "No, because look what we have to try to live up to," says Kroeger, who co-founded the quartet in 1995 in Alberta, Canada. "There's a mountain sitting behind us. We've got to try and put something out now that's going to stand up to that. So for us, the bar has been raised ridiculously high."
"Dark Horse," which comes out this week on Roadrunner and was co-produced by Mutt Lange, certainly has a target to clear. Buoyed by seven multiformat hit singles and five No. 1 videos -- and apparently unaffected by widespread critical drubbing -- "All the Right Reasons" has sold 10 million copies worldwide, according to Roadrunner, and spent a staggering 110 consecutive weeks in the top 30 of the Billboard 200.
First single "Gotta Be Somebody" has already sold more than half a million downloads in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "I had the chorus, and we recorded it, actually, when Mutt went home to go spend some time with his son. Before he came back I played him this chorus over the phone, and he was like, 'Oh, I want to get working on that song as soon as we get back to the studio!'"
"Dark Horse" is Lange's first full album production credit since ex-wife Shania Twain's last album in 2002. "I think Mutt was coming into a situation where he knew Nickelback fans were happy with everything we'd been putting out so far," Kroeger says. "He didn't really want to change the band too much; he just wanted to bring in a slightly different perspective and a slightly different influence. It definitely still sounds like Nickelback, but you're definitely going to hear a couple different flavors."
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Beyonce, "I Am... Sasha Fierce"
Beyonce's third solo album, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce," reveals an alter-ego persona which the artist says allows her to "take more risks." The double-disc set is due this week via Music World/Columbia.
"Beyonce was adamant -- and she has complete creative control -- about dividing her songs," her father, Music World CEO Mathew Knowles, says. "She felt she couldn't mix the songs together. She's in a much different space now than she was one year ago. She's married and in a really good place and this album reflects that."
The first CD, "I Am..." is filled with mainstream-aimed tracks from pop songwriters like Amanda Ghost (James Blunt's "You're Beautiful") and E. Kidd Bogart (Rihanna's "S.O.S."). The second offers Beyonce's tried-and-true R&B with a fresh electronic tinge, crafted by producers like Bangladesh (Lil' Wayne's "A Milli"), Jim Jonsin (T.I.'s "Whatever You Like") and Tricky Stewart (Rihanna's "Umbrella").
Beyonce says the double album will "reveal a side of me that people only who know me see." "I Am ... Sasha Fierce" is executive produced by Beyonce the singer co-wrote each song except "If I Were a Boy," which was penned by Toby Gad and BC Jean. A deluxe edition also due this week includes five additional songs.
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David Cook, "David Cook"
In just a few short months, David Cook went from no-name aspiring singer/songwriter to household-name "American Idol" winner. He went from zero chart ink to having a whopping 11 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 at once, the highest since the Beatles charted 14 in 1964. It's an astonishing feat that still leaves the season seven champ at a loss for words.
Now Cook and the team at 19 Recordings/RCA are trying to keep the momentum going with the artist's self-titled debut, due this week. On "Idol," he received rave reviews and millions of votes for his hard rock makeovers of pop songs like Lionel Richie's "Hello" and Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby." Some controversy arose as to where the arrangements came from, particularly concerning his rendition of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," which was based on a version done by Chris Cornell, but it didn't deter fans from crowning him the winner.
With the covers game out of the way, Cook says he wants this new record to be a reintroduction of sorts to his fans. "I came from a background of playing original music," he says, "and I really wanted to get back to that."
Cook and producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Kid Rock) started recording in late June, with Cook frequently hitting the studio during downtime from the 53-date summer American Idols Live tour. A host of rock veterans lent a hand with the songwriting, including Goo Goo Dolls' Johnny Rzeznik, Cook's longtime idol Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace and, oddly enough, Cornell, who co-wrote first single "Light On" with Brian Howes.
"We were able to pull together what I think to be a very accurate representation of who I am musically within a three-month period, which is kind of hard to do," Cook says of the quick turnaround time. The sound he was going for was an "eclectic rock" record, with "rhythmic songs, heavier tracks and sparse instrumentation."
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Dido, "Safe Trip Home"
Dido counts herself lucky. She has two homes: one in Los Angeles and one in London. And by "homes," she doesn't necessarily mean houses -- she means places where she feels comfortable and creative. "London is still home -- but I feel real love for Los Angeles," she says. "It's a city built on people having an imagination."
Sitting at the dining room table at a house in L.A.'s Laurel Canyon, Dido says that in the five years since her last album, "Life for Rent," she spent time reconnecting with family and friends-and gaining confidence to explore new kinds of music.
That search, with the assistance of producers Jon Brion and Dido's brother, Rollo Armstrong, led to "Safe Trip Home," due this week from RCA. While the songwriting is classic Dido, with haunting, personal lyrics about life's bittersweet turns, the musical accompaniments are unusual, featuring everything from Swiss hand bells to strings and woodwinds.
"She's made the best record she's made of her career so far, and I think she's totally grown as a musician, as a songwriter and as a performer," Sony BMG U.K. chairman Ged Doherty says. Dido's sound has evolved on lengthy, reverb-laden tracks like "Northern Skies" and "Let's Do the Things We Normally Do," which show a Brian Eno influence. But it won't come across as jarring to a massive fan base that snapped up 4.2 million U.S. copies of 1999's "No Angel" and 2.1 million of 2003's "Life for Rent," according to Nielsen SoundScan.
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New Releases For The Week Of November 16, 2008
Edited by Jonathan Cohen
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T-Pain, "Thr33 Ringz"
Unless you're an astute T-Pain follower, you may not have realized he hasn't released an album since May 2007. That's because he's been nearly as ubiquitous as Lil Wayne in the guest appearance department since then, adding his Autotune-d voice to tracks from Wayne, Ciara and Ludacris, among many others.
So what's the difference between T-Pain the guest and T-Pain the featured artist on "Thr33 Ringz?" Not much, but that's OK, thanks to a winning mix of humor and sincerity. "I don't need your sex/I'll masturbate," he sniffs on the Kanye West-featuring "Therapy," while "Chopped & Skrewed" is a comic tale of being hoodwinked by a woman.
But there's more substance here than on past albums, particularly on the Eric Clapton-sampling "Change," and T-Pain seems comfortable leaning in a poppier direction on tracks like "Can't Believe It" featuring Wayne.
"Thr33 Ringz" follows 2007's "Epiphany," which has sold 843,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
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Taylor Swift, "Fearless"
Due this week from Big Machine, Taylor Swift's sophomore album "Fearless" begins the transition from rising country superstar -- her 2006 self-titled debut album has sold 3.4 million units, in addition to 7.5 million single downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan -- to just plain ol' superstar.
Swift has landed partnerships for women's apparel and toys-and will attempt what to date has been almost impossible for a country artist: to make an impact overseas. It's an ambitious campaign for Swift-and for Big Machine -- a fact the singer readily acknowledges. Swift wrote a track on "Fearless" titled "Change" to celebrate her label and its success.
Indeed, those who thought Swift was a big deal after her first record should be prepared: She's about to get way bigger. Though they're written by a teenager, Swift's songs have broad appeal, and therein lies the genius and accessibility of "Fearless." The insightful "Fifteen" ("In your life you'll do greater things than dating a boy on the football team") will connect with teens looking for hope and with adult women looking back, while the sparse "White Horse" will appeal to anyone who's experienced love lost, which is to say, everyone.
"It is amazing how many people come up to me and say, 'It's strange how completely this is what I am going through right now.' That is the coolest compliment somebody can give you."
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Additional titles hitting stores this week include:
A new album from multi-national superstar vocal group Il Divo, "The Promise" (Syco/Columbia).
An album of radio performances from Scottish indie rock outfit Belle & Sebastian, "The BBC Sessions" (Matador).
The latest album from female-friendly country artist Blake Shelton, "Startin' Fires" (Warner Nashville).
Afrobeat scion Femi Kuti's "Day by Day" (Downtown).
A reissue of Tennessee rock act Framing Hanley's "The Moment" (Silent Majority), including its hit cover of Lil Wayne's "Lollipop."
A Foo Fighters concert DVD, "Live at Wembley Stadium" (RCA), including guest appearances by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.
A second album from Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, "Sunday at Devil Dirty" (Fontana).
Hard rock act Mudvayne's "The New Game" (Epic).
Veteran Latin singer/songwriter Ricardo Arjona's "Quinto Piso" (WEA Latina).
New R&B artist Shontelle's "Shontelligence" (Universal Motown).
Rock veteran Sammy Hagar's "Cosmic Universal Fashion" (Roadrunner).
Country newcomers the Zac Brown Band's "The Foundation" (Atlantic).
Unless you're an astute T-Pain follower, you may not have realized he hasn't released an album since May 2007.
More...
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Due this week from Big Machine, Taylor Swift's sophomore album "Fearless" begins the transition from rising country superstar -- her 2006 self-titled debut album has sold 3.4 million units, in addition to 7.5 million single downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan -- to just plain ol' superstar.
More...
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