Release Day Picks: June 17th New Albums

Each week Release Day Picks profiles new LPs and EPs Team JamBase will be checking out on release day Friday. This week we highlight new albums by Neil Young and Promise of The Real, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Mumford & Sons, and . Read on for more insight into the records we have all queued up to spin.

Neil Young And Promise Of The Real – EARTH

The Scoop: In world where hippies – by pop culture standards – have long since passed their cool expiration date, Neil Young & Promise Of The Real somehow make loving the Earth and playing protest music seem fresh and relevant. Their newest project, entitled EARTH, executes a bold concept. Starting with a live album comprised of environmental commentary songs from Neil’s back catalog, the band overdubbed a variety of natural animal sounds into the mix to effectively make mother earth the audience. EARTH works as an uninterrupted 98-minute piece of music heavy handed on both the jams and the message. Have a listen to a 28-minute “Love and Only Love” from EARTH on TIDAL [sigh] via this link.

Label: Reprise Records

Producer: Neil Young and Promise Of The Real

Number Of Tracks: 13

Running Time: 98:00

Musicians: Lukas Nelson (vocals/guitar), Micah Nelson (guitar, vocals), Corey McCormick (bass), Anthony LoGerfo (drums), Tato Melgar (percussion), and a bunch of animals

Tracklist:

1. Mother Earth (from Ragged Glory)
2. Seed Justice (previously unreleased)
3. My Country Home (from Ragged Glory)
4. The Monsanto Years (from The Monsanto Years)
5. Western Hero (from Sleeps With Angels)
6. Vampire Blues (from On The Beach)
7. Hippie Dream (from Landing On Water)
8. After The Gold Rush (from After The Gold Rush)
9. Human Highway (from Comes a Time)
10. Big Box (from The Monsanto Years)
11. People Want to Hear About Love (from The Monsanto Years)
12. Wolf Moon (from The Monsanto Years)
13. Love & Only Love (from Ragged Glory)

Download / CD/LP

Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Getaway

The Scoop: The first new studio album in fives years by Red Hot Chili Peppers is also the first not produced by Rick Rubin since their 1989 Mother’s Milk LP. Instead, RHCP chose to work with noted producer and musician Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) on their 11th record and tapped Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich to mix the 13-song collection. One of those songs, “Sick Love” was co-written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and features the former on piano. Oliva Wilde directed the video for “Dark Necessities,” watch it here:

Label: Warner Bros. Records

Producer: Danger Mouse

Number Of Tracks: 13

Running Time: 53:40

Guest Musicians: Briana Bandy, Danger Mouse, Beverly Chitwood, Alexx Daye, Sharon Jackson, Elton John, Peter Kent, Armen Ksajikian, David Loucks, Kennya Ramsey, Mauro Refosco, Matthew Selby, Loren Smith, Anna Waronker, Greg Whipple

Tracklist:

1. The Getaway
2. Dark Necessities
3. We Turn Red
4. The Longest Wave
5. Goodbye Angels
6. Sick Love
7. Go Robot
8. Feasting on the Flowers
9. Detroit
10. This Ticonderoga
11. Encore
12. The Hunter
13. Dreams of a Samurai

Stream / Download / CD/LP

Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers – Rehab Reunion

The Scoop: Bruce Hornsby may be best known for his skills as a keyboardist, but on his latest album with longtime backing band The Noisemakers the Virginia native goes completely keyboard-less. Instead Hornsby uses an Appalachian Dulcimer over the course of the 10-track release. Rehab Reunion was produced by Hornsby and features guest spots from Bon Iver mastermind Justin Vernon and legendary vocalist Mavis Staples. The LP is the first studio album to show off the current Noisemakers lineup of J.T. Thomas (organ), J.V. Collier (bass), Sonny Emory (washboard, cajon, drums), Gibb Droll (electric and acoustic guitar) and Ross Holmes (fiddle, mandolin). Listen to “Celestial Railroad,” the Rehab Reunion track featuring Mavis Staples:

Label: 429 Records

Producer: Bruce Hornsby

Number Of Tracks: 10

Running Time: 48:05

Guest Musicians: Mavis Staples, Justin Vernon

Tracklist:

1. Over The Rise
2. Soon Enough
3. M.I.A. In M.I.A.M.I.
4. Tipping
5. Rehab Reunion
6. Hey Kafka
7. Tropical Cashmere Sweater
8. TSA Man
9. The Valley Road
10. Celestial Railroad

Stream / Download / CD/LP

Mumford & Sons – Johannesburg

The Scoop: English mega act Mumford & Sons today unveil a collaborative EP dubbed Johannesburg recorded during a trip to the South African city. The band teams with Baaba Maal, Beatenberg and The Very Best over the course of the five-track effort which Mumford & Sons co-produced with The Very Best’s Johan Hugo. Mumford & Sons held a non-stop two-day session at Studio 2 and the Auditorium of the South African Broadcasting Corporation while they were in town for Gentlemen Of The Road Stopovers earlier this year. Watch a trailer for the mini-album:

Label: Island

Producer: Johan Hugo & Mumford & Sons

Number Of Tracks: 5

Running Time: 20:31

Guest Musicians: Baaba Maal, Beatenberg, The Very Best

Tracklist:

1. There Will Be Time
2. Wona
3. Fool You’ve Landed
4. Ngamila
5. Si Tu Veux

Stream / Download / CD/LP

case/lang/veirs – case/lang/veirs

The Scoop: Not since Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt teamed up for a pair of Grammy-winning albums in 1987 and again in 1999 have we gotten an all-female supergroup like case/lang/veirs that comes with such highly-regarded musical pedigree. On their debut album the trio of Neko Case, k.d. lang and Laura Veirs, have constructed an excellent record full of folkie torch songs that play into each members strengths. The trio have each written tunes that could easily fit on their own respective albums, but within this dynamic their collective voices blend as they swap lyrics or provide gorgeous back-up vocals. Give a listen to the album’s lead single “Atomic Number”:

Label: ANTI-

Producer: Neko Case, k.d. lang, Laura Veirs

Number Of Tracks: 14

Running Time: 43:12

Guest Musicians: N/A

Tracklist:

1. Atomic Number
2. Honey and Smoke
3. Song for Judess
4. Blue Fires
5. Delirium
6. Greens of June
7. Behind the Armory
8. Best Kept Secret
9. 1000 Miles Away
10. Supermoon
11. I Want to Be Here
12. Down
13. Why Do We Fight
14. Georgia Star

Stream / Download / CD/LP

Bassnectar – Unlimited

The Scoop: The latest full length from San Francisco-based DJ Lorin Ashton includes a guest on almost each of the self-described “more downtempo than usual” record’s 15 tracks. Here’s how Ashton described the concept behind the LP:

The general theme of this album is the unlimited combinations of sound & ideas within the creative process; treating music like a sonic collage, exploring multiple simultaneous possibilities at once and wandering through the interplay between all the various layers and options. Every song has multiple versions and special hidden meaning, and alternate endings.

Watch the video for the guest-less opening tack “Reaching Out”:

Label: Amorphous Music

Producer: Bassnectar

Number Of Tracks: 15

Running Time: 1:03:36

Guest Musicians: LUZCID, Rye Rye, Zion I, G. Jones, Lafa Taylor, Levit∆te, Macntaj
, Qa, The Glitch Mob, HAILO, Haley, Gnar Gnar

Tracklist:

1. Bassnectar – Reaching Out
2. Bassnectar & LUZCID – Music Is The Drug

3. Bassnectar – TKO ft. Rye Rye & Zion I

4. Bassnectar & G. Jones – Mind Tricks ft. Lafa Taylor

5. Bassnectar – Unlimited Combinations
6. Bassnectar & Levitate – Level Up ft. Macntaj

7. Bassnectar & Qa – Shampion Chip

8. Bassnectar – Zodgilla
9. Bassnectar & The Glitch Mob – Paracosm

10. Bassnectar & HAILO – Surrender ft. Haley

11. Bassnectar & Gnar Gnar – Dream Catcher

12. Bassnectar – Journey to the Center

13. Bassnectar – In The Beginning [2016 Version]

14. Crywolf – Rising, Rising (Bassnectar Remix)

15. Bassnectar – Inspire the Empathetic

Stream / Download / CD/LP

Compiled by Jeff Greenblatt, Ryan Dembinsky, Andy Kahn and Scott Bernstein