Release Day Picks: March 9th New Album Highlights

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 David Byrne, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Roosevelt Collier, of Montreal, Paige Clem and Jimi Hendrix. Read on for more insight into the records we have all queued up to spin.

David Byrne – American Utopia

The Scoop: Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne returns with his first non-collaborative solo album since 2004’s Grown Backwards. The 10-track American Utopia once again found Byrne collaborating with Brian Eno, whose initial tracks provided the foundation for the album. An eclectic assortment of mucisicans were recruited by Byrne to contribute to his latest solo album, including Daniel Lopatin, Sampha, Jack Peñate and several others. Recently, Byrne posted a message apologizing for the complete lack of women involved in the album, writing “I regret not hiring and collaborating with women for this album – it’s ridiculous.” When he announced the album, Byrne wrote, “These songs don’t describe an imaginary or possibly impossible place but rather attempt to depict the world we live in now. Many of us, I suspect, are not satisfied with that world—the world we have made for ourselves. We look around and we ask ourselves—well, does it have to be like this? Is there another way? These songs are about that looking and that asking.” Check out the American Utopia single “Everybody’s Coming To My House” below:

Label: Nonesuch Records

Producer: Brian Eno, David Byrne, Patrick Dillett, Rodaidh McDonald, Daniel Lopatin

Number Of Tracks: 10

Running Time: 37:17

Guest Musicians: Airhead, Amnesia Scanner, Bullion, Ben Anderson, Isaiah Barr, Thomas Bartlett, Pat Dillett, Doveman, Jamie Edwards, Brian Eno, Alex Epton, Happa, Jam City, Jaakko, Koreless, Daniel Lopatin, Rodaidh McDonald, Magnus Bang Olsen, Mattis With, mmph, Jack Peñate, Ariel Rechtshaid, Ben Reed, Mauro Refosco, Sampha, Jaakko Savolainen, Joey Waronker, Joe Williams, Brian Wolfe, David Wrenchh

Tracklist:

1. I Dance Like This
2. Gasoline And Dirty Sheets
3. Every Day Is A Miracle
4. Dog’s Mind
5. This Is That
6. It’s Not Dark Up Here
7. Bullet
8. Doing The Right Thing
9. Everybody’s Coming To My House
10. Here

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Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Tearing At The Seams

The Scoop: After spending the early part of his career as a folkie troubadour Nathaniel Rateliff pulled a 180, going from somber singer-songwriter to fronting The Night Sweats – a multi-piece band that plays Stax-influenced rock and soul. The band’s 2015 eponymous debut was an infectious blend of funky, horn-laden sounds that channeled Joe Cocker during his Mad Dogs & Englishmen period, The Blues Brothers and the canon of great soul singers from the 1950s and 1960s. After a three-year wait, Rateliff & Co. are back with their highly anticipated full-length follow-up Tearing At The Seams. The 12-track effort picks up where the band left off as they deftly shift from booty-shaking barroom rockers to Americana-tinged ballads that are reminiscent of Otis Redding’s posthumous release The Dock Of The Bay. Check out the music video for “You Worry Me”:

Label: Stax Records

Producer: Richard Swift

Number Of Tracks: 12

Running Time: 46:54

Guest Musicians: Jess Wolfe, Holly Laessig (Lucius), Eric Swanson

Tracklist:

1. Shoe Boot
2. Be There
3. A Little Honey
4. Say It Louder
5. Hey Mama
6. Babe I Know
7. Intro
8. Coolin’ Out
9. Baby I Lost My Way, (But I’m Going Home)
10. You Worry Me
11. Still Out There Running
12. Tearing At The Seams

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Roosevelt Collier – Exit 16

The Scoop: Sacred steel specialist Roosevelt Collier has today unveiled Exit 16, his debut album via GroundUP Music. The album features swampy tracks that include touches of funk, blues, gospel, rock and blues. Michael League of Snarky Puppy both produced the album and performs on the LP. Collier and League are backed by ace session players including drummer JT Thomas and Bobby Sparks. Roosevelt and the band, that was hand-picked by League, recorded Exit 16 over three days of marathon sessions. Watch the video for the title track:

Label: GroundUP Music

Producer: Michael League

Number Of Tracks: 7

Running Time: 69:40

Guest Musicians: Michael League, JT Thomas and Bobby Sparks

Tracklist:

1. Sun Up Sun Down
2. Happy Feet
3. Make It Alright
4. Exit 16
5. That Could’ve Been Bad
6. Supernatural Encounters
7. Spike

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of Montreal – White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood

The Scoop: According to frontman Kevin Barnes, his “Simulated Reality” paranoia and falling in “LOVE” inspired the six songs making up White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood. Barnes also revealed inspiration came from “extended dance mixes that people used to make for pop singles back in the ‘80s,” as well as non-musical sources such as authors James Baldwin, Angela Davis, Noam Chomsky, Chris Kraus, Ta-Nehisi Coates and autobiographies written by the late Malcolm X and Mark E Smith. For the follow-up to last year’s four-song Rune Husk was recorded by Barnes after he decided to, “abandon the ‘live band in a room’ approach that I had been using on the recent albums and work more on my own or remotely with collaborators.” Here’s the single “Paranoiac Intervals/Body Dysmorphia”:

Label: Polyvinyl Records

Producer: Kevin Barnes

Number Of Tracks: 6

Running Time: 41:03

Guest Musicians: Zac Colwell, Clayton Rychlik, JoJo Glidewell

Tracklist:

1. Soft Music/Juno Portraits Of The Jovian Sky
2. Paranoiac Intervals/Body Dysmorphia
3. Writing The Circles/Orgone Tropics
4. Plateau Phase/No Careerism No Corruption
5. Sophie Calle Private Game/Every Person Is A Pussy, Every Pussy Is A Star!
6. If You Talk To Symbol/Hostility Voyeur

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Paige Clem – Firefly

The Scoop: Bay Area singer/songwriter Paige Clem has been honing her skills both as a songwriter and performer over the past 25+ years. Today, after much collaboration with other musicians, Paige Clem has unveiled her debut solo album. Firefly was produced by Jeff Berkley and features such luminaries as Tedeschi Trucks Band bassist Tim Lefebvre, fellow singer-songwriter Steve Poltz and ace pedal steel player Jon Graboff. Clem brought over 30 songs written over the course of her career into the studio, where Berkley helped her pick and record 11 that best tell her story. The result is an LP filled with roots-infused Americana music in which Paige’s charisma shines through. Stream the title track off Firefly:

Label: Self-Released

Producer: Jeff Berkley

Number Of Tracks: 11

Running Time: 44:35

Guest Musicians: Jeff Berkley, Rick Nash, Bob Sale, Sharon Whyte, Steve Poltz, Tim Lefebvre, Shawn Rholf, Jim Soldi & Jon Graboff

Tracklist:

1. Firefly
2. I Don’t Wanna Be Without You
3. Long Time Coming
4. Buttercup
5. I’ve Had Enough
6. I’d Make It So
7. Distraction
8. Hummingbird
9. Obviously
10. Not Meant To Be
11. Sugar

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Jimi Hendrix – Both Sides Of The Sky

The Scoop: Following 2010’s Beginning With Valleys of Neptune and 2013’s People, Hell And Angels comes the third installment of posthumously issued, previously unreleased recordings made by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix. With Both Sides Of The Sky offers a total of 13 tracks recorded by Hendrix between January 1968 and February 1970, 10 of which have never been released. The new collection featues Hendrix backed by the Band of Gypsys – bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles – on several tracks, including a previously unreleased cover of Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy.” Original >Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell can also be heard on previously unreleased recordings of “Stepping Stone,” “Jungle,” “Cherokee Mist” and “Sweet Angel.” Other guests contributing to the album includes Stephen Stills, Johnny Winter, Duane Hitchings, Dallas Taylor and Hendrix’s former Curtis Knight & The Squires band mate Lonnie Youngblood. Check out a teaser of “Mannish Boy” below:

Label: Experience Hendrix/Legacy Recordings

Producer: Eddie Kramer, John McDermott, Janie Hendrix

Number Of Tracks: 13

Running Time: 1:05:43

Guest Musicians: Billy Cox, Buddy Miles, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell, Stephen Stills, Johnny Winter, Duane Hitchings, Dallas Taylor, Lonnie Youngblood

Tracklist:

1. Mannish Boy*
2. Lover Man*
3. Hear My Train A Comin’*
4. Stepping Stone*
5. $20 Fine*+
6. Power Of Soul^
7. Jungle*
8. Things I Used to Do#
9. Georgia Blues++
10. Sweet Angel*
11. Woodstock*+
12. Send My Love To Linda*
13. Cherokee Mist*

• *Previously unreleased
• ^ Previously unavailable extended version
• +Featuring Stephen Stills
• #Featuring Johnny Winter
• ++Featuring Lonnie Youngblood

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Compiled by Jeffrey Greenblatt, Andy Kahn and Scott Bernstein.