Release Day Picks: September 15th 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 Mike Gordon, Foo Fighters, Prophets Of Rage, Ringo Starr, Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Deer Tick and The Lil Smokies. Read on for more insight into the records we have all queued up to spin.

Mike Gordon – OGOGO

The Scoop: Much has changed in the world of Mike Gordon since the release of Overstep in 2014 including the lineup of his solo band. Gordon assembled the five-piece of drummer John Kimock, guitarist Scott Murawski, percussionist Craig Myers and keyboardist Robert Walter for a series of sessions with on-the-rise producer Shawn Everett in 2016 and 2017. The result is a truly collaborative effort between Mike, his four band mates and Everett on the 13-track OGOGO. Everett makes full use of the studio by layering multiple tracks and soundscapes on top of each other for one of the more pop-influenced albums to come from a member of Phish. At times you may even think your stereo is broken, but it’s probably just one of many aural experiments Gordon and Everett pulled off. Stream the audio for the OGOGO track “Victim”:

Label: ATO/Megaplum

Producer: Shawn Everett

Number Of Tracks: 13

Running Time: 44:16

Guest Musicians: Scott Murawski, Craig Myers, John Kimock, Robert Walter

Tracklist:

1. Equilibrium
2. Steps
3. Victim
4. Crazy Sometimes
5. Whirlwind
6. Marissa
7. Up And Down
8. Pendulum
9. Stealing Jamaica
10. Go Away
11. So Far Gone
12. Let’s Go
13. Victim 3D

Stream / Download / CD/LP

Foo Fighters – Concrete & Gold

The Scoop: For their last few albums, the Foo Fighters utilized unconventional ways of recording such as moving from studio to studio to lay down Sonic Highways or tracking Wasting Light in Dave Grohl’s garage. This time around, for Concrete & Gold, the band went a more normal route and recorded the LP at EastWest Studios in Hollywood. The well-trafficked studio led to Grohl & Co. enlisting the help of a varied group of guests including pop star Justin Timberlake, legendary musician Paul McCartney – who plays drums on a track – and Boyz II Men vocalist Shawn Stockman. Foo Fighters enlisted pop producer Greg Kurstin, yet the result is more of the same bombast we’re used to from the unapologetic rock band. Listen to “The Line” off Concrete & Gold:

Label: RCA

Producer: Greg Kurstin

Number Of Tracks: 11

Running Time: 48:17

Guest Musicians: Justin Timberlake, Shawn Stockman, Inara George, Alison Mosshart, Dave Koz, Paul McCartney

Tracklist:

1. T-Shirt
2. Run
3. Make It Right
4. The Sky Is A Neighborhood
5. La Dee Da
6. Dirty Water
7. Arrows
8. Happy Ever After (Zero Hour)
9. Sunday Rain
10. The Line
11. Concrete and Gold

Stream / Download / CD/LP

Prophets Of Rage – Prophets Of Rage

The Scoop: The debut full length release from the supergroup made up of Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk and frontmen B-Real of Cypress Hill and Chuck D of Public Enemy along with DJ Lord features 12 new songs. The politically-charged record was produced by Brendan O’Brien and tracked during sessions held the month after the band concluded their 2016 Make America Rage Again Tour. Acclaimed street artist Shepard Fairey was selected to provide artwork for the album’s cover. Here’s the video directed by documentary filmmaker Michael Moore for the single “Unfuck The World”:

Label: Fantasy Records

Producer: Brendan O’Brien

Number Of Tracks: 12

Running Time:39:36

Guest Musicians: N/A

Tracklist:

1. Radical Eyes
2. Unfuck The World
3. Legalize Me
4. Living On The 110
5. The Counteroffensive
6. Hail To The Chief
7. Take Me Higher
8. Strength In Numbers
9. Fired A Shot
10. Who Owns Who
11. Hands Up
12. Smashit

Stream / Download / CD/LP

Ringo Starr – Give More Love

The Scoop: The guest-filled, 19th solo album Ringo Starr was recorded in The Beatles drummer’s home studio in Los Angeles. Among the many guests featured on the 77-year-old’s latest solo LP is his The Beatles band mate Paul McCartney. Additional guests include Starr’s brother-in-law, Joe Walsh, as well as Edgar Winter, Peter Frampton, Benmont Tench, Steve Lukather, Dave Stewart, Don Was and many more. Alongside 10 new originals are four bonus tracks highlighted by a new version of “Back Off Booglaloo” based on a recently discovered tape of the original recording Starr made while writing the song. Starr’s 2016 Peace & Love Birthday concert in which Alberta Cross performed “You Can’t Fight Lightning” and Vandaveer performed “Photograph” and “Don’t Pass Me By” were the basis for the other three tracks which were re-recorded by the two bands with Ringo providing vocals. McCartney and Walsh appear on the opening track “We’re On The Road Again,” listen here:

Label: UMe

Producer: Ringo Starr, Peter R. Erickson

Number Of Tracks: XX

Running Time: 52:45

Guest Musicians: Steve Lukather, Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Greg Leisz, Steve Dudas, Dave Stewart, Gary Nicholson, Jeff Lynne ,Petter Ericson Stakee, Matthew Pynn, J. Tom Hnatow, Mark Charles Heidinger, Jim Cox, Benmont Tench, Edgar Winter, Glen Ballard, Pete Remm, Bob Malone, Paul McCartney, Nathan East, Don Was, Matt Bissonette, Erik MacQueen, Fredrik Aspelin, Robby Cosenza, Bruce Sugar, Gregg Bissonette, Timothy B. Schmit, Richard Page, Amy Keys, Windy Wagner, Gary Burr, Georgia Middleman, Rose Guerin, Viktor Buck, Peter R.Ericson

Tracklist:

1. We’re On the Road Again
2. Laughable
3. Show Me the Way
4. Speed of Sound
5. Standing Still
6. King of the Kingdom
7. Electricity
8. So Wrong For So Long
9. Shake It Up
10. Give More Love
11. Back Off Boogaloo (Re-do)
12. Don’t Pass Me By (Re-do)
13. You Can’t Fight Lightning (Re-do)
14. Photograph

Stream / Download / CD/LP

Yusuf / Cat Stevens – The Laughing Apple

The Scoop: The Laughing Apple is very much a classic sounding Yusuf / Cat Stevens album. The singer-songwriter reunited with producer Paul Samwell-Smith, whom he worked with on some of his most beloved albums like 1970’s Tea For The Tillerman and 1971’s Teaser And The Firecat. Along with penning a number of new songs, Stevens also dug back into his catalog for tunes from that era. Stevens rerecorded a handful songs that appeared on his 1967 debut album, as well as some that never made it onto any of this releases including a track that was intended for the soundtrack for Harold And Maude. With all that in mind the 11-song effort transports you back to his golden period of breezy, acoustic folk music that stands alongside his work from that period. Give a listen to “See What Love Did To Me”:

Label: Cat-O-Log Records / Decca Records

Producer: Paul Samwell-Smith

Number Of Tracks: 11

Running Time: 33:31

Guest Musicians: Kwame Yeboah, Paul Samwell-Smith, Alun Davies, Martin Allcock

Tracklist:

1. Blackness of the Night
2. See What Love Did To Me
3. The Laughing Apple
4. Olive Hill
5. Grandsons
6. Mighty Peace
7. Mary and the Little Lamb
8. You Can Do (Whatever)!
9. Northern Wind (Death of Billy The Kid)
10. Don’t Blame Them
11. I’m So Sleepy

Stream / Download / CD/LP

Deer Tick – Deer Tick Vol. 1 & Deer Tick Vol. 2

The Scoop: For their first release in four years, Deer Tick decided to go big by putting out not one, but two albums. The simply named Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are two very distinct releases born out of major life changes for the members of the Providence-based band, with the first volume being an all-acoustic affair, and the other a plugged-in electric album. Collectively the albums show off the two sides of the band and what they do best. Vol. 1 focuses on their quieter, introspective side, and is heavy on John McCauley-penned and sung tunes. Vol. 2 is their rowdy, beer-chugging bar-rock alter-ego that fans of the band’s live shows have come to love. Together the material offers a Saturday night out and a Sunday morning comedown. Check out the animated video for “Jumpstarting,” from Vol. 2:

Label: Partisan Records

Producer: Adam Landry

Number Of Tracks: 20

Running Time: 38:09 (Vol. 1), 32:15 (Vol. 2)

Guest Musicians: N/A

Tracklist:

Volume 1

1. Sea Of Clouds
2. Card House
3. Doomed From The Start
4. Hope Is Big
5. Only Love
6. Cocktail
7. Me and My Man
8. End Of The World
9. Limp Right Back
10. Rejection

Volume 2

1. Don’t Hurt
2. Jumpstarting
3. Look How Clean I Am
4. It’s A Whale
5. Tiny Fortunes
6. Sloppy
7. Wants/Needs
8. S.M.F.
9. Pulse
10. Mr.Nothing Gets Worse

Stream Vol. 1 / Stream Vol. 2 / Download Vol. 1 / DownloadVol. 2 / CD/LP

Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams – Contraband Love

The Scoop: The follow-up to the husband/wife duo Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams’ 2015 self-titled debut album features 11 tracks mostly written and produced by Campbell. Little Feat’s Bill Payne and The Lumineers’ Byron Isaacs appear as guests on Contraband Love, as does the pair’s longtime collaborator Levon Helm on what was one of the final recording sessions the late drummer held (a cover of the Carl Perkins classic “Turn Around”). “I wanted this record to be a progression, bigger than the first one,” said Campbell in a statement. “That’s all I knew. I wanted the songwriting to be deeper, the arrangements more interesting, the performances more dynamic. Specifically how to get there, I didn’t know. I did know the songs were different. The subject matter was darker than anything else I’ve written.” Listen to the single “Hit & Run Driver” below:

Label: Red House Records

Producer: Larry Campbell

Number Of Tracks: 11

Guest Musicians: Levon Helm, Bill Payne, Byron Isaacs

Tracklist:

1. The Other Side Of Pain
2. Save Me From Myself
3. Hit & Run Driver
4. Contraband Love
5. Three Days In A Row
6. Turn Around
7. When I Stop Loving You
8. It Ain’t Gonna Be A Good Night
9. My Sweetie Went Away
10. The Wishing Well
11. Slidin’ Delta

Stream / Download / CD/LP

The Lil’ Smokies – Changing Shades

The Scoop: Today, Montana jamgrass act The Lil Smokies have finally issued Changing Shades, the long-awaited follow-up to their 2013 self-titled debut studio album. Despite a road-warrior schedule that included 175 shows across the U.S. in 2016, the band found time earlier this year to lay down the 10-track effort, which was co-produced by manager Rob Gordon. The resulting LP shows off the latest lineup of the Montana-based outfit. Andy Dunigan recorded his vocals in one room, while the band was in another as The Lil Smokies aimed to re-create their live sound in the studio. With such a long layoff between albums, it’s no wonder the passing of time is such a prominent theme lyrically on the new LP. Watch The Lil Smokies perform “Kings & Queens,” a song found on Changing Shades:

Label: Self-Released

Producer: The Lil Smokies / Rob Gordon

Number Of Tracks: 10

Running Time: 34:58

Guest Musicians: N/A

Tracklist:

1. The City
2. Might As Well
3. Need A Minute
4. Feathers
5. Ms. Marie
6. Winded
7. Hitchcock
8. Kings & Queens
9. Where Are You Today
10. The Gallery

Stream / Download / CD/LP

Compiled by Jeffrey Greenblatt, Andy Kahn and Scott Bernstein.