The Napster Blog

New Music Tuesday: Gorillaz, Ludacris, B.R.M.C., Broken Bells

Most new music comes out on Tuesdays (it's a U.S. record business tradition), and each Tuesday, we cull through the mountain of new releases to bring you four of the best from across different genres. Click below, or find them in Napster's New Releases section.

Gorillaz, Plastic Beach (alternative, hip-hop, electronica, pop): The third album by the virtual band promises to be a pop masterpiece, boasting appearances by the likes of Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Lou Reed and Mos Def. Singles from the new album include "Stylo," "Superfast Jellyfish," and "On Melancholy Hill."
 

Ludacris, Battle of the Sexes (hip-hop): Luda's latest is touted as a collaboration album, and it does indeed feature many guest, including Flo Rida, Lil' Kim, Gucci Mane, and Nicki Minaj (of Young Money fame). Each track gives both a male and female perspective on various subjects. "How Low" is the current single.
 

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Beat the Devil's Tattoo (rock): After contributing to The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack, BRMC is back with Tattoo, their sixth release and their first on their own label. It continues the dark, roots-inspired sound of the band's recent work.
 
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Broken Bells, Broken Bells (alternative): The newest collaboration involving super-producer Danger Mouse features James Mercer of indie rockers The Shins. The self-titled album features the single "The High Road."

 
 

High on Fire, Snakes for the Divine

Back with a new album and fresh off a late-2009 tour with Mastodon, High on Fire return with a vengeance after a three-year recording hiatus. Snakes for the Devine was produced by Greg Fidelman, the man behind the helm for Slayer's World Painted Blood and Metallica's Death Magnetic, and while hardcore supporters may balk at the attempt to "clean up" the band's trademark sludgeriffery, they should rest easy knowing that  Fidelman's clearer sonic approach works to the band's benefit. The Napster version of the album contains three exclusive bonus tracks, two of which were recorded live at Bonnaroo in 2009, and the live tracks leave no doubt as to the heaviness in store for fans waiting to catch them on their next tour.

Q&A with 3OH!3, Kerli, Metro Station, and Neon Hitch: Alice in Wonderland and Almost Alice

The trifecta of dark, quirky film-making is back. Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, and Johnny Depp have once again combined forces for one of the most anticipated movies of 2010, Disney's epic 3-D live-action remake of Alice in Wonderland. To further stoke that anticipation, Disney hosted an "ultimate fan" event for the film on Feb. 17 that featured performances by bands on Almost Alice (a companion album of songs inspired by the story) and brief, but screamingly welcomed appearances by cast members including Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Tim Burton, and ... wait for it ... Johnny Depp. Napster was there for the excitement, and 3OH!3, Kerli, Metro Station, and Neon Hitch were kind enough to momentarily jump down the rabbit hole with us:

You’ve just arrived in Wonderland. Who are you dying to meet?
3OH!3: The March Hare. His set at Glastonbury last year was awesome.
Neon Hitch: Johnny Depp. He's amazing.
Metro Station: The Mad Hatter, because he's got those crazy teeth!
Kerli: Fairies, mostly, and the Cheshire Cat.

Bottle of “Shrink Me” potion or Cake of Giant Proportions: which one do you go for?
Kerli: Giant, definitely. I'm tiny already—I don't need any more shrinkage!
Neon Hitch: Giant proportions, always! I'm always over the top.
3OH!3: Yeah, giant for us as well, so we can try out for the NBA again.

You’ve been invited to a tea party. Pick your poison: What’s your favorite drink?
3OH!3: Puckers and Sprite. [laughter]
Metro Station: Sweet tea.
Kerli: Sex on the Beach.
Neon Hitch: Jack Daniels. I'm not a big fan of the girly drinks. If you're going to drink, do it properly.

The White Queen and Red Queen duke it out. Who’s your money on?
Neon Hitch: The Red Queen, the queen of love. That's what I'm a believer in!
Kerli: White!

Can you tell us a little about getting involved with Almost Alice?
Metro Station [Trace Cyrus]: We were overseas on tour with my little sister Miley, and they asked if we would write a song for the movie. We started working on it in our hotel in London, and it was the last song to make the album, so we were lucky.
Kerli: I have two songs on it. One of them is called "Strange"—it's a duet with Tokio Hotel, which is the first song I've done that I didn't write, but I could really relate to the message. Everybody feels a little strange sometimes. It's weird in this human body, and often I feel like I can't relate, so that's what this song is about. The other song called "Tea Party," which is a super fun song about a twisted tea party.
3OH!3: It was awesome. We're big fans of Tim Burton's films and of the book. We read the book again right before we hit the studio, to get the vibe right. We tried to make a song that was a little whimsical and nonsensical, but at the same time [one that] was in the vein of our style, which is hopefully catchy-sounding stuff. We got to work with Neon Hitch, who's an artist we're a big fan of, so it was a good release.

What are you up to in 2010?
3OH!3: We're in the studio right now recording our new album, which will be out mid-to-late June, and then we're touring this spring with Cobra Starship and Travis McCoy.
Metro Station: New music and shows in the future.
Neon Hitch: I just signed with Warner Bros., so there's an album on the way.
Kerli: This year I'm going to release my second album, so it's going to be very exciting.

Any other classic stories it would be fun to make music for?
Kerli: It's actually a huge dream of mine to do a movie score. I would love to do something for The Snow Queen, if they ever make that.
Metro Station: We're huge movie buffs, so we'd be open to anything.
3OH!3: Lord of the Rings: The Hobbit or Moby Dick.

 

New Music Tuesday: Blake Shelton, Almost Alice Soundtrack, Lifehouse, DJ Khaled

Most new music comes out on Tuesdays (it's a U.S. record business tradition), and each Tuesday, we cull through the mountain of new releases to bring you four of the best from across different genres. Click below, or find them in Napster's New Releases section.

Blake Shelton, Hillbilly Bone (country): With the title cut already a country smash, Shelton rolls out a new EP featuring six new songs. His plan going forward is to release three EPs each year to give his fans more music more often and at a cheaper price.
 

Various Artists, Almost Alice (pop/rock): You won't hear any of these songs in the new Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland. This is a "companion piece" to the score, and it rocks, featuring tracks from Avril Lavigne, 3OH!3, The All-American Rejects and Owl City.
 

Lifehouse, Smoke & Mirrors (alternative/pop/rock): The fifth album by thi alt-rock crew features the popular single "Halfway Gone," while the album track "Had Enough" features American Idol vet Chris Daughtry.
 
 

DJ Khaled, Victory (hip-hop): The Miami DJ's fourth studio album includes numerous appearances by hip-hop and R&B stars, including Diddy, T-Pain, John Legend and Young Jeezy.
 
 
 

Charlotte Gainsbourg, IRM

What happens when you suffer a traumatic brain injury and live to tell about it? If you're French actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg, you team up with Beck and record a wistful, melancholy, and poignant album inspired by the experience. IRM (the French abbreviation for MRI) is Gainsbourg's follow-up to 2006's critically acclaimed 5:55, and while it may not burn up the charts Stateside, the combination of her breathy, French-inflected vocals with Beck's atmospheric compositions—similar to his work on Sea Change and Modern Guilt—works très bien. And for those of you who don't remember much of your high school French, don't worry: Most of the songs are in English.

Oasis, (What's the Story) Morning Glory

Released in 1995, at the height of Britpop, Oasis' second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory has become the quintessential modern British rock album: It won "Best British Album" at the Brit Awards in 1996, and just weeks ago at the latest edition of the Brits, it was named the "Best British Album of the last 30 Years" (so we're figuring that "quintessential" really is the right word here). Morning Glory includes songs that become meg-huge hits at the time, including "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova," and the lead single "Roll With It" was involved in the "Battle of Britpop" with Blur's "Country House." And while the brothers Gallagher may have their issues, at least they've been able to stop fighting a few times in their lives long enough to make music like this.

Cheap Trick Live in Hollywood

They've been at it for an amazing 35 years now. Even more amazing, their original lineup hasn't changed, except for those few years way back in the 1980s when bassist Tom Petersson rolled the dice solo for awhile. We're talking, of course, about Cheap Trick, America's premier rock band (power-pop if you must), or "the best f***ing band you've ever heard," as they were announced by an introductory recording last night at a packed House of Blues in Hollywood. They've always put on a great show, helped equally by singer Robin Zander's massive (and massively underrated) voice, Petersson's outrageous 12-string bass, guitarist/ringleader Rick Nielsen's pick-flinging clowning and off-the-cuff guitar wizardry, and stick-man Bun E. Carlos' no-nonsense thunderdrums. Then there's their 35-year catalog of songs—some misses, but plenty of hits. Opener "Way of the World," from 1979's Dream Police got things off to a great start, and it only got better from there. Sure, Zander may be starting to look a little like Mickey Rourke these days, and Petersson may be styled à la Hugh Grant, but they tore the roof off the joint and made it look easy. Who knows? Maybe 35 years on the road helps with that. (Jellyfish's Roger Manning and Richard Falkner shared the stage all night, augmenting the band, and they looked pretty pleased to be there.) "This ain't the new, it's the old generation," Zander wailed during one song. Exactly. Here's how it's done. Catch them while you can.

Atoms for Peace Hit the Road

Thom Yorke has announced an official moniker (Atoms for Peace, taken from the song of the same name), and tour dates for the "Eraser band" that played selected shows late last year. The band, including Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and fequent collaborator, Nigel Godrich, will be supported by the critically acclaimed Los Angeles producer Flying Lotus. The tour will hit five U.S. cities before landing at the Coachella Festival in mid-April.
 

Pantera’s Vulgar Display of Power Turns 18

Here's another anniversary (to go along with Cash and Chopin below): Pantera's landmark, earth-bruising Vulgar Display of Power turns 18 today. Yes, 18 years since Dimebag Darrell, Vinnie Paul, Phil Anselmo, and Rex Brown took metal to "a new level," and it still sounds as unrelenting, uncompromising, and case-hardened now as it did then. It sounds, in fact, a lot like the album art looks (which is part of what makes both so good). With just over five years passed since Darrell was murdered onstage in Ohio, Pantera is planning a new compilation, titled 1990–2000: A Decade of Domination. Vinyl reissues of their major releases are also in the works. But if you click the album you can relive the domination right now. Click around their whole catalog on Napster, in fact, and you're likely to discover (as we have) just how high the heaviness bar remains.

New Music Tuesday: High on Fire, Johnny Cash, The Alkaline Trio, Helping Haiti

Most new music comes out on Tuesdays (it's a U.S. record business tradition), and each Tuesday, we cull through the mountain of new releases to bring you four of the best from across different genres. Click below, or find them in Napster's New Releases section.

High on Fire, Snakes for the Divine [Best Buy Bonus Track Edition] (rock): The metal maniacs from Northern California have released their fifth studio album, and this version includes three exclusive bonus tracks: "Mystery of Helm," "Eyes and Teeth" (Live at Bonnaroo 2009), and "Cometh Down Hesian" (Live at Bonaroo 2009).

Johnny Cash, American VI: Ain't No Grave (country): The final recordings by the late country music legend Johnny Cash. There's something chilling/wonderful about hearing previously unreleased material from the Man in Black at this point, and it's a moving listen from start to finish.

The Alkaline Trio, This Addiction [Deluxe Edition] (alternvative): This new set of songs is a return to the AT's early punk roots. The deluxe edition boasts two additional songs as well as bonus acoustic versions of four songs from the album.

Helping Haiti, "Everybody Hurts" (pop): The latest all-star project to raise money for Haiti is the Helping Haiti collective, composed of some of the biggest stars in pop music today, including Leona Lewis, Rod Stewart, Susan Boyle, and Robbie Williams. All involed (including R.E.M., whose song they chose to sing) are waiving royalties so  money raised through sales can go to Haiti.