New Music Releases - May 4, 2010

65daysofstatic - Crash Tactics (vinyl)
a-ha - The Singles 1984-2004 (remastered)
Air Supply - Mumbo Jumbo
Alvin Stardust - I Love Rock N Roll
Ashford & Simpson - Come As You Are
Ashford & Simpson - Gimme Something Real
Ashford & Simpson - Is It Still Good To Ya
Ashford & Simpson - Performance
Ashford & Simpson - So So Satisfied
Ashford & Simpson - Stay Free
Asia - Omega
Atlanta Rhythm Section - Underdog / Boys from Doraville (2 CDs)
Barry White - I've Got So Much to Give
Billie Holiday - Rough Guide: Billie Holiday (2 CDs)
Billy Ocean - Very Best of
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Uni-5: The World's Enemy
Booka Shade - More!
Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
Chely Wright - Lifted Off The Ground
Chris Barber - Folk Barber Style
Christopher Cross - Definitive
Chuck Prophet - Dreaming Waylon's Dreams (reissue)
Court House Hounds [Dixie Chicks' Martie Maguire & Emily Robison] - Court House Hounds
Daniel Johnston - Beam Me Up (vinyl)
Darlene Love - Sounds of Love: The Very Best of
Deftones - Diamond Eyes
Dickie Betts - Great Southern / Atlanta Burning
Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis (vinyl)
Dokken - Greatest Hits
Dolly Parton - Letter to Heaven: Songs of Faith & Inspiration
Dolly Parton - Original Album Classic
Donny Osmond - Entertainer (CD/DVD)
Doug Sahm - He's About a Groover: An Essential Collection (2 CDs)
Drifters - First Loves: The Complete Drifters Singles 1972-1980
Earth Wind & Fire - Boogie Wonderland: Best Of
Enid - Stand 1985 Vol. 2
Extreme - Take Us Alive: Boston 2009
Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips And Stardeath And White Dwarfs With Henry Rollins And Peaches Doing Dark Side Of The Moon (Retail Release)
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma (vinyl)
Foals - This Orient Pt. 1 (vinyl)
Foals - This Orient Pt. 2 (vinyl)
Frank Sinatra - Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings
Free Energy - Stuck On Nothing (vinyl)
Future Islands: In Evening Air (vinyl)
George Benson - Top Of The World: Best Of
Gil Scott-Heron - Winter In America (remastered)
Godsmack - The Oracle
Goldfrapp - Head First (vinyl)
Greg Laswell: Take a Bow (vinyl)
Harry Chapin - Heads & Tales (Extra Tracks)
Harry Chapin - Portrait Gallery
Hawkwind - Church of Hawkwind (with Bonus Tracks)
Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever
Hot Chip - I Feel Better (vinyl)
Iggy & The Stooges - Jesus Loves the Stooges (vinyl reissue)
Infantree - Food For Thought
Jackyl - When Moonshine And Dynamite Collide
James Taylor & Carole King - Troubadour Reunion (CD/DVD)
Jeremy Messersmith - The Reluctant Graveyard
Jim Reeves - Welcome To My World: Best Of (2 CDs)
Joe South - So the Seeds Are Growing / A Look Inside
Jose Feliciano - And The Feeling's Good
Jose Feliciano - Compartments
Jose Feliciano - Encore! Jose Feliciano's Finest Performances
Jose Feliciano - Just Wanna Rock "n" Roll
Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away (vinyl)
Justin Currie - Great War
Kenny G - Songbird: Best Of (2 CDs)
Kinks - Arthur (2-LP vinyl reissue)
Kinks - Something Else (2-LP vinyl reissue)
Kinks - Village Green Preservation Society (2-LP vinyl reissue)
Lazer Crystal - Mcmlxxx (vinyl)
Lee Scratch Perry - Sun Is Shining
Lisa Papineau - Red Trees
Marina & the Diamonds - I Am Not a Robot
Michael Bolton - One World, One Love
Mike Patton - Mondo Cane
Minus the Bear - Omni (2-LP vinyl)
Modern English - Stop Start
Moody Blues - Live At The Royal Albert Hall With The World Festival Orchestra
Muddy Waters - Rough Guide: Muddy Waters (2 CDs)
Nathaniel Rateliff - In Memory Of Loss
New Pornographers - Together (vinyl)
New Young Pony Club - Optimist
Papa Roach - To Be Loved
Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation (Vinyl)
Phil Manzanera - Firebird VII
Pointer Sisters - Goldmine: The Best Of (2 CDs)
Rainbow - Live in Munich (2 LPs)
Reckless - No Frills
Rene Lopez - People Are Just People
Robert Cray - Authorized Bootleg: Austin Texas 5/25/87
Seasick Steve - Man from Another Time
Slowdive - The Shining Breeze: The Slowdive Anthology (2-CDs)
Snowglobe - Little More Lived in
Stereo Total - Baby Ouh!
Steve Harley - Stranger Comes to Town
Steve Howe - Homebrew 4
Steve Mason - Boys Outside
Steve Poltz - Dreamhouse
Steve Young - Solo Live / Switchblade of Love
Stone Roses - The Lowdown
Tarantel - You Cant Hide Your Love Forever (vinyl)
Temptations - Still Here
Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt - I Love You! I Love You & I Am in Love With You
The Big Pink - Tonight (vinyl)
The Fall - Your Future Our Clutter
The Joy Formidable - Balloon Called Moaning (vinyl)
The Letter Black - Hanging on By a Thread
The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio (vinyl)
The Shondes - My Dear One
Toni Braxton - Pulse
Tonic - Tonic
Trina - Amazin'
UFO - Let It Roll (4 CDs)
Ultravox - Return to Eden: Live at the Roundhouse: Deluxe
Various Artists - Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour: The Best Of The Third Series
Various Artists - Kristina: At Carnegie Hall (2 CDs) (Written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA)
Wake Up Lucid - Look Alive People
Walter Schreifels - An Open Letter To The Scene
Whitsundays - Saul
Willie Nelson - On The Road Again: Best Of (2 CDs)
Wishbone Ash - 40th Anniversary Concert: Live in London (2 CDs)
Wishbone Ash - Sometime World: An MCA Travelogue (Import Version)
Woods -At Echo Lake (vinyl)
Zac Brown Band - Pass The Jar - Zac Brown Band and Friends Live from the Fabulous Fox Theatre In Atlanta

Record Store Day Declared Big Sales Success

It was a great day for recorded music as sales surged during America’s third annual Record Store Day on April 17th. Compared to the prior week, overall U.S. album sales in the independent sector increased 12% including a whopping 119% vinyl sales jump for the weekend and 529% growth in vinyl single sales, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Acts from the Black Keys to Soundgarden to Bruce Springsteen released exclusive vinyl singles, part of the nearly 175 limited vinyl and CD releases offered in the U.S. for Record Store Day. Overall album sales were up 3% on a year-over-year basis, while chain music stores saw a 7% Record Store sales gain this year. 1,400 stores worldwide including 800 in U.S. participated.

Let's hope that more acts climb aboard the Record Store Day train next year!

This Date In Music History-May 4

Birthdays:

Surf guitar great Dick Dale (1937)



Nick Fortuna of the Buckinghams ("Don't You Care") is 64

Peggy Santiglia of the Angels ("My Boyfriend's Back") and Dusk ("Angel Baby") is 66

Ed Cassidy - Spirit (1923)

Nicholas Ashford - Ashford and Simpson (1942)

George Wadenius - Blood Sweat & Tears (1945)

Zal Cleminson - Sensational Alex Harvey Band (1949)

Bruce Day - Santana (1951)

Jackie Jackson - Jackson Five (1951)

Mick Mars (real name Bob Deal) - Motley Crue (1951)

Country singer Randy Travis (1959)

Mike Dirnt - Green Day (1972)

Lance Bass - *NSYNC (1979)


They Are Missed:

In 1987, American blues vocalist, harmonica player Paul Butterfield, who fronted The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, died at his home in North Hollywood, California, of drug-related heart failure, he was 44. Gained international recognition as one of the early acts performing during the Summer of Love, at The Monterey festival and Woodstock festival.

Born on this day in 1942, Ronnie Bond, drummer, The Troggs. Bond died on November 13, 1992.



Clement Seymour Dodd died in 2004 (age 72). Producer and major force in the development of ska and reggae, made the first recordings of Bob Marley.


History:

Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps recorded "Be Bop A Lula" in 1956. The track was written three days before the session. The songs became a 1956 US #7 hit single spending 20 weeks on the US chart.

Lonnie Donegan quit Chris Barber's Jazz Band to form his own skiffle group in 1956.

Alan Freed's "Rock 'n' Roll Revue" TV show premiered on ABC television in 1957 with the Dell-Vikings, the Clovers, Guy Mitchell, Sal Mineo and "Screamin'" Jay Hawkins. It was the first prime-time network rock show.

The first Grammy Awards were given out in 1959 ("Volare" is Record of the Year).

Andy Williams started a 16-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1963 with 'Days Of Wine And Roses'.

The Moody Blues formed in Birmingham, England in 1964.

The Young Rascals started a four week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1967 with "Groovin."

The Jimi Hendrix Experience appeared on UK TV's 'Top Of The Pops' in 1967.

In 1968, model Twiggy recommended Mary Hopkin to Paul McCartney (who eventually produces her first record).

In 1970, four students at Kent University were killed and eleven wounded by National Guard troops at a campus demonstration protesting the escalation of the Vietnam War. The incident inspired Neil Young to compose "Ohio" which became a hit for Crosby Stills Nash & Young.



Led Zeppelin opened their 1973 North American tour, which was billed as the 'biggest and most profitable rock & roll tour in the history of the United States.' The group would gross over $3 million from the dates, flying between gigs in 'The Starship' a Boeing 720 passenger jet, complete with bar, shower room, TV and video in a 30' lounge and a white fur bedroom. Big deal back then.....

Grand Funk Railroad started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1974 with their version of the Little Eva hit "The Loco- Motion." It was only the second time that a cover version had been a #1 as well as the original.



The film soundtrack to 'The Sting' by Marvin Hamlisch started a five-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1974.

KISS performed their first concert in their hometown of New York City in 1976.

The Patti Smith Group, David Johansen, Dead Boys, Blondie, Suicide and Richard Hell & The Voidoids all appeared at a Punk Benefit at CBGB's in New York City in 1977.

In 1989, Stevie Ray Vaughan set out on what would be his last ever tour at the Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, British Columbia. The guitarist was killed in a helicopter crash on August 27, 1999 after a concert at Alpine Valley Music Theater in Wisconsin, after playing 107 of the 110 dates.

Madonna played the first night of the North American leg on her 57-date Blond Ambition World Tour at The Summit in Houston, Texas in 1990.

In 1994, the RIAA certified that the Gin Blossoms album 'New Miserable Experience' has sold over four million copies. The album, released three years earlier, has "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You."

“Evil Empire,” Rage Against The Machine’s sophomore album, was #1 in the US in 1996, selling 250,000 copies in the week of its release.

Mariah Carey started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1996 with "Always Be My Baby," her 11th US #1 hit.

Today in 1996, the song "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion topped the charts and stayed there for 7 weeks.

In 1997, Courtney Love placed an advert in The Seattle Times selling the house she had shared with Kurt Cobain. The five bedroom four bathroom house was on the market for $3m. The carriage house where Kurt Cobain died had been knocked down during refurbishment.

Sean Paul started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 2003 with "Get Busy."

Madonna was at #1 on the US album chart in 2003 with ‘American Life’, the singers fifth US #1.

Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger punched a man in the face outside a Vancouver, BC, nightclub in 2007. According to reports the "victim" harassed Kroeger by shouting "Nickelback sucks." Well, that's just wrong and the "victim" got what he deserved.......

Bruce Springsteen was one the 15 inaugural members of the New Jersey Hall of Fame (along with Frank Sinatra and actress Meryl Streep) in the Arts & Entertainment category in 2008.

Also in 2008, thieves broke into the childhood home of Motown star Martha Reeves and stole about $1 million worth of uninsured recording equipment, including speakers, microphones and karaoke machines. A suspect was arrested at his home later in the day after he tried to sell the goods to a pawnshop for $400.

Godsmack issues their fifth studio album, "The Oracle” today (2010) The 10-track set was produced by Dave Frontman.

Also in 2010, the Hold Steady roll out “Heaven Is Whenever.” Dan Neustadt is on keyboards replacing Franz Nicolay who left the band earlier in the year. Also, New Pornographers fifth album, “Together,” and Paul Weller’s tenth solo effort, “Wake Up The Nation,” arrive. The latter features contributions by My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields and The Jam’s Bruce Foxton.