Top 10 Best Music CDs Albums August 2012
1. Adele 21 |
6. Slipstream – Bonnie Raitt |
2. Uncaged |
7. Clockwork Angels |
3. My Head Is an Animal |
8. Born and Raised |
4. Anastasis  |
9. Some Nights  |
5. The Lumineers |
10. Little Broken Hearts |
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1. Adele 21
Price: $9.99
21 is the eagerly awaited sophomore album from British singer-songwriter Adele. It’s the follow up to Adele’s critically acclaimed, Grammy award winning debut album 19 (both named after her age at the time the songs were written). Recorded in Malibu and London, 21 offered Adele the opportunity to work with such luminary producers and songwriters as Rick Rubin, Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder, Dan Wilson and Fraser T. Smith, as well as continuing to work with Francis “Eg” White and Jim Abbiss.
This new collection of songs showcases the growth of this incredible artist, who at the very young age of twenty two, exhibits the poise of a seasoned veteran. Adele’s music takes some new direction while staying true to her signature style… Read more >
2. Uncaged
Price: $11.88
Zac Brown Band is set to release new album Uncaged on July 10, and the band’s lead singer Zac Brown says in a statement the project is the culmination of the “powerful chemistry that’s developed by living, traveling and working as a band.”
“We’re always trying to push the barrier of our musicianship, and I’m proud to say that there is a little bit of something for everyone,” he says of Uncaged.
The 11-song album features a slew of special guests including Amos Lee and Trombone Shorty, as well as songs written or co-written by other artists including Jason Mraz and Nic Cowan and Sonia Leigh.
The album was recorded at various studios in Atlanta, Nashville, Asheville, N.C., and Key West, Fla. The band’s two previous albums, The Foundation and You Get What You Give, have gone platinum and produced nine consecutive No. 1 songs.
“This is the first record we’ve made from start to finish in one thought,” said multi-instrumentalist Clay Cook. “The previous albums have been a collection of songs … this is an album.”
3. My Head Is an Animal
Price: $4.99
My Head Is an Animal is the debut studio album by the Icelandic indie folk band Of Monsters and Men, released in Iceland in September 2011. After their success, topping the Icelandic charts with their debut single, “Little Talks”, the band signed with Universal Music Group and the album was released in North America on April 3, 2012. The title of the album comes from the second line in “Dirty Paws”. The album debuted in the United States at number six on the Billboard 200, selling 55,000 units in its first week alone. This marked the best chart performance for an Icelandic musical artist in U.S. history. The previous chart record was held by Björk’s Volta, which peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 in 2009. 200,000 copies of My Head Is an Animal have been sold in the United States, as July 2012.
4. Anastasis
Price: $9.99
The album is their first since 1996’s Spiritchaser. The band, who embark on a world tour in August, have confirmed a show at the Royal Albert Hall on 26th October.
On the cover of Anastasis, Dead Can Dance’s first album in 16 years: a field of sunflowers, ripened, and then blackened, by the sun, standing with sad, slightly crowned heads. Less dead than dormant, the heads and stems will one day be chopped, but then via the roots, will return. For Anastasis is the Greek word for ‘resurrection’ and the seemingly dead will dance again.
5. The Lumineers
Price: $4.99
In 2011, an eponymous, self-recorded EP led to touring, and before long The Lumineers started attracting devout fans. They’re drawn by songs like “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love,” Americana-inflected barn burners in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. The roots revival has primed listeners for a new generation of rustic, heart-on-the-sleeve music. The Lumineers walk that line with an unerring gift for timeless melodies and soul-stirring lyrics.
“I was not sure what to expect when I ordered this album, I loved the catchy song “Ho Hey” I keep hearing on the radio. Each time I listen to this album, I am taken away by the depth and thoughtfulness of the lyrics. listen for your self – and look up the words! this is the best album I have heard in years.”
6. Slipstream Bonnie Raitt
Price: $9.99
2012 album from the Grammy winning singer, songwriter and musician. her first album since 2005’s Souls Alike. Produced by Joe Henry, the album is her return to the music scene following the deaths of her parents and brother. The album was recorded with her longtime touring band as well as a handful of tracks with top-level musicians such as Bill Frisell. Features the first single ‘Right Down The Line’, a cover of the Gerry Rafferty hit.
With the release of her nineteenth album, Slipstream, Bonnie Raitt is starting anew. The album marks her return to studio recording after seven years; it’s coming out as the launch of her own label, Redwing Records; and it delivers some of the most surprising and rewarding music of her remarkable career, thanks in part to some experimental sessions with celebrated producer Joe Henry… Read more >
7. Clockwork Angels
Price: $11.88
Legendary rock band Rush have unveiled details of its highly anticipated 2012 album, Clockwork Angels. The recording of Clockwork Angels began with Grammy Award winner Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Deftones) who collaborated with the band on their 2007 studio album, Snakes and Arrows – and Rush co-producing. Lyrically, Clockwork Angels chronicles a young man’s quest across a lavish and colorful world of steampunk and alchemy as he attempts to follow his dreams. The story features lost cities, pirates, anarchists, exotic carnival, and a rigid Watchmaker who imposes precision on every aspect of daily life. With more than 40 million records sold worldwide and countless sold-out tours, Rush – Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart – is not only one of the most inventive and compelling groups in rock history, but remains one of the most popular… Read more >
8. Born and Raised
Price: $9.99
Born and Raised, the new album from Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician John Mayer. The first single, “Shadow Days,” Billboard calls “a gentle and shimmering confluence of mellow Southern rock”.
Mayer produced Born and Raised with Don Was, who worked on albums for acts such as the Rolling Stones, B.B. King and Bonnie Raitt. Rock legends David Crosby and Graham Nash provide vocals on the title song, “Born and Raised.” Musicians joining Mayer on the album and on the road include highly-regarded keyboardist/pianist Chuck Leavell who has worked with the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and The Allman Brothers Band as well as previous collaborators Sean Hurley on bass and Aaron Sterling on drums.
Mayer’s previous albums Room for Squares, Heavier Things, Continuum and Battle Studies have sold more than 12 million copies combined. He has been honored with seven Grammy Awards and an additional 11 nominations. He has also been included in Time Magazine’s annual Time 100 list of the most influential contemporary thinkers, leaders, artists and entertainers, and twice been featured on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine s annual “Guitar” issue… Read more >
9. Some Nights
Price: $9.73
Some Nights is the second studio album from American alternative rock/indie pop band Fun. It was released on February 21, 2012 through Fueled by Ramen. It was recorded in 2011 and produced by Jeff Bhasker. After signing to a new label, the band began to work on Some Nights for over nine months throughout 2011. “We Are Young” was released as the lead single from the album and bolstered the band to mainstream success with the aid of television and advertising. It topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and Alternative Songs for two weeks, with over three million digital downloads. The title track was commissioned as the second single and has reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as becoming their second No. 1 on Alternative Songs. The song is also their second to reach platinum status in the USA. The album has received positive reviews according to Metacritic.
10. Little Broken Hearts
Price: $9.99
Norah Jones has set a May 1 release date for Little Broken Hearts (Blue Note/EMI), her stunning new album produced by Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton). Jones has also revealed the album cover and track listing of the 12-song set, which features original songs co-written by Jones and Burton.
Jones drew the inspiration for the album cover from the vintage movie posters that adorn Burton’s Los Angeles studio. “Brian has this great collection of Russ Meyer posters in his studio,” explains Jones, “and this particular one, called Mudhoney, was right over the couch where I sat every day. I always was looking at it and thinking `that’s so cool I want to look like her!’ I remember staring at the poster the whole time we made the record. It’s a great visual.”
Little Broken Hearts is the fascinating next step in the artistic evolution of one of the music world’s most consistently intriguing singer-songwriters. Jones first emerged on the world stage 10 years ago this month with the February 2002 release of Come Away With Me, her self-described “moody little record” that introduced a singular new voice and grew into a global phenomenon, sweeping the 2003 Grammy Awards and signaling a paradigm shift away from the prevailing synthetic pop music of the time. Come Away With Me has just become the #10 best-selling album of the Soundscan era. The album has sold 25 million copies worldwide.
Since then, Jones has released three more critically acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums–Feels Like Home (2004), Not Too Late (2007), and The Fall (2009)–as well as two albums with her country collective The Little Willies. The 2010 compilation …Featuring Norah Jones showed her to possess an incredibly versatile voice by collecting her collaborations with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Outkast, Herbie Hancock, and Foo Fighters. Jones previously collaborated with Danger Mouse on his acclaimed 2011 album ROME, a valentine to classic Italian film score music that also featured Jack White… Read more >
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Copyright 2012 David Masters
