The Joshua Tree

This legendary group from Leeds, have written contemporary music history for the last 40 years as radical innovators of both first generation punk and insurgent roots music. Their new album was recorded in the desert environs of Joshua Tree, California and is drenched with widescreen, barbed-wire atmosphere and hard-earned (but ever amused) defiance.

Anser's Tree is the 2006 release from singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Guy Manning, a concept album telling the story of Dr. Jonathan Anser and his quest to find the truth and history of his family tree. As Manning takes you through this history, from six ancestors up through Jonathan himself, a rich musical tapestry of moods and styles are weaved, led by Guy's enticing, Ian Anderson-ish vocals, layers of acoustic guitars, flutes, fiddle, keyboards, mandolin, biting electric guitar, and percussion. More dense and intricate than Manning's last release One Small Step, this album is a little closer in style to 2004's A Matter of Life and Death, but as with all of the output from Mr. Manning, the end result is a charming mix of folk and prog rock sounds.

Those who liked the moodier, more atmospheric material on the last Mark Lanegan Band offering, 2004's Bubblegum, will find much to enjoy on Blues Funeral – an album that has little to do with blues as a musical form. Lanegan has been a busy man since Bubblegum. In the nearly eight ensuing years, he's issued three records with Isobel Campbell, joined Greg Dulli in the Gutter Twins, guested on albums by the Twilight Singers and UNKLE, and was the lead vocalist on most of the last two Soulsavers offerings. Produced by Eleven guitarist Alain Johannes (who also fulfills that role here as well as playing bass, keyboards, and percussion), Blues Funeral finds Lanegan in a musically ambitious place.

This 1994 recording was McBride's debut as a leader, and it consolidated his place as the most eminent bassist of the mainstream youth movement. His big sound, relaxed time-feel, and keen harmonic sense all hearken back to the great bass players of the '50s, and his adroit bowed solos can recall the work of Paul Chambers. McBride has assembled some of his most talented peers here in various permutations, forming a tight rhythm unit with drummer Lewis Nash and inspiring strong contributions from trumpeter Roy Hargrove, tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman, trombonist Steve Turre, and pianist Cyrus Chestnut.

Bob Dylan & The Band - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes - Complete (2014) [6CD] {Columbia}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 2.11 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 944 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 78 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2014 Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music | 8875016122
Rock / Folk Rock / Roots Rock / Songwriter

Preserving newly written Bob Dylan songs for copyright is the reason why the Band's Garth Hudson rolled tape at Big Pink but The Basement Tapes were something much more than songwriting demos. Greil Marcus dubbed it a celebration of the "Old, Weird America" in his 1997 book Invisible Republic, connecting these songs to Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, adding an extra layer of myth to tapes that were shrouded in mystery from the moment bootlegs started to circulate. The Basement Tapes Complete strengthens portions of that legend while simultaneously puncturing it. Certainly, the six-disc box – its first five discs assembled according to Hudson's numbering system, with the sixth disc collecting sessions discovered later – feels substantially different from the LP released in 1975, where the overall picture was distorted by Robbie Robertson adding sometimes significant overdubs and including Band recordings that weren't cut during those seven months in 1967.

"Mental Hygiene" is the third installment from Slychosis. Gregg Johns. Todd Sears, and Ceci Whitehurst return with Clay Pell on bass. Special Guests appearing include Jeff Hamel of Majestic on Guitar and Keyboards, Bones Joshua Theriot of Abigail's Ghost on guitar, Bridget Shield on Vocals, and Mike Fortenberry on trumpet. This album adds dark and heavy undertones in conjuction with the melodic prog layers associated with Slychosis. The songs are more vocally-oriented on this venture featuring the vocal talents of Ceci Whitehurst and a guest appearance from Bridget Shield…