A chunk of new releases out this Monday (gotta get the albums out early for Black Friday sales), as well as some on the usual Tuesday (Nov. 22) drop date. I've included info and links for the ones you want to know about most below, plus some other ones you may never have heard of (but should know), with audio & video for your listening and viewing pleasure. Click here to check out releases that dropped over the past few months …
NOVEMBER 21
Asking Alexandria, Stepped Up And Scratched (Sumerian)
Big Time Rush, Elevate (Columbia/Nickelodeon)
Mary J. Blige, My Life II…The Journey Continues [Act1] (Geffen)
Kate Bush, 50 Words For Snow (Anti-)
The influential 53-year-old singer-songwriter from London issues her second album of 2011 and 10th overall, "seven tracks set against a background of falling snow" and featuring special guests like Elton John, Andy Fairweather Low and on the title track, British writer/broadcaster/raconteur Stephen Fry. NPR music critic Ann Powers chose 50 words to describe the new album: "Powdery fantasia. Contemplative. Winter matins. Playful. Opium reverie. Grounded. Ghost story. Sensual. Artistic recalibration. Unhurried. Drummer's holiday. Quiet. Ode to the white keys. Imaginative. Exploration of the lower register. Floating. Mother-son duet. Solitary. Snowed-in erotica. Collaborative. Joni Mitchell answer record. Inimitable. Supernatural space odyssey. What we'd expect from Kate Bush.” The LP has already garnered an average score of 93 on Metacritic. Listen to "Wild Man" below.
Calexico, Selections From Road Atlas 1998-2011 (Quarter Stick)
A CD selection of songs from a 12-album vinyl box set of Calexico's tour-only CDs (previously sold exclusively at Calexico's live concerts).
Chris Cornell, Songbook (Universal)
A live acoustic album from former frontman of Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple Of The Dog that includes unplugged renderings of songs like "Black Hole Sun" and "I Am The Highway."
Cloud Control, Bliss Release (WEA)
The debut record of a warm psyche-retro rock band from Australia sees its U.S. release. Check out some of the tracks after the jump, along with the rest of this week's new releases.
This article appears in Nov 17-23, 2011.