SARS-Cov2. Silicon Valley companies would give their left tits to emulate the kind of disruption you’ve wrought.
The spring release schedule was slowly coming together when the virus shredded the calendar. Dates have always been subject to change, albeit never with this level of uncertainty.
Mandy Barnett, A Nashville Songbook , Aug. 21
Barnett has a wonderful voice that often has served unspectacular music, so the things that would sink this album are uninspired arrangements. A single of “It’s Now or Never” bodes none too well.
Johnny Hates Jazz, Wide Awake
Magnetized was a favorite in 2013, so I’m looking forward to this long-awaited follow-up.
Prince, Sign O the Times (Deluxe Edition), Sept. 25
I’m actually going to settle for the remastered regular edition. I’m still waiting for any news on the Love Symbol album.
Jónsi, Shiver, Oct. 2
Does Sigur Rós even record albums any more? I know they’ve released collaborative projects, but what about a boring, traditional album with at least 10 tracks and a total running time around 40 minutes? No? I guess a Jónsi solo album it is.
The Replacements, Pleased to Meet Me (Deluxe Edition), Oct. 25
I might check this one out, but I’m totally dropping cash on deluxe editions for Tim and Let It Be.
Kylie Minogue, DISCO, Nov. 6
Intriguing though the idea of Kylie in Nashville may have been, I couldn’t actually bring myself to get Golden. In fact, I’ve passed over the last two albums. I’m hoping DISCO is not the third.
Vinyl
Guided by Voices, Alien Lanes (25th Anniversary), Aug. 21
I had this album on CD, but I didn’t keep it. Then I downloaded it from eMusic. Why am I interested in this vinyl edition?
PJ Harvey, Rid of Me, Aug. 21
I nearly bought a bootleg version of this album on vinyl.
The amount of acclaim surrounding this album made me think it might overcome my general ambivalence about Fiona Apple. And yes, I like it. Is it the weirdest album I’ve ever heard? Not by a long shot. But any artist aiming to make their own Karuki Zaamen Kuri no Hana is fine by me.
Les Rythmes Digitales, Darkdancer
At the time of its release, Darkdancer drew comparisons to’80s music. I didn’t hear it, but in retrospect, I still had a lot to learn about the decade up in which I grew. I gave up this album when cash got tight, but I welcomed it back with a purchase at the thrift shop.
Post Malone, Hollywood’s Burning
I picked up this album from Goodwill for $2. I see the youth mentioning him a lot, so I wanted to find out why. I found myself liking it more than I expected.
Nakamori Akina, AKINA BOX, 1982-1989
I downloaded this boxed set from the Evil Sharing Networks months back, but the pandemic gave me time to take a deep enough dive that I dropped a non-trivial amount of cash to own it outright. I used birthday money.
My Very Own Familiar, Dear Listener: Lawnchairs for the Apocalypse
A friend of mine posted he was releasing an album recorded during the lockdown in Washington that started in March. This is that album, and it’s available only on YouTube. Also, it’s damn good.
Robyn, Body Talk
I’m disappointed in myself for not grabbing a copy of this album on vinyl on Record Store Day 2019.
Perfume Genius, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
I’m slowly coming around to Perfume Genius. I don’t know if I’ll explore the early albums, but these last two have appealed to me greatly.
Jason Isbell and 400 Unit, Reunions
I like this album more than The Nashville Sound, but I don’t like it as much as Here We Rest or Something More Than Free. But finding a bad Jason Isbell album is like trying to find a bad Emmylou Harris album.
Timo Andres / Jeremy Denk / Brad Mehldau / Randy Newman, I Still Play
I’m going to miss Bob Hurwitz’s leadership of Nonesuch Records. The label seems to be moving in a more Americana direction since his retirement, and while the partnership with New Amsterdam Records is tailor made, I can’t help but feel Nonesuch is outsourcing its A&R for modern classical music.
![[Charlie Puth - Voicenotes]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CharliePuthVoicenotes201237260_f-300x300.jpg)
![[Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/FionaAppleFetchtheBoltC235408N0TH_f-300x300.jpg)
![[Johnny Hates Jazz - Wide Awake]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/JohnnyHatesJazzWideAwake-300x300.jpg)
![[Les Rythmes Digitales - Darkdancer]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/LesRythmesDigitalesDarkda234652_f-300x300.jpeg)
![[Rufus Wainwright - Unfollow the Rules]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/RufusWainwrightUnfollowth235173_f-300x300.jpg)
![[Perfume Genius - No Shape]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/PerfumeGeniusNoShape201202266_f-300x265.jpg)
![[Gabby Pahinui - Best of the Gabby Band, 1972-1977]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GabbyPahinuiBestoftheGa234799_f-300x300.jpeg)
![[Torche - Live at Chicago Music Exchange]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TorcheLiveatChicagoMusic2347508CNR_f-300x300.jpg)
![[Powerbleeder - Welcome Back]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/PowerbleederWelcomeBack2234593SUGB_f-300x300.jpg)
![[Various Artists - I Still Play]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TimothyAndresJeremyDenkB2343770T3F_f-300x300.jpg)