Weekend...again!

We have been blatheirng qiute a bit lately and so will keep it on the quiet today. We have received some good email on our last post (06/18) concerning the state of music today. I appreciated those and likely have communicated with you on the subject via a reply. Sometimes I think that I have reached a bad place with a lack of bands to look forward to although I do have some. One of my absolute favourite bands is ¡Forward Russia!. Like my past, this band is one that I look forward to their release. In fact, I have an upcoming review of their latest album, Life Processes, coming. This album has been released in the UK for a while and will soon be available on Mute Records in the US. This band has produced two very good albums (Give Me a Wall - 2005, Life Processes - 2008). I'll precede the review with a link to their MySpace page (see below).

We'll finish up the Hot Tuna album debate with a post on Monday. We'll go into the Led Zeppelin debate after that for the whole week, which should be a lot of fun...a LOT of fun!

Also, I've resumed my evaluation of the 20 best College Radio stations. I'm listening to Brown University and I'll have to say, they have impressed me...thus far. But time will tell.

I'm also considering a link page for all of your Radio, Record Stroes, Internet, etc sites and places. That way, we can all enjoy the fun.

Now...we're going to change it up a bit with a request to evaluate the best Hot Tuna album. This will challenge but I think it will be fun. After, we'll evaluate Led Zeppelin. But for now, which was Hot Tuna's best album?

No reviews for today but we will upload a whole batch of them for Monday. Be prepared.

We'll see you again on Monday.

If you have missed the last As The Disc Spins, check it out here.

To access the previous site and catch up, click here.

City Breathing is a 3-piece band based in Brooklyn, NY. They have a soft, pop flavour that is nice and effective for an evening of sitting back in a chair (we should ALL do that sometime or another. There'd be less stress). They have just released an 8-track disc called Look How It's Snowing Upwards, Look How they Move Towards Heaven. I don't know where the title came from but I do know that these guys lay out a great set of songs. I like 'em...hope that you do too.

Shout! Factory has a developing artist release in the upcoming self-titled album from The Airborne Toxic Event.  This album is planned for a release on August 5.

Shout! Factory also has a DVD called Raw Spice: The Unofficial Story of the Making of The Spice Girls.  It will street on July 1.

The new Keith Anderson album called C’Mon! is scheduled to be released on August 5th by Columbia Nashville.

There are new “Playlist” series coming from all over with the idea that selected hits that would find themselves on iPod playlists, are selected for inclusion on these albums.  In addition, these songs are considered to be MP3 ready with no restrictions, ready fro transfers to your favourite player.  These is a multitude of “Playlist” series albums arriving on all sides.  There has already been a few releases on these titles including stuff by: Rick Astley (The Very Best of Rick Astley – 06/17); The Bangles (The Very Best of The Bangles – 06/17); Cypress Hill (The Very Best of Cypress Hill (edited/PA versions) – 06/17); Heart (The Very Best of Heart – 06/17); Judas Priest (The Very Best of Judas Priest – 06/17); Lonestar (The Very Best of Lonestar – 06/17); Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (The Very Best of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes – 06/17); Ronnie Milsap (The Very Best of Ronnie Milsap – 06/17); Eddie Money (The Very Best of Eddie Money – 06/17); Lou Reed (The Very Best of Lou Reed – 06/17); Scandal (the Very Best of Scandal – 06/17); Rick Springfield (The Very Best of Rick Springfield – 06/17); Tammy Wynette (The Very Best of Tammy Wynette – 06/17); and finally, one that hasn’t arrived yet – Crash Test Dummies (The Very Best of Crash Test Dummies), which is currently scheduled for July 8.  I include these already released ones in case you haven’t seen them and are interested in them.  As a final statement, the packaging of these Playlist series titles are eco-friendly (no plastic anywhere, all paper).

There is also another series set of titles that combine two classic albums together in a 2fer1 set.  The series is referred to as X2 and you are no stranger to it.  There are a batch coming up for August 5.  I’ll bullet-list them to make it easier for you to scan for ones you may be interested in.

• Babyface (Tender Lover/For the Cool in You) – Epic
• Jeff Beck (Blow by Blow/Truth) – Epic
• Blue Oyster Cult (Spectres/Agents of Fortune) – Columbia
• Mary Mary (Thankful/Incredible) – Columbia
• Steve Perry – (Street Talk/For the Love of Strange Medicine) – Columbia
• REO Speedwagon – (Hi Infidelity/You Can Tune a Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish) – Epic
• Run DMC (Run DMC/King of Rock) – RCA
• Simon & Garfunkel (Bridge Over Troubled Water/Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme) – Columbia
• TLC – (CrazySexyCool/3D) – Zomba
• Warrant – (Cherry Pie/Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinkin’ Rich) – Columbia
• Weather Report – (Heavy Weather/Black Market) – Columbia

There are several Sony Core Classical releases that I’m looking forward to.  The first is The Original Jacket Collection – Carnegie Hall Presents: Leonard Bernstein.  The second is an Essential series collection from Midori called The Essential Midori.  The Essential Midori is planned for July 8, while the Bernstein disc is pegged for August 5.  Another Essential series title is for Evgeny Kissin, which streets on July 8.

Shout! Factory will release a James Brown DVD called I Got the Feelin’: James Brown in the ‘60s, planning the date of release for August 5.

Columbia and Legacy will release an LP of Somewhere Back in Time from Iron Maiden with a projected street date of July 1.

RCA plans a DVD for Avril Lavigne called The Best Damn Tour (Live in Toronto).  This DVD is slated for August 5.

Epic has Forgiven by Los Lonely Boys releasing on both LP and CD.  The LP will be released on June 24, while the CD has a release date of July 1.

Elvis Records plan to release Elvis #1 Hit Performances and More on DVD, and The Complete ’68 Comeback Special – The 40th Anniversary on CD in a Boxed Set.  Both Presley sets are planned for August 5.

This is a reminder that the previously scheduled (April) Santana collection called Multi-Dimensional Warrior is currently scheduled for August 5.

Wind-Up Records have a developing artist disc arriving from Tickle Me Pink called Madeline.  It is scheduled for July 1.

Caroline Records have 4 Amon Duul reissues coming on August 5.  The titles involved are Airs on a Shoestring; Fool Moon; Hawk Meets Penquin; and Meetings With Menmachines.  Other reissues coming from Caroline Records are two more Hawkwind titles.  On August 5, you’ll be able to get Bring Me the Head of Yuri Gagarin (live) and Space Ritual, Volume 2 (live), a 2CD set.

LP fans, get ready for more.  On August 19, two months from now, you’ll be able to reintroduce classic titles back into your building – or rebuilding – vinyl library with titles coming from The Beach Boys (Pet Sounds); Jimi Hendrix (Band of Gypsys); John Lennon (Imagine); Paul McCartney & Wings (Band on the Run); Steve Miller (Greatest Hits: ’74-’78); R.E.M. (Document); Bob Seger (Live Bullet (2LP), Nine Tonight (2LP)); Coldplay (Parachutes; Rush of Blood to the Head; X&Y (2LP); and Radiohead (Amnesiac – 2LP; The Bends; Hail to the Thief; Kid A – 2LP; O.K. Computer – 2LP; Pablo Honey.

This 4-piece band from Leeds has got me excited, more so than a lot I've heard lately. I picked up on them before the release of their first US album, Give Me a Wall (2005), after it had released in the UK. This led me to anxiously anticipate the release of their 2nd album, Life Processes (cover to the left), which is currently in release in the UK (April). It arrives on the US shores on July 22. Listen and be ready for this dynamic band.