Each week, Playlist’s Glenn Peoples looks at special tracks offered by the iTunes Music Store and other select online music merchants. Here are the selections for the week of January 24th.
Being in the world’s biggest music market doesn’t always have its advantages. Americans sometimes have to wait for the domestic release of an album that is already out in other countries. Rather than wait, they can buy the import version, but with the dollar so weak right now imports can give new meaning to the term “sticker shock.” On Monday, Mercury Rev’s The Secret Migration was released in countries around the world. Sadly, the CD won’t be out in this country—the band’s home country—until May 8th. iTunes gives us an alternative. The album is now available for download as three EPs. Mojo Magazine gave The Secret Migration four stars and called it “a dazzling collection of songs about love, devotion and surrender.” Q Magazine gave it three stars and said the band “is in complete control of their cosmic idiom.” For fans of the Flaming Lips (singer/guitarist Johnathon Donahue did a brief stint in the Lips in their pre-Warner Bros. days) and The Delgados, this is the first mandatory purchase of the year.
Jazz great Billie Holidays’s Billie Holiday Sings is new and exclusive to iTunes. Charlie Parker’s The Genius of Charlie Parker Volume 1 is new as well. Somewhat jazz-related is the addition to the iTunes catalog of The Skatallites’ Roots Party .
Also in is “ The Widow,” a new single by the incredible The Mars Volta.
If your thing is an aging rock star who recently had his plastic surgery and general appearance overhaul featured on VH1’s “Remaking” series, check out “ Promise Me,” the new single by the nipped, tucked and trimmed Vince Neil.
Also new to iTunes is a new single by Thievery Corporation. “ Warning Shots ” is off the upcoming The Cosmic Game album, out February 22nd on their own 18th Street Lounge Music imprint. The single will be available on iTunes only until February 8th.
Eminem did wonders for Dido’s career when he used a sample from her song “Thank You” in his hit song “Stan.” On his recent album Encore , Eminem samples the chorus from “Toy Soldiers” by ’80s one hit wonder Martika. The result? Renewed interest, and Martika’s Toy Soldiers (Best Of) is now available at iTunes.
MSN’s music store just picked up 35,000 songs from the historic catalog of the Smithsonian Museum’s Folkways Recordings label. Icons such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Big Bill Broonzy are part of the label’s roster. The label is also strong in the areas of spoken word and field recordings of tradtional musics from around the world. Smithsonian has its own section of the store, found here.
The folks at Bleep.com are keeping alive the music of the now-defunct electronic label Defocus. Says the website, “Apart from some remaining stock at East London’s excellent record shop Smallfish, Bleep is now the only you can find their music.”