John James can be reached via cyberspace at yeahyeah@cinci.rr.com
The Verve are rolling out the red carpet for their heralded return next week in bonus-packed limited editions of their new album, Forth. A CD/DVD set is available at retail housed in a casebound, book-style package, featuring the 20 minute documentary “Space and Time” and five songs from their performance this past May at Coachella. Mega-fans still gobbling up the various exclusive B-sides on the first single, “Love Is Noise,” can order the deluxe box set from the Verve’s official online store, boasting an audiophile two-LP vinyl set with two songs that don’t show up on the CD, the bonus DVD, instant free downloads and special book of memorabilia…. In cooperation with all past and present membership, the entity known as Hawkwind has announced that the band has struck a deal with the UK’s Cherry Red imprint to archive and reissue the band’s entire catalog. A new sub-label, Atomhenge Records, will debut in November with a pair of three-CD anthologies, followed by individual album reissues. The project looks to be in great hands, based on the loving reissues recently dealt by another arm of Cherry Red, the ever-fitting Esoteric Recordings. No longer so easily stumbled upon in the LP bins of lusty, musty used record stores, the mind expansion team at Esoteric is pledged to keep the trip alive with rare gems hunted down and reissued to a forgotten world. From Man’s mighty, live Maximum Darkness from 1975 to a trio of albums by Dutch prog rock giants Supersister (a John Peel favorite, signed to his own Dandelion Records and recently featured in the Joy Division bio-pic Control), the label’s reissue campaign continues to offer up tasty, eclectic lost documents of a different time. Other recent reissues include vocalist Claire Hammill’s ambient albums Voices and Love In the Afternoon from the 1980s and the jazzy, folky, funky London horn collective Satisfaction and their self-titled debut from 1971, ready to score a vintage indie street soul thriller or toss flowers in the park…
Television Alert: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” welcomes Juliana Hatfield on Monday and BB King on Tuesday; “The Late Show with David Letterman” hosts Solange on Monday and Little Anthony and the Imperials on Tuesday; “Larry King Live” loosens his suspenders with Sheryl Crow this evening, and Tavis Smiley sits down with LL Cool J tonight and Dave Matthews on Thursday.
New Releases Coming Aug. 26
The American Dollar — A Memory Stream (Yesh Music) cinematic instrumental trio
Backyard Tire Fire — The Places We’ve Lived (Hyena) witty and mellow return of this Bloomington, Ind. trio
Emily Bezar — Exchange (DemiVox)
fifth solo album from the Potato Eaters vocalist, floating and soaring
in the green forest realm of Kate Bush and Tori Amos
Bigelf — Cheat the Gallows (Custard) majestic madness at the alter of the vintage prog and Heavy Metal Magazine fantasy, these Beatlesque dark-power poppers shine in the electrifying, spot-on “Money, It’s Pure Evil”
Jonatha Brooke — The Works: Words By Woody Guthrie and Music By Jonatha Brooke (Bad
Dog Records) invited into the Guthrie Archives to put new music to
previously lyrics, with guests Keb’ Mo’, Glen Phillips and Derek Trucks
Eva Cassidy — Somewhere (Blix
Street) collection of songs recorded from 1987 to 1996, highlighted by
covers of Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools” and Willie Nelson’s “Blue
Eyes Crying In the Rain”
Cordero — De Donde Eres (Bloodshot)
all-Spanish album from the Rock*A*Teens’ Chris Verene and his wife, Ani
Cordero, turning in the air like a lost David Lynch spaghetti Western
at dusk
Datarock — “Computer Camp Love” (digital-only release) five-song EP with remixes by DEVO
Delta Spirit — Ode To Sunshine (Rounder)
hot off touring with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Cold War Kids, this
fresh, infectious debut of rainy-day ditties and suburban blues recalls
the Violent Femmes, the Waterboys and the Kinks
Devil’s Slingshot — Clinophobia (Mascot/Megaforce) new supergroup from Tony MacAlpine, Billy Sheehan and Virgil Donati
The Gabe Dixon Band — The Gabe Dixon Band (Fantasy) gorgeously composed originals from the classical pianist hand picked by Paul McCartney for his Driving Rain album, in duet with Mindy Smith on the pensive “Further the Sky”
The Game — LAX (Geffen) possible swan song, with producers Scott Storch and Dr. Dre
Electric Touch — Electric Touch (Justice
Records) debut from this Austin quartet that spins Beatles melodies,
Alice Cooper glam and British pop crackle into a captivating experience
The Fantmas/Melvins Big Band — Live From London 2006 (Ipecac) concert DVD featuring an adio commentary track by label co owner Greg Werckman and actor Danny DeVito
Heavy Heavy Low Low — Turtle Nipple and the Toxic Shock (New Weatherman/ Ferret Music) featuring a cover of Black Flag’s “Wasted” 
Hindu Love Gods — Hindu Love Gods (Rhino
Encore) reissue from 1990, featuring Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill
Berry of REM backing Warren Zevon through 10 cover selections from
Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” and Woody Guthrie’s “Vigilante man” to
Robert Johnson’s “Walking Blues” and “Traveling Riverside Blues”
BB King — One Kind Favor (Geffen)
reaching back to the classic sound of the 1950s with a combo featuring
drummer Jim Keltner, acoustic stand up bassist Nathan East and pianist
Dr. John, a who’s-who of blues legends are covered, including Big Bill
Broonzy, Lemon Jefferson, John Willie “Shifty” Henry and Lee Vida
Walker
Solange Knowles — SoL-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams (Geffen) Beyonc’s sister, with producers Pharrell Williams, Cee-Lo and Mark Ronson
Little Feat — Join the Band (429 Records) with guests Bob Seger, Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris and the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson
Maiysha — This Much Is True (Eusonia)
Brooklyn soul with a trip-hop edge, featuring a wild reinterpretation
of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” as a coy, roadhouse blues come hither
Midnight Juggernauts — “Into the Galaxy” (Isomorph Records) from Australia,
this electronic trio gets a helping hand from remix agents Architecture
in Helsinki, Yuksek & Brodinski, Chateau Marmont and Grandmaster
Flash on this CD EP
Mondo Primo — 2FN Hot (Doghouse) with enclosed 3-D glasses to enjoy the special packaging
Motrhead — Motrizer (Steamhammer) all new, recorded in Dave Grohl’s 606 Studios with Cameron Webb
The Pineapple Thief — Tightly Unwound (KScope Records) Radiohead-friendly ballads and funeral pyres by the alter ego of Bruce Soord, formerly of Vulgar Unicorn
Klaus Schulze and Lisa Gerrard — Farscape (Synthetic Symphony/SPV) all new two-CD collaboration between the Tangerine Dream co-founder and the Dead Can Dance vocalist
Slipknot — All Hope Is Gone (Roadrunner) featuring the single “Psychosocial”
Matthew Sweet — Sunshine Lies (Shout!
Factory) reuniting with Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles, Ric Menck and
Richard Lloyd for his 10 th studio album, this trippy, power pop nugget
is also available in a two-LP vinyl edition with four bonus songs
Toadies — No Deliverance (Kirtland) first new album in seven years
Tuck & Patti — I Remember You (T&P Records) collection of standards, including “In a Sentimental Mood” and “It Might As Well Be Spring”
Tussle — Cream Cuts (Smalltown
Supersound) cubic, broken-tumbling rhythms and down-the-rabbit-hole
electronic knob-twisting for warm robots, with guest Alexis Taylor of
Hop Chip on “Titan”
Uriah Heep — Wake the Sleeper (Universal) all-new from the British rock legends with new drummer Russell Gilbrook
The Veronicas — Hook Me Up (Sire)
domestic CD release of this hit from Australian twin sisters Lisa and
Jessica Origliasso, on tour this month with the Jonas Brothers
Woodhands — Heart Attack (Paper Bag) electro-pop duo with a sexy, sweaty, nightmarish tweaker’s grind
John James can be found via cyberspace at yeahyeah@ cinci.rr.com.
