Brandon's Buzz

My work schedule has just been impossible for the past couple of weeks, hence the Buzz’s unexpected fourteen day hiatus. But I’m back, fully rested, and thrilled to announce that this blog is back in bidness, effective immediately. Thankfully, the new release wall at your local record store hasn’t exactly been a hopping hotbed of activity during my unfortunate absence, so at least we can all take heart in the knowledge in the fact that we didn’t miss much. Herewith, a recap of what has slipped past the goalie:

Even though he owns one of the most popular, most played songs of the millenium — the ultra-ubiquitous classic “I’ll Be” — he has largely flown under the radar for the whole of his career, having put together one of the most unheralded, underappreciated discographies of the past fifteen years, and this week, Time Life Entertainment deigns to celebrate it properly with a strong new sixteen-track collection entitled, simply,
The Best of Edwin McCain. There are some obvious omissions here — most notably “Go Be Young,” McCain’s spectacular radio smash from 2000, or the brilliantly raucous cover of James Taylor’s “(I’ve Got to) Stop Thinkin’ ‘Bout That” which stood as the high point of his forceful 1997 commercial breakthrough Misguided Roses — but all things considered, Best is a solidly representative cross-section of McCain’s strongest material — I’m ecstatic that whomever in McCain’s camp compiled this set found room for his rollicking 2006 romp “Gramercy Park Hotel,” and Sherry Ann will no doubt be over the moon to find that her all-time favorite “Write Me a Song” (which features a smashing harmony vocal from my beloved Shawn Colvin) also made the cut — and a fine, concise way to introduce yourself to a body of work you very well may have let pass you by for far too long. (By the by, you can find also find a new tune from McCain on the digital-only soundtrack for The Last Song — — a new cinematic tearjerker starring Miley Cyrus, who also contributes a pair of new tracks to the project.)

(more…)

Never let it be said that being a world-renowned music blogger and radio host doesn’t have its privileges: click the button below to download “New Friend,” an exclusive track from Aqualung‘s forthcoming fourth album Magnetic North.

Last week was full of fabulosity. This week: decidedly less so. Be careful out there in record store land this week:

• That wacky, brilliant troubadour Josh Rouse takes another dramatic left turn with his bilingual latest, El Turista.

 

• The magnificent Patty Larkin celebrates a quarter-century as a top-flight recording artist with her latest album, 25, which features exactly that many tracks and exactly that many guest stars — among them: Mary Chapin Carpenter, Suzanne Vega, Janis Ian, and the divine Shawn Colvin — and I’m bringing her to Brandon’s Buzz Radio later this month to talk about it.

 

• Country star Gary Allan returns with his latest effort,
  Get Off on the Pain.

 

• With Gnarls Barkley on an indefinite hiatus, supermaverick producer/artist Danger Mouse has teamed up with James Mercer (frontman for The Shins) to create Broken Bells, and their
  hotly-anticipated self-titled debut arrives this week.

 

• I was crazy about their propulsively brilliant last record — 2007’s underrated Baby 81 — and now, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club follows up with their latest, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo.

 

• Ultra-irritating cartoon band Gorillaz are up with their latest,
  Plastic Beach.

 

• If you have yet to take a chance on Train‘s magnificent fifth album,
  Save Me, San Francisco, it’s on sale for the irresistible price of $7.99 at both Best Buy and Amazon.com through Sunday. So for God’s sake: forgo one grande latte this week and buy. this. album!

 

• Finally: don’t laugh, but season seven — and the first one which featured my beloved Nia Peeples — of my old TV favorite
  Walker, Texas Ranger arrives on DVD this week, as does the incredible Mo’Nique and her Academy Award-winning performance in Precious.

(All times Texas, er… Central)

6:50: Welcome, everyone! 10 minutes to go before the ABC Red Carpet! Helping me with the first hour or so of tonight’s festivities are the lovely and witty Helen and Sherry Ann.

6:55: We are on the last few minutes of the Barbara Walters special. Sherry Ann wonders, “Why can’t Ryan Seacrest do this show?” Frankly, I don’t know who would be more annoying, but this is Barbara’s last Oscars special.

6:58: A toast to Barbara from Sandra Bullock. (We just learned that it’s pronounced, SAHN-dra, with the long AH’s, not as in San Diego!)

7:00: Here we go! Let the fun begin!

7:01: Did you know the Academy Awards began in 1929?

7:02: Yikes! It’s been raining in Southern California!

7:02: All five of the supporting actress nominees are here! Sherry Ann votes for Maggie Gyllenhaal!

(more…)

It pleases me no end to announce the second annual Brandon’s Buzz / Academy Awards live blog event, which begins Sunday evening (March 7) at 8pm EST (that’s 5pm for you folks in Calla-forny) with coverage of ABC’s official pre-show festivities. I’m working late tomorrow evening, so A and Sherry Ann will be holding down the fort until I get home, but since they’re the funniest people I know, I assure you that you couldn’t be in better hands. Be there or be square.

One of the funniest, most wholly satisfying seasons of television in the history of the medium hits DVD at long last this week, surrounded by a passel of worthy music choices populating the new release wall at your local record store. Live it up, kids — it’s a banner week:

A’s new favorite guy, the cutie-pie balladeer Jamie Cullum, returns this week with his fourth album, The Pursuit, which includes his apeshit crazy cover of Rihanna’s smash “Don’t Stop the Music” and a gentle reading of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd classic “Not While I’m Around,” as well as the stirring title track he contributed last year to Clint Eastwood’s hit film Gran Torino. (Don’t miss the deluxe edition of Pursuit, which contains a DVD with a handful of live performances, recorded at the famed Montreux Jazz Festival, and videos, plus an interview which finds Jamie going through the album track by track.)

(more…)