LimeWire Music Blog

We’ve still got a couple of weeks before the holiday season officially kicks off, so don’t make us start thinking end-of-year roundup just yet, okay? Before that seasonal mania sets in, let’s have ourselves some actual fun. Now, if you’re the sort who’s likely to find your fun in this week’s offerings by the likes of Bon Jovi or Switchfoot, God bless, good luck, and take it someplace else. If, however, you share with us that rare commodity called “taste,” you could do a lot worse than to avail yourself of the sweet, snappy pop, moody, mysterioso folk-rock, global grooves, and fatback funk you’ll find in this week’s round of recommendations.

Robyn Hitchcock – I Often Dream of Trains in New York
Over the last couple of years, the alt-rock world has been consumed by full-album fever, a chronic condition wherein venerated artists serve their fans’ sentimental side by hitting the road to play one of their most beloved albums in its entirety. So why should quintessential cult artist Robyn Hitchcock and his followers be immune to the phenomenon? Hitchcock revisited his autumnal, acoustic-based classic I Often Dream of Trains for some lucky fans in New York last year, but now the rest of the world can get in on the action too.

Tommy T. – The Prester John Session
As the bassist for Gypsy punks Gogol Bordello, Tommy T. doesn’t usually get that much of a chance to explore the musical roots of his native Ethiopia, but stepping out on his own for The Prester John Session opens the door to all kinds of possibilities. Joined by guests including his Gypsy pals and Ethiopian singer Gigi, Tommy serves up a sizzling batch of tracks that mix funk, dub reggae, jazz, and more, infusing the whole thing with a smoldering, groove-happy intensity that never fails to deliver the get-down goods.

General Elektriks – Good City For Dreamers
Who knew the French could get so damn funky? Keyboard wizard Herve “RV” Salters makes a strong case for the Gallic groove on his latest outing under the General Elektriks banner. RV, who made his name in his adopted home of the Bay Area by falling in with the Quannum crew (Blackalicious, DJ Shadow, et al), works up a gravity-defying balancing act between pop, hip-hop, and the kind of funk that makes crate-diggers salivate, digging into ’70s-inspired, Rare Groove-style sounds while still remaining completely contemporary.

Bad Lieutenant – Never Cry Another Tear
Let’s be realistic — no one who has kept up with the diminishing returns of New Order’s output during the last two decades should have had any reason to expect much from frontman Bernard Sumner’s new band, Bad Lieutenant. In one of the happiest surprises of the year, however, Sumner’s new crew shows off more vitality and imagination in one song than New Order has offered in their last three albums. It might have something to do with the fact that they pursue a completely different musical path, opting for peppy guitar pop loaded with inescapable hooks.

Reissue of the week:

B.J. Thomas – Original Scepter Recordings
Drop that dead-eyed stare, hipster, you’re not too smart to catch up on some U.S. history. Yes, we’re talking about the same B.J. Thomas who dominated the airwaves in the ’70s with his brand of countrypolitan pop. This foursome of twofers from the Collectors Choice label is here to school you on the cool factor inherent in Thomas’s early output, covering his first eight albums from 1966 to 1972, a period that found him working with legendary R&B producers like Huey P. Meaux and Chips Moman, backed by everyone from original guitar hero Duane Eddy to the legendary soul-powered session men of Memphis’ famed American Studios. Get in on it now, so you can say you were at the leading edge of the B.J.T. revival.