GrooveOut

You Better Watch Out
Advance planning for those holiday lists, a roundup of recent releases
By Chris Sill

It’s that time of year again. While we, the buying public, start assembling our holiday gift lists, the record companies begin filling store shelves with multitudes of limited-edition box sets, greatest-hits collections, and yes, unending holiday music. GrooveOut will investigate all the aforementioned in next month’s issue, but for now let’s do some investigating into some of 2001’s newest releases.

Although a greatest-hits CD, it would be a sin (at least here in Houston) not to mention the latest from modern rock icons, The Cure. Greatest Hits features 16 of their essential best, plus two new songs. Here’s the fun part. A limited edition (300,000 copies) will include a special bonus "unplugged" CD of all the songs on Greatest Hits performed acoustically. In stores November 13.

On the softer side of rock and roll comes Motherland from ex-10,000 Maniac, Natalie Merchant. A shimmering yet soulful collection of songs, Motherland will be supported by a national tour this winter. On November 13, singer/songwriter Jewel releases her long-awaited fourth album, This Way. Containing the first self-penned material from the artist since the 1998 Spirit, the album may surprise fans looking for Jewel’s trademark sound. The acclaimed singer says, "The most important thing to me is maintaining my authenticity. I’ll always be curious musically and want to try new things, but above all, I want the music to sound honest and good in 20 years." And if you haven’t already heard, Garbage is back! Beautiful Garbage hit stores last month to the delight of their legions of queer fans.

From soft rock to soft jazz … Although not technically a jazz album, composer/pianist Jim Wilson’s Cape of Good Hope should find its way into any soft jazz/new age collection. The lush and soothing melodies of this Amarillo native create a peaceful place of refuge for listeners. Well-known musicians David Sanborn, Dan Fogelberg, and Richard Elliot join Wilson on Cape. Look for Wilson’s PBS-TV special to air this fall.

Two more Texas boys are making noise in the world of music as well. Openly gay singer/songwriter Christian Andreason has released his best-of CD, The Storybook Collection. This bi-coastal (Houston and Los Angeles) entertainer is a GLAMA Award winner and has written and performed the theme song, Embraced by the Light, for the upcoming television show of the same name.

Another Texan now calling Houston home is Charlie Pacheo. Originally from San Antonio, this country-music crooner spent many years in San Francisco, where he was tagged "the Castro cowboy.

" Pacheo’s new CD, You’re in Love with the Wrong Man, is more fun than a Texas hayride and should kick up the heels of Houston’s cowboys and cowgirls. For more on Pacheo and Andreason, visit their websites at www.allaboutchristian.com and www.cyberwolves.com/castrocowboy.

If dance music is your beat, there are a slew of new releases to keep you dancing all night. Essential to all house-heads is the latest from one of America’s best-kept secrets, Naked Music. This San Francisco-based label has been producing the finest deep house music for years. Dive into the deep end with Nude Dimensions 3. For the circuit sound, pick up DJ Ra’s first outing on 4Play Record’s Circuit Sessions 10. Looking for something to really prick up your ears? Grab a copy of the Avalanches’ Since I Left You for a whirlwind tour around boogie land. Hailing from Australia and two years in the making, Since I Left You brilliantly orchestrates over 900 samples into a symphony of toe-tapping beats. If that doesn’t intrigue you, listen closely for the Madonna sample. It’s the first time the material girl has ever given permission for her music to be sampled! Pitching down the tempo a bit, another must-have is the American release (finally) of Programmed To Love from British duo Bent. Their name really says it all. Bent delivers a soundtrack of beautifully warped grooves with a proper dash of satire. One for the tastemakers.