Drake’s Take: New Releases 11.18.08-11.25.08

Like I mentioned above, I’m doing a little housekeeping tonight, so enjoy the “classic” Drake’s Takes for now. -ed.

Drake’s Take: New Releases 11.18.08-11.25.08

Once again, releases are in holiday mode, so ‘new’ releases are sparse (hence the combining of weeks). On Monday, I profiled the new albums from Kanye West, The Killers and Tom Jones, and besides that there’s releases from the Paul McCartney project The Fireman, Anathallo, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Femi Kuti, Ludacris and Momus. (Chinese Democracy is a Best Buy only, so I’ll happily ignore.) Special EP’s from Coldplay, The Raveonettes, Feist, Sixx:AM and Surf City litter the landscape as well along with compilations from post-punk faves Magazine and Rivers Cuomo. Reissue to get this week is R.E.M.’s Murmur: Deluxe Edition, and there’s a special 2-CD edition of last year’s fave soundtrack Juno. Speaking of soundtracks, my current fave is Slumdog Millionaire, which gets early digital release this week.

Playlist: New Releases 11.25.08
Playlist: New Releases 11.18.08


Slumdog Millionaire – Music From The Motion Picture
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Slumdog Millionaire - Music From The Motion PictureThe film Slumdog Millionaire is a frenetic portrait of Mumbai, a gritty fairytale of beating long odds and standing firm in the face of adversity, and propelling it forward is the pulsating score by A.R. Rahman. In the wake of the recent tragic events of the city portrayed, the film — and even it’s soundtrack — becomes even more visceral than it’s already ebullient depiction of Mumbai. Since the news broke while I was writing this review, I’ve decided to either attempt to write a bigger review on it’s own, or can it all together, so some notes will have to do:

At only 42, A.R. Rahman is the 8th best-selling music artist of all-time, and with a long career still ahead of him he will undoubtably work his way further up the list.

Director Danny Boyle originally wanted Jack Black to do the score, but settled on Bollywood king Rahman after realizing his naivete in thinking that Black would have time to hang out in India for a year or so to work on it.

The song “Ringa Ringa” is a reworking of “Choli ke peeche” from the Bollywood film Khalnayak (1993). Rahman utilized the same voice talent, Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun, that sang in the original chart-topping version.

“Aaj Ki Raat” is another reworked song, which originally appeared in the Bollywood gangster film Don – The Chase Begins Again


More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week
Kanye West - 808s and HeartbreakKanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
The Killers – Day & Age
The Fireman – Electric Arguments
Magazine – The Complete John Peel Sessions
The Raveonettes – Wishing You A Rave Christmas
Tom Jones – 24 Hours / Free AOL Album Stream
Rivers Cuomo – Alone II: The Home Recordings
Ludacris – Theater Of The Mind
Juno – Music From The Motion Picture [Deluxe]
Surf City – Surf City EP (AOL Album Stream) / “Headin’ Inside” [mp3]
Sixx:AM – Live Is Beautiful EP (AOL Album Stream)
Peachcake – What Year Will You Have Your World (AOL Album Stream)
Coldplay – Prospekt’s March EP
Blood Ceremony – Blood Ceremony
John Zorn – The Last Supper: Film Works XXII
Scott Weiland – Happy Galoshes / Free AOL Album Stream
REISSUES
REM – Murmur – Deluxe Edition
11.18.08
Anathallo - Canopy GlowAnathallo – Canopy Glow
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Sunday At Devil Dirt
Femi Kuti – Day by Day
Max Tundra – Parallax Error Beheads You
Momus – JoeMus
Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke
Alaska in Winter – Holiday