COUNTRY
"Live at Billy Bob's," Michael Martin Murphey, Smith Music Group
Since recording his first solo album in 1972, country songwriter Michael Martin Murphey has become better known for his solo material than his work with the Lewis & Clarke Expedition or his songwriting for The Monkees. "Live at Billy Bob's" was recorded at the world-famous honky-tonk venue in Fort Worth, Texas, and features the guitarist, vocalist, harmonica player and pianist in his home state.
JAZZ
"Winter Moon," Rodney Whitaker, Sirocco Jazz
Detroit jazz bassist and MSU associate professor of music Rodney Whitaker's fifth solo album hits the market today. He's recorded and performed with fellow Detroit jazz notable James Carter and hard bop trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Whitaker is a well-known name in the scholarly field of jazz studies and is the director of MSU's Jazz Studies Program.
RAP
"Ten," cLOUDDEAD, Mush
Hip-hop trio cLOUDDEAD is known for its experimental and ambient sounds. The trio says "Ten" will be the last album it releases. The accurately titled album features 10 songs, including "Rifle Eyes," a song that is said to be a bizarre response to the Sept. 11, terrorist attacks.
ROCK
"Sounds Like Circles Feel," Calliope, Thick
Lansing-based rock band Calliope's new album is full of wind instruments, beautiful melodic bass, gentle vocals and a syncretism of percussion and electronic instrumentalism that work together to make "Sounds Like Circles Feel" a thing of beauty. The album gives you the feeling that you're floating through space on an endless, lonely voyage - and that you're happy about it.
METAL
"Platters of Splatter," Exhumed, Relapse
San Francisco-area Exhumed's fifth album features the classic love ballads and catchy hooks that have drawn fans to the group since 1991 - kidding. Expect heavy death metal songs about gore, death, murder, decay, grave robbing, torture and dismemberment. Exhumed draws greatly on classic death metal influences such as Carcass and Cannibal Corpse.
POP
"Grown Backwards," David Byrne, Nonesuch
After post-Talking Heads fame, Byrne has met success at the gate again with a number of solo releases that have furthered his career. His newest features a number of originals and one remake of Verdi's "Un Di Felice, Eterea."
