March 1, 2011 - 10:15pm
Oldies and goodies on January's album-release list
BY EMMA GASE
As we come off the proverbial music high that was all of 2010, Jan. 2011 has some serious ground to cover and some big-ass shoes to fill. With a new album from some oldies, a follow-up to a surprisingly likable rock opera, and some California punks back in action, January isn't looking too shabby.
The Decemberists — The King Is Dead — Rough Trade
Colin Meloy's band of lovable misfits tones down the wailing guitars and shrieking thematics from 2009's The Hazards of Love, returning to their rootsy Americana with the aid of Gillian Welch and Peter Buck.
Social Distortion — Hard Times and Nursery Ryhmes — Epitaph
Old-school West Coast punk/alt-country pioneers return for the first time since 2004 with their rowdy riffs and cow-punk anthems. Don't miss this return to form.
Gregg Allman — Low Country Blues — Rounder
An oldie but always a goodie, this Allman brother treats us to an album of bare-bones covers (including one original) aided by veteran producer T Bone Burnett in the studio.
