In this column I feature new music releases featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist Brenda Lee, modern rock outfit Young the Giant and classic rock favorites The Turtles.
Artist: Brenda Lee
Title: Rockin' Around: The Story Behind The Iconic Singer (Mercury Studios)
You might like if you enjoy: Jackie DeShannon, Wanda Jackson, Brenda Lee
Tell me more: Brenda Lee is a groundbreaking American singer who has achieved fame in a number of musical genres including rockabilly, pop, country and Christmas music; the American artist scored her first Billboard hit in 1957 when she was only 12 and has sold more than 100 million records globally. The Atlanta, Georgia native's holiday favorite "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (recorded in 1958) topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2023, making Lee the oldest artist ever to top the chart. Now 80, Lee's incredible genre-defying career is celebrated via an insightful documentary titled "Rockin' Around: The Story Behind The Iconic Singer" that is available via a terrific Mercury Studios Blu-ray + DVD release.
In addition to archival footage of the artist performing in the 1950s, '60s, '70s and '80s, there are modern-day interviews with Lee as well as Keith Urban, Tanya Tucker, Trisha Yearwood, Jackie DeShannon, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and radio personality Shotgun Tom Kelly discussing Lee's amazing career. The documentary provides a look at the myriad of challenges she has faced throughout her life, as well as her successes (Lee was Billboard's Top Female Artist of the Decade in the 1960s). Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, Lee's parade of classic hits includes "Sweet Nothin's," "I'm Sorry," "I Want to Be Wanted," "Speak to Me Pretty," "Losing You" and "All Alone Am I." There is also plenty of time dedicated to the success of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and that song's extraordinary road to iconic status. Information: mercurystudios.co.
Title: In The Open Volume One (Jungle Youth Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: TBA
Tell me more: Young the Giant has just released a new acoustic EP, In The Open Volume One, featuring stripped back versions of some of the band's most beloved material including the confessional "Mind Over Matter" and bewitching "Apartment." The EP kicks off with the previously-unreleased original track "Bitter Fruit," a new acoustic-flavored gem that looks at the painful end of a relationship and the hope for a better future. Other standouts on the EP include the heartfelt "Amerika" and the introspective "Heat of the Summer." In addition to top-tier singer Sameer Gadhia, Young the Giant features Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Francois Comtois (drums) and Payam Doostzadeh (bass). Young the Giant will headline in Costa Mesa, CA tonight, Sept. 12 as part of their current In The Open Tour, an intimate concert experience performed in beautiful spaces and venues around the country; opening the show will be Cassandra Coleman (debut album produced by Jack Antonoff). Information: youngthegiant.com.
Artist: The Turtles
Title: All the Singles (Manifesto Records)
You might like if you enjoy: The Turtles, the Hollies, the Kinks
Tell me more: With the tragic passing of Turtles lead vocalist/guitarist Mark Volman widely reported on Sept. 5, now is the time to revisit the band's wonderful legacy. Spanning a shimmering cover of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" released in June 1965 to the sweeping baroque pop nugget "Me About You" released in late 1970, the Turtles' enduring parade of great songs is celebrated across the glorious All the Singles (released in 2016). The two-disc, 48-track collection allows plenty of time to explore the Los Angeles-spawned group's radio hits as well as more experimental material that draws comparisons with the Kinks and the Byrds. With Howard Kaylan and Volman's artful and wonderful harmony vocals leading the way, the material ranges from folk-rock (the Warren Zevon-penned "Like the Seasons"), garage rock ("Almost There," "Outside Chance"), power-pop ("She'd Rather Be With Me," "Elenore"), sunshine pop ("So Goes Love," "On a Summer's Day"), psychedelic ("Sound Asleep") and even country ("Who Would Ever Think That I Would Marry Margaret"). The Turtles' 1967 number 1 hit "Happy Together" remains one of that decade's most enticing songs and has never sounded better thanks to the remastering from Bill Inglot and Dave Schultz showcased across this must-have collection. Information: manifesto.com.
Robert Kinsler
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