Monday, 6/23/97 Summer sizzles with new CD releases and hot hits
MUSIC: Recordings available from old, new favorites in every
genre
By Mike Prevatt Daily Bruin Senior Staff It’s a symbiotic
relationship – college students with money to burn and record
stores with albums to browse through. With school out, there’s even
more time to shop, and this summer’s hot new releases promise
something in every genre. For the UCLA crowd, this means sales
galore at the many different outlets selling music in Westwood
Village. Stores like Blockbuster Music, Tower Records and the
Wherehouse are already displaying their splashy, colorful sale ads.
But you shouldn’t count out such local faves as Rhino Records,
Penny Lane, Circuit City and Sisterhood which provide selection and
prices much different from those of the big chains above. What to
buy: The summer has already gotten off to a great start with
blockbusters and high-profile releases carried over from the
spring. Artists like Notorious B.I.G., the Wallflowers, LeAnn
Rimes, No Doubt, the Spice Girls, Jewel and Hanson have already
sold tons of records. New releases by Wu Tang Clan, Toad the Wet
Sprocket, Erasure, Foo Fighters and God’s Property From Kirk
Franklin’s Nu Nation are making dents in the charts, as are the
Indigo Girls and Paul McCartney. Surprise blockbusters have also
crept up or maintained their reign in the charts, like the popular
"Space Jam" soundtrack and "Pure Moods," an atmospheric compilation
of New Age, trance and electronic dance music by such artists as
Enya, Enigma and Michael Nyman. Rap and hip-hop are flourishing
with hit albums, and this summer should be no exception. Expect
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to debut at No. 1 with their upcoming, double
album, "The Art of War." The soundtrack to "Nothing To Lose,"
featuring artists like Coolio and Naughty by Nature, will surely
sell well too, as will the soundtrack for "Steele." The music
business has its eyes set on the release from Wyclef Jean, titled
"Carnival," after his success with the Fugees last year. Other
rap/hip-hop artists releasing albums are Robyn, 40 Thevz and Brotha
Lynch Hung. The other big college music draw, alternative music, is
guaranteed to have a lucrative summer as well. Radiohead’s third
album, "O.K. Computer" hits shelves July 1, as does the
eagerly-anticipated Prodigy album, "Fat of the Land," Primus’ "The
Brown Album" and the Geraldine Fibbers’ "Butch." Echo and the
Bunnymen reunite for "Evergreen," led by Ian McCulloch. Pavement,
Seven Mary Three, Magnapop and Faith No More are also releasing
albums. Old veterans like John Lydon (Sex Pistols) and the Misfits
are sure to shock and scare us once again with their new works.
Britain is importing albums left and right this summer. Most
anticipated, in addition to Prodigy and Radiohead, is the
Seahorses’ debut album, "Do It Yourself." The band features John
Squires, creative mastermind of the early ’90s pop sensation, the
Stone Roses. Kenickie and Reef debut here in the States, as does
the red hot rock outfit Mansun. And British pop favorites like the
Tindersticks, Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub and the Charlatans,
all of which hid during the Britpop era, are releasing new albums
this summer as well. Dance and electronic music, still surrounded
by hype, have a few offerings. Lords of Acid have two albums on the
way this summer. The retro-ish Pizzicato Five and the quirky
Lightning Seeds also join the rush. Reggae sees a line-up of big
artists releasing albums, such as Shaggy, Ziggy Marley and UB40.
There is even a reggae-style Police tribute album coming out,
called "Regatta Mondatta," due at the end of July. For the more
conservative music listener, there are many old favorites who are
coming out with new albums. Sinead O’Connor and Michael Penn both
release albums after long hiatuses, as does Steve Winwood and k.d.
lang, who comes out with "Drag," an album dedicated to smoking in
songs. Steve Earle, fresh from his critically acclaimed "Ellis Unit
One" song on the "Dead Man Walking" emerges this summer with his
down-home style, as does a live album by Neil Young and Blues
Traveler. Such ’80s icons as Kenny Loggins, Pat Benatar and Belinda
Carlisle hit the scene again, along with heavy metal heroes Alice
Cooper and Motley Crue, with singer Vince Neil back to lead the
group. Going solo this summer is Jon Bon Jovi and famous Rush
drummer, Neil Peart. En Vogue brings the R&B listeners in the
stores with "EV3" and Superdiva Patti LaBelle releases "Flame" in
June. Jazz fans will delight with Wynton Marsalis’ three-disc
release, "Blood in the Fields." UCLA guest instructor Herbie
Hancock comes out with "1+1," featuring Wayne Shorter. Herb Alpert,
Dave Grusin, Grover Washington, Jr. and Fourplay also have new
music for the summer. And several of jazz legend Miles Davis’
albums will be reissued in July. Country music fans aren’t to be
left out of the summer album crush. Tim McGraw has already debuted
at No. 1 on the country album charts with "Everywhere," selling
more than 200,000 records, as has George Strait. Dwight Yoakam
comes out with "Things We Said Today." Billy Ray Cyrus will release
a best-of set. Lastly, two soundtrack releases are guaranteed to
hit it big. The music for "Batman and Robin" is already tearing up
radio charts, with contributions from the Smashing Pumpkins and R.
Kelly. It is certain to be a big seller, especially with songs from
Robyn, R.E.M., and the electronic Underworld. And the soundtrack
for the Julia Roberts film, "My Best Friend’s Wedding," has some
hype behind it, with love song covers from punk-folkster Ani
DiFranco and country star Mary Chapin Carpenter. Where to buy it:
There is no shortage of music to choose from, but the real question
involves where to get it. Our own Westwood boasts many different
places to music-shop from, but where is the best place for
selection and deals? The most popular store with students is Penny
Lane, part of an independent chain that also includes stores in
Pasadena and Santa Monica. With a selection that features not only
high profile artists but many acts from the world music, ska, punk
and classical genres, you are bound to find what you want and at a
price generally lower than the Wherehouse and Blockbuster Music.
They are perhaps most famous for buying and selling used CDs, with
a selection and trade-in rate that beats the Wherehouse hands down.
Tower Records has an impressive selection as well, with sometimes
over a thousand titles on sale at the same time. Almost all new
releases are on sale and their classical music selection is by far
the biggest in town. The Wherehouse also has new release sales that
will come in handy this summer, as does Blockbuster Music, but
their selection of older releases is not as complete as Tower or
Penny Lane. Furthermore, their standard prices for non-sale,
single-disc albums are a student-unfriendly $16.99-$17.99, whereas
Penny Lane’s is $13.97-$14.97. Tower gives a dollar discount to
students buying regularly-priced albums with a student ID. There
are other more non-conventional music stores to shop from in
Westwood. Mayhem, a Gen-X headquarters of sorts, features
dance/electronic music and independent punk albums. Mayhem also
features a used CD section, as well as vinyl and imports.
Sisterhood, on Westwood Boulevard across the street from Borders
(who also sells music but at high prices), sells albums by women
artists such as Ani DiFranco and Paula Cole, usually at Blockbuster
Music-like prices. Circuit City has a modest CD selection, and
their prices are unbeatable usually, with new releases as low as
$10.99 and regular prices around the $12.99-$13.99 range. If you
have a car or don’t mind a short bus ride, there are two stores
geared for the music lover who just can’t get enough in the
village. Rhino, on Westwood Boulevard. right before Santa Monica
Boulevard, offers used CDs, an eclectic selection of compilations
and imports, and a very knowledgeable staff who know music better
than most record-chain stores. They also have a store in Santa
Monica. Virgin Records, on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, carries
the biggest selection of music in West L.A., from all the big
genres and more. Prices, save new releases and hits, tend to be
around $16.99. Usually they carry the complete catalogs of the
artists featured there. And you won’t find a bigger or better
import or singles selection anywhere. Summer is looking to be a
musically exciting season for college students. With the plethora
of places to buy summer sounds, the options available are infinite.
Happy hunting and listening!