Album Releases by Genre
LP1
by Joss Stone
July 26, 2011
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The Light of the Sun
by Jill Scott
June 21, 2011
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What's Going On [40th Anniversary Edition]
by Marvin Gaye
May 31, 2011
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The Road From Memphis
by Booker T. Jones
May 10, 2011
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Volcanic Sunlight
by Saul Williams
May 10, 2011
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The Defamation Of Strickland Banks
by Plan B
April 19, 2011
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Hold on Tight
by Solomon Burke
March 22, 2011
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Scandalous
by Black Joe Lewis
March 15, 2011
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21
by Adele
February 22, 2011
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No Time for Dreaming
by Charles Bradley
January 25, 2011
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Telling the Truth
by Willie Wright
January 25, 2011
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Back to Reality
by Tony Cook
January 25, 2011
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Endlessly
by Duffy
December 7, 2010
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Libra Scale
by Ne-Yo
November 22, 2010
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The Lady Killer
by Cee Lo Green
November 9, 2010
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Q: Soul Bossa Nostra
by Quincy Jones
November 9, 2010
Quincy Jones returns to rerecord songs he has either written or produced with a variety of guest singers, including Amy Winehouse, Akon, Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, Ludacris, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Talib Kweli, John Legend, Tevin Campbell, Robin Thicke, LL Cool J, Usher, Tyrese, BeBe Winans, and Barry White. |
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Good Things
by Aloe Blacc
September 28, 2010
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Airtight's Revenge
by Bilal
September 14, 2010
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You Are Not Alone
by Mavis Staples
September 14, 2010
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Come And Get It!
by Eli "Paperboy" Reed
August 10, 2010
Ever since the dawn of the electric guitar, white boys have sung the blues, some with considerably more success than others. Eli “Paperboy†Reed is part of that long tradition, but he stands apart from the pack as much as he belongs to it, due in large part to his age. Raised on CD reissues of classic blues and soul -- he was not even 10 when the first Complete Stax/Volt Singles box came out -- Reed has absorbed the sound and sensibility of classic ‘60s soul but sings without any white-boy blues affectations, totally comfortable in his own skin because nobody else his age, of any race, was attempting to make this kind of music. This can cause a kind of a disconnect -- Reed sounds so white when he sings, it’s disarming -- but he pours on the passion and has fully absorbed the tight turns of Stax and loves the sound as much as the structure, so much so that Come and Get It -- his third LP and first for a major label -- feels a bit like an unearthed relic, built on songs and sounds that could pass for unheard gems if it wasn’t for Reed’s unapologetically white voice, free of affectations and ticks. Some of that may be due to producer Mike Elizondo’s work -- he manages to make this sound like a throwback without being stiff, and without having a hint of Mark Ronson’s hipster retroism for Amy Winehouse -- but he’s just articulating Reed’s gifts, letting the songs stand front and center. And that’s what’s remarkable about Come and Get It: this is not a modern-day blues album, it’s a classic soul album, with almost all the tracks clocking in at 3:30 or less, leaving very little room for showboating solos. All concentration is on the tunes themselves, with the band kicking them toward kineticism, Reed channeling all his energy into making the songs sing, and they wind up sticking, sounding a bit like forgotten classics upon first listen, then winding up as familiar favorites upon the second. If there is any fault here, it’s that Reed’s voice remains perennially boyish, sometimes preventing this from achieving a level of gravity, but there’s no attempt to hide this: it’s an honest reflection of who Reed is, a young kid from Boston in love with the Southern sounds of the ‘60s and intent on carrying them on, even if he invites ridicule or scorn. He believes it, man, and based on Come and Get It, it’s hard not to believe it too. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine |
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Bionic
by Christina Aguilera
June 8, 2010
Subtlety not being part of Christina Aguilera’s vocabulary, she trades the retro-swing of Back to Basics for the future-pop of Bionic, receiving assists from a roster that reads like a who’s-who of progressive pop in 2010: M.I.A., Le Tigre, Peaches, and John Hill & Switch, known for their work with Santigold. But like the half-cyborg/half-diva illustration of the album cover, this revamp is only partial. Aguilera hedges her bets by adding a ballad from old friend Linda Perry, gets Tricky Stewart to produce a trio of cuts, drafts Polow da Don and Focus… to produce some heavy and slow R&B, respectively, letting enough air into the machines to reassure hesitant fans that she hasn’t abandoned her roots. All this hesitancy means that for as many risks as it takes, Bionic doesn’t feel daring. Apart from the stuttering opener of the title track and glassy chill of “Elastic Love,†notably the two Hill & Switch productions, this never delivers the future shock it promises, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because the robot-diva hybrids are often interesting even when they stumble, as they do on “WooHoo,†its incessant title loop piercing like a dental drill. Exhibit A in Xtina’s curious tin ear for sex, “WooHoo†doesn’t work as temptation, not when the chorus come-on is “licky licky yum yum,†but her crassness is no longer alienating as it was on Stripped; it’s simply part of her persona, just like her shameless narcissism, showcased on the closing “Vanity,†where she gets her kid to confirm that she’s the greatest of them all. This triumphant self-possession comes so naturally to Christina that it’s hard not to wish that she acted so boldly throughout Bionic, letting the entirety of the record be as distinctly odd as its best moments. Frankly, the deluxe edition of Bionic does suggest what the album could have been: it’s supplemented by four bonus songs that are wildly imaginative, whether it’s the clattering, chanting “Bobblehead,†the cool synth glide of “Birds of Prey,†the perfect new wave pop of “Monday Morning,†or Sia’s mournful ballad “Stronger Than Ever.†In their place on the album proper are competent, relatively colorless club odes to fashion and fabulousness and Perry’s boring inspirational “Lift Me Up,†songs that play to Aguilera’s persona without inhabiting it. The rest of Bionic -- not just the hipster flirtations and Sia’s trio of richly ruminative AAA ballads, but the tracks directly within Aguilera’s wheelhouse, like Tricky Stewart’s wildly successful, slinky “Desnudate,†and the sultry slow burner “Sex for Breakfast†-- find Christina not playing to expectations but simply acting as a natural diva and is all the more compelling for it. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine |
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Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook
by Bettye LaVette
May 25, 2010
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The ArchAndroid
by Janelle Monáe
May 18, 2010
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Pulse
by Toni Braxton
May 4, 2010
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I Learned The Hard Way
by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
April 6, 2010
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Raymond v. Raymond
by Usher
March 30, 2010
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New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh
by Erykah Badu
March 30, 2010
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Still Standing
by Monica
March 23, 2010
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Jason Derulo
by Jason Derulo
March 2, 2010
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Love & War
by Daniel Merriweather
February 23, 2010
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Soldier Of Love
by Sade
February 9, 2010
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Another Round
by Jaheim
February 9, 2010
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Kings Ballad
by Georgia Anne Muldrow
February 9, 2010
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Concrete Jungle
by Nneka
February 2, 2010
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The Sea
by Corinne Bailey Rae
January 26, 2010
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Ollusion
by Omarion
January 12, 2010
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Stronger With Each Tear
by Mary J. Blige
December 21, 2009
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The Element Of Freedom
by Alicia Keys
December 15, 2009
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Sex Therapy
by Robin Thicke
December 15, 2009
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Unexpected
by Angie Stone
November 23, 2009
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Evolution Of A Man
by Brian McKnight
October 27, 2009
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Soulbook
by Rod Stewart
October 26, 2009
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Devil's Halo
by Me'Shell Ndegéocello
October 6, 2009
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Burn It Down
by The Dynamites Featuring Charles Walker
September 15, 2009
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Kamaal The Abstract
by Q-Tip
September 15, 2009
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A Strange Arrangement
by Mayer Hawthorne
September 8, 2009
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Ready
by Trey Songz
September 1, 2009
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I Look To You
by Whitney Houston
August 31, 2009
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BLACKsummers'night
by Maxwell
July 7, 2009
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A Man's Thoughts
by Ginuwine
June 23, 2009
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Just Go
by Lionel Richie
May 19, 2009
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Fantasy Ride
by Ciara
May 5, 2009
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Epiphany
by Chrisette Michele
May 5, 2009
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Potato Hole
by Booker T.
April 21, 2009
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Uncle Charlie
by Charlie Wilson
February 17, 2009
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Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics
by India.Arie
February 10, 2009
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Coming Back To You
by Melinda Doolittle
February 3, 2009
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OnMyRadio
by Musiq Soulchild
December 9, 2008
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I Am...Sasha Fierce
by Beyoncé
November 18, 2008
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Thr33 Ringz
by T-Pain
November 11, 2008
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Soul
by Seal
November 11, 2008
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Evolver
by John Legend
October 28, 2008
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Unexpected
by Michelle Williams
October 7, 2008
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Jennifer Hudson
by Jennifer Hudson
September 30, 2008
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Year Of The Gentleman
by Ne-Yo
September 16, 2008
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The Way I See It
by Raphael Saadiq
September 16, 2008
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Sol-Angel And The Hadley St. Dreams
by Solange
August 26, 2008
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Simply Grand
by Irma Thomas
August 12, 2008
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Lessons In Love
by Lloyd
August 5, 2008
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The Hard Way
by James Hunter
June 10, 2008
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Lay It Down
by Al Green
May 27, 2008
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Time Traveller
by Plantlife
May 13, 2008
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Jim
by Jamie Lidell
April 29, 2008
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New Amerykah: Part One (4th World War)
by Erykah Badu
February 26, 2008
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Love Behind The Melody
by Raheem DeVaughn
January 15, 2008
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As I Am
by Alicia Keys
November 13, 2007
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Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA
by Boyz II Men
November 13, 2007
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The Art of Love and War
by Angie Stone
October 16, 2007
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The Scene Of The Crime
by Bettye LaVette
September 25, 2007
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The Real Thing: Words And Sounds Vol. 3
by Jill Scott
September 25, 2007
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Big
by Macy Gray
March 27, 2007
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Introducing Joss Stone
by Joss Stone
March 20, 2007
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Back To Black
by Amy Winehouse
March 13, 2007
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Once Again
by John Legend
October 24, 2006
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Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship
by India.Arie
June 27, 2006
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Corinne Bailey Rae
by Corinne Bailey Rae
June 20, 2006
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The River In Reverse
by Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
June 6, 2006
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Multiply
by Jamie Lidell
June 28, 2005
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Everything's OK
by Al Green
March 15, 2005
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Make Do With What You Got
by Solomon Burke
March 1, 2005
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Mind Body & Soul
by Joss Stone
September 28, 2004
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Beautifully Human: Words And Sounds Vol. 2
by Jill Scott
August 31, 2004
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Stone Love
by Angie Stone
July 6, 2004
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Candi Staton
by Candi Staton
February 24, 2004
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I Can't Stop
by Al Green
November 18, 2003
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The Soul Sessions
by Joss Stone
September 16, 2003
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Voyage To India
by India.Arie
September 24, 2002
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Don't Give Up On Me
by Solomon Burke
July 23, 2002
The legendary 1960s soul singer, now a young 66 years old, is still going strong with this latest release, featuring brand-new songs penned by an impressive group of songwriters, including Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, Van Morrison, and Bob Dylan. No one will be giving up on him after this release. |
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Cookie: The Anthropological Mix Tape
by Me'Shell Ndegéocello
June 4, 2002
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