Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs.
ARTIST: The Blow Monkeys
RELEASE: Staring at the Sea
BACKSTORY: The British sophistipop crew — still best known in the U.S. for their minor hits “Digging Your Scene” and “You Don’t Own Me” — return this week in the U.K. with their second post-reunion studio album, an 11-track effort featuring the single “Steppin’ Down” and tracks such as “Prayin’ for Rain” and “Seventh Day.”
BUY IT: Staring at the Sea via Amazon.co.uk
ARTIST: Robin Guthrie and Harold Budd
RELEASE: Bordeaux
BACKSTORY: The Cocteau Twins co-founder re-teams with the occasional Brian Eno collaborator for a new nine-track collection of songs, released this week in the U.K. Recorded last summer in France, the minimalist ambient disc is a follow up to the duo’s twin 2006 albums After the Night Falls and Before the Day Breaks.
BUY IT: Bordeaux via Amazon.co.uk
ARTIST: Heaven 17
RELEASE: “Live at Scala: London 29 November 2005”
BACKSTORY: This DVD chronicling the reunited synthpop act’s U.K. comeback gig makes a belated U.S. release this week. The concert film features the group performing favorites such as “Temptation,” “(We Don’t Need This) Facist Groove Thang,” “Crushed by the Wheels of Industry” and many more.
BUY IT: “Live at Scala: London 29 November 2005” via Amazon.com
