Spitball Army

The last two months have been barren of much new and exciting music, unless your idea of new and exciting music includes the kind of ultra-commercial product that tends to win Grammy Awards these days.  There seems to be plenty of that – no, thank you.  What I’m hungry for is music with ideas.  Imagine my happy surprise, then, to find out that today heralds the release of a brand new album from musician/producer Daniel Lanois.

Lanois has produced several landmark albums by other artists – prominent among them, U2’s The Joshua Tree, which received a lavish 20th anniversary re-issuing earlier this month – possibly because he can relate to their work with the ear and empathic sensibility of a fellow musician.  Emmylou Harris’ Wrecking Ball and the Neville Brothers’ Yellow Moon also bear the distinctive collaborative fingerprints of Lanois the producer.

While I am not as familiar with Lanois’ earlier output as a solo artist, his 2003 release, Shine, continues to be a constant go-to CD for me – I love its melodies and, above all, its shimmering texture.
[audio:Daniel_Lanois___Sometimes.mp3]
“Sometimes” from Daniel Lanois’ Shine

In March of 2008, Daniel Lanois will release Here Is What Is on his own label imprint, Red Floor Records, on both CD and DVD.  The CD is the soundtrack to a documentary film about a year in his life; the DVD, obviously, is that film.  The impatient, among whom I count myself, can download the CD content beginning TODAY via Lanois’ own website, in either high-quality wav format or mp3 format, both DRM-free.  Lanois’ musical partners in this venture include drummer and member of Joshua Redman’s Elastic Band Brian Blade, and keyboardist Garth Hudson of The Band.

This could be really good.

To stream two tracks from the new album in their entirety, go here.  To read what Pitchfork has to say about the release, go here.  Go, go, go!