Blog Posts by Dave DiMartino

Longtime readers may not realize that last week's post was an historic first for New This Week!

Not to share too much, but as a rule I write this blog every Monday night--after coming home from a hard day at work, enjoying a few TV shows, having a drink or two, and marching out to the garage, where I refuse to call it a night until I've outlined each week's best 10 new releases!

What made last week special? Namely that after writing about two albums...I completely fell asleep in my chair! And the next night, when I aimed to finish the blog, admittedly a day late, I found that I had no memory whatsoever of writing the first two entries!

And like the countless thousands who notified me via private email, I feel it represented my all-time peak as a writer!

Tonight, while I write, perhaps hoping to duplicate that feat, I am listening to the two albums by Paris--the group formed by guitarist Bob Welch upon his leaving Fleetwood Mac in the mid-'70s--and aiming to do even better!

And just

Hi! Just came back from one of the more exotic vacations of my lifetime--I can't believe humans can actually fly if they're willing to pay enough money!--and I couldn't be more excited about this week's new album releases!

Especially if I was barely conscious!

Well-known names, superstars, rising talents, obscure bands no one's ever heard of and likely never will--who could deny that this is music's all time peak and we're living through it?

Well, maybe my friend Larry--but that's just because he reads all the Best Buy circulars every Sunday since he's really into getting a new hard drive! What say we ignore his prejudiced opinion and simply drop down the cash to purchase this week's great new hot product? And if you can't make it a tax write-off, that's your problem!

Jackie Evancho: Dream With Me (SYCO/Columbia)  I think we've all been a little taken aback by the spectacular talent displayed by young Jackie Evancho, the unbelievably cute 10-year-old who rose to fame via the best TV

Forgive me if I'm not bursting with enthusiasm as I write this, for I'm about to take a week's vacation and, as is my nature, I've been spending hours thinking about what clothes I should pack!

But thanks to modern technology, I've absolutely no doubt whatsoever about what music I should take with me!

I've spent a good three hours this afternoon packing my iPod!

And on this trek: Albums with orange on their covers, bands that start with "D" and "S," and any British blues band that made a record between 1967-1972!

I find that when I show people my iPod, stuff like that really impresses them!

The Rosebuds: Loud Planes Fly Low (Merge)  Since everything's just about as good as everything else, why not start this week's post with my favorite album of the past few months--by North Carolina's fabulous Rosebuds? The latest in a series of deeply appealing, minor-key & quirky song collections by a couple who've had their personal ups and downs, they can be heard here tastefully baring their

Few people suspected that rock 'n' roll--a music form that was born in the early '50s and seemed to have a potentially unlimited lifespan--would actually one day peak and never again be as good as it was!

Still, that seems to be precisely the case!

For it is this week when Eddie Vedder--lead vocalist with famous Seattle-based rockers Pearl Jam--has singlehandedly made an album that will likely never be topped by any rock 'n' roll record ever to come!

A man! A voice! A ukulele!

And while it does seem a tad beholden to famous rapper Jay-Z--I mean, these days, what doesn't?--it still shows a streak of indisputable originality that is bound to be talked about for decades to come!

May 31, 2011: The week everyone stopped buying albums and enjoyed tasty ice cream sodas in their place!

Eddie Vedder: Ukulele Songs (Monkey Wrench)  From its wrenching opening track, an energetic rendition of Tiny Tim's "Tiptoe Through The Tulips," to its heart-rending, mildly hallucinogenic closer, Don Ho's "Tiny

Wow! Don't take this the wrong way, but you're lucky you have me this week!

I've just spent the past day repeatedly listening to my brand new, 99-cent copy of the new Lady Gaga album, and I've been trying to get my money's worth!

Between that and my making sure my television is all lubed up and ready go for this weeks' coming American Idol finale--who the heck will win?--I can  barely stay focused on this blog's major premise: That the best music ever is being released week after week!

To prove my point? This week I'll ignore Glee: The Music, Volume 6--suffice to say it's the best album ever made--and other hot chart contenders, purely to cover the "little people" I'm afraid might got overlooked during this very special time!

Plus, I think I left my pants in my car!

Lady Gaga: Born This Way (Streamline/Kon Live)  I have been and remain a big fan of Lady Gaga, and I doff my cap to her for the size and scope of her ambition, her still valuable ability to create a million-selling album

It was long awaited and much discussed, but at 8:45 pm Denver time, the second coming--of rockers U2, that is--arrived in full force at Invesco Field, the home of the Denver Broncos, and on this Saturday night, the return of U2's outrageously successful 360 tour.

That this night was also supposed to cap the so-called End Of Days did not go unnoticed by lead singer Bono, who from the stage dedicated the band's "Until The End Of The World" to Harold Camping, the religious figure who rather conspicuously declared this date to be the official day of rapture--much to Camping's chagrin, one suspects, if you're still able to read this.

"To be taken up to the air sounds like fun to me, just as long as [U2 drummer] Larry Mullen is with me," declared Bono from the stage,"God is in the house." As were, it should be noted, over 70,000 paying fans.

The night's opener, which we're happy to present here, was an electrifying version of "Even Better Than The Real Thing." Check it out for yourself and

It's been a long time since musical icon Robbie Robertson has stepped into the big bad world of the contemporary record business--and to say he's been missed would be a significant understatement.

How To Become Clairvoyant, his new album, saw the respected Band founder debut at the highest chart position of his distinguished solo career--and the reviews, from all quarters, uniformly gushed with enthusiasm. And rightly so.

Filled with an impressive array of musicians from all musical spheres--including Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Trent Reznor, Rom Morello and Robert Randolph among others--the album was something of a thematic break for Robertson: It was, unusually for him, surprisingly autobiographical. Additionally, significant collaboration with Clapton, whom Robertson has long known, added some textures and shape that might surprise some longtime listeners. All told, it a bold, sonically adventurous record that marks a highpoint for a career that remains one of the most truly

If rock 'n' roll theoretically glorifies all that is young,sexy and rebellious, it's an odd week for new releases!

Among this week's highlights: A box set celebrating the 40th anniversary of Queen, the 30th anniversary edition of the firstGo-Go's album, and a 4-CD collection of Iggy Pop recordings dating back to1979!

Throw in a few fascinating new releases by Levon Helm andNRBQ, and it's all too clear: Popular music stopped being made in 1981 or so!

That's why, frankly--speaking strictly as a contemporarymusic fan--I'm so into real estate, the bothersome issue of probate, theexciting new fashion trusses being designed in Belgium, and that great new JustinBieber DVD!

And though I won't be exploring it in depth this week,apparently there's a great new DVD covering the complete biography ofKe$ha--from her early days as Billie Holiday's personal assistant, through hermarriage to Beatle John Lennon, to her memorable gig at Woodstock, her briefapprenticeship in Fleetwood Mac, her temporary