New Release Tuesday: Jamie Lidell & Portishead

Jamie Lidell Jim (Warp)

Britain's resident indie-soul schizophrenic Lidell is back with a more aggressive attempt at retro-soul with Jim. Jim finds the soulful geek performing straight R&B, only hinting at his love affair with bleeps and bloops, where the previous album specialized in warm, glitchy dance numbers. "Another Day" is the radio hit Donny Hathaway wished he'd had before Stevie's rise to power, and on "Hurricane," Lidell stretches out into a furiously energetic and gleeful funk-based jammer, which is arguably the album's highlight. All in all, each song is oozing sun, fun and summertime bounce all while subtly reminding the listener of Lidell's glitchy tendencies. This record proves that retro soul can be good if it doesn't take itself too seriously. Jim was produced by Beck alum Justin Stanley as well as Gonzalez and Lidell himself, and features work by close friend Mocky, too.

Jamie Lidell Official
Jamie Lidell MySpace
Lidell's Speaker Fire Performance @ Bumbershoot '06
Jamie Lidell's Video Interview w/ Blender

Portishead Third (Mercury)

This is a big deal. Some ten years after their last formal release, Britain's electronica / trip-hop legends are back with a new album, their fourth. Cleverly titled (it's the third studio album, Roseland NYC Live arrived in 1998), Third finds the group traveling well-worn paths but reaching beyond a little with some innovations and surprises. The single, "Machine Gun", showcases Beth Gibbons' tremulous, haunting vocals in pure Portishead fashion, but the Blue Monday inspired machinist background forces the listener to internally resolve the contrast. It's not your typical single, and yet it's absolutely Portishead. The rest of the record tends to straddle the divide between what people expect them to do, and their own unique way of expanding on their formula. At times it's downright challenging (the emergency test at the beginning of "Magic Doors" is jarring) to distance the mind's expectations of the band from the subtle and diverse ways in which they're offering something new, but it's a pleasant exercise. The band performed to an eager crowd at Coachella last weekend, and pulled a Radiohead (sorta) by allowing Last.fm to stream Third in its entirety a week before the release date.

Portishead Official
Portishead MySpace
Portishead "Machine Gun" (YouTube)

65daysofstatic: The Distant and Mechanized Glow of Eastern European Dance Parties EP
Augustana: Can't Love, Can't Hurt
Awesome Color: Electric Aborigines
Bearsuit: Oh:Io
Black Keys: The Big Come Up (reissue, pink vinyl) [lp]
Black Keys: The Big Come Up (reissue, yellow vinyl) [lp]
Bobby & Blumm: Everybody Loves...
Boris: Smile
The Cab: Whisper War
Cloudland Canyon: Lie in Light
Constantines: Kensington Heights
David Johansen: Live It Up (reissue)
David Karsten Daniels: Fear of Flying
Eli "Paperboy" Reed: Roll with You
Eric Matthews: The Imagination Stage
Estelle: Shine
Forever the Sickest Kids: Underdog Alma Mater
Griffin House: Flying Upside Down
Hayden: In Field & Town
Heloise & The Savoir Faire: Trash, Rats and Microphones
Hot Chip: Ready for the Floor (import single)
Jamie Lidell: Jim
Jimmy Eat World: Bleed American (remastered with bonus tracks)
Joy Division: Best of Joy Division
Jr. Juggernaut: Ghost Poison
Kid Creole: Going Places: The August Darnell Years 1976-1983
Langhorne Slim: Langhorne Slim
Lil Mama: VYP--Voice of the Young People
Lyfe Jennings: Lyfe Change
Madonna: 4 Minutes (single)
Madonna: Hard Candy
Make Believe: Going to the Bone Church [lp]
MC5: Anthology
Mindless Self Indulgence: If
Minus: The Great Northern Whalekill
Mudcrutch: Mudcrutch
Nat Baldwin: Most Valuable Player
Nerf Herder: IV
New Found Glory: Tip of the Iceberg/Takin' It Ova!
New Frontiers: Mending
New York Dolls: Live At The Fillmore East
Newton Faulkner: Hand Built by Robots
Philip Glass: The Concerto Project Vol.III
Philip Glass: From the Philip Glass Recording Archive, Vol. III -JENIPAPO
Portishead: Third
Quarter After: Too Much To Think About 7" [lp]
Robert Forster: The Evangelist
Robyn: Robyn
The Roots: Rising Down
Santogold: Santogold
Sarah McLachlan: Rarities, B-Sides 2 And Other Stuff, Volume 2
The Slackers: Self Medication
South: You Are Here
Steve Earle: Copperhead Road (remastered with bonus tracks)
Steve Winwood: Nine Lives
Tickley Feather: Tickley Feather
Various Artists; Deal (soundtrack)
Various Artists: Nigeria Rock Special
Various Artists: Putumayo Kids Presents: African Dreamland
Various Artists: Putumayo Presents: African Party
Various Artists: Sleepytime Tunes: Johnny Cash Lullaby
We Shot The Moon: Fear and Love
Your Vegas: A Town And Two Cities
Zappa Plays Zappa: Zappa Plays Zappa