AUPEO! Music update: February 23, 2010

Here at AUPEO! we’ve decided to let you in on all the great new music we’re adding to our collection for you to enjoy. Every so often we’ll be publishing a short blog entry, letting you know about some of the highlights which have recently been added to our library. We’re always discussing and playing music for each other here, so we figured we’d keep you in the loop about some of the stuff that’s got us talking…

Ringo Starr, Y Not
We all know the background of Richard Starkey Jr, better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, but aside from the Beatles, Y Not is his fifteenth album! And as an added bonus, his old pal Paul McCartney guests on one of the tracks.

Hot Chip, One Life Stand
More from the UK, this time London’s electropop stalwarts Hot Chip. “The most warm and soulful sounding record we’ve made,” says vocalist Alexis Taylor. Look out for them on their world tour later this year.

Massive Attack, Heligoland
Bristol’s own long running electronica/trip-hop duo are back with what has been hailed as a much stronger effort than their last offering six years ago.

Kanye West, VH1 Storytellers: Kanye West
Barack Obama may not think too highly of him, but there’s no denying he makes good music. Mr. West certainly is an opinion splitter, yes, but you know you can’t help but hum along to some of his songs!

Peter Gabriel, Scratch My Back
Once the frontman of Prog heavyweights Genesis, Gabriel now prefers to promote world music. This latest offering Scratch My Back, however, is an album of covers of great songs by a very diverse collection of artists (Bowie, Radiohead, The Magnetic Fields and others). Look out for covers of his work by these artists, entitled And I’ll Scratch Yours, expected later this year.

Spoon, Transference
The Austin, TX indie band return with their seventh offering, met with rave reviews from all corners of the music biz.

Lil Wayne, Rebirth
New Orleans rapper returns with what is surely to be - wait, what? It’s a rock album? Collaboration with Fall Out Boy? But Eminem is also featured… and he’s reportedly payed homage to the Beastie Boys. So it’s Hip-Hop, right? Well, some tracks are produced by Cool & Dre, and others by Travis Barker. Make up your own mind, because I’m way too confused.

Vampire Weekend, Contra
Contra being only the second album from “the whitest band” (as dubbed by Christian Lander, creator of Stuff White People Like), but charted at No.1 in the US & the UK. Citing influences from as broad a spectrum as African popular music, western classical music and indie rock, of course, this one’s well worth a listen.