Winter Music Preview 
by Kristi Kates
 
Whether you're looking to purchase holiday gifts, or simply browsing for something to freshen up your CD or MP3 player after all the wrapping paper has been cleared up and the new year has arrived, there are plenty of great musical releases coming your way in the last few weeks of 2005 and on into 2006.  Thanksgiving was prefaced by tons of new discs that you might want to catch up on before you do anything else!
 

In November were several big-ticket releases and an equal amount of fan favorites, beginning with an artist who qualifies for both of those categories - namely, Detroit's own Madonna, who dropped her "Confessions on a Dance Floor" album on November 15th, prefaced by the "Hung Up" single.  Also on November 15th were releases from The Rembrandts (best known for their take on the theme song for the hit TV show "Friends"), who lined up their "Choice Picks" - Green Day's much-anticipated "Bullet in a Bible" live CD/DVD - and a couple of singer-songwriters, Bright Eyes, whose "Motion Sickness" emo set hit selected stores on that date, and Martin Sexton, whose enhanced "Camp Holiday" CD is another terrific pick. 

 

The second half of November offers up an equally eclectic mix, from the John Mayer Trio's  "Try! Live in Concert" to Enya's pretty "Amarantine" (her first album in 5 years!), to Dave Matthews Band's "Weekend on the Rocks" (not one, but two CDs with a bonus DVD). 
 

Also of note for the remainder of November are the return of songstress Kate Bush, whose "Aerial" is already garnering critical acclaim even after her 10 year absence from the music business; Britney Spears, who's spanning the time between the birth of her baby and her return to the recording studio with "B in the Mix: The Remixes," (sure to be a must-have for her fans); and INXS, who make their own kind of return to the charts with their new, reality-show won lead singer and a brand new album called "Switch."

    

December moves into the mix all on its own, with more new stuff to empty your wallet and use up those holiday gift certificates.  On the 6th, Alanis Morissette fans can look forward to a limited edition release of her "The Collection" album, which puts plenty of Alanis hits all in one convenient package.  The 6th also sees the White Stripes putting out a little something new, namely their "Walking With a Ghost" disc that'll be backed with 4 live tracks.  On December 12th, Beck is, er, back with "Guerolito," his experimental album that remixes his already-a-hit disc "Guero" at the hands of mixmaster experts, while Howie Day returns with his EP "Live From...," Sugarcult wants to "Start Static," and Michael Franti and Spearhead release their "Live in Sydney" disc. 

On the opposite end of the coolness scale, American Idol's Bo Bice puts out his first effort, "The Real Thing," and Lindsay Lohan offers up something "A Little More Personal."  Later on in December, the discs slow down a bit as the holidays arrive, with the most interesting releases being those of Duran Duran (releasing an enhanced version of the "Astronaut" album), jam band Phish ("Live at Madison Square Garden New Year's Eve 1995), Nellie McKay ("Pretty Little Head"), Backstreet Boys ("I Still"), and Jane's Addiction, who present "The Best of Jane's Addiction."
      

January's no slacker, either - starting with one of the most-anticipated albums of the new year on January 3rd, The Strokes' latest, which they've dubbed "First Impressions of Earth."  Duncan Sheik returns on the 3rd, top, in his "White Limousine," as do The Fixx, who have put together their "25th Anniversary Anthology." 

 

Richard Ashcroft - former leader of The Verve - surfaces again with "Keys to the World," while Cat Power offers up "The Greatest," Saint Etienne presents "Tales from Turnpike House," Audio Bullys release "Generation," The Gossip are "Standing in the Way of Control," and The Fugees release their next one, although they've yet to decide on a title!
   

And keep an eye out for these soundtracks, too, which will also make super additions to your collection over the winter months - this winter will see soundtrack discs for movies "Elizabethtown" (a top-notch set personally selected by the movie's director, Cameron Crowe), "The Ice Harvest," "Rent" (featuring, duh, songs from the musical), "Aeon Flux," and "Walk the Line," on which Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon do a decent job of paying tribute to Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.
    

Now didn't we say that there were lots of great releases heading your way this winter?  Your job is to pick and choose which ones you'll spend your hard-earned money on - and that will probably be a lot more difficult than writing this article was.