The Weekend Stream: May 16, 2026
Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. This week has a collection of outtakes from one of the greatest albums ever made, a breezy theme song to a popular web series, fantastic new film scores, an unheard recording from Peggy Lee and a frankly stunning amount of songs about horses. Plus our tributes to those we lost recently, and a cool arts-related documentary project worthy of your attention.
The Beach Boys, The Pet Sounds Sessions (Deluxe Edition) (Capitol/UMe) (Apple / Amazon)
After weeks of teaser tracks, the ultimate presentation of The Beach Boys’ most celebrated album is on streaming nearly 30 years after the original 4CD box set was released (and 60 years since Pet Sounds itself was first issued – recently celebrated by a double-platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America). This collection includes the original album in its original mono mix as well as an exclusively-created stereo version, plus highlights from the studio sessions, alternate mixes, outtakes, promotional material and even the “Stack-o-Vocals” a cappella tracks. We’ll just say it: God only knows what you’d do without giving this a spin!
Bananarama, Now or Never EP (In Synk) (Apple / Amazon)
Originally released in 2012 ahead of a tour by the U.K. pop group (then and currently a duo featuring founding members Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin), Bananarama’s Now or Never EP has been remastered and expanded. In addition to original and extended versions of the title track, B-side “La La Love” and a cover of Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera’s “Moves Like Jagger,” the release now features a new mix of “Now or Never” and a rare re-recording of their ’90s track “Movin’ On,” offered as an exclusive downloadable extra at the time.
Peggy Lee, “Mad About the Boy” (Peggy Lee Associates) (Apple / Amazon)
This private home recording of Peggy singing the Noel Coward classic to piano accompaniment in exquisite, intimate fashion was captured on the artist’s reel-to-reel tape recorder in 1952 at a living room jam session (the same date that yielded the earlier digital release of “La Vie en Rose”). It’s been restored by Michael Graves.
Daryl Hall, “Bring It on Home” (self-released) (Apple / Amazon)
Not to be confused with the similarly-titled Sam Cooke classic, Daryl Hall has released the full version of “Bring It on Home,” first used in 2007 as the theme to his beloved web series Live from Daryl’s House. The accompanying montage of highlights from the show is a perfect mini-tribute to the man!
Little Hag, “Watchlist Rock” (Bar/None) (Apple / Amazon)
She’s mad as hell, and she’s not going to take it anymore! Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Avery Mandeville’s latest release for Bar/None with her band Little Hag is a righteously angry, deeply catchy synth-and-guitar burst taking out some considerable rage about the state of American politics in her one-of-a-kind voice.
Missing Persons, Maximum Exposure (Live At Irvine Meadows, 10/5/1984) (Sunset Blvd. Records) (Apple / Amazon)
An archival live release by the cult New Wave heroes (singer Dale Bozzio, her then-husband Terry on drums, future Duran Duran guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, bassist Patrick O’Hearn and keyboardist Chuck Wild), Maximum Exposure finds the group touring in support of 1984’s Rhyme & Reason, making ample room for earlier favorites like “Destination Unknown” and “Walking in L.A.”
Mary Ann Kennedy, The Whole Herd (self-released) (Apple / Amazon)
Mary Ann Kennedy played in country acts like Calamity Jane and spin-off act Kennedy Rose; she and her creative partner Pam Rose penned tunes like “Ring on Her Finger, Time on Her Hands” (a hit for both Lee Greenwood and Reba McEntire) and “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” a crossover hit for Restless Heart. In the last few decades, however, she’s dedicated herself almost exclusively to writing and recording original songs mostly about the majesty of horses. The Whole Herd, delivered in conjunction with Supervisible Multi Media, collects all the songs from her independent releases The Trail Less Traveled (2002), Hoofbeats, Heartbeats & Wings (2005), The Rhythm of the Ride (2008), the dog-focused Who Saved Who (2009) and This Love of Horses (2011).
Scott Cossu, Still Moments (Windham Hill) (Apple / Amazon)
Pianist Scott Cossu was one of the first signees to legendary New Age/jazz label Windham Hill, where he stayed with for more than a decade. Still Moments was the beginning of that journey, released in 1980, and Supervisible Multi Media has also gotten this one available to stream and download.
Clodagh Rodgers, Rodgers and Heart (RCA) (Apple / Amazon)
The third of the Northern Irish songstress’ RCA albums to see digital release (with a new title arriving each Friday), the amusingly-titled Rodgers and Heart may not have any standards from Richard and Lorenz, but it does boast tunes from Paul Williams and Roger Nichols (“Let Me Be the One”), Gilbert O’Sullivan (“Nothing Rhymed”), Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (“I Who Have Nothing”) and Tammy Wynette (“Stand by Your Man”) as well as producer Kenny Young (“Everybody Go Home, The Party’s Over,” “Like a Humble Bunny”). Artie Butler, Johnny Arthey, and Keith Mansfield all provided arrangements.
Marie Cain, Living Alone (Columbia) (Apple / Amazon)
A journeywoman singer/songwriter who sang background vocals for Elvis Presley and had original songs recorded by Cher, Laura Branigan and Maureen McGovern (as well as a tune in the cult-favorite camp comedy Naked Boys Singing!), Marie Cain just recorded this one album for Columbia in 1976, featuring country-adjacent originals with a West Coast studio polish (plus covers of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman” and Billy Joel deep cut “Stop in Nevada”).
Paddington The Musical (Original Cast Recording) (Decca/UMO) (Apple / Amazon)
“Please look after this bear”: the cast album to the smash hit Paddington: The Musical is out now, featuring Tom Fletcher’s eclectic score as performed by the London company packing houses eight times a week at the Savoy Theatre. The irresistible Olivier Award-winning musical is headed to New York, and this album captures a fair share of its magic. It’s due out on CD and vinyl next Friday, May 22.
Killian Donnelly, “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables (Warner Classics/Parlophone) (Apple / Amazon)
The first single arrives this weekend from the upcoming 40th Anniversary All-Star Cast Recording of Les Miserables: Killian Donnelly’s stirring rendition of the anthem “Bring Him Home.” The CD and full digital release is due on May 29.
Metalocalypse: Dethklok, The Dethalbum DKXX: Dethmastered (Remixed & Remastered) (WaterTower Music) (Apple / Amazon)
The band is fake, but the rock is real! Dethklok was the animated band that starred in the heavy metal satire Metalocalypse, a late-night favorite on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block from 2006 to 2013. For the show’s 20th anniversary, the first of five albums of original material from the series by composer Brendon Small has been revisited by producer/engineer Ulrich Wild.
Ludwig Göransson, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Walt Disney Records) (Apple / Amazon)
The Star Wars is coming back to theaters for the first time in nearly six years after a host of Disney+ shows – and The Mandalorian and Grogu is, of course, a continuation of one of those shows which aired from 2019 to 2023, featuring a beskar-armored bounty hunter and the infant Jedi padawan he forms a fatherly bond with. Ludwig Göransson, a three-time Oscar-winning composer (Black Panther, Oppenheimer, Sinners) and six-time Grammy winner (including Record and Song of the Year for Childish Gambino’s “This is America”), won two Emmys for his work on the show, whose memorable theme combines John Williams-esque orchestral flair with a bass recorder and synthesized yowls. After tossing day-to-day composition duties to Joseph Shirley in the third season of the series, he’s back on the podium (with Shirley assisting) for the new film, which opens up next week. (A 13-track cut-down of this digital album will be available on LP next month, but the full score will be available as a limited CD in Japan.)
Daniel Pemberton feat. Brian May, “Eternia” (from Masters of the Universe) (Lakeshore Records) (Apple / Amazon)
Another upcoming blockbuster adaptation of a Generation X kids’ fantasy property, the new film adaptation of Masters of the Universe (in theaters next month) finds young Adam Glenn discovering his true destiny as the sword-wielding He-Man, Prince of Eternia. Daniel Pemberton, who earned acclaim for his work on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel as well as this year’s Project Hail Mary, delivers an epic theme in “Eternia” that sits nicely alongside the original cartoon’s theme by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy – aided in no small part by the distinctive licks of Queen guitarist Brian May.
Juan Bau, Soñaré (Remasterizado 2026) (Sony Music España) (Apple / Amazon)
Another album from Spanish singer Juan Bau, originally released in 1980.
PASSINGS
A quietly powerful name in rock and roll, Jack Douglas (1945-2026) made a name for himself as a key employee of New York City studio the Record Plant. He started there as a janitor and moved his way up to engineering, working on The Who’s aborted Lifehouse, John Lennon’s Imagine and The New York Dolls’ self-titled debut. He made a dramatic graduation toward producing from then on, taking charge in the studio for Aerosmith’s first five albums (including their just-reissued debut), Cheap Trick’s debut and Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy. His tenacious approach earned him a great deal of loyalty from many of these acts; Aerosmith would reunite with him on back-to-basics blues LP Honkin’ on Bobo and their final full-length Music from Another Dimension!
Born blind in Montgomery, Alabama, Clarence Carter (1936-2026) defined soul survivor. An adept guitarist, songwriter and – most of all – honeyed baritone singer with an impassioned upper register, Carter first gained notice indirectly, when his modest hit “Tell Daddy” got an answer record in Etta James’ “Tell Mama,” a Muscle Shoals classic. From there, he scored his own Top 10 hits in “Slip Away” and “Patches” in the late ’60s and early ’70s; he endeared himself to a new generation with the delightfully ribald 1986 favorite “Strokin'” (featured in films like Eddie Murphy’s 1996 remake of The Nutty Professor and 2011’s Killer Joe, ending the movie simply because director William Friedkin liked it a lot). Also recognizable is his naughty-list holiday chestnut “Back Door Santa,” famously sampled on Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis.”
It’s difficult to talk about Claudine Longet (1942-2026) without mention of the lurid tragedy which went on to define her; following her conviction for negligent homicide in connection with the death of skier Spider Sabich, the Paris-born singer-actress largely retreated from public life. (She did cooperate with the beautiful 2005 release on Rev-ola of Hello, Hello: The Best of Claudine Longet. It’s one of two essential Longet collections, the other being Varese Vintage’s The Very Best of Claudine Longet.) Longet, who died this month at the age of 84, leaves behind a small but beguiling discography including warm duets with her first husband Andy Williams (who maintained her innocence until his own death) such as “Let It Be Me” and the single version only of the gorgeous “Small Talk” (the album featured producer Tommy LiPuma on the tight harmony vocal); five lushly-produced albums of sensual sunshine pop for A&M; a pair of LPs (plus subsequently released outtakes) for Andy’s Barnaby Records label; and Henry Mancini and Don Black’s “Nothing to Lose” from the zany Peter Sellers/Blake Edwards comedy The Party. They’re all well worth seeking out. Claudine’s rendition of Randy Newman’s “Snow” has long been a favorite here at TSD HQ; her soft, breathy, lovely, and altogether elegant recordings pushed the boundaries of so-called “easy listening” and remain unique and vivid in the ’60s/’70s pop music landscape.
EXTRAS
Contribute to a cool documentary about an extraordinary designer. A team of filmmakers is assembling a feature about artist/designer/activist Rajie Cook. The as-yet untitled documentary will offer a look into his life as Roger Cook, co-founder of the design firm Cook and Shanosky – best known for a series of “symbol signs” used the world over to represent public services and regulations, from restrooms and elevators to no-smoking areas. The film will also highlight Cook’s later years dedicated to art including photography and sculpture assemblage from found materials – most of which directly addressed his wishes for peace in the Middle East, as heavily inspired by trips to Palestine, from where his parents immigrated to America. The project is taking to Kickstarter to fund a few more interviews and the post-production process, and is nearly 80% of the way to their goal with just less than three weeks left. Check it out!
Also: The Smashing Pumpkins’ Zodeon At Crystal Hall, which looks like it was originally a sort of “bonus album” added to the vinyl release of ATUM?