For the past 25 years, Neil Young has brought some of his best friends together for the Bridge School, a school in California for kids with severe developmental disabilities. The school, which Neil's children attended, specializes in helping children who don't use speech to communicate.
Now he's releasing some of the best performances, on either a 2 CD or 3 DVD set. The Bridge School Concerts has a pretty incredible lineup, with performances from Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, the Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, The Who, Elton John & Leon Russell, and more. Check out the movie trailer:
The most recent concert happened over the weekend, and it featured an amazing performance of the song "Helpless" by Neil and Arcade Fire.
More info about the concert, the school, and the new CD and DVD here.
Atlas Sound is the solo project from Bradford Cox of indie buzz band Deerhunter. Cox's first solo record, Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel was released in '08.
After reading a Beck interview while in the sixth grade, Cox learned he could use the family's karaoke machine as a multi-track device.
Atlas Sound is Cox continuing to explore the process, his way of using "ideas I can't make work with a five piece band." Â On this new record he's created an intimate space you'll keep going back to.
Parallax the third release from Atlas Sound is out November 8th on 4AD. Grab a free download of Flagstaffhere.
Did you catch Fitz and the Tantrums when they played that show at Willow Island last weekend?
They're still on the road in support of their album "Pickin' Up the Pieces," and their momentum continues to build. They say their recipe for success is "six killer musicians, five dapper suits, irresistible songs, some serendipity and one vintage organ."
Fitz and the Tantrums will be back in the Midwest in late November, playing three shows at the Metro (two are already sold out).
In the meantime, here's a free download of a live version of the song "Don't Gotta Work it Out." Enjoy!
Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish band lead by Scott Hutchison. They released their debut Sing The Greys in 2006 and have created some pretty amazing music ever since. The band's 2008 release The Midnight Organ Fight even scored "Album of the Year" votes from some music critics.
Nobody does a love song better than Frightened Rabbit. They've grown since '06 adding more complex layered arrangements into the mix.
Hutchison's strong Scottish vocals and huge choruses have become his signature. The band seem poised for a breakthrough. The Ep includes the song âThe Workâ featuring vocals from veteran Scottish folksinger Archie Fisher.
Grab the new Frightened Rabbit Ep here in exchange for your email address. It's also streaming here if you want to check it out first.
Tom Petty will drop a live record November 25th in conjunction with Record Store Day's Black Friday. The vinyl only release, Kiss My Amps Live, will be a limited-edition pressing of 5000 numbered albums available exclusively through independent retailers.
The record features 6 songs from Mojo recorded live during Petty's 2010 North American tour, and Sweet William a b-side recorded in 2008.
Each copy purchased will include a unique code that will allow the buyer to also download the album in a hi-fi digital format for free.
Side One
1. âTakinâ My Timeâ â July 22, 2010 â The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Mich.
2. âI Should Have Known Itâ â June 16, 2010 â Rexall Place, Edmonton, Canada
3. âSweet Williamâ â June 14, 2008 â Comcast Center, Mansfield, Mass.
4. âJefferson Jericho Bluesâ â Aug 1, 2010 â Wachovia Arena, Philadelphia, Pa.
Side Two
1. âFirst Flash of Freedomâ â Aug 1, 2010 â Wachovia Arena, Philadelphia, Pa.
2. âRunning Manâs Bibleâ â Sep 18, 2010 â Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, Raleigh, N.C.
3. âGood Enoughâ â July 31, 2010 â Wachovia Arena, Philadelphia, Pa.
After almost a decade The Cranberries are releasing Roses, a new studio album in February. The band worked on much of the new record in Limerick and Toronto with producer Stephen Street.
Lead singer Dolores O'Riordan tells Billboard, "It's kind of picking up where we left off... The whole thing was very lovely. It really came together really nicely. A lot of the tracks were written without really thinking about it. They just came."
"It's really cool, the chemistry," O'Riordan continued. "It's really just right. There's something there when we're together that's really good. It's not something that money can buy. It's not really something anyone can really emulate. It's got to do with energy and chemistry and that kind of thing. It's like putting on a perfect pair of shoes. It just fits."
Expect Roses to drop on Valentines Day 2012. Grab a free download of the first single Show Me The Way below.
T Bone Burnett Presents the Speaking Clock Revue is an album showcasing 11 performances from a benefit concert recorded last year at New York's Beacon Theatre. Proceeds from the album and the live shows benefit Participant Media, an organization dedicated to supporting arts education.
The lineup includes Elton John, Elvis Costello, Leon Russell, John Mellencamp, Gregg Allman, Ralph Stanley, Jeff Bridges, Neko Case, Jim James, Punch Brothers, Karen Elson and The Secret Sisters. The Speaking Clock Revue features a house band put together by Burnett and led by music director and guitarist Marc Ribot.
"The privacy and the intimacy of the studio afford artists the freedom to create," Burnett said, "but something thrilling happens in getting away from the machines and into the live communication of real-time storytelling in the larger community. The first tour I went on, my first job in show business, was on The Rolling Thunder Revue, and I've come back to that type of collaborative and extraordinarily rewarding experience from time to time."
The record comes out tomorrow but you can listen to the full length here now.
The Kooks dropped their 3rd record Junk of the Heart last month and are currently in the middle of a world tour. The band just wrapped the UK leg and are off to take over the rest of Europe before hitting the states next month.
The Kooks recorded the new record in London and New York with Jim Abbiss but then scrapped half the material to hook up with Tony Hoffner who produced the first two records. Lead singer Luke Pritchard felt lost with Abbiss at the helm and brought Hoffner back into the mix to give the band a clear direction and open new doors with production and instrumentation.
Pritchard says, "Musically it's quite different. It's a new band, two new guys. The sound of the band has changed quite drastically. Still with the same roots we've always had, melody being really important in our band. It's soul music, the lyrics are quite a lot influenced by what's gone on⦠you get to a third album and [have] six or seven years on the road."
Download an acoustic version of the title track below.
The Black Keys teamed up with Funny Or Die to announce the release of their new record El Camino December 6th. They enlisted the help of comedian Bob Odenkirk from HBO's Mr. Show and AMC's Breaking Bad to shoot a parody video of a 70's car salesman advertising a van for sale.
The band has even launched a website wannabuyavan in the viral marketing campaign. At the site you can call Pat and hear a recorded message describing the "van" and pre-order the new record.
Previously, The Black Keys have stated the new record is heavily influence by The Cramps and The Clash. El Camino is the follow up to 2010's Brothers.
If Triple M's favorite rock and roll farmer plays his new CD for the cows out in the barn in New Glarus, they're chewin' their cud a bit faster..and dancing in their stalls.
If you're a follower of local music, you've probably heard that Jimmy Voegeli brought in some heavy hitters to help out on "Gimme the Jimmys." Yeah, he's got Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick on one track, and Dan Baird of the Georgia Satellites playing the guitar solos on several songs, but while that looks great on press releases, the proof is in the listening.
So often a local band will sound great live, but when they try to make a record of original material it leaves you asking "Why did I buy this?"
Luckily, that's not the case with Gimme the Jimmys. It starts off really strong with " HaDaYa"..a great jumping boogie woogie number that you just want to turn up loud. And even though all the songs aren't traditional blues..they all fit and have a great flow. A couple of my favorites: "Hell or Heaven," and "JiMo Boogie," with the liner notes listing the musicians as Jimmy plus drummer Mauro Magellan, and a bottle of Jack. Gotta give credit where credit is due. I also can't get enough of Dan Baird's slide guitar on "She Don't Love Me."
Jimmy's a great keyboard player, fine tuning his chops as a member of the Westside Andy Mel Ford Band over the years. But he's not a show-off on this record..it's got great guitar solos..and the horn section (The Amateur Horn All Stars) is fantastic.
If you missed their Madison CD release party at the Harmony Bar, you still have a few chances to see the Jimmys live this month and pick up a copy of the CD. They've also got upcoming gigs at the Club Tavern, Knuckledown Saloon and the Brink Lounge
You can check out the Jimmys schedule and sample and buy their CD here. Reviewed by Kitty Dunn
Grammy-award winning musician Jason Mraz, film director Andy Morahan and photographer Don McCullin have teamed up to call on entrants from 16 countries, including the United States, to submit their idea of "the incredible".
The competition is part of intel's launch of the new N Series notebook. The contest is searching for the most amazing stories from around the world. You can submit your story in words, audio, video, or photos at the official website here.
There are several rounds with different prizes. Each country will have a winner, picked by a panel of judges, who will receive a new ASUS N Series laptop.
The grand prize winner will have their incredible story transformed into a short film guided by the three project creators and professional crew. He or she will then attend the screening of their film with Jason Mraz at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
Mraz's new single The World As I See It serves as the theme to the In Search Of Incredible campaign.
Garbage has announced they will release their 5th record in the spring of 2012. According to the band, "We are making a record filled with the music we love to hear. The new songs have been inspired more by what we haven't been hearing rather than by what we have."
The band is currently putting the finishing touches on the new record. This will mark the first time they've recorded outside of Madison's Smart Studios which closed it's doors in 2010.
Garbage formed in Madison in 1995 releasing the debut that dominated radio in Australia, the UK, and here in the U.S. It's been 7 years since we've heard anything new from the band.
Shirley Manson, Steve Marker, Duke Erikson and Butch Vig have been recording out in Los Angeles with engineer Billy Bush. The as-yet-untitled set will be mixed by Vig and Bush.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Nevermind with Nirvana dropping a reissue of the record that changed the landscape of pop music in 1991. Initially, Nevermind got off to a slow start(just 45,000 copies in the whole of America).
Then Smells Like Teen Spirit took off bumping sales up to 300,000 copies a week and dethroning Michael Jackson from No.1 in the US. Geffen thought Come As You Are would be the only hope for a mainstream breakthrough.
Disc two of both the deluxe version and super deluxe version includes the demos the band recorded here in Madison. For the first time we hear demos of the record that pretty much buried the big hair metal bands of the 80's. Polly is the only track on Nevermind that was actually recorded at Smart Studios.
The Smart Studio demos give us an inside look at the songs in their raw form before Butch Vig and Andy Wallace polished them up for the masses. The demos also yield a better understanding of why Kurt seemed so insecure at the time of the intial release. He had asked numerous insiders and friends back in 1991 if it sounded too much like Poison.
Of course we know Nevermind sounded nothing like Poison.
Novoselic has spent almost a year putting the reissue together. 'The Boombox Rehearsals', capture the first time songs like Smells Like Teen Spirit were played in the studio used as reference points for Cobain, Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl. "They were in the bottom of a box," Novoselic admits. "They almost got thrown out. I found them in the mid-'90s. They're interesting, in the context of this release. I mean, it's a cassette recording of a boom box. But when you're looking at this record and the work that went into it, it adds up."
While he often ponders writing a book to document his memories of Cobain, for now Novoselic is happy with the peek behind the curtains the Nevermind reissue offers.
"People tell me to this day 'Nirvana and Nevermind changed my life or my attitudes on music' and how it really spoke to them. I really appreciate that. For me personally I remember Kurt Cobain and I think 'Hey dude, good on you'. It's a good way to remember him and the vision he had."
Ride the Drive will take place this Sunday, September 25.
Ride the Drive is FREE, open to the public, family-friendly, and a whole new way to experience our great city. For this event, particular streets are closed to cars and open to bikers, walkers, roller-bladers and those out to share in the experience & fun atmosphere.
Along the route there will be activities, information booths, food vendors, and plenty of other ways to enjoy the city...including music stages! The stage is going to be switched around a bit this time to reduce rider congestion up on the square. It will be facing the capitol a little ways down MLK Jr. Blvd. And here's the lineup:
*10-10:45am: Joe Bainbridge
*11-11:45am: Corey Hart
*12-12:45pm: Anna Wang &Â The Oh Boys
*1-1:45pm: Keefe Klug &Â The Surgical Precision
In order to support Ride the Drive, these artists have been kind enough to offer a free download! Right click on the song names below and save the file to download!
-Joe Bainbridge: Â "Searching for Satillites"
-Corey Hart: Â "Extinguish"
-Anna Wang & The Oh Boys: Â "Fickle Heart"
-Keefe Klug & The Surgical Precision: Â "The One"
Pearl Jam is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year..just like Triple M! Next week they're releasing a retrospective CD containing 29 rare and unreleased songs.
The album is actually the soundtrack to a documentary DVD that will come out October 25th.The movie is directed by award-winning director and music journalist Cameron Crowe, and is being called a definitive portrait of thel band carved from over 1,200 hours of rarely and never-before-seen footage, plus 24 hours of recently shot concert and interview footage. PEARL JAM TWENTY chronicles the years leading up to the band's formation, the chaos that ensued soon-after their rise to mega-stardom, and what happened in the years after that.
And for the Pearl Jam completionist, there's also a PJ20 book that came out on Tuesday.
Get the free download of the song Ole here.
Did you see Pearl Jam play the song on Jimmy Fallon's show? You can watch that here.
Wilco's new album "The Whole Love" will be available for purchase and download in a couple of weeks, but Wilco fans can get a freebie this week on iTunes, with a download of the song "Born Alone."
Rolling Stone calls the song "jaunty hum-along pleasure."
The new album will be in stores September 27th and is available for pre-order on the band's website.
Wilco plays a sold-out show at Overture Hall in Madison October 5th.
Download the new song here.
Here's an interesting idea. What would happen if Eric Clapton came up with the set list, and jazz great Wynton Marsalis came up with the arrangements, and a group of stellar musical virtuosos were all brought together to bring the music to life?
If you were lucky enough to be in the audience on one of two nights at Lincoln Center last April, you got to hear for yourself. For the rest of us, there's a new CD out now called "Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play The Blues."
Even though the album's title has "blues" in it, this album defnitely has a jazzy feel...after all it's the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra that's backing them up, not your traditional blues combo or even rock n roll lineup that you might be used to with Mr. Clapton.
The set list is definitely intriguing..and a preview of the songs on Wynton Marsalis' website is nothing if not compelling. The intro to Layla sure doesn't sound like the Derek & the Dominoes version, or that sleepy unplugged version from the early '90s, thankfully.
This is a far different Clapton than I saw at the Crossroads Guitar Festival..and might not be for everyone. But if you like a little Dixieland as a change of pace from soulful solos and catchy blues riffs, you may want to check this album out.
--posted by Kitty Dunn
The guy who gave us that great pop song "Girlfriend" 20 years ago has a new album coming out later this month. Matthew Sweet's new record is called "Modern Love," and comes out September 27th.
A quick look at some of the song titles hints it may be at least slightly amusing. Can't wait to hear "Oh Oldendaze" and "My Ass Is Grass."
The first single is called "She Walks the Night" and you can download it free, in exchange for your email address.
Get it here.--Posted by Kitty Dunn
Ryan Adams is set to drop a new record October 11th. Ashes & Fire will feature Norah Jones on piano and vocals. Longtime Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench is also onboard. Adams' upcoming 13th release was produced by Glyn Johns who has worked with heavyweights The Clash, Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and the Who.
First time I saw Ryan Adams live was in the 90's with Whiskeytown. He's always been a incredible performer live, though he lost me a couple times with his records since. If Lucky Now is any indication Ashes & Fire could be one of his finest.
Lucky Now by ryanadams
Cass McCombs will drop his second record of 2011, Humor Risk on November 7th. The eight-song set was produced by McCombs and Ariel Rechtshaid, who also helped out on Wit's End his sixth effort released back in April.
The late John Peel once called McCombs "unobtrusively brilliant". McCombs has made a name for himself as a nomad, connecting with European indie rock circles in the early 2000s and more recently with folk-rock fans in the U.S. He's a kind of musicians musician who's fans include Fleet Foxes and Andrew Bird.
Domino Records' Kris Gillespie was initially drawn to McCombs' writing. "When you see the lyrics on the printed page, there's such an economy to them that they're almost minimalist. But when he sings them, they become these vivid, detailed stories somehow."
Here's the track list for Humor Risk..
1. Love Thine Enemy
2. The Living Word
3. The Same Thing
4. To Every Man His Chimera
5. Robin Egg Blue
6. Mystery Mail
7. Meet Me At the Mannequin Gallery
8. Mariah (sketch)
Grab a free download of The Same Thing below and let me know what you think.
Cass McCombs - The Same Thing by DominoRecordCo
London foursome Veronica Falls have created quite a buzz for themselves. Their first record deal came just ten minutes after the launch of their myspace page. Now signed to U.S. indie label Sumberland, home of Stereolab and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Veronica Falls are set to release their debut full-length October 17th.
The four piece originally hail from Glasgow, Scotland and include Roxanne Clifford (guitars/vocals), Patrick Doyle (drums), James Hoare (guitar), and Marion Herbain (bass). James suggests their music is heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground. There's also a 60's brit-pop vibe here. Roxanne adds, "I'm a really big fan of Roky Erickson lyrics. They're quite twisted, almost beyond madness in some places."
So far they all have day jobs and admit they're not a career band.. as of yet. That could change as Patrick points out, "Obviously everyone harbours ambitions of being able to make a living out of something they enjoy doing."
Grab a free download of "Come On Over" from their upcoming debut.
Come On Over by Veronica Falls
SuperHeavy, the new "super-gr0up" featuring Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, Damien Marley and A.R. Rahman just released the video for their song Miracle Worker.
When the band's formation was announced in May, Jagger said "We wanted a convergence of different musical styles... We were always overlapping styles, but they were nevertheless separate." You can definitely hear a reggae vibe in the first single. It will be interesting to hear what the rest of the self-titled album will sound like when it comes out in September.
You can tell they had a pretty big budget for the video. And probably a good share of it was spent on Jagger's suit.
What do you think?
--Posted by Kitty Dunn
Tom Morello, better known as The Nightwatchman, is bringing out his political folk alter ego Madison style.  In order to contribute to the political elections that are taking place today, Triple M wants to offer our listeners a free download of Tom Morello's "Union Song", performed live right here in Mad-town.
Free Download: Union Song - Live in Madison
Earlier this year, Robbie Robertson came out with a new album called "How To Become Clairvoyant," which featured a bunch of guest artists including Eric Clapton, Trent Reznor, Steve Winwood and Robert Randolph.
Now he's released a new version of one of the songs, "Fear of Falling," in which Robbie sings all the verses and Eric Clapton joins in on the chorus.
It's a free download on Robbie's official website, and that's the only place you can get it.
Click hereto get yours.
And here's Robbie with his old group, The Band!
The last couple weeks Feist has been dropping hints about her upcoming release Metals due out October 4th. Feist revealed via tweet yesterday a "paint by numbers" image of the official album art. As the post reads, "Use the key or make your own and post to listn.to/feist. Our faves win something special."
Feist still collaborates with Broken Social Scene and became one of the big breakout artists of 2007 with her fourth solo album The Reminder. The video for 1234 was an homage to the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Olympics in her hometown of Calgary in which she performed as a dancer at just 12 years of age.
The new record was recorded in Big Sur, California and co-produced by Chilly Gonzalez, Mocky and Bjork associate Valgeir Sigurosson. Feist will be offering 12 separate track-teasing vignettes of Metals at her website, www.listentofeist.com.
Neon Indian is Alan Palomo a 22 year old Texan who released his debut record Psychic Chasms in 2009. Palomo describes his music as, "Childhood re-contextualized through a psychedelic, lo-filter. The idea of memory before you were old enough to have memories." Who doesn't want to be a part of that?
Neon Indian's sophomore release Era Extrana drops September 13th. Palomo's father enjoyed some success as a recording artist in Mexico. Although he was brought up around music, Palomo didn't learn how to play an instrument until he was in high school.
Then he found a synth at a pawn shop that inspired him to experiment with an old Casio Rapman. He ran it through distortion pedals looping drum beats and more to come up with much of the Neon Indian sound we hear today.
Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste is a huge fan of Palomo. In fact, Neon Indian has done a couple of remixes for Grizzly Bear in the past. Fallout is the the first single from the upcoming release. You can stream it here, or grab a free download in exchange for your email address below.
Bombay Bicycle Club are set to drop their third release in as many years August 29th in Europe with a U.S. release date to follow. A Different Kind Of Fix was recorded in Germany, London, and Atlanta. This time out the band worked with Animal Collective producer Ben Allen.
Frontman Jack Steadman on the new single, "The first time I played it to any of my friends was at a house party and none of them believed it was Bombay Bicycle Club." The record boasts funky bass riffs, house piano, and a groove not found on previous efforts.
This feels like a big step forward for these twenty somethings. You'll have a hard time not hitting replay.
Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle by Bombay Bicycle Club
The new Red Hot Chili Peppers record I'm With You drops August 30th. The first single produced by Rick Ruben leaked earlier today. The album cover was designed by prominent British artist Damien Hirst. Check it out here.
This is the RHCP's first record with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. Flea's putting some music theory classes into play after attending USC in 2008. Both Josh and Flea tripped to Africa for inspiration on the new record. Check out the first single The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie.
Attention Beatles fans..you might want to add HBO to your cable TV package before the fall.
According to an announcement on George Harrison's official website, a new documentary about George, directed by Martin Scorsese, will air on HBO this fall. "George Harrison: Living in the Material World" will tell George's life story with rare photos, video, and even unreleased Beatles' footage. The film will include interviews with George's wife Olivia, and many of his closest friends including Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Tom Petty.
Scorsese has a done a fantastic job on other documentaries about musicians, including "Bob Dylan: No Direction Home," and that fantastic Blues series that aired on public television several years ago. You know that with Scorsese behind the project, it's going to be very well put together. He's even rich enough to afford the rights to use actual songs from the artists! And if you've ever watched a documentary where they don't have the rights to the songs, you know how crappy they can be.
So who's inviting me over to watch later this year?
Here's a video to tide you over until the documentary comes out, or at least around four minutes.
--Posted by Kitty Dunn
Marcus Mumford & Co. made a name for themselves with their Grammy-award-winning album Sigh No More. These British roots rockers explore far quieter terrain in their new ballad, "Home".
Hearing that a song is a ballad does either 1 of 2 things to my mindset before listening to a song for the first time...
Makes me want to stick my fingers in my ears and begin to sing "la, la la, la la"
I get excited to emerge myself into an old-school, ballad moment
When I heard about Mum's & Sons new song, I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about a slower, ballad. But once I played it, I couldn't keep it off repeat. They've managed to master their genre stylistically.
Mumford & Sons - "Home/Untitled" (Live on KBCO) by TwentyFourBit.com
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/-ogFsrbbHOY" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
Not all of you will recognize Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner...unplugged. However, it's hard not to be captivated by his charming accent. So even if you don't recognize him at first, you definitely want to listen when his soft, British banter begins.
Soon after the banter leads into a stunning solo performance of their new single, "Suck It and See" from the band's 4th album. Â This moment at Spin can be described as stunning, nothing less.
Project M winner Frank Busch and his band got inspired on the first day of summer, and came up with a new song he says is about "summer time beer tents and such!" Great subject matter, we think. Check it out!
You know, Frank also wrote a summer song to complete one of the Project M challenges. You can listen to that song here.Go see Mighty Short Bus at Summerfest Thursday, June 30th at noon on the Briggs and Stratton Stage! Woo hoo!
"Fitz and The Tantrums are not just a band, they're an explosion!"
When a band makes a claim like that on their website, they better be able to back it up. And from all accounts, they can do that. When they came to Triple M to play for us live in Studio M, it's surprising the snow outside the radio station didn't immediately melt.
Yeah, they're hot. They'll be at Summerfest on Saturday July 2nd. They're on at 8pm at the Miller Lite Oasis, right before Maroon 5. Expect the crowd to be standing on the benches belting out "Moneygrabber" at the top of their lungs!
To hold you over until then, sign up for their email list and get a free .mp3, a live version of the song "Don't Gotta Work it Out."
--posted by Kitty Dunn
The Madison band Bascom Hill has just returned from spending a LONG time on the road.
You always hear about how rough life on the road can be, but it seems like these guys were having a lot of fun..if the video they created was any indication.
Watch this video to get a feel for the experience..and to look for the brief cameo by a Triple M staff member.
If you like what you hear on the video, go check out their website to check out their self-titled album. You can even get a free download.
Sweet.
Coldplay's new album doesn't come out until this fall...but they're giving us a preview, with release of the first single,"Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall."
What do you think of it?
Lollapalooza is celebrating its 20th anniversary August 5-7th at Grant Park in Chicago. The lineup this time around includes Coldplay, Foo Fighters, My Morning Jacket, The Cars, Cee Lo Green and tons of great artists, famous and obscure.
Over the years Lollapalooza has featured some pretty incredible talent, and now though the end of July, Spin Magazine is offering a 20th anniversary album free through iTunes.
It includes songs from some artists we love here at Triple M, including G. Love, the John Butler Trio, Moby, and more...20 of them in all.
Click here to download your free CD! -Posted by Kitty Dunn
Arcade Fire celebrate the one year anniversary of their grammy award winning album The Suburbs with the release of The Suburbs Deluxe Edition August 2nd.
The Suburbs Deluxe includes an extended version of Wasted Hours and two previously unreleased tracks recorded during The Suburbs sessions, Culture War and Speaking In Tongues featuring backing vocals by David Byrne. The deluxe package also includes an 80 page booklet of behind the scenes stills and 30 minute DVD of the documentary Scenes From The Suburbs directed by Spike Jonze.
Arcade Fire - Speaking in Tongues (feat. David Byrne) by MergeRecordsArcade Fire - Culture War by MergeRecordsPosted By: Vince Cannova
When you and I clean out the clutter..it's probably a lot of old shoes and clothes that no longer fit.
When Neil Young does some housecleaning..he finds some pretty cool previously unreleased material.
Back in the 1980's, Young explored various genres of music, including country. At that time he toured with a band called The International Harvesters, and some of it's coming out on an album calledA Treasure in June.
He's also reportedly working on releasing a second volume of his Neil Young Archives box set..and getting ready to go out on tour with Buffalo Springfield.
You can hear one of the songs that will be on the album that comes out next month on the Rolling Stone website.
Give it a listen and tell us what you think.
You should also watch this video of him talking about how .mp3's suck and why you should buy his new album on Blu-ray.
(Nice outfit, Neil.)
--Posted by Kitty Dunn
Eau Claire native Justin Vernon, who records as Bon Iver, has a new album coming out in June, and Rolling Stonesays he's going the other direction from the stark, stripped down feel of his first album, which was called "For Emma, Forever Ago."
The new album will be called titled "Bon Iver, Bon Iver," and the magazine says the first single, "Calgary," is full of rich sonic detail.
It sounds kinda trippy, if you ask me.
You can't buy the new album until June 21, but you can stream the single on the Bon Iver website, and you can even download it for free if you give them your e-mail address.
Click here if you'd like to check it out.
If you like what you hear, you can go see Bon Iver at the Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee July 22 and 23.
-Posted by Kitty Dunn
It's been a while since we had a new album from the Cars. Can you believe it was 1987?
When bassist and co-lead singer Benjamin Orr died in 2000, most fans had probably given up on the idea of a Cars reunion. In 2005, Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes teamed up with Todd Rundgren and some other musical veterans to form The New Cars, which performed some Cars' and Rundgren hits on tour, but could it really be the Cars without Rick Ocasek?
Well Ocasek is back in the fold and their new record "Move Like This" sounds a LOT like the old Cars we knew and loved. It sounds so much like an old Cars record, that I bet if you played me some of the songs on it and said "those were from Side 2 of Candy-o" I probably would have believed you. (I remember I only really listened to one side of that album back in the early days.)
The first single, "Sad Song" starts with a riff and drum lick that's immediately identifiable as that Cars' sound. Despite the title, it's a fun upbeat song that would sound great cranked on the car stereo with the windows open in the summertime.
I also liked "Soon," which has a slow, dreamy quality that reminds me of the song "Drive," sung by Benjamin Orr on the 1984 "Heartbeat City" album.
While "Move Like This" will probably impress the die-hard Cars' fan that's been waiting since the late '80's for something new, I don't think it really stands up that well when compared to their self-titled debut or Candy-O. Ocasek goes a little too crazy on the keyboards, with a synthesized sound I don't really enjoy. For example, one song "Keep on Knocking" has a driving guitar sound that almost seems like a Neil Young thing going on, but then there's some keyboard overlay that just mucks it up.
-Reviewed by Kitty Dunn
Paul McCartney's two classic solo albums, " McCartney", and "McCartney II" will be re-released June 14th in the United States.
Both albums will be remastered by the same team that did the Beatles reissues a couple of years ago, and will feature rare and previously unreleased bonus tracks. There will also be a couple of different "special" and "deluxe" editions available..with a variety of other items like dvd's and picture books. New remastered vinyl versions will also be released.
"McCartney" is the album that out in 1970 right as Paul announced the Beatles breakup. It includes the studio version of "Maybe I'm Amazed." A live version recorded in 1976 became a Top Ten hit.
"McCartney II" was released in 1980 and contained the hit "Coming Up." However the hit was a live version recorded by Wings "Coming Up Live In Glasgow." It was on a B-side of a 45 sent to radio stations and that's the one that got radio airplay. Eventually the record company stuck that song on a 7" 33rpm single and slid it into the sleeve of the album as a bonus. This new version will include that song on a bonus disc.
Find out more about both reissues and what they'll include here.
Paul is also giving a preview of some of the remastered songs. Here's the song "That Would Be Something" from "McCartney."
That Would Be Something by PaulMcCartney--Posted by KDunn
It was only a little over a year ago that the Seattle band The Head and The Heart was burning copies of their self-titled debut CD, putting them in handmade denim sleeves, and selling lots of copies at record stores in their hometown.
Now they've been signed to SubPop records, their record has been remastered and re-released..and even vinyl copies were made to release on Record Store Day.
We've been playing the song "Lost in My Mind," and it's really quite catchy-- with some nice harmonies going on.
Right now The Head and the Heart is on tour with Iron and Wine, and will play Turner Hall in Milwaukee June 7th.
If you sign up for their email list, you can download "Lost in My Mind" and another one for free.
Check it out here. --Posted by Kitty Dunn
Green Day has a new album out that features live versions of some of their most popular songs, recorded all over the world. Now some of the songs feature words your mother would yell at you for saying out loud..as you might guess by the title of the album "Awesome as F**k."
The album not only features 17 songs, it also includes a DVD of an unforgettable show in Tokyo.
For a limited time, Amazon is offering a free .mp3 of the song "Wake Me Up When September Ends" from the new album.
You can get yours here.
Peter Gabriel, the English singer and songwriter, has announced tour dates for his "New Blood" North American tour starting in June. He was the lead singer of Genesis. His newest album "Scratch My Back" was released in February of 2010.
Here are the tour dates:
06-10 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theater
06-11 Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
06-13 Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater
06-15 Dallas, TX - Verizon Theater
06-16 Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Pavilion
06-18 Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theater
06-20 Chicago, IL - United Center
06-22 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Amphitheatre
06-24 Boston, MA - Comcast Center
06-25 Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center
06-27 Saratoga Springs,NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
06-29 Milwaukee, WI - Molson Amphitheatre
Self-titled Debut AlbumThe Head and the HeartAlbum Rating:Â 2 1/2 M's
Genre:Â Folk, pop, rock, awesome,
This might be one of the better bands you've never heard of. The Head and the Heart launched itself onto the music scene in Seattle 2 years ago when they all met at a bar. The album starts off strong with "Cats and Dogs" and it feels like a potential huge hit for the group. The band has this wonderfully delightful mix of folk and pop that fuses together.
The next song of note is "Down in the Valley" that is emphatically and almost begrudgingly slow, but slowly builds itself to a crescendo of glory and then falls back down. It's incredible.
Here is a link for a free download of their song "Down in the Valley:"
Then we get a song like "Rivers and Roads" that just breaks your heart. It reminds me a lot of The Avett Brothers...and that's a good thing. It's sad lyrics reinforce feelings of loneliness and alienation in a beautiful and poignant manner. The song breaks in the middle for some primal Mumford & Sons yearning, mixed with a cool drum beat at the end combined with the lulling voices of singers Charity Rose Thielen, Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell.
The album is best listened to a few times...and then some more. Some of the songs like "Lost In My Mind" are easy to gloss over, but they are pretty good.   I enjoyed "Sounds Like Hallelujah" as well. I wish more bands could make music like this.
Overall:
This is a really fun album that has some great songs. Not all of them are wonderful, but there are some gems and this band would definitely be a good one to check out.
The Arcade Fire played a show in Port-au-Prince for a small group in front of the Hotel Oloffson last Tuesday and played a 45-minute set that included a bunch of covers.
They covered Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Who'll Stop The Rain," "The Last Time" by the Rolling Stones, 'The Tide is High" by the Paragons and Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
Check out "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun:"
Foo Fighters have decided to stream their 7th full-length release Wasting Light before it hits stores April 12th. The record was produced by Butch Vig and includes former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic on a track called I Should Have Known.
Wasting Light by Foo Fighters
Lead singer Justin Vernon, the guy behind Bon Iver, has announced that the band's new LP will be released this summer, probably around June, and will contain 10 songs. This will be the follow up Bon Iver's 2009 EP "Blood Bank."
Pitchfork reported, "According to Rolling Stone, experimental saxophonist Colin Stetson and pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz (Wilco, Joni Mitchell) were tapped to contribute to the record. Tracks include "Perth", which Vernon refers to as "a Civil War-sounding heavy metal song" and Rolling Stone reports that it features "a marching drum beat, a children's choir and wailing guitars," "Minnesota Wisconsin", and the closer "Beth/Rest", which Vernon claims is "definitely the part where you pick up your joint and re-light it." Okay!"
The band was founded in 2007 and the band was originally based out of Wisconsin.
Listen to Bon Iver's "Woods" below:
If you're not living in New York, you probably didn't buy tickets to see LCD Soundsystem for their final concert. Well, you're in luck because Pitchfork.com announced that the band will live stream the concert on their website. The show is tomorrow (April 2nd) at Madison Square Garden.
You can go to Pitchfork to check out the live stream tomorrow night. You can check out the video of singer James Murphy talk about the last album "This is Happening:"
Tom Waits is a man of many talents, from his incredible music career to acting to composition, he has been involved with music for a long time. So, it's no surprise that he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last week with this year's class of musicians including Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Darlene Love and Leon Russel.
Waits was introduced by Neil Young and played a short set including songs "Make it Rain," "Rain Dogs," "House Where Nobody Lives" and "Get Behind The Mule."Â The last song included Neil Young and you can watch the video below:
So, you think you've just had about enough of hearing about The Strokes?  Well, too late, because Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture said the band plans to work on their next album, starting as early as next month.
âWe just were talking yesterday about when we would get back together and start working on writing for the next album,â Fraiture said in an interview, âwhich would be some point soon, I think around April â mid-April.â
You can listen to him hear:
The list is slowly coming together, but some of the headliners for Summerfest have been announced.
Those include:
Wednesday June 29th:Â Peter Gabriel and the New Blood Orchestra
Thursday June 30th:Â Kanye West w/Kid Cudi
Friday July 1st:Â Toby Keith w/Eric Church
Tuesday July 5th:Â Def Leppard w/Heart
Wednesday July 6th:Â The Black Keys w/Florence + the Machine and Cage the Elephant
Thursday July 7th:Â Katy Perry
Friday July 8th:Â Jason Aldean w/Chris Young and Thompson Square
Sunday July 10th:Â Sugarland w/Sara Bareillas
Who are you excited to see?
The road to success is paved with a good cover. It's also paved in gold. If you can prove to the world that you can take someone's music and make it somewhat original, then you can do anything. I'm not talking about Madonna covering "American Pie" or Limp Bizkit destroying "Behind Blue Eyes." Almost all good bands have done interesting covers and below are some of my favorites:
"Hurt"- Johnny Cash
Cash covered Nine Inch Nails and redefined the ownership of the song with a haunting cover of his own.
"Hotel California" - Gipsy Kings
Yes, "The Big Lebowski" helped, but I genuinely enjoy this cover of The Eagles.
"Sweet Dreams" - Marilyn Manson
Eurythmics created an awesome dance mix and Marilyn Manson took that song and created a daring melancholy ode.
"All Along the Watchtower" - Jimi Hendrix
Originally written by Bob Dylan, Hendrix took over 6 months after the original release with an awesome guitar-centric rendition of his own.
"House of the Rising Sun" - The Animals
I don't believe the origins of this song are known, but it is deeply entrenched in folk lore. And it's one of my all-time favorites. There have been many bands that have covered this song, but I still think The Animals did the best version.
"Maggie's Farm" - Rage Against the Machine
The original artist...Bob Dylan. Listen to these songs back to back and you can feel how Rage Against the Machine transformed the song.
"Tuesday's Gone" - Metallica
The original song was written by Lynyrd Skynyrd and was covered by Metallica on their album "Garage, Inc."Â The song features Les Claypool, Jerry Cantrell, and John Popper among others and is an interesting acoustic rendition of the song.
"Death Letter" - White Stripes
This song emanates the blues. The original song was by Son House, performed in the 1960's.
-Soren Nieminen
Your thoughts? What are some of your favorite cover songs?
Duran Duran has resurrected itself several times over the years and they are making a push into new ground on Wednesday night when they streamed a concert live on YouTube from Club Mayan in downtown LA of their new album "All You Need Is Now."Â The new album is their 13th studio endeavor and was produced by Grammy winner Mark Ronson.
The album was released via digital download on December 31. They released a physical copy of the album on March 22 to coincide with their 30th anniversary of their first release.
The even was directed by filmmaker David Lynch and includes some amazing visuals.
You can check out their song "The Man Who Stole a Leopard" below:
Pearl Jam has a lot of things going for them this year. They just released their live album "Live on Ten Legs" and they have a new book, documentary (directed by Cameron Crowe), numerous side projects and a festival they will put on themselves this year.
But, bassist Jeff Ament told Billboard.com that they have begun to work on their 10th studio album and have done a variety of demos and are parring down about 25 songs. Â Eddie Vedder is also planning on releasing a new solo album this year and Soundgarden is also releasing a record (with drummer Matt Cameron who plays in both bands). The plan is to have the 10th album release in 2011.
The band is also putting on the Pearl Jam Twenty festival around Labor Day to celebrate the 20th anniversary from when the band released their debut album. They are in the middle of finalizing details and will announce the location and official dates in April.
Ament is very excited for this year. "There's been so much focus on the past that I think all of us are really excited to make a new record and have something to look forward to because we've been digging in the boxes in our basement a lot the last year or so," he said.
Jack White stepped out into a parking lot and put on a show on Wednesday. He performed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" and the White Stripes' song "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground."
He brought a truck that sells his Third Man Rolling Record Store's music. Pitchfork wrote, "White's two-song set was friendly and laid-back, prompting smiles and sing-alongs from the crowd, which included Aziz Ansari and both members of the Kills. Afterwards, he introduced Third Man's latest signing, grizzled itinerant folkie Seasick Steve. (White told me that Steve inked his one-album Third Man deal by signing his office desk, rather than a contract.) Steve and his three-string guitar and stomp box only got one song in before a frantic parking lot attendant shut the celebration down. But the line to start shopping in the Rolling Record Store already stretched around the block. Mission accomplished."
You can check out the video below from NPR of the event:
The Strokes have a new album called "Angles" that will be released on March 22nd and they previewed it at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.  They played through a variety of their previous hits and some new songs. The Strokes formed in NYC in 1998 and "Angles" will be their 4th studio album.
Here they are performing their new song "Life is Simple in the Moonlight" on SNL, March 5th.
Here is the set list for the Strokes' SXSW performance:
What Ever Happened
The Modern Age
You Only Live Once
Under Cover of Darkness
New York City Cops
You're So Right
Under Control
Someday
Juicebox
Life Is Simple in the Moonlight
I Can't Win
Reptillia
Taken For a Fool
Take it Or Leave It
Encore:
Gratisfaction
Hard to Explain
Last Night
Since the dawn of music, there have been sorrowful songs.  Or maybe, since the dawn of sorrow, there has been music? There's always a song, whether through the clarity of its instruments or the nature of its lyrics that can make any room awfully dusty...you may even shed a tear. So, here goes: The Most Heartbreaking Songs...ever!10) "Yesterday" - The Beatles (1965)
"Yesterday,
Love was such an easy game to play,
Now I need a place to hide away,
Oh, I believe in yesterday."9)Â "Hurt" - Johnny Cash (2002)
This was originally written by Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) in 1994 off his album "The Downward Spiral." At first, Reznor felt a little hesitant about having Johnny Cash covering his song. But...
"I pop the video in, and wow⦠Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps⦠Wow. [I felt like] I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore⦠It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form. I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone. [Somehow] that winds up reinterpreted by a music legend from a radically different era/genre and still retains sincerity and meaning â different, but every bit as pure."
-Reznor, on Johny Cash covering "Hurt"
8)Â "Clair De Lune" - DeBussy (1905)
You've probably heard this song in a variety of different movies (probably most notably in the ending scene of "Ocean's 11"). It's the third movement of Suite bergamasque by Claude Debussy, first published in 1905.   The title comes from a poem of Paul Verlaine's of the same name.
7)Â "Unchained Melody" - Righteous Brothers (1955)
This song probably conjures up images of a sweaty Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in the movie "Ghost." It was written by Alex North and has lyrics by Hy Zaret. It's been covered more than 500 times by all types of different bands and in many different languages. I like to think it eloquently puts a universal theme of love and longing:
"Oh my love, my darling
I've hungered,
Hungered for your touch
A long lonely time,
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much,
Are you still mine?"6)Â "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" - Hank Williams (1949)
This song was written by Hank Williams and believed to be inspired by his troubled relationship with wife Audrey Sheppard. Here are some of the lyrics:
"The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky.
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry."5) "Mad World" - Gary Jules (2001)
This original song is by Tears For Fears and it was covered by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews for the soundtrack to the movie "Donnie Darko."
"Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me
No one new me
Hello teacher tell me whatâs my lesson
Look right through me
Look right through me"4) "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" - Gordon Lightfoot
This is a heartbreaking long song by Gordon Lightfoot commemorating the SS Edmund Superior that sunk on Lake Superior in 1975.
"The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'.
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early"3)Â "Tears in Heaven" - Eric Clapton (1992)
This sad tale about Clapton's four-year-old son Conor who fell from a window on the 53rd floor of a New York apartment is one of the most eloquent and tear jerking songs of all time.
"Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on,
'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven."2) "Last Kiss" - Pearl Jam (1998)
The original song was written by Wayne Cochran in 1961, but was later covered by Pearl Jam. It is one of the most devastating songs to ever listen to. I know my roommate in college never wanted to hear it, because he would always break down and cry if he did.  It's based on a story about a 16-year-old couple who was on a date around Christmas time when they collided with another car on the road.
"I held her close, I kissed her our last kiss
I found the love that I knew I would miss
But now she's gone, even though I hold her tight
I lost my love, my life that night."1)Â Â "Hallelujah" - Jeff Buckley
This song was originally written by Leonard Cohen in 1984 and has seen numerous covers by all kinds of bands. But, I think the one by Jeff Buckley featuring a soft guitar is the most haunting and melancholy, yet strangely beautiful.
"Maybe thereâs a God above
But all Iâve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
Itâs not a cry you can hear at night
Itâs not somebody who has seen the light
Itâs a cold and itâs a broken Hallelujah"Any Honorable Mentions?
Let us know if you have any songs that are especially sad to you.
-Soren Nieminen
Los Lonely boys have a new album coming out March 29th. It's called "Rockpango," which Henry, Jo Jo and Ringo say is a "Spanglish" word meaning "rock party." It's being touted as the band's most personal album ever, as it was written, recorded and produced by the band.
Will it be as good as their 2004 debut? You can get a little sneak preview here.
Click here to get a free download of the song "Fly Away."
Los Lonely Boys are touring to promote the new record..with a stop at the Barrymore Theatre in Madison on April 12th.
The title of Redlight King's first single - "Old Man" - from their debut album Something for the Pain should sound eerily familiar to avid Neil Young fans. Young, who rarely entertains sampling requests, seems to be softening in his mature years.
Against popular assumption (and reality), lead singer Kaz was able to persuade Neil to allow the band to pay homage to his song of the same name. Redlight King's version of "Old Man" is not a cover. Rather, it offers up a reluctant salute to Kaz's own father, a larger-than-life figure who taught school by day and raced stock cars at night.
When you hear the song, you're going to be able to feel it. Check out the video here:
Click here to download "Old Man" for free!
"Go Go Boots"
Drive-By Truckers
Musical Style: Â Alternative Country
Drive-By Truckers has been active for over 15 years and they released their 11th album in February. Â The album was released on ATO Records and marks the eighth album produced by David Barbe. Â The album has a soulful quality to it, but the souls presented in some of the songs aren't really interesting.
We start out with the song "I Do Believe" that has a nice flow to it and guides us through a child-like story of unconditional love. Â Then we get the title track that has a slow guitar entrance and mournful pacing that is enticing. Â Here is a quick video explaining some aspects of the album:
If you haven't already, you should check out more of the Go-Go Boots episodes that tell about the inspiration behind the album and some of the interesting stories behind the band. It gives you insight into a soulful band that has been around for a long time and is exploring new music. This album contains two covers by Eddie Hinton in "Where's Eddie" and "Everybody Needs Love" and both are really good, especially "Everybody Needs Love."
There are also other good songs like "Assholes" and you can't help but stomp your feet to songs "The Weakest Man" and "Pulaski." I will say that the last half of the album is probably the strongest. Some songs are pretty interesting, but a couple of them feel pretty underwhelming and dull at points.
Overall
This is a strong effort by Drive-By Truckers to create something that is yearning and deep, but sometimes I feel like energy is sacrificed in an effort to manufacture "soul." Â The album has its strong points and if you are fan of the band you will no doubt like it. Â I especially like the cover of "Everybody Needs Love" and most of the second half of the album. Â It's a strong effort by the band, but sometimes I couldn't connect with some of the music. Â I think the album has both strong and weak points, but it is something you should give a chance.
-Soren Nieminen
I've been an R.E.M. fan since my brother bought me a copy of "Life's Rich Pageant" back in the mid-1980s. I've got a lot emotionally invested in this band, so when they release a new album, I'm always excited..with reservations. Let's face it..some of the albums that came after "Automatic For the People" were not that good.
So when I threw "Collapse Into Now" onto the turntable...or popped the disc in the CD player...I wasn't sure what I was going to hear.
My first impression of the record was that I'd heard the songs before. Not in a "oh my goodness they're just churning out the same stuff and giving it new titles" kind of way, but each song seemed to remind me of one of their older tunes from back when I was really into the band (and listening on vinyl, by the way).
Uberlin reminds me of "Drive," and "Walk It Back" has a similar feel and message as "Everybody Hurts," with lines including "Reverse and rewind, erase and revise, and try to start again."
Not every song gave me a flashback though. There's an eerily soothing lullabye called "Every Day is Yours To Win," and a quirky rhyme-fest with a great title "Alligator-Aviator-Autopilot- Antimatter," that shows the band's rockin' side. And the last song, "Blue," is a musical beat poet collage that features Stipe and his hero Patti Smith, with a background of swirling atmospheric instrumentation.
And as weird as that is..it seems to fit. Kind of like an old comfy sweater that you just bought today.
-Reviewed by Kitty Dunn
COLLAPSE INTO NOW, R.E.M.'s new studio record comes out this Tuesday (March 8th). The album was produced by R.E.M. and Jacknife Lee and features guest appearances from Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye, Joel Gibb, Peaches, and Eddie Vedder.
Mike Mills calls it their best album since "Out of Time," telling Rolling Stone Magazine it includes "balls-to-the-wall rockers, slow sad songs, great mid-tempo songs in the tradition of R.E.M. We had quality, top to bottom."
One thing they do have is some great song titles. In addition to "Mine Smell Like Honey" which you've probably heard, there are songs called "Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando & I," and one I'm really looking forward to.."Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter," that sounds like it will be great to jump rope to!
You can download the new single ÃBerlin for free here.
--posted by Kitty Dunn
"Fixin' To Die"
G. Love & Special Sauce
"The G stands for Garrett and the 'Love' just felt right." And G. Love & Special Sauce has put out another album last month that is a fun and catchy ride. Produced by the Avett Brothers (and I'm a fan of them), I have to say that this is sound is a banjo filled fun time.
Here is the title track from the album:
G. Love & Special Sauce ramp up the blues in this album. The second song of the album is "The Road," a melancholy ode to the grungy life of a band, connecting with fans but far removed from your family. The same goes for "Katie Miss." I was struck how this album goes from the high energy of "Fixin' To Die" to the soft lulling of "Katie Miss" to a song about coffee in "Milk and Sugar." But, I'm not particularly fond of odes to hot beverages and this is one of the few that fails to deliver.
Amazing Covers
I think that all artists should cover someone on their albums. It's a recipe for collaboration and a deep sign of respect. So, I especially loved the cover of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," one of my favorite songs by Paul Simon. G. Love & Special Sauce add their own special instrumental ending and it is spectacular.
The title track is by Bukka White, and has been covered by a host of musicians including Bob Dylan on his debut album.
The next cover is "Pale Blue Eyes," by Velvet Underground. I really enjoy this song and it it s a great way to end the album.
There are other great songs in the mix like "Walk On" and "Get Going" and several others.
Overall:
I think if you're a fan of The Avett Brothers, you will like this album. It has a nice mix of raucous and slow blues. G. Love & Special Sauce have created a great lively R&B album and I think that the range of covers is fun and well-done. I didn't like all of the songs, but I think overall there is a strong selection that a wide variety of listeners will like.
-Soren Nieminen
The Walkmen have just released a music video for their song "While I Shovel the Snow" off their new album Lisbon. You can check out our review of the album here. The video is absolutely stunning.
Here is:
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, the duo behind The Black Keys, will be coming to Summerfest and playing at the Marcus Amphitheater on Wednesday July 6th. They will be joined with Florence and the Machine and Cage the Elephant. Tickets go on sale Wednesday March 6th.
Ok...you can breath now.
The Black Keys are coming off their success of their newest album "Brothers" that won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance, Best Alternative Music Album and Best Recording Package. It is an awesome album. Here is their most well-known song "Tighten Up" below:
The Black Keys will also be at Bonnaroo in June. You can check out their entire schedule here.
After canceling the release of The King Of Limbs via big screen broadcast in Tokyo, Radiohead have pushed the download offering of their eighth album ahead to today. Â Check out the video for the first single Lotus Flower.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/AdFy8oLmnEo" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
Radiohead have announced the release of their 8th record The King Of Limbs this Saturday, February 19th. The follow-up to In Rainbows will be made available via download at their website.
You can pre-order the release now as a download only or "newspaper album" coming out May  9th.  The "newspaper album" will include over 600 pieces of artwork packaged in a full-color piece of oxo-degradable plastic, two 10 inch vinyl records, cd, and MP3 download.  Of course if you choose the "newspaper album" the download will be available to you Saturday with the physical album shipped May 9th.
The King Of Limbs was produced by Nigel Godrich.
The Foo Fighters have been doing some secret, cash-only intimate concerts in the past couple weeks that have included some of the songs off of their new album. Their 7th album will be out in April and is tentatively titled "Rope." The Foo Fighters were formed in Seattle in 1994. They have released 6 albums that have all been nominated for Grammys. You can check all the videos here.
Here is the song "Bridge Burning" that will be the opening song on their new album:
Cake is back after a 6 year hiatus with their new album "Showroom of Compassion" that was released in January. This is their 6th full length album from the group. It was the first album for the band to debut on the Billboard Top 200.
Cake has been around since 1991. It's kind of hard to categorize their music. They are kind of a college rock, ska, punk, jazzy, funky collaboration of sounds. The album starts off really nice. I love the first song: Federal Funding. I think this song is the strongest on the album. Here it is below:
It's sardonic and mocking and has such a nice beat.  My interpretation of the song is a lampoon of how poorly some Federal money is managed. "Take your colleagues out to dinner....You'll receive the Federal funding."
The thing that is hard about following a song like that...is that it's hard. And unfortunately, the new album goes down from there. The next song is "Long Time" and has an unusual funky beat that is infectious. I like it as well, but the bar is high because of the first song. Then there are yawners like "What's Now Is Now" and "Mustache Man (Wasted)." Then there is the instrumental "Teenage Pregnancy" that is both daring and simple. I enjoyed the horns in the song. They mesh well with the other instruments.
The rest of the songs are good and bad. "Bound Away" is probably the gem in the mix and has a solid orchestration and drifting quality that is alluring and presciently ethereal, examining death and the aimless wanderer. Lead singer John McCrea's sings, "Seconds turn to minutes, minutes turn to hours, Hours give you a lifetime and a grave with pink flowers."
We end on "Italian Guy." It's not an especially endearing song, but it's a good way to end the album. It has a solid sound, but leaves you wanting more.
Overall:
The album is a solid work overall. There are some songs that will stick with you, and others that wont'. I would encourage you to listen to the whole thing at least twice the whole way through to give it a chance. There are some songs that aren't very good, but the album is listenable and if you are a huge Cake fan, you will enjoy it.
-Soren Nieminen
So, now that the news has broken that Bob Dylan is teaming up with Mumford & Sons for a performance at the Grammys, it got me thinking about other cool duos who I would like to see together. Here goes, my fantasy picks of pairings for the Grammys:
1)Â Arcade Fire and David Bowie
They have teamed up before and performed "Wake Up," and it would be awesome to see these two play some songs off "The Suburbs" album. Bowie was a big influence for the band and the synergy between them is incredible.
2)Â Cee-Lo Green and The Black Keys performing "F### You"
I would love to see this combination. With the powerful vocals of Green and the catchy guitar of the Keys, you would have a fascinating sound in any song they played.
3)Â Florence and the Machine and Elton John
Florence and the Machine is one of the biggest break out groups of the year. With their hit "Dog Days Are Over," I think that their indie pop sound and the strong personality of lead singer Florence Welch and would mesh well with a piano and Elton John.
4)Â Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber.
"What's a Bieber?"
5)Â Ray LaMontagne and Flight of the Conchords
LaMontagne did a pretty cool cover of "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. I want to see him and and Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie perform several folk songs. They seem like a match made in heaven. I love the voice of LaMontagne and the lyrics of Flight of the Conchords.
What are your thoughts? Who would you like to see team up at this year's Grammys?-Soren Nieminen
R.E.M. LAUNCH âIT HAPPENED TODAYâ REMIX PROJECT    DOWNLOAD RAW TRACKS AND CREATE YOUR OWN REMIXES OF âIT HAPPENED TODAY,â A SONG FROM BANDâS UPCOMING ALBUM, COLLAPSE INTO NOW
 In keeping with R.E.M.âs ongoing commitment to giving their fans an interactive musical experience, the band have announced an exciting remix project in conjunction with âIt Happened Today,â a track on R.E.M.âs upcoming new album Collapse Into Now, which is due from Warner Bros. Records on March 8th.
 R.E.M., and Collapse Into Nowâs producer, Grammy-Award winner Jacknife Lee, are offering you the opportunity to remix the entirety of âIt Happened Todayâ from the ground up by distributing the raw source for the song as both a Garageband file for Apple Macintosh computers, or as raw stem audio files for other platforms. Lee, himself, has prepared both sets of files, which delivers the song in its "raw" state with no reverb, mixing, or effects.
Visit the bandâs website, www.remhq.com, and download all 16 tracks Lee used to create the song, including vocals by Michael Stipe and Mike Mills, as well as those by special guests Pearl Jamâs Eddie Vedder and The Hidden Camerasâ Joel Gibb, plus Peter Buckâs guitar and mandolin, Millsâ signature bass, and brass ensemble tracks from Bonerama. After creating their own versions of the song, you are invited to submit your remixes on the bandâs website to share with the members of R.E.M. and other fans around the world.
 âIt Happened Todayâ is currently available on iTunes as an âInstant Downloadâ track for those who pre-order Collapse Into Now.
Can you believe that 2010 is over? It seems like only yesterday everyone was preparing for Y2K and stocking up on water like there's no tomorrow. 2010 was a pretty great year for music...but what does the future hold?  Only time can tell us how these upcoming 2011 albums will sculpt the national landscape. So without waiting for much more, here they are: some of the most anticipated Albums of 2011:
"Title TBA" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
This will be their 10th studio album and promises to include a lot of experimentation and new sounds. Their last album was released in 2006.
Release Date:Â Unconfirmed, 2011
"Collapse Into Now" - R.E.M.
This will be R.E.M.'s 15th album. It was recorded in Berlin, New Orleans and Nashville and will have guests including Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith, and The Peaches.
Release Date:Â March 8th, 2011
"Rome" - Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi
This could be the most interesting project of the year. Danger Mouse is getting together with Jack White, Norah Jones and 1960's Italian soundtracks to create a pretty interested album.
Release Date:Â March 15th, 2011
"Title TBA" - The Strokes
It's been 5 years. I think we're ready.
Release Date:Â March 22, 2011
"Codes and Keys" - Death Cab for Cutie
Their last album "Narrow Stairs" was out in 2008 and this will be the group's 7th album.
Release Date:Â Spring, 2011
"Title TBA" - Coldplay
This will be their 5th studio album and is reported to be more acoustic. Hopefully it will come out this year sometime.
Release date:Â Unconfirmed, 2011
"Helplessness Blues" - Fleet Foxes
This will be their second album after the great success of their self-titled debut album.
Release Date:Â May 3rd, 2011
"Songs of Ascent (working title)" - U2
This will be U2's 13th studio album and it is being produced by Danger Mouse.
Release Date:Â May 2011 (unconfirmed)
"Unknown" - The Shins
Rumors are that James Mercer is interested in another album with The Shins in 2011. We'll see. Mercer seems pretty busy with his Broken Bells project with Danger Mouse.
Release Date:Â Unconfirmed, 2011
"Move Like This (working title)" - The Cars
The Cars have been around for a long time and reunited in 2010 and are putting out an album in the near future and it will most likely lead to another tour for the legendary group.
Release Date:Â May 10th (unconfirmed)
Cold War Kids
So, the Cold War Kids are back at it again and this album...isn't really special. Â I have to say that I am a fairly big Cold War Kids fan. Â I like the sound of lead singer Nathan Willett. Â He has a painful drawl that sucks you in. Â No doubt that he is a good singer, but this album really doesn't have much behind it. Â I was longing for a Robbers & Cowards album that drew me in with classics like "Hang Me Up To Dry" and "Hospital Beds." Â This album feels much safer and blander than any of their previous efforts. Â There is something to be said for expanding on your previous sound, but sometimes it's like making a sequel that doesn't really feel warranted. Â Indiana Jones 4 anyone?
That said, there are some pretty decent songs in the bunch. Â I really enjoyed "Sensitive Kid" and "Bulldozer," and even found myself drifting to those songs after hearing some of the prior rubbish. Â Here is "Bulldozer" below:
I think that this song is the best on the album. Â If the whole album were encompassed by this sound, this would be gold. Â But, sadly, it doesn't. Â It feels mean to say it, but I found myself bored by a lot of their songs. Â They just didn't do it for me.
Songs I recommend:
Mine Is Yours, Sensitive Kid, Bulldozer, Broken Open, Royal Blue, Out of The Wilderness.
Overall:
I think that Cold War Kids are an enigmatic group that has had flashes of brilliance, but this albums feels very contrived at points. Â I recommend a couple of songs on it and no doubt there will be several fans who will love it, but it just wasn't for me. Â They have to learn how to explore their sound more. Â I look forward to what Cold War Kids will be doing in the future and I hope that this album will just be a slight blip on the radar of a great career. Â They have the potential for greatness and it shows on this album, but it also shows on the album that they have some more work to do.
-Soren Nieminen
According to an announcement today on their website, The White Stripes have officially broken up. Â Part of their statement said,
"The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health. It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way."
You can read the whole text here. Â Jack White's label Third Man Records will still release some of their live work and unheard studio songs. Â The group was founded in Detroit in 1997. Â They played a wide variety of music and released 6 studio albums. Â Their last three albums all won a Grammy Award.
Here is one of their popular songs "We're Going To Be Friends:"
Independent Madison artist and former Project M contestant Whitney Man has landed an opening slot for Loretta Lynn on February 12 at the Hoyt  Sherman Theatre in Des Moines, Iowa.
Whitney Mann released her self-titled debut EP The Way Back Home and was featured on NPR and won the 2010 Madison Area Music Award for New Artist of the Year. She grew up in Camden,Michigan and started singing and songwriting there.  She went to school at the University of Michigan receiving a degree in English and now lives in Madison.
Mann has played at Summerfest, opening for Willie Nelson and George Jones.  You can check some of her music and her upcoming shows on MySpace.  Her next show in Madison will be  on February 13th at the Oblrich Botanical Garden.
Here is a video of Whitney Mann and her band at the 2010 Madison Area Music Awards:
Seattle's Fleet Foxes plan on releasing their second album May 3rd. The band has just made the title track Helplessness Blues available as a free download. Robin Peckhold's vocals sound amazing.. perfect for today's snowy blast! Their first tour in a couple years begins April 30th in Vancouver.
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues by subpop
Michael Gomoll is a man with a mission, a mission inspired by grief and love.
In March of 2010, Michael's 5-year old son Joey passed away unexpectedly. He was afflicted with Dravet's Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. Unable to change the outcome of that story, Michael decided music would be the best way to heal. He established the Joseph Gomoll Foundation, and asked musicians if they would contribute songs to a CD that would raise money to find a cure and help those affected by epilepsy.
The response was remarkable. In fact, it was so remarkable, Gomoll is planning on releasing a series of CD's. The first two CD's are now available for you to purchase: Joey's Song, Volume One, and Joey's Song for Kids.
Artists on the "grown-up CD" include Robbie Fulks, Justin Currie of Del Amitri, Cowboy Junkies, Neko Case, Michael McDermott, and more.
Joey's Song for Kids has contributions from Lowen & Navarro, Ellis Paul, Ralph Covert, Steve Forbert, and others.
Each CD costs $11.99 or $19.99 for both.
Find out more here.
The Strokes have confirmed that they will be releasing their tentatively titled album Angeles on March 22. The first single from this 10 song LP will likely be "Undercover of Darkness."
The album was recorded at guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.'s studio in upstate New York. The band also plans to tour later on in 2011.
The Strokes were formed 22 years ago in New York City and have enjoyed commercial and critical success with each of their three albums released. Angeles will be their 4th album. Their last album First Impressions of Earth was released in 2006. The band went on hiatus after that, but regrouped in 2009 to make the 4th album.
Matt & Kim began 2011 front row and center taking in the Jay-Z/Coldplay show at the grand opening of The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas. Who wouldn't want to ring in the new year with the likes of Kristin Dunst, John Mayer, Kanye West and more? According to Jay-Z the night was a "once in a lifetime event". Kim says, "It was the craziest New Years we have ever had!"
As Matt & Kim recently departed for a short Australian tour, including an appearance at Big Day Out, they dropped the official video for Cameras. M&K have a reputation of releasing splashy videos with Cameras no exception. Shot in LA the new video features the two at each other's throats as a rehearsal takes an aggressive turn. Stunt lessons were in order and Kim revealed she was sore for a week afterward. One thing's for sure, she's not afraid to throw a punch!
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Straight from Butch Vig himself, we have got a great new free download entitled "Go Pack Go!" from members of the band Garbage - they are calling themselves The 6 Packers.
Butch is on drums and DJ scratching, Duke Erickson is on bass, and Chad Zaemisch (their guitar tech in Garbage, from Stoughton) on guitar and lead vocals.
The song is up on iTunes and Amazon.com - they are working on a ringtone to be posted possibly on their website - stay tuned!
Click to download - it sounds GREAT!
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Slash said that he was approached by the producers of the television show Glee about doing a Guns N' Roses themed show. Here's what he had to say:
"Actually, we got asked about that once already but it got turned down. In the current climate of whatâs going on in entertainment these days, I try to be more optimistic than negative because itâs really easy to get negative about it, but I draw the line at Glee. Glee is worse than Grease and Grease is bad enoughâ¦.  When Grease came out I was like, 'Oh, câmon, give me a break.' Actually, I look at Grease now and think: Between High School Musical and Glee, Grease was a brilliant work of art."
In the other parts of the interview, Slash talked about his new tour with Ozzy Osbourne, and how Velvet Revolver is currently looking for a new lead singer after the departure of Chris Cornell. You can read the article here.
If you're looking to escape the bitter cold in Wisconsin, you might consider heading out to California in April for the annual Coachella Music Festival held in Idaho, California. Tickets go on sale today. They released their headliners a couple of days ago and some artists to note that will be there include:
Kanye West
Arcade Fire
Kings of Leon
The National
Cee Lo Green
Cold War Kids
Flogging Molly
The Black Keys
Mumford & Sons
The Strokes
Some fans of the festival were angry about the choice of Kanye West to headline, some even saying that they are going to boycott the festival. 3-Day passes run at about $280. (That doesn't include food/hotel/campground). Single day passes are available as well.
You can find the whole list here on their website. If you could go, who would you really want to see?
Cage The Elephant have released another new tune from their forthcoming album, Thank You, Happy Birthday. Grab âAround My Headâ for free on iTunes. The guitar heavy, pop-driven tune is a rocker and will definitely be a crowd pleaser at live performances.
Ben Folds performs live at the Overture Center Thursday, January 27th in support of his new release Lonely Avenue. His 6th solo record is a collaboration with Nick Hornby author of High Fidelity. Hornby handed the lyrics over to Ben who then set the short stories to music recording all eleven songs in analog onto two inch tape.
But this wasn't the first time Folds had asked for Hornby's assistance. Over the years they had unknowingly developed a mutual admiration for each other's work. Then in 2002 as Ben Folds was working on William Shatner's Has Been record, he reached out to Hornby asking him to help write some songs for Shatner. With Lonely Avenue, Hornby again marked a definitive starting point for each song surprisingly yielding an even wider creative palate for Folds to develop the music to. There's moog synthesizer , string arrangements, horns and much more on the record.
Street Corner Symphony from NBC's The Sing Off will be the opening act on the 27th. Â Folds is a judge for the a capella talent search. Â He'll have a four piece behind him when he takes the stage next Thursday. Last year he once performed songs on video chat site Chatroulette while on stage in front of thousands. Â He likes to be unpredictable and has a tendency to improvise feeding off the audience during his performances which should make for a fantastic night out.
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Stevie Nicks spent most of last year working on her 7th solo release In Your Dreams. Â Nicks and former Eurythmics star Dave Stewart have co-written much of the material with Glen Ballard producing. Â Ballard's worked with Dave Matthews Band, Alanis Morissette, and No Doubt in the past. Â In Your Dreams, Nicks' first solo record in a decade, will drop May 3rd with guest appearances from Lindsey Buckingham, Mike Campbell from the Heartbreakers, Mick Fleetwood, and includes a duet with Dave Stewart called Everybody Loves You. Â Other songs on the upcoming release include, Italian Summer, Cheaper Than Free, and the title track.
A documentary filmed during the recording process Stewart calls, "an insight into the mind of an artist and how she works" will be released as well. Â In fact, Stewart plans on dropping his own solo record The Black Bird Diaries this spring and has hinted at a possible tour with Nicks this summer.
Check out this sweet live video of Cake performing their new single "Sick of You" live at our sister station KRXQ in Sacramento.
I'm digging it!
What do you think?
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros have some reworked versions from their debut album Up From Below.
If the name is unfamiliar, check out the video for their hit single "Home" - I bet you will recognize it! This group in known for their music videos - this past summer, the band released "Desert Song", a music video which is part 1 of a 12-part feature-length musical. Visit their YouTube page to see more
Included in the session below is this track titled âJanglinââ - used in the 2011 Ford Fiesta commercial - and "Up From Below" - featuring the group's signature wailing horns, group vocals, honky-tonk guitar and harmonica. Click the "down" arrow button on the right side of the player to download!
Edward Sharpe The Magnetic Zeros - Janglin' (iTunes Session) by Pretty Much AmazingEdward Sharpe The Magnetic Zeros - Up From Below (iTunes Session) by Pretty Much Amazing
Amy Winehouse has begun her first tour since she finished promoting her last album Back to Black in 2008.
The singer is set to play four concerts in Brazil, beginning with the Summer Soul Festival in Florianópolis this past Saturday.
Here she is performing I'm on the Outside (Looking In)
According to Winehouse's back-up vocalist Zalon, the singer has been rehearsing new material with her band especially for these shows. In a YouTube clip posted in late December, Zalon and his brother Heshima, also a Winehouse back-up singer, reveal that Winehouse had already debuted some new tunes at a private concert in Moscow.
What do you think - has she cleaned up her act for good?
The Decemberists sixth album, "The King is Dead" will be released January 18. According to singer-songwriter Colin Meloy, the new album is an " exercise in restraint", so listen for a more folky approach. Also listen for some guest musicians, including R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and singer Gillian Welch.
But the really cool thing about this new album is all the versions available, starting with a limited edition deluxe box set which will include a 72 page book of photography, a DVD on the making of the album, a 180 gram white vinyl record with a special cover, a limited edition print, a digital download of the album on released date of Jan 18, an instant download of a live video recorded in 2009, all in a linen wrapped clamshell box with foil stampd cover PLUS a T-Shirt.
There are 3 other versions, the book with CD/DVD, the vinyl package and of course, a CD, all of which come with download codes.
Here's the band with the first single from the album called " Down By the Water"
Now that the holidays are over, it's time to look ahead at some of the new music coming in 2011.
Folky, jazzy, soulful singer-songwriter Amos Lee will be out with a new album called "Mission Bell" on January 25. Itlooks like it's going to be an interesting album as some of the guest stars will be Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, Sam Beam ( Iron & Wine) and Calexico, just to name a few.
Check out the first song released from the album, " Windows Are Rolled Down".
--Gabby Parsons
Check out this really great video biography created for Gregg Allmanâs Rounder debut; Low Country Blues. This is Greggâs first solo album in 15 years.
This past June, Gregg underwent a successful Liver transplant. His recovery was quite rapid - and (in a sense) this has given him an opportunity to replenish his commitment to making incredible music.
You can pre-order the album here - there are a few specials available including the immediate digital download of three tracks from Gregg's new CD, t-shirts, a beautiful limited edition poster autographed by Gregg, and a vinyl copy of the album.
All of the songs selected by Gregg are Blues Classics: Sleepy John Estesâ âFloating Bridge.â, Little Miltonâs âBlind Manâ Skip Jamesâ âDevil Got My Woman".
The notable exception is the first single, âJust Another Riderâ that Gregg co-wrote with Warren Haynes. Itâs a archetypal Allman Bros influenced song that only Gregg could sing with such laconic acumen.
Paul Simon has a new album out next spring, called "So Beautiful or What."Â And he's got a little holiday treat for us--a song called "Getting Ready for Christmas Day."
It's not your average, every day, run-of-the-mill Christmas song. It has that feel-good Paul Simon groove, a little political commentary, and even samples a preacher's speech from back in the 1940's. Paul says it's "one of the best tracks he's recorded in years."
Find out more about the song in this video.
And you can download the song FOR FREEÂ here.
R.E.M. have announced that their upcoming new album, Collapse Into Now, will be released on March 8th, 2011, by Warner Bros. Records. They have also revealed that the album features a host of very special guests: Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye, Peaches and Eddie Vedder and The Hidden Cameras frontman Joel Gibb.
"Discoverer" is a bold rock track that starts the new record with a bang while their uptempo single "Mine Smells Like Honey" is consistent with the sound R.E.M. fans have come to expect from the band. Download "Discoverer" for free below!
We know you're always looking for music to download and who doesn't love a great deal? Well we have just what you're looking for. Throughout the month of December you can get Shawn Mullins' full album Light You Up for only $5!Â
Just click this link and you can get it!
Want some free autographed vinyl from Shawn? By going to his Facebook you can enter to win a free copy of honeydew and Light You Up signed by Shawn himself. Click here to go to Facebook and get instructions to win.
KT Tunstall asked her fans if they would like to do a youtube collaboration with her. The answer was a resounding yes. Tunstall asked the youtubers out there to send her a video of them playing a piece of her song "Glamour Puss" from her latest album Tiger Suit. They could choose anything from the backup vocals to the drums.  Fans from around the world took up the challenge.  Some responded with standard instrumentation such as voice, guitar, bass, keyboards and drums, but a lot of people got pretty creative and submitted performances on everything from ukulele, beer bottles and carrot flute to glockenspiel, spoons and water glasses.
Check out the video for this gobal mash-up below.
Ke$sha released her debut album Animal in 2010 to mixed reviews among critics. She is probably best known for her single "Tik Tok" and for appearing on Flo Rida's cover of Dead or Alive's "Right Round." Recently, she did her own cover of The Rolling Stones song "Dead Flowers" and here it is below:
What do you think?
In preparation for the release of her sophomore album 21 British songstress Adele released the track "Rolling in the Deep" this past November. Adele has now released a video for the song on VEVO. Adele, along with a dancer and a drummer are each in their own section of a house that looks like its under renovations. The intensity of the song is perfectly paired with powerful, visually striking images. The song is incredible and the video only drives home the feeling of destruction and loss.Â
Check it out below. What are your thoughts?
The Indigo Girls have been busy in 2010, releasing a couple of albums. The live album, "Staring Down the Brilliant Dream" came out in June. And now they have a new holiday album out that's called "Holly Happy Days." It includes some Hanukkah tunes, some traditional favorites and a couple originals as well.
They've got a little gift for us too...now through December 25, you can download a song off that album, for FREE! It's called "Your Holiday Song."  Enjoy!
Get it here.
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly got together on funnyordie.com to do a remake of the classic "Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" duet as done by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. Check out the original here. The Bowie and Crosby combination may be one of the most awkward duos in Christmas music history. Here is the 'new' version:
Sean Lennon and girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl make up the band Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. The duo have just released their new video for the song "Schroedinger's Cat" off their debut album Acoustic Sessions. The band had only three days to plan and make the video. It features Sean and Charlotte and a group of their friends dressed up as their favorite historical figures at a party. "We wound up being very lucky on all accounts. It was really just an excuse to hang out with all our friends." says Lennon. "I think looking back on this video in 10 years will be really fun."
What do you think of the video?
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, a Broadway Musical scored by Bono and the Edge, had a rough time with its first preview. The show has cost an estimated $65 million, the most expensive in Broadway history, and has had difficulties from its beginning.  Problems only continued during its first preview to audiences. After starting almost a half an hour late, the show ran for more than three hours and was delayed five times. The most awkward malfunction was at the end of the first act in which lead actor Reeve Carney (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) was left dangling over the audience after a would-be climactic aerial stunt. Carney was supposed to soar above the crowd towards a balcony but got stuck after a few yards. Crew members managed to catch him by the foot, and the stage manager called intermission. The intermission lasted for more than half an hour, causing the audience to clap in unison.
After another mishap in the second act a woman in the crowd stood up and yelled "I feel like a guinea pig today â I feel like it's a dress rehearsal."  Â
Critics were divided in their reviews of the production and score. The New York Timeswrote that most of the show's stunts "went off without a hitch, with children and some adults squealing in delight." while The New York Post called the show an "epic flop as the $65 million show's high-tech gadgetry went completely awry amid a dull score and baffling script."Â
Hopefully director and Emmy-winning Broadway vet Julie Taymor can pull everything together by the official opening night in January.
Noah and the Whale is an indie band from Britain that formed in 2006. They have released 3 albums and their 4th is due out in Spring of 2011. Here is a free download of their song "Wild Thing." Just click on the Download button the player and it will download. Enjoy:
I honestly believe that 2010 was a great year for music. I'm not talking about Justin Bieber or Ke$sha, who make style without substance (and maybe guilty pleasure music), but holistic albums of themes that stretch the boundaries of storytelling. Without further ado, here are the Top Albums of 2010. Feel free to comment and let us know what you think and what your favorite albums of 2010 were. Here goes:
#10 ) "This is Happening" - LCD Soundsystem
This is the third and last album from James Murphy. The album does an excellent job of combining electronic punk and dance music with haunting and sardonic lyrics with songs ranging from the the nearly 9 minute feast "Dance Yrself Clean" to the very funny "Drunk Girls."
#9) "Odd Blood" - Yeasayer
This is the second self-produced album by these guys and it's a fun ride. Drawing from a variety of genres, including being heavily influenced by pop music, the lyrics pay homage to figures ranging from John Lennon to the boxer Joe Louis. Their song "Ambling Alp" may be the most famous, but the whole album is equally good.
#8) "Sigh No More" - Mumford & Sons
Technically, this band's album was released in the UK in 2009, but it came to the U.S. in February of 2010 so it counts in my book. This English folk group has put together one of the most complete albums of 2010 and feature great songs from the down and out "I Gave You All" to the driving "Little Lion Man." These guys are a great band to see live.
#7) "High Violet" - The National
The National has been making the music scene since 1999, from their humble origins of Ohio. The baritone singing voice of Matt Berninger is iconic and combined with Sufjan Stevens on the song "Afraid of Everyone" is impeccably moving.
#6) "Lisbon" - The Walkmen
This indie group is based out of New York City and this album is a tribute to the city Lisbon in Portugal. Featuring great songs like "Angela Surf City" and "Blue As your Blood," this album warrants listening to it several times because the songs get even better.
#5) Broken Bells
Broken Bells is the music project of producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) and James Mercer (of The Shins) and it is a phenomenal album. Their single from the album "The High Road" is a good sampler to start out with. If you enjoyed The Shins, you will probably love this band.
#4) "God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise"Â Â Â - Ray LaMontagne
Ray LaMontagne has such a soothing voice and he has been very prolific over the years. His new album is incredible and the song "Beg Steal or Borrow" was nominated in the Grammy's for Song of the Year and deservedly so.
#3) "Brothers" - The Black Keys
This is the 6th album by the duo Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, produced by Danger Mouse. Just listen to the album and tell me it's not incredible with heavenly songs like "Tighten Up" and "Ten Cent Pistol." The band does a good job of molding blues and rock with catchy rhythms that are intoxicating. I couldn't put this album down.
#2) "The Suburbs" - Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire has put out one of their best albums to date, in my opinion. It is a pack leader for Album of The Year. This album is epic and has a wide variety of music. I love the combination of lead singer Win Butler and Regine Chassagne on the song "Sprawl (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" which is my favorite piece on the album, paying homage to Haiti.
#1) "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kanye West
There's very little dispute when listening to this album that it is the best album of 2010. Kanye West tells life like it is and he isn't afraid to open his mouth. With deeply existential songs like "Power" and "Monster" we are given a keen insight into an egomaniac who is at the top of his form. Every song seems to incorporate samples of other work and the power of Kanye is taking that to a new level. You may not have the highest opinion of this guy, but he has put together one of the greatest albums of the 21st century and definitely the top of 2010.
Honorable Mentions:
Jamey Johnson, Vampire Weekend, Eminem, Robert Plant, The Dead Weather, Beach House, Neil Young, Big Boi, Spoon, Superchunk, Gorillaz, Cee Lo Green, M.I.A., Janelle Monae, Deerhunter, Flying Lotus, Sufjan Stevens, Best Coast, Two Door Cinema Club, Robyn, Lost in the Trees, Sleigh Bells, Eels, Spoon, Surfer Blood, Los Campesinos!, Against Me!, Band of Horses, Titus Andronicus, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and Jonsi.
What are your top albums of 2010?
Yesterday late night TV had a great night. The simple reason: Sir Paul McCartney was a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  Jimmy gushed like a little kid about his love for the Beatles and his excitement in meeting Paul. The former Beatle was an amazing guest with many anecdotes from his full and ubbelievable life. He talked about being at the White House and meeting the first family, about recording and being mugged in Nigeria and of course about his late friend John Lennon.
Jimmy got an oppurtunity to sing with the legend and do a duet of the original "Yesterday" with the placeholder lyrics. The ver funny song starts out with "Scrambled eggs/oh my baby how I love your legs." and with each verse a new food is introduced.Â
McCartney also preformed a song in honor of John Lennon that he wrote for him called "Here Today"Â from Tug of War.
Watch the full interview and performances below.
Its been over a year since a backstage brawl between Noel and Liam Gallagher ended Oasis and apparently Liam has already moved on. His new band, Beady Eye, released their first single last month and have set a date for the U.K. release of their debut album Different Gear, Still Speeding. The 13 track LP will be available across the pond on February 28th with no date set as of yet for a U.S. release. For Different GearGallagher hooked up with producer Steve Lillywhite (Dave Matthews Band, Morrissey) and backing musicians Andy Bell and Gem Archer from Oasis, plus Chris Sharrock. In an interview with SPIN Gallagher has said the new album will be "bigger than Oasis." "It's proper rock'n'roll. Oasis was a pop band compared to what we're doing," (hmm I sense some bitterness) adding that the songs have a strong Beatles, T. Rex and Jerry Lee Lewis vibe.  Â
Beady Eye has also put out a video for their first single "Bring the Light". Check it out below and tell us what you think of Liam's sound sans Noel.
Last Tuesday, The Killers (who have been on hiatus since early this year) got back together and released their 5th annual holiday single "Boots." You can watch the video below. You can buy the song here, and proceeds are going to help fight AIDS in Africa. The video was directed by Jared Hess (of Napoleon Dynamite).
Bob Dylan's1964 handwritten lyrics for "The Times They Are A-Changing" are going to be sold at an auction on December 10th by Sotheby's. The lyrics were written on a piece of notebook paper and are expected to raise between $200 and $300 thousand dollars.
The autographed piece also includes some of the lyrics of "North Country Blues."Â The item was originally given to singer-songwriter Kevin Krown who recorded some of Dylan's early music.
The Associated Press has reported that Willie Nelson was charged with possession of Marijuana after 4 ounces of pot was found on his tour bus in Texas. It happened on Friday, Nov. 26th when the tour bus pulled into a checkpoint and an officer smelled the marijuana when their bus door opened and they searched the vehicle. Nelson was among 3 people arrested and was held briefly on a $25,000 bond before he was released. The 77-year-old was charged with a misdemeanor and will most likely get a fine and no jail time.
Rapper Snoop Dogg weighed in on the issue and said they should "leave willie the f**k alone..."Â Nelson has been a long-time advocate for marijuana decriminalization and has been arrested multiple times including in Louisiana in 2006 where officers found about 1.5 pounds of marijuana on the tour bus.
Gregg Allman is about to release his first solo album in 14 years titled Low Country Blues in mid January. The album consists of 11 blues covers and one original song he wrote with Warren Haynes called "Just Another Rider". The covered tracks come from blues legends such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Otis Rush, Skip James and Junior Wells to name a few. You would think after all that work, plus a liver transplant last June, that Allman would be ready for a break. That is certainly not the case. Allman is already thinking about another solo album. "I'll tell ya, I can't wait to get back in there and cut another one," Allman told Billboard. "That would be fine with me. It really would. It seems like every time we do a record it somehow gets your writing juices flowing. That kind of stuff just starts to come forward, so I'm hoping that maybe (for) the next one I can write a bunch of them." Allman will also be on the road for Low Country Blues starting later this December. Playing, he says, "is all in the world I want to do" after the surgery. "The first (tour) will be rough, but I'm doing fine. I'm ready to get back to it."
As we make our way further into December Christmas music becomes more and more appropriate. And if your sick of listening to the same boring versions of your favorite Christmas tunes then you are in luck! The wonderful people at the website Noisetrade have put together an 8 track Christmas song sampler by Sleeping At Last for everyone to enjoy!
Sleeping At Last is a Chicago indie band comprised of Dan Perdue and Ryan O'Neal. For the last half a decade or so the duo has made a tradition of covering a Christmas song each year and giving it as a free download. This year they've put together a sampler of all their previously recorded songs and their newly covered "White Christmas".Â
All you have to do is click here to go to the Noisetrade website, enter your e-mail address and zip code and you'll receive a musical gift in your inbox. If you want to hear the songs before you decide to download, just click on the snowflake album art and you can hear full length clips of every track.
Why not spread the holiday cheer? Noisetrade is all about sharing the love and will give you an option to share the sampler with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Though it's not required, you can also help out Sleeping At Last by giving a donation of any amount between $1 and $100.
Happy Holidays!
Track Listing
1. White Christmas
2. The Christmas Song
3. Cradle in Bethlehem
4. What Child Is This
5. Silver Bells
6. Merry Little Christmas
7. O, Holy Night
8. I'll Be Home For Christmas
According to an article in the New York Times, the web addresses of several web sites that allow illegal file-sharing were seized on November 26th by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of Homeland Security.
Torrent Sites Banned
If you go to the URL of any of those sites (including torrent-finder.com, onmash.com, rapgodfathers.com, and dajaz1.com) you will receive a message from the government saying "This domain name has been seized by ICE â Homeland Security Investigations, pursuant to a seizure warrant issued by a United States District Court."
This is an ongoing investigation, so more sites will undoubtedly be shut down. But, already new torrent sites have been created to combat the shutdowns.
These shut downs were the result of newly passed legislation
According to the NY Times, "The new seizures also come as a new bill, the Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act, is making its way through Congress. The bill, which was approved by a Senate committee last week, would allow the government to shut down sites that are 'dedicated to infringing activities.'"
Critiques:
Many people are angry and feel that the law is too broad the Electronic Frontier Foundation says it's an "Internet censorship bill."
The new seizures also come as a new bill, the Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act, is making its way through Congress. The bill, which was approved by a Senate committee last week, would allow the government to shut down sites that are âdedicated to infringing activities.â
On January 25th, Corinne Bailey Rae will be releasing her latest material titled The Love EP. The mini album is a collection of covers done by the songstress. She says it's an "homage to some of my favorite musicians, as well as a conversation between some of my musical influences." Five songs make up the EP and the artists covered are Prince, Bob Marley, Belly and Paul McCartney. Bailey Rae also included her own take on the Sly & The Family Stone version of "Que Sera, Sera" which she has been closing shows with on her latest tour.
Click her for a .mp3 of Corrine's cover of "This is Love" by Bob Marley.
Check out Corinne and her band performing "Que Sera, Sera" live below.
On March 1, 2011, Lucinda Williams will release her new album Blessed, her first since 2008. The album has already gotten some buzz and will feature 12 songs, including "Kiss Like Your Kiss" that was featured on HBO's "True Blood."
The deluxe edition of Blessed will have some bonus material including demos from the album. Paste Magazine has confirmed some dates for her tour shortly after the release of the album. Those include:
March4-5 â Toronto @ Massey Hall
11-12 â New York @ Webster Hall
May5 â New Orleans, La. @ New Orleans Jazz Festival
7 â Austin, Texas @ Stubbâs
8 â Houston, Texas @ The Houston International Festival
Last montha fire was reported at a San Carlos warehouse facility. The unit ablaze turned out to be leased by legendary Neil Young. The rocker kept vintage cars, art, guitars and other memorabilia at the facility some of which was damaged in the fire. About 70 percent of the contents were salvaged but about $1 million in damages occurred.
The fire it turns out was started by his electric car. The 1959 Lincoln Continental, referred to as the Linc Volt is a one-of-a-kind hybrid car that runs on electric batteries and a bio-diesel-powered generator. The cause seems âto be an operator error that occurred in an untested part of the charging system,â Young wrote in a statement.
Young also went on to say he was grateful that no one was hurt in the fire and thanked the fire department for protecting as much of his possessions as possible.
"The Promise"Bruce Springsteen
Released:Â November 16th, 2010
The Boss has done it again with the release of this double cd compilation of unreleased music from the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions. With 21 songs, it speaks volumes to how much material Springsteen has left on the shelves throughout his career and on how prolific he is. It's hard to believe that he is 61-years-old.
Let's Get to the Album:
To start out the album we get "Racing in the Street ('78)" and is an alternative version of the song that was on Darkness on the Edge of Town. It feels like a Billy Joel song with the piano intro and harmonica and it's a great beginning for an interesting album. I enjoyed "Outside Looking In" that is a head nodding good time of a song. It is a good reminder of how ingenius Springsteen is at creating pure sensory enjoyment.
Lots of Interesting Songs...
There is a neat version of the song "Because the Night" that was written by Springsteen and Patti Smith and is probably Smith's best known song. The song is a raw version that is subtly quiet and loud, beckoning you in with familiarity, as if you're listening to a local band cover a popular classic rock piece. We get a wide variety of songs from the melancholy "The Brokenhearted" to the peppy "Save my Love." If you're a Springsteen fan, there's no doubt you will enjoy this album. There are driving songs that are fun, but I feel that it's lacking any truly great songs. Fortunately, all of those were put on Darkness At The Edge of Town. I was kind of expecting more, but that's the problem whenever a great artist puts out something new, it's hard to surpass previous stuff.
There are fun songs like "Ain't Good Enough For You" and "Spanish Eyes," and then dull ones like "Talk To Me" that I really didn't enjoy. We then end on the songs "The Promise" and "City of Night" that are two somewhat good ways to end an album.
Overall:
I'm not the biggest Bruce Springsteen fan, but I did enjoy this album. It has some bumps on the way, but that is usually the case with stuff that made the cutting room floor. There are songs that are interesting and anyone who liked the Darkness On The Edge of Town will most likely like this album because it is a great continuation of that music created over 30-years-ago.
-Soren Nieminen
This year's American Idol is getting a bit of a makeover. The biggest change for the next season will be seen at the judges table. Although the number is back to three, only one of the original judges remain; Randy Jackson. Sitting by his side will be Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. This Idol will also be eliminating the round of the show that cuts 24 semi-finalists to 12 finalists and will go straight to the top 12. Those 12 lucky contestants are looking at some extra challenges this year as well. Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told TVGuide.com that finalists will now participate in a number of new challenges, including making a music video, promoting themselves as singers and creating an awards show-caliber performance that includes a band and dancers. Idol will premiere on FOX on January 12th.
If you want to know exactly whats in store for the upcoming season take a look at the press conference from the American Idol Crew.
Getting sick of all the traditional holiday music you hear every year? Not to worry, now you can add Coldplay to your winter playlist. The British rockers just released a new Christmas song called "Christmas Lights". The track will only be released digitally so head over to iTunes to grab it! The group also put together a dreamy video for the song that you can watch below.
Michael Franti has released his new video for the song "Hey, Hey, Hey". Franti produced and directed the video which was filmed during his current U.S. tour. The video follows Franti through various cities and focuses on the people in each place. ââHey Hey Heyâ is about overcoming adversity and appreciating every second that we have on this planet. The video is centered around the lives of everyday people as we all experience rough times and lean on each other for support and to help lift our spirits,â says Franti.  Check out the video below.
Â
The 53rd annual Grammys will be coming this February and the nominations were released this week. Here are some of the bigger nominations:
Album of the Year
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Eminem - Recovery
Lady Antebellum - Need You Know
Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream
Record of the Year
B.o.B (featuring Bruno Mars) - "Nothin' on You"
Eminem (featuring Rihanna) - "Love the Way You Lie"
Cee Lo Green - "F--- You"
Jay-Z and Alicia Keys - "Empire State of Mind"
Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"
Song of the Year
Ray LaMontagne - "Beg Steal or Borrow"
Cee Lo Green - "F--- You"
Miranda Lambert - "The House That Built Me"
Eminem (featuring Rihanna) - "Love the Way You Lie"
Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"
Best Alternative Music Album
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
The Black Keys - Brothers
Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Vampire Weekend - Contra
More info is available on the Grammy website for more of the nominations. What are your thoughts on these artists? You think anyone got snubbed?
After a LONG hiatus filled with a slew of highly publicized drama, Amy Winehouse is on track for a come back. The British songstress announced that she will indeed be doing a tour. Its only a mini-tour with only four dates but Amy is set for performances between January 8th through the 15th. The bad news is that she won't be coming to a city near you, unless you happen to be vacationing in Brazil this winter. Yup, all four shows will take place in four cities in Brazil. Hopefully this tour is a sign of things to come and Amy will be in our neck of the woods soon.
Sufjan Stevens has been recording music for over a decade and has been a front man for the indie rock scene and has promised to write an album for every single state in the U.S., a very ambitious project. His newest album "The Age of Adz" was released in October by Asthmatic Kitty records. Here is the song "Too Much" below off of that album:
It's always great to see a little known band get a big spotlight thrown on them. In their new commercial for the new Volt Electric Car, Chevy used a track by Freelance Whales. The indie band hails from Queens, New York and have been together since 2008. Since then they have honed their skills and sound by playing on subway platforms in New York City and then self released their debut album Weathervanes. The song featured in the commercial, Generator^First Floor, is no stranger to television. The NBC hit show "Chuck" used it in it's fourth season premiere and Twitter also used the track for a video introducing a major re-work of their services.
Click here to get a free .mp3 of Generator^First Floor!
Check out the Chevy Volt Commercial below.
Freelance Whales were also at this years SXSW conference and gave a live performance for NPR.
Florence and the Machine grabbed some major points for being one of the only VMA performances that wasn't terrible. In Face it was amazing. With one live TV performance under her belt Florence Welch brought her astounding talents to the famous Saturday Night Live stage.Â
The first song was, predictably, her immensely popular hit "Dog Days are Over". She kept the set pretty simple with only a few back up dancers to the side and Florence herself kept the movement to a minimal (I don't blame her in that mini dress). Her vocals however were everything I was expecting. Pure Power.
After a quick costume change Florence returned to perform "You've Got the Love" with a string quartet. This performance was worlds away from her VMA performance in terms of its simplicity. But even with just herself on the stage Florence has a stage presence you can't ignore. It was nice to see her getting an opportunity to showcase other of her songs from her album Lungs.
So, if you ever wanted to encapsulate Wilco in a beverage, now is your chance because you can get a cup of fresh Wilco direct trade coffee.
According to their website, "This past Fall, some members of the band dropped by our neighbors Intelligentsia's Cupping Lab to select their favorite coffee. The unanimous selection is the Single Origin, Organic Ethiopia Sidama Homecho Waeno. This coffee comes from the Sidama region of Ethiopia and is grown by the Homecho Waeno co-op..."
What does it taste like?"The aromatics of coffee blossom and violet make way for an incredibly graceful and elegant cup. The body has a light and silky quality, like fresh whipped cream, that beautifully compliments the ever-present note of citron, juniper berry and vanilla. As it cools, the cup blossoms into notes of confectioner's sugar, rosehips, and soft raisin, resonating on a pristine finish with a touch of milk chocolate."
The coffee will start shipping on December 9th. It will cost $21 per pound and comes as whole bean only.
Here is a sweet music video of Band of Horses performing "Dilly" off of their third album Infinite Arms that was released in May 2010. They were formed in 2004 in Seattle and are now based out of South Carolina.
Radiohead's Thom Yorke embarked on a Human Art piece that was inspired by the cover of Yorke's solo album The Eraser that was part of the project 350 Earth that is promoting climate change awareness.
Well, on the morning of November 27th, around 2 thousand people gathered in Brighton, England and formed the image of King Canute, who once tried to stop the tide.
You can find more pictures at 350 Earth's Flickr Page.
The Canadian group Wolf Parade will be going on hiatus for a while following an announcement by Spencer Krug at a show in Toronto this weekend. They still have a live show planned in the Netherlands in January of next year.
Other front man Dan Boeckner will be recording a new album with his other band Handsome Furs this winter.
The band was formed in 2003Â in Montreal and have released 3 albums, their newest Expo 86 was released in June.
On the November 17th episode of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," Bruce Springsteen and "Neil Young" came on and did a cover of Willow Smith's "I Whip My Hair."Â Check it out below:
Run over to Ryan Adams' new website for Pax Am to get a free download of the track "Destroyers" by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. According to Pitchfork, the new song is "possibly one of the 11 demos Adams is offering for download to people who buy his forthcoming archival release III/IV."
If you want to hear the group messing around and jamming out you are in luck. There is also some free available downloads of some "riffage" from the set-up day for the III/IV /Easy tiger sessions.Â
Click here to go to Pax Am's website for free downloads!
Jamie and Adam, hosts of the Discovery Channel hit show Mythbusters, have a big job a head of them. President Obama personally requested for the to crack a myth for him. He and his daughters are apparently " big fans of the show" and he believes one myth hasn't been nearly tested enough.Â
On the December 8th episode, the team will once again (after twice disproving the myth) test the myth of Archimedes' solar ray. You can see the preview for the episode below.Â
The myth is based on Archimedes' weapons during the Siege of Syracuse. It was written that he destroyed enemy ships with fire by using "burning glasses." The device, sometimes called the "Archimedes heat ray", was used to focus sunlight onto approaching ships, causing them to catch fire. Maybe the Commander-in-Chief is looking for some new weapons tactics?
This tactic has been debated for ages and has a lot of critics. So far the Mythbusters team has categorized it as busted (or failed) based on the need for optimal and unlikely weather conditions.
Here's a new video directed by Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are, Being John Malkovich) of Arcade Fire's short film "The Suburbs" shot in Texas. It's the title song and the video is incredible. Check it out below:
One album I can NOT stop listening to is Fitz and the Tantrums âPickinâ Up the Piecesâ, a soul-influenced group from LA. Apparently Iâm not the only one, because in just one year, this multi-ethnic high energy band went from playing living rooms to the main stage.
The instrumentation is perfection and the songs bring us back to the memories of the golden age of soul music.
However, Fitz and the Tantrums are not a âthrowbackâ to the 60âs. They lovingly take the genre to a contemporary place, looking very dapper while doing so.
"The Lady Killer"Cee Lo Green
Released: Nov. 9th 2010
"They Lady Killer" is drenched in references to the past. It's palpable. The intro is filled with the 1960's and I feel Shirley Bassey is smiling somewhere. So is John Barry and I feel this album is epic enough to his liking. "The Lady Killer" takes no prisoners. It's do or die. And Cee Lo has admitted to reining in some of his creative urges to make hit songs. This album is definitely an attempt to be big, in a silly reach-for-the-stars way. But, once I overcame the kind of over-the-top performance and probably on my 3rd listen, I really grew to really enjoy the album. Here's the best track on the album, and probably the best single of 2010, in "F&@# you" below: (Be warned, this is the unedited version so if you're offended easily, don't watch it).
I really like that the album has an intro and outro, because I feel it's a cohesive piece. I feel album structure is somewhat of a dying art with the advent of torrents and online sharing and hit songs. This album deserves to be listened to as a whole.
Songs I really like: F&*$ you, It's Okay, Old Fashioned.
Cee Lo Green said to the Guardian: "For too long I've been underground and underdog, and I need to be seen as the thing to do: 'This is the direction to go in â follow this man.' I think I'm needed â as an artist, as an individual, as an entity, an enigma, an exhibitionist, an entertainer; as an alternative. So we sat down and weighed up the pros and cons, because you don't seal a deal with one single solitary opinion. Tolerance, compromise, understanding, acceptance, patience â I want those all to be very sharp tools in my shed."
I think this quote symbolizes what Cee Lo is striving for: fame. He wants this to be one of the greatest records out...but it fails on that account. It's not the best, but not for lack of trying. It just doesn't have the exacting precision and likability that determines popularity. The album is ultra cool and has the feeling of Motown, but I feel something is lacking.
Overall:
That being said, this is an excellent album. It has the bravado to take on the 1960's and the integrity to create some interesting sounds. Cee Lo has a voice that blends love and sex and hate and loneliness all in one. His lyrics are about power and male egos. I won't say this album is life changing because of a few songs that aren't really that interesting. But, I would highly recommend giving this album a listen.
-Soren Nieminen
The Gorillaz came on the BBC Radio and did a bunch of their songs, including a beautiful cover of The xx's "Crystalised." Damon Albarn, the lead singer, is an incredibly talented musician and it shows in these acoustic sessions. Here is the video below:
Conan O'brien is really throwing some heavy punches for the premiere of his new TBS talk show. Following his duet with Jack White, Conan featured a reunited Soundgarden on his show the very next night. This marks the first time the group has played together for TV in over a decade. The band played a song from their newly released greatest hits album, Telephantasm. Black Rain is an outtake from the band's 1991 "Badmotorfinger" sessions, but was released on Telephantasm as well as the video game "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock." The gritty, dark song was mirrored by the performance set on a dark stage with search style lights.Â
Soundgarden sounds just as good as ever in this performance.  Watch the video of their appearance below.
There's no use being objective when making lists like this. Here goes, the Top 10 Underrated Bands/Artists:
#10 ) Doves
This English band was started up in the late 90's and has released 4 studio albums and a lot of good music. The problem is they've been kind of lost in obscurity, but you should check out their last album Kingdom of Rust because it's very good.
#9) The Pixies
These guys were active in the late 80's and disbanded in 1993. they later reunited in 2004. They paved the way with their melodic and harsh sound for bands like Nirvana to come along. They were much more successful abroad than in the US and definitely a group to seek out.
#8) The Animals
Eric Burdon took this band to new hits and they were inducted into the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, but a lot of their music doesn't get any respect besides "House of the Rising Sun."Â They've put out 20 studio albums and there's a lot more to discover within this discography.
#7) Ted Nugent
I think a lot of people put off Ted Nugent because of his notoriety of being very conservative, but he is an incredible gifted guitarists who has released more than 34 albums. I think a lot of his talent gets wasted on what comes out of his mouth.
#6) Nick Drake
Nick Drake died in 1974 when he was 26, but he is considered today to be one of the most influential English singer-songwriters of the last 50 years. He has a large cult following today, and you should definitely give a listen to one of Drake's albums in the near future.
#5) The Kinks
The Kinks did churn out a bunch of hits, but a lot of their earlier albums like The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968) are incredible and filled with awesome music. Ray Davies, the lead singer, has been prolific writing hundreds of songs and has released five solo albums. I think the perception is The Kinks were kind of a 'one-hit wonder', but they're definitely not. They should be in the same conversation as The Beatles, The Who and Rolling Stones.
#4) Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon was one of the greatest musicians of our time. He died in 2003 of cancer at 56-years-old. You probably know his hit "Werewolves of London" but everything on his 1978 album Excitable Boy is incredible. Definitely check him out.
#3) Frank Zappa
I think Zappa is just unappreciated. He was a phenomenal guitarist with a wicked sardonic wit who played a range of music that was challenging and unconventional. I think he gets overlooked today, despite the fact that he is a great virtuoso musician. He died in 1993 at age 52.
#2) Talking Heads
Talking Heads is probably best known for their work in the 80's and they were extremely popular for their pop hits, but they have a lot of music that isn't talked about. Singer David Byrne had some excellent esoteric lyrics that meshed well with the new age sound of the band. They have released 8 studio albums that are worth taking a gander at.
#1) Velvet Underground
I don't think Lou Reed has ever gotten the respect he deserves for this band that was one of the most influential groups of the 1960's. Along with John Cale, Nico and manager Andy Warhol, their debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico is one of my all-time favorites. "Heroin" is one of the most raw visceral songs that I have ever heard and a lot of their music is interesting and poetic.
Honorable Mentions:
What are some bands/artists who you think are underrated?
With the date of their new album looming, The Decemberists have announced the schedule for their next U.S. and European tour. The new record, entitled The King is Dead, will be released January 18th on Capital Records. Shortly after the band hits the road with indie band Wye Oak and Mountain Man in tow as their openers. The group will be coming to the Riviera Theater in Chicago and the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee on February 4th and 5th respectively. Looking for other locations? Check out The Decemberists website for a full schedule.  Â
The Decemberists headed over to Conan to give a great performance with Gillian Welch of Down By the Water, the new single from The King is Dead. Check it out below.
Check out this video of Spoon performing "Nobody Gets Me But You" off their album Transference that was released in January. This is them playing at Cake Shop, a New York venue and filmed on the surveillance cameras.
As we all know this year's catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had detrimental effects on the environment and the economy of the Gulf Coast. While the oil has been stopped, clean up and recovery action is still going on. In an effort to reverse some of the damage from the spill, a number of talented groups have been recruited to help produce a charity album. The record is appropriately titled Gasoline Rainbows and will be released on November 30th on iTunes. All the profits will go to Green USA and their efforts to restore the Gulf Coast and prevent future environmental catastrophes. This album has a ton of my favorites and whats better than getting some amazing music and donating to charity while you're at it?
Gasoline Rainbows Track Listing:
1. Gasoline Rainbows- Amy Kuney
2. Armistice- Phoenix
3. 40 Day Dream- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
4. There's No Secret This Year- Silversun Pickups
5. At the Birds Foot- City and Colour
6. The Connoisseur of Great Excuse- Damien Rice (*New)
7. Bloodbuzz Ohio- The National
8. Tighten Up- The Black Keys
9. Let the Time Roll By- Onward Soldiers
10. Moth's Wings- Passion Pit
11. Floating Vibes- Surfer Blood
12. Mama Taught Me Better- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
13. I Can Change- LCD Soundsystem
14. Cousins- Vampire Weekend
We all know that Kings of Leon are serious muscians, but sometimes it's nice to see them crack a smile...or at least make us smile. Kings of Leon appeared on Jimmy Fallon's talk show and did a sketch to show of their humorous sides. The bit was about a Connecticut B&B that the group owned called Slapington Manor. Can you guess what happens? Check it out below.
Apparently Zach Galifianakis is a huge fan of Freddie Mercury and David Bowie.Â
In "It's kind of a Funny Story" (now in theaters) Zach plays a patient in a psych ward who befriends a 16 year old that has admitted himself. As a part of the groups therapy the patients have a little music session together. What song do they perform? You guessed it; Under Pressure. Take a look at this fantasy sequence clip of Keir Gilchrist (Craig) and Zach (Bobby) doing a glam rock, lipdub version of the song.
Now, Galifianakis is no stranger to the delights of Freddie and David. For those of you who didn't know, Zach did exist before The Hangover. He had his own late night show on VH1 back in 2002 called Late World. He took advantage of this opportunity to air out his stress for a live audience. And if you've ever wondered exactly what Zach looks like underneath that impressive lumberjack beard of his, you are in luck. In this clip he is clean-shaven and I'm not going to lie, it weirded me out for a second.
Ryan Adams has officially re-launched his own record label, Pax-Am. It has a real variety of groups on its roster. According to the label website, its filled "with bands such as Ryan Adams, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals and more eclectic tastes such as Ryan Adams."
 Adams had originally started Pax-Am in 2004 as a way to release vinyl versions of four-track home recordings. He had only three sets through Pax-Am before his musical hiatus: The Rescue Blues and California EPs , in addition to "If I am a Stranger" single.
Upon its re-launching, Ryan is also re-releasing  Orion.  This is the non-gate fold standard edition version of the limited Orion LP that loyal Pax-Am customers grabbed a while back. Featuring art by Michel Langevin of Voivod and including guest vocalist Gorgon Master of War.
Adams also revealed that a new Ryan Adams & The Cardinals double-LP will be available soon. III/IV was recorded back in 2007 during the Easy Tiger sessions and is described as âdouble album concept rock opera about the â80âs, ninjas, cigarettes, sex, and pizzaâ featuring influences âranging from Kiss to The Cars.â
Famed producer Danger Mouse is working on a new collaboration album with Italian composer Daniele Luppi. The album is titled Rome owing to the fact that the album was recorded in different locations throughout the city. The album was recorded in parts over the past five years and was inspired by the 60's Italian film soundtrack work of Ennio Morricone.
 The record features guest singing spots by the very talented Norah Jones and Jack White.
Danger Mouse explained his motivations for his choice in the pair. "I definitely wanted a man and a woman," he said. "The female vocal needed to be soft, not polarising. But the male needed to have a bit more angst to it."
He added: "I played some of the music for Jack White when I was on tour shortly after doing the first session, just to show him what I was doing⦠he liked it, but at the time I wasn't even thinking of using him â you know, it's Jack White.
"But in the end, I thought, 'He's really into it â why not?' He tried it in different voices â a high voice, a low voice, and I thought, 'Why don't we leave them all in?' There's a bunch of his vocals on 'Rose With The Broken Neck', and it doesn't always sound like him."
Recently some clips of the tracks have surfaced on the Internet. Five segments of songs taken from the album have been posted online ahead of its release next year and are available to hear at Soundcloud.com.
We think it sounds pretty promising! What are your thoughts?
Are you ready for another R.E.M. record? I thought so. Well you are in luck! R.E.M.'s newest album titled Collapse Into Now is finished and estimated to be released in early 2011. The group took a different route than there politically driven Accelerate this time around. Their fifteenth studio album is more personal and expansive. Â
"With Accelerate we were trying to make a point by making the songs as short and as fast as possible," Mills tells SPIN. "So we wanted this new one to be more expansive. We wanted to put more variety into it and not limit ourselves to any one type of song. There are some really slow, beautiful songs; there are some nice, mid-tempo ones; and then there are three or four rockers."
The 12 track album has a couple of guest appearances by music heavy weights Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith and Peaches. Eddie with be supplying his vocals on a track called It Happened Today, while Patti will be on the album closer called Blues.  Peaches is featured on a yet to be named track that has been promised to have the word "alligator" in the title.
So this list is not all-inclusive, but it's just a compilation of some of the strangest and ridiculous things that Bands/Artists have demanded. Most of this list was stolen from PopCrunch.com and you can read their full list there. But here goes, the Top 10 Most Outrageous Band Requests:
#10 ) Snoop Dogg
The ubiquitous canine man requires ice cream, sherbet, cake & pie, and an assortment of fried foods. I wonder why?
#9) 50 Cent
The money machine rapper who has sold over 15 million albums worldwide allegedly demands a box of CUBAN cigars. I wonder if anyone honors that request?
#8) DMX
This east coast hip-hop artists demands 3 boxes of condoms and ONE GALLON of Hennessy Cognac.
#7) David Hasselhoff
I don't really consider him a great singer, but maybe some people do? David is obviously an admirer of himself because he likes a life-size cardboard cutout of himself with him backstage.
#6) Marilyn Manson
Marilyn demands lots of air conditioning, Haribo gummi bears, lots of absinthe, with popcorn & Doritos. If that doesn't spell a good night, I don't know what does. Also a bald prostitute with no teeth. (Allegedly).
#5) Madonna
Madonna has been touring all over the world, and at every venue she demands that a new toilet be installed for her. Brand new.
#4) Moby
Moby is adamantly against playing in smoking venues. He also likes lots of extra underwear to be made available to him backstage.
#3) Van Halen
They ask for a bowl of M&Ms with the BROWN M&Ms REMOVED. Supposedly it's a request to make sure that whichever venue they're playing at is reading the entire contract and adhering to safety issues, but it's a crazy request. Would you want to be the intern removing the brown m&ms?
#2) Prince
Prince likes to have a physician available at all times...to inject him with vitamin B12. Also he likes all food items to be covered in a "clear plastic wrap" until he gets to remove it.
#1) Britney Spears
Ms. Spears likes odor free carpet, cable tv, Froot Loops cereal and Pop Tarts. That doesn't sound too bad, right? She also demands a private phone line in her dressing room and will fine the promoter $5000 for any unauthorized incoming calls. Seems a bit harsh, but I guess when you churn out good music like her, you can do anything you want.
Following up
Are there any ridiculous requests you have heard about?
John Lennon has been chosen to be featured on a special edition 5 Euro coin in the UK. In a close race, (he won 92% of the votes) John won out over Jane Austen, John Logie Baird and Walter Raleigh.
The Mint's Director of communications is pleased with the public's choice. He says, "It's entirely fitting that John Lennon has been chosen by the public in what would have been his 70th year," he said. "The massive proportion of the vote he received shows clearly just how much his untimely death still resonates with the nation."
5,000 coins are set to be made and while they have a face value of 5 Euro or 8 dollars, they are being retailed at 72 dollars.
Piano Moguls Steinway & Sons are also offering a limited edition John Lennon Piano. They are calling it the Imagine Series and the piano is modeled after the white Steinway grand piano that John Lennon presented to Yoko Ono on her birthday in 1971.
The Piano comes with these special features:
⢠A choice of one of four of John Lennon's original drawings
⢠The lyrics "You May Say I'm a Dreamer" elegantly displayed on the bass side of the rim
⢠The opening bars to "Imagine" printed directly on the gold plate of the piano
⢠A medallion on the inner rim including John Lennon's Japanese chop mark/signature (which he often used to sign his artwork) as well as the series name and number
⢠A replica of John Lennon's signature gracing the treble side of the fallboard
MTV may be trying to relive their glory days. You all remember...before Snooki was showing her who-hah to the world, before Amber was beating up Gary or before we all scolded LC for not going to Paris; back when MTV stood for Music Television and not Mildly-realistic Television. MTV is trying to get some of its glory back by trying to revive the golden age of the music video. They have started a new project that they are calling "Supervideos". This series will finance music videos to go above and beyond and turn themselves into epic dramas. Inspired by the successes of almost every Lady Gaga video and Kanye West's Runaway, MTV thinks producing really expensive, visually striking videos done by good directors is the way to go. The kick off of this series began with the video for LCD Soundsystem's Pow Wow. The video featured Oscar-nominee Anna Kendrick (Twilight Saga, Up in the Air) and was directed by acclaimed screenwriter and director David Ayer.
MTV thinks there is a resurrgence for the art form that is the music video and that audiences wont be able to get them fast enough.
Check out the LCD Soundsystem Supervideo below. What do you think? Does MTV have a point or are they off their rockers?
For the Swede indie group Peter, Bjorn & John a sixth studio album means turning back to their first. While the group had stretched their legs with their last couple albums, they decided to head back to the Pop Rock sound that made them famous. John Eriksson in an interview with Spin says "We've sort gone back to the beginning," he explains, adding that the songs have elements of new wave and power pop. "It's like Back to the Future." Eriksson also explains the album is more party oriented since that's what they were doing during most of the writing and recording of the record. There will also be those hints of love and hate and even a little bit of politics. The as of yet untitled album will mark the first time the group has used an outside producer. The choice was was decided by the group after a band meeting.  "We have been producing our own albums, so we needed some new blood." The record will comprise of 11 tracks (each recorded about 20 times to make them perfect) and is estimated to be released early in 2011. Keep your eye out!
British songstress Adele has announced her release plans for her anticipated sophomore album and its first single. The followup from 19, Adele's newest project is fittingly called 21 in accordance with her age at the time she recorded it. Adele admits this album is quite different from the first mainly due to a whole new world of influences. "I discovered lots of artists I'd never heard of, particularly Wanda Jackson, Allison Krauss, Yvonne Fair, Andrew Bird, Neko Case, Lady Antebellum and Steel Drivers who I fell in love with," she explained.  Adele goes further, showcasing her very eclectic taste in musicians, "Then I delved in to more from artists I've loved forever - Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Elbow, Mos Def, Alanis Morissette, Tom Waits and Sinead O'Connor. There's something in every single one of these artists that has really really inspired 21." The sound on this album is her British R&B but infusing it with classic and contemporary roots and country.
According to SPIN, "Adele will unveil her new sound when lead single Rolling in the Deep hits radio on November 15."Â Â The full album 21, will be released February 22nd.
If you didn't hear Rolling in the Deep yet and can't wait, check out this video of the track set to studio footage!
I guess talk show hosts are itching to show their musical talents to the world. Stephen Colbert had amazing artist Elvis Costello stop by his show to promote his new album National Ransom. Colbert jumped on stage with Costello to perform a sweet duet of The Everly Brothers' All I Have to Do is Dream. Surprisingly Stephen is not a terrible Singer! In fact they sounded pretty good together. Check it out for yourself in the video below.
If you missed the premiere of Conan O'Brien new talk show, shame on you. To kick off his new show he had friend and amazing musician Jack White appear as his first musical guest. Even better, Conan played with him. The two played a song from a record they cut together in Nashville. Watch the video below to see an amazing live performance.
Even if you're not part of McRib Nation, you might find this interesting. There's a Madison connection to the new McDonalds commercial for the McRib! The song they use is "Love" by Matt White, a New Yorker who graduated from UW-Madison in 2006.
The song was included on an album called "Best Days" and actually came out a few years ago. It just makes me think happy thoughts!
Enjoy the video - and sorry if it makes you hungry for a certain sandwich from a certain fast food restaurant.
I gotta fever, and the only prescription is....
Swedish music is amazing. Awesome. And Fever Ray is leading the charge with some of the most haunting and beautiful sounds of the past couple years. And her videos are incredible. Just watch this and you'll see what I'm talking about.
The production values are incredible. The vibrant colors and synthesized sound echo across the tundra of this deeply troubled music video. It's exhilarating. The song is "Stranger Than Kindness" and is a cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.
Check it out:
I'm all about peace, but I love Good Old War
I am a sucker for a bunch of guys that know how to harmonize. Indie rock trio Good Old War knows how to do it the right way. They are just the type of music that I love. Folksy, sometimes bluesy with some amazing guitar and meaningful lyrics.
The song I've been listening to is That's Some Dream which is off their self titled sophomore album. The thing I like the most about this song is its just what Good Old War does best. They use simple elements but each element is intricate. It has a bouncy foot tapping guitar part with a hint of melancholy in its optimism. It's fun, it's catchy and it will be stuck in your head for days.
Check out a very cool performance of the song below.
Following the success of their first hit song Kandi, One Eskimo has released the video for their new single Amazing! The track is off their self-titled debut album that was released in September of 2009. Check out the video below!
As a special bonus, you can download this new track for free for a limited time
We had One Eskimo perfrom live from Studio M back in March - Click here to see a video of the band performing Hometime
So this list is not all-inclusive, but it's just a compilation of some of the weirdest bands I've come across. I'm not saying that these bands are bad, because a lot of them put out some pretty decent music, with a few exceptions. But here goes, the Top 10 weirdest bands I could think of:
#10 ) Bad Religion
This band isn't so much weird, as that they defy the conventions of punk music. Lead singer has received his Ph.D. at Cornell University and teaches courses in paleontology and life sciences at UCLA. He does this punk band on the side and the lyrics stretch the horizons for the power of politics through song.
#9) The Clever Hamsters Jazz Band
I think the name alone is interesting, but the band members may be even more so being entirely composed of Hamsters. This band has been has been traveling through the wheels of the world, exciting audiences everywhere.
#8) Buckethead
This guy is a virtuoso guitarist who released 29 studio albums and is one of the best guitarists in the world. He usually is in concert with a white bucket on his head and an expressionless white mask.
#7) The Muppets
Could you imagine if someone from outer space came to our planet and saw The Muppets? Granted, they are some of the greatest vocalists of the 20th and 21st century, but they are by all means...very strange.
#6) Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle was an experimental band from the sunny state of California that was active from the Mid 80's to 2004. They were well known for their crazy song structure and would often run through several genres in one single song. The band would often dress up in costumes and masks on stage and they had a heavy cult following.
#5) GWAR
This is a rock band founded in the 1980's that would dress up in elaborate sci-fi/horror movie costumes and were well-known for their really obscene lyrics combined with raunchy stage performances that would re-enact morally taboo subjects. Their current lead singer goes under the name "Oderus Urungus."
#4) All Girls Topless Band
This was an all-girls band that came from New Jersey in the 1960's. The main reason their shows were so popular was because they were...you guessed it...topless. Rumor has it they were hounded by the Bra police and moved their band to Las Vegas, where the law was more relaxed.
#3) Marilyn Manson
Brian Hugh Warner put together his stage name by combining the names of Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. He has been attacked from all fronts by children activists for the violent lyrics of his music and is one of the most fascinating musical artists out there. He was born in Ohio and is rumored to wear his leather boots 24/7.
#2) Amon Amarth
This is a Swedish metal band that is heavily influenced by J.R.R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. They base most of their songs on Norse mythology and love everything Viking. I guess that's good if you like death metal and Viking songs...but I don't.
#1) The Zimmers
The Zimmers have been active since 2007 and are the oldest band in the world. Their oldest member Buster Martin claims to be 103 years old. They released their first album Lust for Life in 2008.
If you thought Death Cab for Cutie's newest album was going to be just like Narrow Stairs, well then you thought wrong. In an interview with Spin, Brian Gibbard explains the bands new direction and shares his enthusiasm about it. Â
"It's not a guitar-based record. We've been into vintage keyboards and playing with that palette," he says, citing Brian Eno's Another Green World as a reference point. "We're not adding guitars because people will be expecting them⦠I'm so proud of this album that at this point I don't care if people don't like it."
Gibbard explains how Narrow Stairs was a dark album and called it self-loathing. He admitted to being embarrassed about it now. He is happy that the new record is taking on a new point of view and reflecting a different time of his life.Â
A big change for this album is the actual recording process. Instead of retreating to a studio for six weeks straight, the band recorded in several different sessions with two weeks in between. Gibbard found this style more nourishing for inspiration.  "On this record I've written a couple songs in our downtime between studios and we start recording that brand new song on the first day of the next session, which is something we've never really had the opportunity to do before."  Gibbard also explained how the writing style of this record differs from their previous works. "This new record has turned out to be much more of a construction project," he says, adding that the band would build a song in the studio around one vocal or riff. "It makes for some very creative moments."
The yet untitled album is projected to be relelased some time in the spring of 2011. I cant wait to hear what sounds like a reinvented and interesting Death Cab.
Check out a video of Brian Gibbard playing "a new song" while recently in Seattle.
A year and a half after the surprising and tragic death of music icon Michael Jackson, a new album from the king of pop is about to be released. MICHAEL is set to be released December 14th on Epic records. As the official press release describes it:
"The creative process never stopped for the King of Pop who was always planning for his next album; unbeknownst to many fans around the world Michael Jackson was writing and recording songs continuously everywhere from a friendâs home in New Jersey to studios in Las Vegas and Los Angeles with a small group of handpicked collaborators. Now, through the unique stories that will be told about the songs that comprise MICHAEL, fans will get mind-blowing insight into how this artist worked and a chance to hear the songs he most recently created along with tracks that Michael had a desire to bring to fruition."
One of the tracks from the album, Breaking News, is currently up on Michael Jackson's official website. There is already a cloud of controversy surrounding the song. Many people, including MJ's family, are accusing the vocals of being fake. Judging by the almost 300 comments on his website since the song was posted, fans seem split. A lot of them support the song 100% while others admit to disappointment.
I don't know about you but I think this is just further exploitation of the memory of a great performer. The people in charge of his creativity and legacy seem more concerned with making a quick buck (or a million) than honoring Michael the way he deserves. I honestly don't believe that's Michael's voice and even if it is I don't think the well known perfectionist would have wanted his work released this way.  Hopefully this isn't it.Â
Listen to Breaking News and judge for yourself. What do you think? MJ or imposter?
Kings of LeonNew Album:Â "Come Around Sundown"Released:Â 10/15/2010
I kind of have mixed emotions about this newest Kings of Leon album. I mean they're coming off the extraordinary commercial success of their 2008 album Only By The Night with hits like "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody." They're being compared to U2 and these 3 brothers and cousin are living the American Dream. They're releasing their fifth album. They're on the cover of Spin magazine yet are on the hate list of opinion setters and anonymous bloggers alike in the music world.
To start off, this album is pretty good. We start off with the track "The End" and I honestly thought I was about to listen to the best album of the year.. This song is great. We are then introduced to "Radioactive," the song that is catchy/safe enough to get some radio play. It has a nice chorus and here is the video of it below:
Some people have eviscerated the video, Pitchfork even calls it "exploitative" but I think Pitchfork kind of crosses a line between pandering intellectual capacity and actual critique and is more concerned with impressing people with tight prose then actually reviewing music for what it is.
Continuing on with the album we get songs like "Pyro" and "Mary" that are pretty intuitively great. We catch the beginnings of this band's country music origins. The soft drawl of lead singer Caleb Followill and the twang of the guitar plays praise to the band's Tennessee origins. We have the soft fiddle in the song "Back Down South," an overt homage to their hometown.
Then the album gets dull
I really can't connect with some of the latter portions of the album. They have sorta catchy melodies, but it feels like I've heard everything this band has to say. The songs are so similar and they aren't memorable. "No Money" just putters away. "Pony Up" starts out strong, then dies too fast. "Birthday" has potential to be great, but it's a sliding scale and it doesn't fit with me. "Mi Amigo" is pretty darn good. It's catchy and thrusts out a mariachi sound that is fun and boisterous and the song really works.
Overall:
The album is pretty decent. It has some really great songs like "Radioactive," "The End" and"Mi Amigo" among others that are really fun and entertaining. It's just the other songs are kind of laborious to listen to. This band has a knack for writing some progressive music, but they haven't created anything holistically great, just something that feels hollow at points.
Favorite quote of the band: Caleb Followill said in Spin Magazine, "When you go and see a band and see how hungry they are and the next day you're recording your fifth album, it puts a fire under you. Everyone in New York it looking to take our job."
Miscellaneous News:
According to Billboard.com, Kings of Leon will be releasing a remix album with collaborations from Kenna, Lykke Li, Linkin Park, Pharrel and Justin Timberlake.
-Soren Nieminen
For all of you who take pride in your climbing Facebook friend number, now you can show everyone who comes to your place just how popular you are. As long as you're up to 200 friends and not over 2000 ( unless you are a musician, the youtube double rainbow guy or the president, you should not have 2000 friends and are just being a showoff) you can get all of your friends faces on a 20" x 40" poster.  Social-networking entrepreneur Ben Lotan offers customizable options as well, but the standard poster will run you $20.
Place an order at PrintingFacebok.com.
Finally! It's only been a mere seven years since Cake's last album. But at last we can all again bask in the excellence that is the half sung half talked witty lyrics of John McCrea. Cake's sixth studio album titled Showroom of Compassion is scheduled to be released on January 11th. Make sure you ask for some iTunes gift cards for the holidays and grab this album as soon as it drops.
While you are anxiously awaiting this album you can keep yourself busy by listening to this little taste called Sick of You.
Keep yourself hyped up for this album by checking out Cake at The Rave in Milwaukee on Monday, December 13th for Snow Show 5.
With a new album released, rock group Guster realized they needed a video for one of their new tracks and saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between artist and fan. So back in September, Guster asked their fans to help them make a video for their new song Bad, BadWorld.
"Our fans tend to be really creative, and they tend to want to share that with us," Guster drummer Brian Rosenworcel told Billboard.com shortly after the contest started. "We generally strive to be the type of the band that doesn't put up a brick wall between our fans, but rather, we kind of break it down."
The winner of the contest is Nora McCormack of Soft Shell Productions. In her heartwarming video she asks four people to change a life for $10 or less. She then follows their stories around the streets of Portland, Maine. One woman buys toys and art supplies for kids in a hospital while another gives away flowers to strangers. See the do-gooders at work in the video below.
Bad Bad World from Guster on Vimeo.
You remember the old Seinfeld episode âThe Libraryâ that had George Costanza recollecting about his old high school days and how his gym teacher Mr. Heyman would intentionally mispronounce his name to âCanât-stand-ya!â Well, what that gym teacher saw in George is what I see in the following bands. Here it is: 10 bands I just canât stand.
#10 ) Genesis
Genesis has earned a nod because they round out the bottom of the barrel. It's not that I hate Phil Collins, it's just that some of their songs are so awful that I cringe to think about listening to them.
#9) Korn
Some people like to listen to Korn because of this "totally awesome beat." But, they're just not a very good band. They recently did a cover of "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd and murdered it. They took the song out into a cornfield, made it dig a hole, and then shot it several times.
#8) Michael Bolton
I think the movie "Office Space" sums up Bolton the best as a "no-talent ass clown."
#7) New Weezer
Weezer has just been destroying everything I have loved about them. Granted, they've put out a few good songs recently, but their last albums have had some real stinkers.
#6) Dave Matthews Band
The only thing worse than this band are its fans. They're awful. "Dude, you have to check them out because they're like the greatest band ever." No, they're not. Seeing them is like going out to dinner for what you think is a real fancy meal, only to get moldy bread and stale water and being forced to pay $50 for it.
#5) Train
Hey Soul Sister, get off the radio!
#4) Jimmy Buffett
Oh man, this one might give me some flak, but I don't care. I hated Jimmy Buffet the minute I heard anything he wrote. The cheeky clang of his guitar combined with his awful voice that sings solely about beaches and margaritas is just so awful.
I think media scholar Cartman from South Park sums it up eloquently, "Nobody likes Jimmy Buffet except for frat boys and alcoholic chicks from the south! F$@% you Jimmy Buffet, you f$*@ing suck!
#3) Def Leppard
Why don't you go pour some sugar in your mouth and be quiet? I mean the 80's were a terrible decade for music. They had some good stuff, but Def Leppard is not on that list.
#2) Insane Clown Posse
How can I even begin to describe my loathing for this band? I think I can sum it up in one of their hilarious lyrics off the song "Miracles:"
"I've seen miracles all around me, stop and look around it's all astounding, water, fire air and dirt, f@cking magnets, how do they work? I don't want to talk to a scientist, ya'll MF lying and getting me pissed."
Talk about poetry! Wow. Coming out of the deep intellectual void of Detroit (I apologize if you're from Michigan), the two members of the group are called "Violent J" and "Shaggy 2 Dope." Don't listen to them.
#1) Nickelback
Listening to them makes me angry. Not in a sense of I want to be violent, but just mad that they exist. But they have to, right? I mean, our definition of what's good has to be in relative proportion to what's bad, right? And these guys are really really really bad, so it makes me appreciate a lot more music.
All their songs sound the same and are so generic and bland. And I bought one of their albums when I was young and naive. I'm not a perfect human being, and paying for Nickelback has given me a lot of buyer remorse.
Following up
What are some of your least favorite bands/singers? I'm sure that we can come up with a growing list of people we just can't stand!
When you play in a band (presumably) named after an early nineteenth-century Russian uprising, fronted by a dude from Oregon who writes novels, and that is often the recipient of positive album reviews that make liberal use of the words âshantyâ and âaccordion,â the last thing anyone expects out of you is any semblance of rock-and-roll swagger.
Well, on their new track, âDown by the River,â the lead single from Januaryâs just-announced The King Is Dead, the Decemberists ⦠still sound like precise folk-rockers. But, in a trend begun on 2009âs The Hazards of Love, thereâs an appreciated extra layer of oomph .
You can snag a FREE download here: http://bit.ly/aUzRnM
Against all odds, The Cars have reunited and are recording their first album together since 1987's Door to Door. All the members, minus Benjamin Orr who passed away in 2000 from cancer, have holed themselves up in a studio in New York. According to Billboard, the sessions were first confirmed by veteran engineer Paul Orofino in posts on the Pro Sound online message board that have since been deleted, and follow the late July posting on Facebook of a photo with the band together in a Boston recording studio. This was succeeded by a clip of the song Blue Tipon the group's Facebook page. Click here to check it out. There have been reports there will also be a tour to accompany this new album but no dates have been confirmed.
One album I can NOT stop listening to is Fitz and the Tantrums â Pickinâ Up the Piecesâ, a soul-influenced group from LA. Apparently Iâm not the only one, because in just one year, this multi-ethnic high energy band went from playing living rooms to the main stage.
The instrumentation is perfection and the songs bring us back to the memories of the golden age of soul music.
However, Fitz and the Tantrums are not a âthrowbackâ to the 60âs. They lovingly take the genre to a contemporary place, looking very dapper while doing so. So until they come to Madison, we will have to make do with some video.
April Smith and The Great Picture Show
This is a great Halloween hangover pick...a creepy song from a singer-songwriter named April Smith, who hails from Toms River New Jersey. She says she was influenced by everyone from Tom Waits to Kinky Friedman, and grew up giving impromptu shows to anyone who would pay attention. Her band is called April Smith And The Great Picture Show, and her album thatâs been out since the spring is called Songs for a Sinking Ship. April says the albumâs sound was influenced by âthe â30s and â40s, juke joints and cabaret, the Andrews Sisters and, of course, Tom Waits.â
I canât get enough of this song âTerrible Things.â Caution...the video might be too morbid for the meek.
Ping Pong Orchestra
A song used during a poignant scene during a movie or television show can make or break the scene. I'll always remember how The Dire Straits song "Brothers In Arms" was used during the final scene of season two of The West Wing. It was perfect.
Lately, I've been watching the HBO show Eastbound and Down. This show is no The West Wing. In fact, it's pretty much the complete opposite. It's filled with vulgarities and sophomoric humor, but it can still have some reflective moments. In the final scene of the first season, the main character ends up leaving is girlfriend, literally. They have plans to move to Florida, but he ditches her at a gas station.
The song playing during that final scene is by Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra.  Lee has made lots of music for movies and television shows. This one is called "Kiss the Sky". Enjoy.
Spaghetti Western music? Heck yes.
I love movie soundtracks. And I love western movie soundtracks. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Spaghetti Westerns are a genre of films that came out of Italy (hence 'spaghetti') that were about the wild west. Particularly, the most famous director of that movement is Sergio Leone and his Dollars trilogy including "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." Great great film.
Anyways, I've also been watching a lot of NFL lately and they took a track by Ennio Morricone that was called "Ecstasy of Gold" and they remixed it and have been playing it in some previews/commercials for games. I love it. Here it is below:
Duffy, "Well, Well, Well"
I fell I love with Duffy back in 2008 when she released her debut album Rockferry. She has one of the most unique, interesting and instantly recognizable voices Iâve ever heard. Not only that, but the girl can give it some power. The rest of the world seemed to take notice to, earning her three Grammy Nominations and a win for best pop vocal album.
Duffy is soon to be releasing her sophomore album, Endlessly, and has pre-released the first single. The song âWell, Well, Wellâ is just what Duffy does best. It has a little soul, a little jazz, and the Welsh songstress belting out the lyrics in a commanding way.   Itâs upbeat, and contagious with a big band production, a sultry rhythm and a catchy chorus. Is that another Grammy nod in Duffyâs future?  I would bet yes.
Duffy has already released a video with her new single. check it out below!
As part of Herbie Hancock's new album Imagine Project, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks lend their talents to an extended version of the track Space Captain. Herbie wanted to do something to promote peace and unity through out the world and his answer was the Imagine Project. He enlisted the help of musicians from all over the world and put together an album filled with different cultural flavor and attitudes. Other tracks on the album include Bob Dylan's The Times, They Are A' Changin performed by The Chieftains, Toumani Diabete and Lisa Hannigan and also John Lennon's Imagine performed by P!ink, Seal, India Arie, Jeff Beck, Konono No.1 and Oumou Sangare.
Check out some footage of Susan and Derek in the studio for the track.
Butch Vig and Steve Marker met back in the 70's while they were both attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Both had a love of music and played in college rock bands while also honing their skills as producers and engineers in Steve's basement. Eventually the two moved out of the basement and set up their very own studio, they named Smart Studios, on East Washington Ave.Â
This place has been the setting for recordings, mixes and remixes of some of the greatest bands in modern music history. The list reads like a who's who in music: Nirvana, Fall Out Boy, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Death Cab for Cutie, Beck, L7, Sparklehorse, Everclear, Freedy Johnston, Poster Children and Son Volt all have history at Smart Studios. Unfortunately the studio had to close its door this past May due to the down turn in the music industry.Â
In order to commemorate the building's rich history Wendy Schneider is making a documentary. Wendy is currently in the production stage for the film but has dont about 70 internviews and is taking submissions to add. While the completed movie is still a ways away (possibly a year) I am very excited about this project and cant wait to see how it turns out!Â
Check out the facebook fan page here for more info and instructions to submit material.
The members of The Red Hot Chili Peppers are back in the studio recording their next, yet to be titled, album. This will be the band's first album since their 2006 success, Stadium Arcadium. Drummer Chad Smith has reported that the album is about halfway done and so far, the guys are happy with the way things are going.
So far around 20 songs have been tracked and the boys are hoping for a March release. The group has said this LP will have a bit of a different sound due to a few new elements. First, with the departure of guitarist John Frusciante, Josh Klinghoffer will be bringing his talents to that position. Secondly RHCP are branching out from their norm of funk-pop. Flea and Klinghoffer to a trip together to Lagos, Nigeria and Ethiopia and were inspired to go a more Afro-pop direction.
The members of RHCP have been busy indeed. During the group's break, Flea worked on Bryan Ferr
"With Accelerate we were trying to make a point by making the songs as short and as fast as possible," Mills tells SPIN. "So we wanted this new one to be more expansive. We wanted to put more variety into it and not limit ourselves to any one type of song. There are some really slow, beautiful songs; there are some nice, mid-tempo ones; and then there are three or four rockers."
Against all odds, The Cars have reunited and are recording their first album together since 1987's Door to Door. All the members, minus Benjamin Orr who passed away in 2000 from cancer, have holed themselves up in a studio in New York. According to Billboard, the sessions were first confirmed by veteran engineer Paul Orofino in posts on the Pro Sound online message board that have since been deleted, and follow the late July posting on Facebook of a photo with the band together in a Boston recording studio. This was succeeded by a clip of the song Blue Tipon the group's Facebook page. 
As part of Herbie Hancock's new album Imagine Project, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks lend their talents to an extended version of the track Space Captain. Herbie wanted to do something to promote peace and unity through out the world and his answer was the Imagine Project. He enlisted the help of musicians from all over the world and put together an album filled with different cultural flavor and attitudes. Other tracks on the album include Bob Dylan's The Times, They Are A' Changin performed by The Chieftains, Toumani Diabete and Lisa Hannigan and also John Lennon's Imagine performed by P!ink, Seal, India Arie, Jeff Beck, Konono No.1 and Oumou Sangare.
Check out some footage of Susan and Derek in the studio for the track.
