05/17 & 05/18: LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening - CD The Depreciation Guild - Spirit Youth - LP
05/24 & 05/25: [week off] - whew!
05/31 & 06/01: Boo Radleys - Giant Steps & Wake Up [Deluxe Editions] - 3xCD x2 The Bluetones - A New Athens - CD To My Boy - The Habitable Zone - CD Active Child - Curtis Lane EP - CDS/10"/12" &/or digital [take your pick]
06/07 & 06/08: Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern [Deluxe Edition] 3xCD Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today - LP The Chemical Brothers - Further - CD Christina Aguilera - Bionic - CD The Cure - Disintegration - 2xCD/DVD [maybe?]
06/15: The Golden Filter - Voluspa - 2xLP [US release - vinyl is Insound exclusive, and also contains "The Hardest Button To Button" as a bonus track]
06/21 & 06/22: Delays - Star Tiger Star Ariel - CD Helmet - Seeing Eye Dog - CD
06/28 & 06/29: [week off]
07/05 & 07/06: Duran Duran - Notorious & Big Thing [Deluxe Editions] - 2xCD/DVD x 2
07/12 & 07/13: School of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire - LP
unknown: !!! - LP4 Battles - LP2 Duran Duran - new LP Atari Teenage Riot - reunion LP & "Activate" single
Whew! It ain't getting any cheaper, that's for sure.
On May 31, To My Boy have a new album coming out. It is called 'The Habitable Zone' and you can see the [very busy] artwork to the left and - for the price of an e-mail address - can get a free mp3 of album track "Antarctica" at their website - which is not, as I initially mis-read it - tommyboy.co.uk, though that would be a completely different type of interesting. While there, you can also pre-order the album for a very reasonable price range of £8 - £10, depending on your delivery zone. [See what I did there?] They're apparently doing it on their own this time and their debut was a favorite around here, so I'd highly encourage supporting them if you like the freebie. Which you will because it's fantastic.
If you need more convincing, here's the video for "Hello Horizon", which is the first "single" [whatever that means these days]:
Oh yes. In fact, RCRD LBL has their comeback single - or what qualifies as a comeback single in this day and age, I suppose - as a free download. Excellent. You can grab it here.
[If you're not subscribed to the RCRD LBL daily mail out, you really should be. You never know what you're going to find in your inbox - case in point.]
'Burn, Berlin, Burn!' was a cornerstone album for me back in the day - yes, I realize it's a compilation album, but it was our introduction to ATR and, quite frankly, still works as their strongest full-length - and seeing them as part of a Digital Hardcore revue the day before Thanksgiving in 1997 remains one of the most surreal and amazing shows I've ever seen. It's good to hear they've lost none of their edge in this track. Hooray!
This is a busy weekend for free downloads, apparently.
Ash is smack-dab in the middle of their 'A-Z' single series, and to celebrate they're releasing a CD compilation, appropriately titled 'A-Z Vol. 1'. It contains the first thirteen singles plus four bonus tracks.
There are also a pair of digital EPs to go with the release. The first - which is not free - is a 7-track acoustic EP featuring songs from the first half of the project. The second - which is free - is a pair of live tracks, project highlights 'Arcadia' and 'Space Shot'. Those can be grabbed here for the cost of an e-mail address, and while you're there check out the other bonus material they've got on the site - some free, some for a nominal fee, all fantastic and well worth your time.
For those keeping track, a Japanese edition of the CD was released a few weeks back and features two additional bonus tracks - so far only available on that set though bound to appear on something else eventually - along with a bonus disc that contains selections from the three digital EPs released in support of the project so far as well as an exclusive remix of "Neon".
I initially thought this project would be easy to keep track of and relatively inexpensive to complete. I apparently thought wrong, though I can't deny that I'm having a bunch of fun trying.
In a wise and very welcome move, Blur have made their new single "Fool's Day" available for download from their website for the cost of an e-mail address.
Whew.
Truth be told, the song is more memorable for being the first new Blur material in seven years than for being a great Blur song, but it's nice to have a high quality version available - though who uses wav format anymore?
Now, if the Pet Shop Boys would take note and do something similar for their Record Store Day single, we'd be all set.
After what has felt like a million years but, in actuality, has probably been barely six months, the wheels are starting to turn on the new School of Seven Bells album. To the left, you can see the album artwork as posted on the official site recently - accompanied only by a cryptic "Coming Soon". No track list, no solid release date, no mention of first single, just: "Coming Soon". Well, it's a start.
The band has also lined up two shows in NYC on June 9th and 10th - I leave town from a 5 day visit on the 8th, of course. Perhaps these will act as a release celebration? At the very least, expect to hear lots from the forthcoming/recently released/whatever status it has at the time LP on those two nights.
A live version of "Heart Is Strange" from last fall:
I'd say expect to see that one on the album, but after waiting 7+ fruitless years for the Hidden Cameras to release live staple "No Gay Goth Scene", I've come to learn there are no track list guarantees.
Yesterday, the news broke that Supergrass are calling it quits after a run of summer shows. In typical Supergrass fashion, it was barely a blip on most news sites, crammed between mentions of a new Arcade Fire video and Adam Green EP on NME and barely making headline status on Pitchfork, though oddly I first read about it on PopJustice's Facebook feed.
In any case, this is pretty sad news. Even though they never quite reached the heights of the classic one-two punch of 'I Should Coco' and 'In It For The Money' - both unquestionably five-star, must have albums - they were always reliable for a solid album with a few incredible singles. The word was they were working on LP7 to be released later this year, but now it is unknown if it will ever see the light of day.
I saw the boys back in 2000 in support of the self-titled record and it was a highly enjoyable show. I always wanted to catch them again, but my only real opportunity came when they were opening for the Foo Fighters in a gigantic arena around the time of 'Diamond Hoo Ha'. I passed, not thinking their show would translate well in such a venue, and now I kind of wish I hadn't. Oh well.
Boo for disabled embedding on YouTube, but dig out your copy of 'Supergrass is 10' and remember how incredible their singles run was.
Good music friend Joe passed along a video for the new Active Child single "I'm In Your Church At Night".
Simply put: stunning. Gorgeous and haunting and four minutes of music to totally lose yourself in. It hasn't got a "proper" release yet - whatever that constitutes in this day and age - however you can find it and two other tracks on his/their page at the excellent RCRD LBL site. Alternately, you can purchase the "She Was A Vision" / "Voice Of An Old Friend" digital single at Amazon/iTunes/whatever your digital retailer of choice may be.
Keep your eyes and ears peeled. I've got a feeling this is going to develop nicely.
There's an album cover. The official site has a countdown - timing to the millisecond, even - and is streaming part of a new track. A couple of other new songs were "leaked" to radio a week or so ago.
We might actually be getting this on March 30th. Fingers crossed.
Thanks to Dean for reminding me - and Seattle - of Pay TV's amazing "Refrain Refrain":
There's a free download of later single "Fashion Report" on last.fm if that's your thing, and you can find various singles from various digital retailers.
The Bluetones' official site is reporting that their sixth album is ready to roll this summer. Entitled 'A New Athens', the artwork is to the left and the track list is as follows:
01 The Notes Between The Notes Between The Notes 02 Firefly 03 A New Athens 04 Culling Song 05 Into The Red 06 Golden Soul 07 The Day That Never Was 08 Carry Me Home 09 Half The Size Of Nothing 10 Haunted By You 11 Pranchestonelle
I imagine 10 is not a Gene cover, but you never know...
No single or confirmed release date yet but this is certainly something to look forward to. I was wondering just the other day when we'd get a new album from them...
And I'll just take this opportunity to say that I still don't understand all the hatred - well, perhaps that's a bit strong of a word...intense dislike, perhaps - that gets directed at the band and their last few albums. 'Science & Nature' was clearly their high point, but 'Luxembourg' is a snappy and enjoyable little record and the self-titled definitely has its moments. No, neither are 'Expecting To Fly II' but both are better for it. [Personally I prefer LPs 4 & 5 to 1 & 2 but I'm sure I'm in the minority on that one.]
In any case, add another one to the list of albums to look forward to in 2010.
In anticipation of their forthcoming second LP - which can't get here fast enough as far as I'm concerned - The Whip have set up a fancy new web site. At said web site, you can stream and/or exchange your e-mail address for an mp3 download of a DJ Mixtape by members Bruce and Fee.
A nice way to start the spring as far as I'm concerned, though it is a bit sad they didn't sneak in a preview of new material in the set. Oh well.
"I Want To Touch You" is probably my favorite single off of Catherine Wheel's 'Ferment'. Not only is the a-side fantastic but it also featured a slew of incredibly strong b-sides across the formats - two of which would be re-recorded for the following year's 'Chrome' and it had the best of a string of amazing sleeves featuring Alastair Thain's photography. The 7" features an exclusive edit of the single remix on the a-side and the omnipresent "Ursa Major Space Station" on the flip. Even though it lacks the "let's take a rocket ship to Mars" tag, I think this version trumps the more familiar 'Chrome' recording.
I do not understand the appeal of the Manic Street Preachers. That said, I've always found myself strangely drawn to 'Know Your Enemy', their 2001 album generally regarded as their low point. [I generally don't believe in music as a guilty pleasure but had I to pick something, it would be this album.] There's no doubt it's a total mess and at least half of the many styles they try on over the course of its 16 tracks totally blow up in their face, yet I find myself returning to it again and again, completely mesmerized by the whole thing. Its best moment is its lead track, "Found That Soul", also chosen as one of two lead singles - another completely ridiculous and half-assed marketing ploy in a career full of them. The 7" - their first in years, I believe - featured a live recording of previous "return to their roots" single "The Masses Against The Classes", which was also the UK millennium #1 if I remember correctly. Nonsense. A total musical car crash.
Of all the bands that are no longer with us, I would have to say I miss Catherine Wheel the most. [Yeah, I've gone on about this before...no wait, come back!] Similarly, with all this reissue/repackage madness going on the past few years, the one band I would love a thorough catalogue overhaul of is - you guessed it - Catherine Wheel.
So imagine my excitement last fall when I get a text from my friend Joe that Cherry Red is working on a re-issue of 'Ferment'. "Hooray!", I think, even though I know the finished product will certainly fall far short of the ideal package I've created in my head. [Imagine it: disc one is a DualDisc with the original album on one side and a sparkling new 5.1 mix on the other. Yeah, I know, that's so totally 2006, but imagine a well done one, something along the lines of the 5.1 mix of 'Black Celebration' - specifically "Fly on the Windscreen - Final". Amazing. Throw the period promo videos on there while you're at it. Anyways, disc two could go a few ways. You can't fit all the b-sides onto one disc, so you can either stick some at the end of CD1 and put the rest on CD2, but that doesn't leave much room for unreleased material. You could cherry pick the best, but then you aren't really getting a complete picture AND without a doubt you're going to miss someone's favorite, however this leaves more room so it's probably the best bet. There are confirmed to be unreleased masters sitting in the vaults, so let's dig those out, and there's probably more demos where those on the second "I Want To Touch You" 12" came from so unearth them as well. Actually, scratch that - let's make it a THREE disc set with all of the b-sides at the end of disc one and taking up disc two and dedicate disc three to demos and live stuff and "new to us" material. See how out of hand this can get, and fast?]
Anyways, so I've been waiting quite impatiently for some info to come out. And then, all of a sudden, there's a track listing. And what are we getting? A one disc set - boo! - with six bonus tracks: "Balloon" [not a bonus to us in the US, folks], "Intravenous", and the whole of the "30 Century Man" EP.
Weak.
Not only are both of the EPs those bonus tracks are sourced from relatively easy to track down in this day and age - two "30 Century Man"'s recently sold for under $10 each on eBay, I had no idea it had gotten that inexpensive - but anyone who is interested in buying this re-issue more likely than not already has them, perhaps multiple times over. [Hello "Balloon" CDS/12"/7", nice to see you.] The promise of "extensive liner notes" doesn't a worthwhile re-issue make.
Perhaps those who needed to be involved weren't playing nice - watching from a far as a fan, it wouldn't totally surprise me - but if you're going to put together a [relatively] niche re-issue, you really need to make it worthwhile for those it's aimed at to purchase again. If there was a vinyl edition coming out, I'd be a little more forgiving - good luck tracking an original down for less than $50. But there's not, so I'm not. Talk about a crushing disappointment.
Seeing as we're a little over a third of the way through Ash's "A-Z Series" project - one of the most exciting and fun music releases in ages, isn't it? - I thought it might be a good time to take a look at where we've been so far.
iTunes! Come here please:
So what's the score? Going by iTunes' very rough star ratings, about 4.25 stars. Not shabby, and even better that there's been no flat out duds yet. [It is not surprising, though, that the two weakest singles so far are 'Twilight of the Innocents' leftovers. Blech.] As a whole, though, the project has made every other Monday the day to look forward to.
The best of the bunch? "Arcadia" gets the slight edge for its exuberance:
Amazing.
Still not entirely sure what the "A-Z" assignments have to do with anything, though I suppose it's more an easy way to organize them than anything else.
Back in January, the Discodust blog posted a remix of Alphabeat's forthcoming single "Hole In My Heart" by the excellent Sound of Arrows, officially getting my excited for the single - despite it being the wrong choice. [Hello "The Beat Is" or "DJ".] I couldn't wait for the official release to hold a copy in my hands.
Well. Fast forward a bit and here we are, a week before release. A quick gander at the formats tell me that not only have they left off the Sound of Arrows remix in favor of dull club mixes by Wideboys [really?] and Chew Fu [who?], but also that they've put the radio edits of said mixes on the CD single. For no reason, really - they'd comfortably both fit and still be under running time for chart rules. On top of that, it lists at an astonishingly high £3.99.
In discussion with my friend Dean about the situation, he had this to say:
"The music industry seems to want to destroy their own CD sales to prove how much illegal downloads are hurting them."
Time and time again, it seems. Remember the Little Boots CD single fiasco?The only comfort I take is that the digital release is getting the same middle finger stuck up at them. Thanks for nothing.
05/17 & 05/18:
