Archive for the ‘Blogs’ Category
New Pearl Jam song leaked
If you’ve got web skillz, you might want to start lining up your resume, because I’m thinking there might be an opening soon over at Monkeywrench Records’ website.
MW Records, you see, is the label that Pearl Jam created after they broke free from their major label contract. It’s the label they released their last album, Backspacer, on. Until today, the site had just been a logo with no other content. But today, according to Antiquiet, somebody by the name of Pete posted a new PJ song called “Better Days” on the label’s website with the following note: “Gary, Kelly wanted you to hear this please give it a listen.” Pearl Jam is managed by Kelly Curtis.
Well, as you can imagine, not long after the leak, the site went under lock and key, and it now requires a password to access. So yeah, this definitely wasn’t planned. And Pete might want to get familiar with the unemployment line.
You can stream “Better Days” at Antiquiet. It sounds to me a lot like Eddie Vedder’s solo work on Into The Wild, but some PJ fans are claiming it’s a B-side from 2003’s Riot Act. Of course, there’s also the slim chance it’s a song from an upcoming album. Fingers crossed.
-Sam
Well, I am still a bit saddened about an anouncement made a couple of weeks ago. One of my favorite bands announced that they will no longer be making music together. I first started listening to the Scottish trio, The Fratellis, back in 2006 when I picked up their album, Costello Music, thinking it was something else. Even though it wasn the band I originally thought it was, I loved the album right away. It quickly became the soundtrack for the good times I had with friends on the weekends, having a few drinks and getting into a bit of trouble (if we were lucky). They were one of those bands that was just about having a good time, and i like having good times. I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed their music, but thats another post for another day. I will put up a video after the jump if you want to check them out, which I wholeheartedly recomend.
So I am curious about which band break-ups still dissapoint you to this day. Doesn’t matter if it’s just “creative diffrences” like when Oasis broke up in 2009 or the death of key members of the band. Any chance for them to regroup and tour again (like Rage Against the Machine…and soon Oasis) or get new band members so they can continue to make music (like Sublime and Alice In Chains)? Who do you miss?
Video after the jump continue reading
So, this was originally intended to be an April Fools’ Day gag.
I was going to write up a fake report about how System of a Down were finally ending their hiatus and getting back in the studio together to record a new album.
The only problem was that as I was perusing some metal blogs yesterday (March 31) I saw some legitimate rumor mill postings which seemed to be saying that very thing!
The rumors arise from some hazy logic, but I’ll lay it out anyway. Serj Tankian recently announced that his new solo album titled Imperfect Harmonies (changed from Music Without Borders) has been completely recorded and is now in the mixing stage. The plan is to release it in late summer. So the thinking goes that with Tankian now done with recording responsibilities and finishing up a touring cycle behind Elect The Dead Symphony, he is now free to rejoin the rest of his System bandmates who have been waiting for him. The rumor is that the band will enter the studio this fall to begin recording a new album.
There are several holes in this theory, however. First of all, it sounds a lot like wishful thinking more than it does a solid rumor. Second, I would imagine Serj would do some kind of touring behind his new solo record, and that would be hard to accomplish if he was in the studio with SOAD during the period that touring would likely take place.
That being said, I really really really hope that this rumor is true. If it is, it will be well worth the spoiled April Fools’ gag.
-Sam
…….well pseudo-3d anyway.
This is the video for “Doubtful Comforts” by Blue Roses. What makes this video special though is their attempt to make a 3D video using “Wiggle Stereoscopic” techniques. While it may not be true 3D, it is supposed to trick your mind into thinking that it is in 3D. Apparently the way it works is there are two cameras that film at slightly different angles, and the images jump between them. It usually works pretty well in still images, and there are moments of here that work really well but the effect isn’t as good as I hoped it would be.
Check out the video. Did it work for you? Would you want to see others try this……or should we just pass?
Hump Day Album: Johnossi
NO, not that kind of hump day….get your mind out of the gutter, tsk tsk. The mid-week hump that gets in the way of our weekends.
Francis Bacon once said “Some books are meant to be tasted, and other swallowed and some to be chewed and digested...” , the same holds true for albums sometimes. It’s Wednesday and for some the hardest day of the week to get through, so I am going to try to lend a hand and point ya towards some good albums that is best devoured in large chunks. I will try to stick to not-so-recent albums and albums that are easy to find, hopefully I can keep that going for a while….but I know I have some stuff that may not be so easy to find.
This week it is going to be the self-titled debut album of singer/guitarist John Englebert and drummer Oskar Bonde, Johnossi. While the guitar/drummer duo can still be seen as a gimmicky kind of band, kind of like how the White Stripes were portrayed early on, these two show that just the pair can make some amazing music where you don’t miss the traditional set up.
Part of what makes this album fantastic is that they dabble in a variety of styles while still keeping it all together. It doesn’t come off as schizophrenic as other albums who attempt to do the same thing. The album may start off on a soft folk tone, but it doesn’t stay that way for long.
More stuff and video after the jump
Hat tip to “theonlyone” who posted this awesome musical subway map on Flickr and to MetalSucks for leading me there.
Just pretend each rock genre had its own subway line and the connectors were determined by genre compatibility and you get this:
You’re likely going to have to visit the site to get a larger version of the map in order to read all the bands, but it’s definitely worth a couple minutes of your time.
Most of the designations are pretty spot on, although I don’t know what Death Cab for Cutie is doing on the Punk Rock line or what Nine Inch Nails is doing on the Heavy Metal Line.
-Sam
Recently Harmonix announced the release details of their latest iteration of Rockband……Rockband: Green Day. It will be coming out the 8th of June at full retail price. They will be getting the Beatles: Rockband treatment by getting new artwork and unlockable interviews and pictures. The only diffrence between the two band-centric games is that there will be an export option for the Green Day game.
Is this really needed?
First off thanks to Paste for leading me to this one.
I know that recently there has been a lot of speculation around Jessica Simpson and Billy Corgan…..and I am hoping thats its all rumor …..please let it all be just rumors. Regardless of all that stuff it looks like Jessica Simpson has released the song “Who We Are” that was written by both of them, which will be the theme song to Simpson’s upcoming show The Price of Beauty.
Honestly I am not quite sure what to think of this. I should say that I never really listened to Simpson’s music aside from the stuff that plays in the background at random places I would go to, but it seemed kinda boring. Somewhat formulaic power pop. It’s not surprising that Corgan would help write such poppy/happy lyrics, he has done it before (but now doesn’t want to even talk about that era).
Anyway download it here, and let me know what you think.
I am not sure how many of you are into video games enough to have picked up any of the Rock Band games as well as purchased any of their download-able content, but I am. I have been waiting for this day since its first announcement last summer. The Rock Band Network gives the tools to artists and labels in order to put out songs for the Rock Band titles. Starting today the service will be available to the public so we can start to buy the slightly over 100 available songs with your closest friends. As of right now RBN is up on the Xbox360 and hopefully next month it will be running on the PlayStation Network.
Official statement from the band
So news broke this week that one of my favourite bands, Straylight Run, has decided to go on an ’indefinite hiatus’. Now a lot of you may not know much about this band (apart from the fact that singer/guitarist/pianist John Nolan was in Taking Back Sunday), take my word for it: the world has lost one of its most truly talented bands.
I first heard them around 7 years ago; getting wind of some demo recordings on a MySpace page, and I was really impressed by what I heard. Since then, I’ve grown to love SR in so many different ways and for so many different reasons. Having only had the chance to see them live twice, I took the opportunity to meet the band on both occasions, discovering that they were not just a talented bunch of musicians, but a band that cared about its fans and worked hard to keep playing shows and make music. It’s because of that fact that their hiatus stings so much. They simply cannot financially afford to be a band anymore. They didn’t have a diva moment, they didn’t grow a part; they are simply low on cash. The same reason has taken quality bands in the past (Brit-rockers Reuben, pop-punkers Allister etc.) and it will continue to do so.
Now, I might just be a little bitter, but I blame the fickle nature of the casual music fan. You know the kind, the ones that buy albums just to listen to the singles over and over, the ones that talk loudly over quite bands at shows, the ones who have 40 songs on their mp3 players because that’s all they’ll ever need. Yes, I know I sound like a real music snob, but I’d like to think that after 12 years of loving the kind of music I do and supporting my local scene, and the past decade of playing in bands in front of less than 20 people at a time, I’ve earned the right to an opinion. And my opinion is simply that there is no hope for the little bands in this world. Now, you may disagree with me here, you may reel off a list of underground bands that remained healthy and active for long periods of time, but I speak of more recent times. I’m talking post-2000. It remains to be seen whether or not any of the underground bands that have formed over the last decade will ever succeed in having long careers whilst maintaining a sense of non-commercial credibility. If come 2020 there is a bunch of bands still going that contradict what I’m writing, I’ll happily admit I was wrong, because if I am proven wrong I will be absolutely ecstatic. But in all honesty, the loss of a band that I think was one of the very best has really forced me to cast my mind back to those underdog bands I’ve loved and lost over the years. Just recently, the fantastic The Jonbenét split, and I was beside myself with fury. Why you ask? Well because Gallows are making middle-of-the-road, over-produced punk rock (with a massively delusional sense of self-importance, I might add) whilst The Jonbenét have been churning out genuinely bruising punk rock, dripping with defiance and independence, but can’t even manage to scrape together the money for a cheap recording.
You can call me bitter. You can call me elitist. But great underground bands fold every day because of the fickle business that is music. Guys being underpaid for the work they put in, told their pure creation is not good enough to share with others. It’s almost enough to make you lose faith. But I’ll end on a positive note, as, for now, there are so many great bands still plugging away around the gig circuit, playing for tiny audiences and working day-jobs to fund their passion. Even those bands that have broken up now have left behind great legacies. So to Straylight Run, to American Football, to Johnny Truant, to Reuben, to countless others…thanks for the tunes.
So take yourself down to your local venues, visit the websites of some independent labels. Hell, go buy some Straylight Run records and give those guys the funds to get back on the road and do what they live for. Whatever you do, just remember: it all starts with your local scene, with all the little bands. They’re the ones who will grow to be the greats. Be a part of it.