Eels have announced the release of their new album (The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett) along with the cover art, track listing, and a new song, "Agatha Chang".
I'm excited. They're one of my favorite bands. This is going to be a good year for new music from my favorite bands/musicians. It's rumored that Conor Oberst, Death Cab and Ryan Adams all will have have releases this year.
You can here the new Eels song by clicking HERE.
Also here is the cover art and track listing.
Track Listing:
01 Where I'm At
02 Parallels
03 Lockdown Hurricane
04 Agatha Chang
05 A Swallow in the Sun
06 Where I'm From
07 Series of Misunderstandings
08 Kindred Spirit
09 Gentlemen's Choice
10 Dead Reckoning
11 Answers
12 Mistakes of My Youth
13 Where I'm Going
0comment
0comment
Wax Fang - The Astronaut
I hate the word epic, but there's no other way to explain the album. Not only are the songs ridiculously long (in a good way), but it's about an astronaut (clearly) who is separated from his ship and is pulled into a black hole (which apparently don't exist according to a recent theory by Stephen Hawking) and is floating through space. How cool is that?
I'm not sure what to compare it to. At times the vocals remind me Thom York. The music is all over the place. It's ambient, it's big guitars, it's electronic. It's everywhere.
It's very original. Not everyone is composing 16 minute songs about drifting through the infinite abyss of space. Wax Fang has made something unique and beautiful. I've heard the term rock opera used to describe concept story albums, but I never quite felt that the music lived up to such a lofty description. The Astronaut is a rock opera.
1comment
agianst me!,
Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son,
Damien jurado,
lariat,
stephen malkmus,
wig out jag bags
2014 New Releases
Easily my most anticipated album of the year didn't disappoint. Against Me! released they're newest album since Tom Gable came out as transgender and now goes by the name Laura Jane Grace. Against Me! has been a favorite band of mine since my freshman year of college back in two oh oh five. Transgender Dysphoria Blues is all about Grace's struggles with gender confusion and becoming a woman. I wasn't sure what to expect from the album, but I can definitely say that I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did Grace retain her grizzly Tom Gable voice, but Against Me! got their edge back after the dissapoinment of White Crosses (That album sucked.), their last release.
I'm not sure if I have a favorite song on the album (they're all really good), but the two songs that keep drawing repeated listens are the title track and "Black Me Out". Don't be a homophobe and listen to the album, it's damn good.
Damien Jurado also released his 102nd album in the last 10 years, Brothers and Sisters of The Eternal Son. I've only listened to this one all the way once (today on my plan period), but what I heard I loved. It's another great release from the one of the most underrated song writers making music right now.
Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks released the best album title of the year, Wig Out Jag Bags. I haven't given this album a full listen, but "Lariat" is totes def my favorite song of this short year.
0comment
Quilt on a sick day (Xtina's band of the day)
It's day three, and I am feeling the pressure looming, so like it or not, I've got to start reading. (I like it.) I'm still casting YouTube onto the television in our bedroom, but I'm letting it play study-appropriate music.
The internet has been buzzing about the band Quilt in the last few days, but I have been wary to check out them because everything is electronic these days, and I don't even like electronic music that much when I'm not sick.
My gut has been wrong so much on this front lately, and I am thankful for that. What can I say? I'm no Olivia Pope.
Quilt reminds me a little of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros without all the acid-drenched, party-with-P. Diddy weirdness. Their music is calming without being boring, and carries just the right amount of 60's folk nostalgia with it.
I don't know which song to recommend, so I'll post their album below. Check it out and let us know what you think.
0comment
Best Discovery of 2013 That wasn't Released in 2013
My best discover of 2013 wasn't even a band that released a record last year, in fact they don't even make music anymore. The band I'm talking about is LCD Soundsystem. In fact over the past few years I convinced myself that I hated them despite all the suggestions to listen to them from people who's taste in music that I trust and admire.
This summer when I heard that James Murphy (front man of LCD Soundsystem) would be producing the new Arcade Fire album, I decided to give them another shot. . . and man, am I glad that I did. It's much more than the electronic dance music that I dismissed it as. Sure, it's dance music, but it's dance music with a lot of emotion behind it. I haven't dove to deep into their catalog, but their last two releases Sound of Silver (2007) and This is Happening (2010), are wonderful albums.
If you're not a fan of electronic music I would still give LCD Soundsystem a shot. I think you won't be disappointed
.
0comment
"What's the point of doing anything?" (Xtina's Song of the Day)
St. Vincent (a.k.a. Annie Clark), a woman on whom I have an undeniable ladycrush, put out a new song today called, "Digital Witness." This is her second single off her upcoming self-titled album. She was obviously influenced by the music she made with David Byrne; this song is more horn-heavy than anything, but Annie Clark's signature guitar sneaks in throughout. "Digital Witness" is a satirical social critique on our obsession with technology.
"People turn the TV on, it looks just like a window."
"What's the point of sleeping if I can't show it? You can't see me."
Yes, there is a smidgen of irony in my listening to this song on the internet and blogging about it so everyone can see what I think. Pair this with The Circle by Dave Eggers for maximum (and justifiable) technology phobia.
