New Music Tuesday

It's November 1st, so that means the pre-holiday season deluge...including Lulu, a collaboration between Lou Reed & Metallica.  The odd pairing might have something to do with their 2009 Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame performance. It's kind of artsy and a lot weirdy:

This deluxe box set features both Achtung Baby and their 1993 album Zooropa, along with B sides, remixes, previously unreleased outtakes and an early version of Achtung Baby.  The album was joint-produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno - the same combination the band used for 1987's The Joshua Tree! 

Also today: the first single from the new band Eight and a Half.  The band is Dave Hamelin and Liam O'Neil (formerly of The Stills) and Justin Peroff of Broken Social Scene. Eight and a Half is releasing their debut full-length album in early 2012...so here's Eight and a Half with "Scissors" (and I think it's my )Winter 2011/12 track:

Oh, I know!  It's the reunion of the Stone Roses, and the best-line-up:  Ian Brown, John Squire, Mani and Reni (I wonder if Reni still wears that hat)!

A few days ago, Stone Roses announced the end of their 15 year split - at a press conference described only as "a special press conference for a very important announcement."

This brings me to new music...and the influence that Stone Roses continues to have on new bands. The band Male Bonding is put in the 'punk' category, but I didn't hear much of that when I listened to their new album, Endless Now. What I hear is along the lines of that 80s defintion of 'alternative rock', shoegaze...and yeah, I heard a bit of Stone Roses and the whole Madchester influence, too. 

Bit of a theme (other than new music) today - bands from 80s and 90s.  Remember Screaming Trees?

Jane's Addiction - "Jane Says" from their 1988 album Nothing's Shocking. Their new album, their first one in eight years, is called The Great Escape Artist, and it sounds nothing like the music from their most popular albums Nothing's Shocking or 1990's Ritual de lo Habitual.

Frontman Perry Farrell said "it's a strange mixture of that post-punk Goth darkness that Jane's had, with what's going on today with groups like Muse and Radiohead . As much as I want to appease fans and make old Jane's fans love me, I just can't help myself from moving forward."

There ya go. Here's new Jane's Addiction "Twisted Tales" from their new album The Great Escape Artist, out today.

Kaiser Chiefs were supposed to be here on Saturday night, but had to postpone (something about their American label going belly-up), so now, they're playing at the Commodore on March 24th.

In the last few years, I've noticed a bumper crop of bands that are mixing indie rock and pop with folk music...but it's not new. For example, the in the 80s, Celtic rock was done by bands like The Waterboys and...

Now, lots of bands are mixing folk with indie rock: for example, Seattle's The Head the The Heart and Fleet Foxes. Out of the "West London Folk Scene" (what some music media call it), there's Noah & the Whale, Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons...and one of my favourites (not from that West London Folk Scene, though): Stornoway. They've been together since 2006, and put keyboards into the mix, too.

The first time Stornoway was played oin the air was in March 2006, and it was the demo version of "I Saw You Blink". It was on BBC Oxford Introducing with host Tim Bearder, who was totally behind the band from the start, probably their earliest champion.  Here where it's kind of funny:  Tim was suspended from work after barricading himself in the studio and playing an hour of Stornoway songs from their demo EP The Early Adventures of Stornoway.  That reminds me of  something I heard involving The Smiths (their music, anyway).  Years ago, I read a magazine interview with Morrissey, who'd read a newspaper article about a Smiths fan breaking into a radio station and holding the DJ at gunpoint, demanding the station play The Smiths for 24 hours straight.  Yes, fans of The Smiths are bit cray cray sometimes (I once tackled Morrissey after a Moz show, and was kicked out of the venue...with a mild concussion.  That was a looooong time ago!). 

Stornoway now has more than a demo out: their debut, full-length album, Beachcomber's Windowsill, is out and on it is the studio version of "I Saw You Blink".

A couple of years ago, and I'm sure you remember, I played an epic song by a woman named Florence Welch, who records under the name Florence + The Machine.

Remember "Cosmic Love"?

Here's the epic new song from Florence + The Machine, "Shake It Out":

...or Thievery Corporation.

This is probably Thievery Corporation's most well-known song. You've heard it before; in a store, in a lounge, in a pub, maybe at a spa:

The base of Thievery Corporation is Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, a DJ and production duo who make downtempo. Their roster also includes different vocalists and musicians for their albums and tours.

The whole lounge/downtempo/chillout thing came about because of rave culture; you'd dance all night (and whatever else) and then need some hyper chill music to relax to in the chill-out rooms.  That's not when downtempo was 'invented', because it already existed, but that's when it took off - there was an increase in downtempo, lounge, chillout producers, DJs, and an excess of cheesily titled compilations starting in the early to mid 90s. Artists like Kruder & Dorfmeister, Kid Loco, and Thievery Corporation have been at it for a long time (in Thievery Corp's case, since 1995).

Thievery Corporation's new album is called Culture of Fear; it's their sixth studio release.  Here's something new from the Corp:

They're at Malkin Bowl tonight! The weather's not nearly as nice as it was for last weekend's Blue Rodeo shows, but this'll be a kind of 'farewell to summer, one last outdoors show' before the real autumn weather blows in. If you're going to tonight's show, gates open at 5:30, the first band, Los Amigos Invisibles, starts at 7, Thievery Corporation is on around 8:15 - and they shut 'er down by 10.

How do you feel about cutting the rug, 80s style?

Today, I explored a group that has influenced artists like Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, Moby, George Michael, Robbie Williams...and Lady Gaga's a huge fan.

You know it's been 25 years since their last US #1 song? Remember "Human"? 

But anyway, here's new stuff from The Human League: "Night People": 

The band's on-tour right now (speaking of 80s dance party: some shows they're playing with The B52s and Men Without Hats!), and they're throwing it down 80s style at the Rickshaw on Sunday night (September 11th). 

I have to swiff my desk now (I actually use compostable sweeper duster thingies that come from corn...although I don't know how). 

I buy lots of music.  Here's how it usually unfolds:  I hear something I like, look for it like a maniac, order it from a store, and then pick it up a few weeks later when it arrives.  I spend time poring over liner notes and cover art.  I'm not a downloader, but I do use online music sites to sample music, and if I like what I hear, go on a rampage to find the album.

Enter Bandcamp.  It's an online music store and platform for artist promotion - mostly for indie artists. Artists get a microsite (or page) on which they can customize and upload their songs and albums. YOU can then listen to the music for free, and some artists even offer free full downloads. It's free to join, but Bandcamp takes a 15% cut of sales made from their website, which drops to 10% after selling more than 5-thousand dollars worth.

Bandcamp can be a useful tool for bands; it gets the music out there without costing the artist anything, but then also generates sales for them and the website.  Here's a shining testimonial for Bandcamp: last July, artists Amanda Palmer, and bands Low Places and Bedhed gave up their record labels (wow; it's not easy to get one these days) and started selling albums on Bandcamp.  Those are artists who LOVE Bandcamp, and the modern ways of hawking their wares.

I LOVE that song.