MUSIC THREAD

Brit pop class? That is awesome beyond words, dre.

If you're a Hendrix fan, you probably know that tomorrow is a big day.

The reason? His previously unreleased studio album, Valleys of Neptune, will finally hit stores. The songs, 12 in all, were apparently intended to be part of the follow-up to Electric Ladyland.

Here's the title track:

 

New Gorillaz record also drops today. Broken Bells (Shins' James Mercer and Danger Mouse collaboration) and Josh Rouse, too. Ted Leo, Liars and Frightened Rabbit albums are out as well.

Wow.

Maybe it's just me, but this is an incredible -- hell, maybe unprecedented -- amount of quality rock/indie stuff for one day.

 

Enjoying that Broken Bells quite a bit.

Saw Avett Brothers about a week ago in Indy. Nobody rocks the banjo like those dudes! Great energy and plenty of "y'alls" to go around. What else would you expect form people from Concord, N.C.?

 

I'm a big Jimi fan and will pick this up but much of what's here has been previously released in one version or another. "Red House" may be my fave Jimi song but nothing here will equal the live version on Hendrix In The West. I don't know if there is anything really rare on here but I'll give it a listen a find out.

 

Ted Leo in Cleveland on Thursday!

I had heard Broken Bells before without realizing who they were. Now I know. Sounds like yoga music.

 

Oh, and Swell Season touring again in May -- Pittsburgh, Cleveland, NC, Nashville, Miami among the dates.

 

Yeah, and it was in London and taught by someone who had been around the music scene there for quite some time. Our homework, beyond listening to music in general, sometimes consisted of going to see concerts. Can't really beat that.

 

Checking out that Liars album (and by checking out I mean downloading it).

 

Seven songs from that show are on the bonus disc on a Rhino reissue of "Armed Forces" - it originally appeared as a bonus EP with the first 200,000 vinyl copies. I missed out in '79.
The highlight: a killer power pop version of "Stranger in the House," which he did as a straight country tune in the studio.

As I surf through the Amazon link, I realize I badly want "Graham Parker & the Rumour Live in San Francisco 1979." Great pregame for my 30th high school reunion this fall.

 

I've spent the past two days listening to The Everybodyfields (http://www.hearya.com/2008/11/25/hearya-live-session-35-the-everybodyfields/), especially the songs sung by Jill Andrews.

I'm not a country fan -- this is country/folkish -- but Andrews' voice is one of the most compelling I've heard in a long, long time. Check out The Only King, for starters.

Hearya.com is currently my favorite site on the Internet, followed closely by another music site, http://www.daytrotter.com/.

 

Thanks for posting the daytrotter link. I'm gonna be up all night downloading stuff. Seriously, I've got wood right now.

 

Extremely short notice, but anyone in the Richmond area interested in the Drive-by Truckers, there's a listening party for their upcoming album tonight at Poe's Pub.