Sell the Lie

Now that Stu's back from Japan, I figure we should share some good ol' fashioned rawk 'n roll.  Because, you know, rawk is big in Japan.  They pay big for rawk, like 1,000,000 yen big.  Gotta admire that.

Not many (modern) bands personify rawk as well as Jet.  Sure, they've fallen off from Get Born, but who hasn't?  God knows I have.  If you listen to the radio you've probably heard their new single, She's a Genius.  I'm not sure it's up to Cold Hard Bitch standards - not enough "YEEEEAAAHHH"s for me (only 1), but it seems to find a nice common ground between the pop they do with that iPod song and the rawk they choose to bring from time to time.  It's worth a listen.

[mp3] She's a Genius

Shaka Rock is out 8/25.  Pre-order it here.

Visit them online:  Official | Myspace

Buy their music:  Amazon | iTunes 

I have returned!  My two weeks in Japan were the longest two weeks of my life.  I know that phrase is normally used negatively, but I meant it in a good way.  I saw things I never knew existed, and met people I had only vaguely heard about.  It's a completely different culture, and was an eye-opening experience to say the least. 

For those who are curious, this is the five-storied pagoda at the Toji Temple in Kyoto.  It is the tallest pagoda in Japan, measuring in at 187 feet, and it is over 350 years old.  I have always been somewhat fascinated by pagodas, so I was thrilled that I got to see this most famous of all pagodas.

I hope to travel to Japan again someday, but for now I'll enjoy sleeping in my own bed and listening to some of the excellent tunes I mistakenly left behind.

[mp3] Collective Soul - Over Tokyo

Buy some Collective Soul: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

 Our Lady Peace has treated us with the first look at their new "back to basics" album, Burn Burn.  I don't really consider myself a big OLP fan, but I DO consider myself a conoussier of 90's rock.  As such, I end up listening to my fair share of these guys.

It's unclear to me when the guys went away from their original sound, but they're claiming they did, so I suppose this is a return to form?  I just wasn't aware the form had changed.  I suppose they're bringing back the ol' creepy guy on the cover schtick though, so I guess that's the form.  

Musically, it's still good form though, better than their last album for sure.

[mp3] All You Did Was Save My Life

Burn Burn hits stores July 21st.  Pre-order it here.

Visit Our Lady Peace:  Official | Myspace

Buy their music:  Amazon | iTunes

Pete's fourth album Back and Fourth is currently available only on iTunes.  For those of you who haven't picked it up yet, do yourself a favor and take the time to click the 5 times or so you'll need to download it.  Plus, if you get the new album from iTunes you get 2 bonus tracks - including a re-recorded (and quite lovely) version of Rooftop.  

This one's worth every penny - I'd say it's his best work since musicforthemorningafter.  

Anyways, here's my song of the summer, courtesy of Pete - enjoy:

[mp3] Close

Back and Fourth will be available everywhere else June 23rd.

Get the new album on  iTunes

Visit Pete online:  Official | Myspace

 If there's one thing we can all agree on here, it's that Ninja's are awesome.  Not just awesome as in "sweet!" but awesome as in awe-inspiring.  We should also be in agreeance that Ninja's periodically wipe the floor with Pirate-ass, but that seems to be a touchy point for some Pirate-loving losers.  So be it.  Ninja's still kick ass beyond the common man's basic level of understanding.

With all this Pirate ass-kicking, what could be better than a free Ninja?  Nothing.

I'm assuming this is why Trent was clever enough to title his tour EP with Jane's Addiction as the Ninja EP.  Who wouldn't want a free Ninja EP?  Only a fool would shun a free Ninja.  A dead fool.

Don't make that mistake.

Track list:

1. Jane's Addiction:  Chip Away

2. Nine Inch Nails:  Not So Pretty Now

3. Street Sweeper:  Clap For the Killers

4. Jane's Addiction:  Whores

5. Nine Inch Nails:  Non-Entity

6. Street Sweeper:  The Oath

While it's certainly no greatest hits collection (and I can't say I'm a big fan of Street Sweeper (despite Tom Morello's constant wooing attempts), a free EP of rarities from these bands is certainly worth a click.

Download the free NINJA EP here.

     I've noticed a vast disparity in the range of reactions to Scarlett Johansson's album of Tom Waits covers, Anywhere I Lay My Head.  It's like everyone who hates her for being pretty hated her album, while anyone who wants to kiss her heaped praises upon it.  Reviewers, I'll save you some time with her upcoming collaborative record with Pete Yorn:  Yes, she's pretty.  No, she probably doesn't want to kiss you.

    Now let's start speculating on their relationship!

At least that's what it's seemed like.  Today has been an Iron & Wine filled day.  Funny, because I'm not even a huge fan of the band.  Perhaps after a day like today, though, things will be different.

First off, I finally went out and purchased Around the Well, a collection of rarities and b-sides from the aforementioned Iron & Wine.  "Why buy a b-side/rarity album if you aren't even a big fan?" you ask.  Well...I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure why myself.  I've been wanting to finally give Iron & Wine a fair shake, but I kept finding myself too busy to decide on an album to taste test.  So upon seeing the release of Around the Well this week (and for the scant price of $9.99 at a local mega-store that I don't like to frequent), I decided the time was now, and the CD was this one.  I still feel good about the decision, but we'll see how it goes.

A little while later, I found out that Iron & Wine will be coming to my neck of the woods.  If your neck of the woods happens to be anywhere near my neck of the woods, then this is great news for you as well!  I'll paraphrase for those too lazy to click on links: August 20th at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City as a part of the Twilight Concert Series.  What's still crazy to me about this is that he's coming to play the Twilight Concert Series.  The FREE Twilight Concert Series.  That's just...amazing.  I'm all sorts of excited!

Finally, as if my Iron & Wine fueled day couldn't get any better, I got a tip from the fellows over at Whale in a Cubicle that Iron & Wine has a free set of acoustic demos for download on the webs right now.  The set features 8 acoustic versions of songs from The Shepherd's Dog.  Get it while you can here.  My personal favorite, and really the song that made me pay attention to Iron & Wine in the first place, is available below.  Ha, bet you thought you knew what song it was and were totally wrong, weren't ya?  Yeah, apparently a lot of people went totally bonkers over his "Such Great Heights" cover on the Garden State soundtrack.  I've heard it, it's ok, but it never sparked that awe-inspiring realization that I was listening to something great.  I guess it did so for others, which is cool, but I'll stick with "Boy With A Coin," thank you very much.

[mp3] Iron & Wine - Boy With A Coin (Acoustic)

Buy some Iron & Wine: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

This just in, fresh off the 'free stuff' wire: Coldplay to release free live album, entitled Left Right Left Right Left, via their website beginning May 15th at 9:00 am (London time, of course).  This album will also be freely distributed (physical copies will be handed out!) at all of their remaining live shows for 2009.  Take a look at the tracklisting:

1. Glass of Water
2. 42
3. Clocks
4. Strawberry Swing
5. The Hardest Part/Postcards From Far Away [mp3]
6. Viva La Vida
7. Death Will Never Conquer
8. Fix You
9. Death And All His Friends

Right now it's five minutes to midnight, as they say, so it seemed like a reasonable idea to sit around for a minute or so and see if I could watch their website crash from sheer overload.  It should be a pretty entertaining event.  Just cause I'm that cool, I shall even document the whole travesty right here on this very website:

8:56 am (London time, or LT) = Coldplay.com is still running smooth as silk.  It's only a matter of time now, muahaha!

8:58 am LT = the site is starting to get all slow, my refresh is taking a super long time to go through.

8:59 am LT = uh oh, here it comes, it's stuck in an endless refresh

9:00 am LT = yep, still stuck in the endless refresh, looks like I'm out of luck

9:02 am LT = and there we go, Page Load Error - Network Timeout after 10 seconds!  Woooo!

9:09 am LT = damn, spoke too soon, the website loaded and I even have a link for this thing: Left Right Left Right Left

9:11 am LT = link won't work for me yet (time's out), but I did get the news story to load on Coldplay.com about this.  It looks like this free album will only be available from Coldplay.com until they play their final show for 2009.  That means you best get to downloading!

9:15 am LT = ok, I'm not a patient man, so I'm giving up for now and getting some sleep.  A track may or may not be uploaded from this album later today (I'm very committed, as you can tell).

Download Left Right Left Right Left here.

[EDIT]: fixed the links for the album download and added [mp3] The Hardest Part/Postcards From Far Away

Buy some Coldplay: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

My deepest thanks to Absolute Punk for their delightful Free Music Fridays.  I've been in something of a musical rut, and some free indie rock was just what I needed to pull me out.  The whole album, Electric Education, is available for free at their website.  And if you're in New York, you actually missed your last chance to see them until August, but you should certainly check them out when their lives shows start again.

[mp3] The Motorcycle Industry - Lesson One

It's really a wonder to me that (as far as I know), no other band has named themselves "Fun".  Seriously, how does that work?  Everybody loves fun, right?  Why no band named fun then?  I suppose that will have to remain one of the many unanswered questions in the world.

Back to the band now...

Who is Fun?  You could call them a supergroup, I suppose.  The band is composed of Nate Ruess (of The Format), Jack Antonoff (of Steel Train) and Andrew Dost (of Anathallo).  That's a pretty super-fantastic congregation of indie-styled rockers.

The music fits the name well enough - poppy and happy, I could listen to it whilst skipping through a meadow. 

You can take a listen yourself over at their Myspace, and download their single, "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)" for free by joining their mailing list.

Their debut album Aim & Ignite is set for a release later this year.  They are currently on tour with Manchester Orchestra and The Audrye Sessions.  They'll be stopping in Salt Lake (for those of you local(ish) readers) on May 13th.  Be there.

Click here to join their mailing list and receive a free download of "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)".

Visit them on Myspace.