audio by year 2009

After what seemed like an eternity between Blender and Youth, Collective Soul have been putting out albums on a very regular basis.  It appears we'll have their latest album - another self-titled - on August 25th.  

Two songs are already up for download on iTunes and Amazon, the light and breezy "Staring Down" and the rip-roarin' "Welcome All Again".  I prefer the latter, which is quite reminiscent of "Where the River Flows".  Who wouldn't want more of that?

You can pre-order the album here.  You can also purchase the two singles:

Staring Down:  iTunes | Amazon

Welcome All Again:  iTunes | Amazon

FYI, it's cheaper on Amazon.

Here's a full track list:

1.  Welcome All Again

2.  Fuzzy

3.  Dig

4.  You

5.  My Days

6.  Understanding

7.  Staring Down

8.  She Does

9.  Lighten Up

10.  Love

11.  Hymn For My Father

Oh, and yes - I realize the album art is lame.  Can't win 'em all.

Buy their music:  Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online:  Official | Myspace

 Not much gets me more excited than a new Black Lab album.  Unfortunately, this isn't a new Black Lab album.  Stray Palace - the new side-project from Black Lab's Paul Durham - is the next best thing.

Now, I could ramble on for days about the greatness of Black Lab and they're massively underrated Your Body Above Me and See the Sun, but that's a post for another day.  For now, settle back and enjoy Stray Palace.

I suppose I misled a bit by saying we have an album on our hands here.  The Stray Palace EP is, in fact, just an EP.  Six songs of Paul Durham's majestic songwriting, with a bit more electronica and funk than you'll normally see on a Black Lab record.  While Electronica isn't normally my thing, Paul has always seemed to be able to pull of the electronica elements with rock to make some pretty stellar sounds.

Take the attached "Hungry" - it's not quite something you'd normally see on a Black Lab record.  It brings the funk, and demands that you shake it.  I suggest you oblige.  This is a roll your windows down and pump it to 11 song.  Crank it & love it.  Thank me later.

Download the EP:  Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online:  Official | Myspace

Black Lab:  Official | Myspace

A common dilemma for bloggers is the decision of whether or not to blog about their own musician friends.  It's only a matter of time before a friend wants, or even expects a blog entry on them.  Being in bands myself over the years, this can cause some serious conflict of interest.

In today's case though, Libbie's music can speak for itself - I'm only trying to point you towards it since it's oftentimes hard to find a voice screaming from the top of it's lungs out in Logan, Utah.

I remember the first time I heard Libbie play live - my old band actually did her a "favor" since our lead singer's brother was dating (and is now married to) Libbie.  He'd taken an interest in her music and decided to let her open up for us at one of our shows.  The initial shock of hearing her voice still carries over to this day - live or through her new album.  

After she played the small handful of songs she'd written at that point, she silently walked off the stage just as quickly and quietly as she came up.  I thought to myself, "Man, if anything, we should be opening for her".  The other guys laughed.  Notice I've been saying "the old band".  Libbie's still playing to crowds well over the size we used to play.

Libbie's music often sparks comparisons to Iron & Wine.  It feels like early Decemberists work to me.  Her voice seems so gentle at times, then shocks you with it's voracity right when it's needed.  Her lyrics are quite enigmatic to say the least.  The sparse instrumentation you'll hear is very effective in focusing things on the most important element here - Libbie's voice. While I say "sparse" I don't mean "just acoustic guitar".  You'll hear some strings, some banjo, a harmonica etc. - but it's all quite subtle.  All of it is set in place to feature the story Libbie is laying out in front of us.

Bird Wings in the Bleak, Libbie's debut album, is one that's best served up with a nice pair of studio headphones and no one else around.  Think old school, like listening to a vinyl - ya know, how music is supposed to be?

I'd even recommend pulling up the lyrics page of her site to follow along since I'm doubting many of you will be able to catch a show in Utah to pick up a physical CD.  You can check out her wordplay here.

If any of you readers live in Utah, be sure to take the time to see Libbie perform live.  She plays all throughout northern Utah, here are the dates she currently has set:

July 25th - Urban Lounge, SLC UT

August 4th - Tahitian Noni Gardens, Provo UT

August 5th - The Listening Rom, SLC UT

August 6th - Why Sound, Logan UT

Check her myspace for the most current dates.

Take a listen and above and download below.  This is what it's all about, folks.

Buy her music:  Amazon | iTunes

Visit Libbie online:  Official | Myspace

Take two parts Say Anything, add two parts Saves the Day, rock vigorously, and apply generously to ears.  Thusly, I can only assume, was the band Two Tongues born.  Max and Coby from Say Anything have teamed up with Chris and Dave from Saves the Day to form a group that meshes exceptionally well.

There are some great tracks on this self-titled debut.  We start things off with "Crawl," a raucous little opening track that starts with a Kraig-approved (possibly) "YEAH!" and features a Max Bemis signature move: what can perhaps most accurately be described as a melodic retch.  "If I Could Make You Do Things" broods its way to a crescendo, going from clean guitars and subdued vocals to pounding drums, a catchy chorus, and a Jack-White-ish squealing guitar break.

Sherri DuPree from Eisley provides a gorgeous aside from the rocking on "Interlude," before the band heads into what is my favorite song on the album, "Tremors."  The rest of the song is beautiful, but the middle eight is melodic and multi-layered and excellent.

There are truly great moments on the record.  "Wowee Zowee," "Come On," and especially "Even If You Don't" are excellent tracks, whether it's strictly a duet or one singer providing inspired vocal support for the other.

The way the two vocalists trade off can be jarring at times, especially if you prefer one voice to the other, and the decision to alternate lines on some of the more romanitc lyrics is very unique (are they wooing in tandem?  Because that's a bold move, gentlemen).  But basically if you have interest in Saves the Day, Say Anything, or two great vocalists and some good rock you should check out Two Tongues.

Here at Sell the Lie, we've never been hesitant to take the oft-controversial position of enjoying the musical stylings of Conor Oberst, M. Ward, or My Morning Jacket.  So when I caught wind of the newly formed supergroup Monsters of Folk, which features Oberst, Ward, Jim James (from My Morning Jacket), and Mike Mogis (from Oberst's band Bright Eyes), I knew it was my responsibilty to spread the word.

The self-titled album (produced by the multi-talented Mogis) is out September 22nd, and if "Say Please" is any indication, it should be a loose and raw assortment of folk rock with sweet vocal harmonies that sound more like a late night jam session than a tightly produced multi-take recording, and this is a good thing.  "Say Please" is short and simply arranged, but definitely worth a listen.

I decided it was finally time to see what all the fuss behind this Grizzle Bear band was about.  So I hit the Hype Machine with my search term, "Grizzly Bear," and began to listen.  In a short amount of time, I realized that I had listened to many, many songs, no two of which were alike.  I thought these guys only had a few albums, so I pulled up the track listing for their most recent release, Veckatimest.  I went through the list and started ticking off songs: "Southern Point, yep...Two Weeks, definitely...All We Ask, oh sure..." etc.  Turns out I'd heard every track from that album. 

A Whaa?!  Every track?! Find that hard to believe?  You and I both, buddy.  I decided to go back through and see if I could re-create the craziness.  Turns out yes, yes I can:

Veckatimest

1. Southern Point - from Sell the Lie
2. Two Weeks - from Tsururadio
3. All We Ask - from Stereopathic
4. Fine For Now - from Tympanogram
5. Cheerleader - from Rawkblog
6. Dory - from You Are The Music
7. Ready, Able - from The OMCD
8. About Face - from AudioMuffin
9. Hold Still - from Knox Road
10. While You Wait For The Others - from The Tape Is Not Sticky
11. I Live With You - from Pop Tarts Suck Toasted
12. Foreground - from Seattle Subsonic

And the strange thing is: I'm not so sure that this is a good thing.  Many people (myself included) will not be motivated to go out and purchase an album that they can hear (and download) in its entirety for free.  I could go buy it to "support the artist," as many music blogs tell me to do, but rarely is it that I buy an album just to support the artist.  Album buying has more to do with wanting the music and less to do with loving on the artist.  Could more trends like this spell the end for music blogs?  It's possible.  I hope not though; I dread a future filled with endless links to YouTube videos!  But we'll just have to wait and see.

Buy some Grizzle Bear: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

My infatuation with Muse has tapered off a bit since the release of Black Holes and Revelations (let's face it, it couldn't hold a candle to Absolution), but I still can't help myself when news of new music from the boys heads my way.  We may not have another Absolution (or as some say, another The Bends:  Part II), but they still piece together some phenomenal instrumentation.

The latest from Muse is titled United States of Eurasia, the first single from the forthcoming The Resistance.  It's the usual conspiracy/apocalyptic lyrics, but I dig Queenesque vocal melodies.  You don't hear much of that these days.  Check it out.

The Resistance is out 9/14.  Pre-order here.

Visit Muse online:  Official | Myspace

Get their music:  Amazon | iTunes

 Mason has been toying with us for years.  Personally, I don't really like being toyed with.  It's about damn time he plugged it in with a decent stomp box.  It's time to rock, and not with those pussy acoustic distortion pedals with all the feedback.  I'm talking real rock, kids.

The Field is the first single form Mason's soon-to-be-released Blood of Man (9/15).  If this is any indication as to where we're heading, sign me up!  This isn't as rockin' as say...The Mountain, but it's a fantastic step up from In the Ever.

I mean, I guess I get a little too excited when it comes to rock sometimes, but this isn't just about rockin' and rollin'.  Mason brings along his classic and powerful lyric writing here as well.  The bridge will move you, guaransheed.

Blood of Man is out 9/15.  No pre-order links yet.

Visit Mason online:  Official | Myspace

Get his music:  Amazon | iTunes

For those of you who missed it, Pearl Jam had a little easter egg hunt last week.  An assortment of album art for the forthcoming Backspacer was spread across the web for fans to find.  The prize - a demo of Speed of Sound, which will appear (thought not this version) on the album.

I like what I hear, but if you didn't dig Eddie's Into the Wild soundtrack you may not be a fan.  I'm looking forward to the full band version.

Backspacer is out 9/15.

Buy their music:  Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online:  Official | Myspace

Black Lab is that classic tragedy of the music industry: 

Band makes brilliant album.

Label doesn't push said album.

Band goes to record second album.

Label gets bought by bigger label.

Bigger label drops band and prohibits the release of already recorded material.

Band breaks up.

I have a special place in my heart with bands who went through all this nonsense, but Black Lab reigns supreme even amongst all the Dishwallas and Semisonics.  Their quashed dream seemed a bit more harrowing than their contemporaries.  That and Your Body Above Me was just flat-out genius - a true masterpiece of the '90s.

The time between Your Body Above Me and See the Sun was excruciating.  The boys moved between websites, switched labels, leaked demos and eventually wound up going indie (with only lead singer Paul Durham surviving the whole mess).  Only the most devoted of fans could keep up with the whole mess.  To this day, despite the frustrations I'm thankful I stuck with them.  Ultimately I was rewarded with the brilliance of See the Sun.

Enter Give us Sugar.  With their latest release, Paul and co. have one-upped the previous expectations, hopes and dreams of the Black Lab faithful by releasing not 1, but 2 CDs worth of re-mastered demos, b-sides and soundtrack songs encapsulating (mainly) the band's time between recording their first and second albums.  All the demos that were leaked in really crappy MP3s 10 years ago now are ready for download in WAV format - full CD quality.  Never thought I'd see the day.

I won't stand here and pretend they've delivered 32 tracks of pure bliss.  This is essentially a b-sides album, and b-sides are hit and miss.  That's why they're b-sides folks.  That being said, Lost Dogs from Pearl Jam was one hell of a b-sides album.  Give Us Sugar falls more along those lines than say Pisces Iscariot.  It's more hit than miss.  At just $15 it's quite a deal for 32 tracks.  Take a listen to Like I Used To for a taste of what's in store.

Check here for a full track listing, lyrics, stories behind the songs or to order Give Us Sugar.

Buy their music:  Official | Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online:  Official | Myspace 

 Well, I think it's time to get that damn picture of Train off the top of the page.  Blogging time has been limited lately, but I'm hoping that I'll have some consistent posts for all of you a few times a week going forward.

First up, Smashing Pumpkins news.  I'm sure most of you are scratching your heads at this - after all, Zeitgeist pretty much sucked.  And by pretty much sucked, I mean it was quite possibly the worst musical disappointment I'd had in the past 5 years.  The Pumpkins were always one of my favorites - always a bit more "out there" then the other 90's acts that I got first heard in my early "enlightenment era".  Things have certainly gone south since Melon Collie, but I'd still been holding out until I listened to Zeitgeist.  That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I'd heard some rumors about Jimmy quitting and Billy hiring a 19 year old drummer to keep on keepin' on.  This news didn't do much to encourage me to follow Billy anymore.

After shutting ignoring the Pumpkins for a few months I started hearing that not only was there new material, but it was actually good.  Shocking, I know.

It seems that Billy is starting up a new project - the 44 track Teagarden by Kaleidyscope.  When will it be done?  No one knows.  But Billy is releasing it for free, one track at a time.  Two tracks are up so far over at smashingpumpkins.com, freely available to download as many times as you'd like.  I've put a stream up of "Song for a Son", may favorite of the two here so you can take a gander before clicking away.  I'll do my best to keep you updated as more tracks become available.

[MP3]  A Song for a Son (via smashingpumpkins.com)

[MP3] Widow Wake My Mind (via smashingpumpkins.com)

Get their music:  Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online:  Official | Myspace

It's been nigh a year since I first posted about The Motorcycle Industry, and this new EP brings even more of the slacker-voiced punk band.

Name dropping The Knitting Factory, super fuzzed-out synthesizers, summer beards, and pretending to like hip-hop are just some of the high points of the 4-song EP.  At times reminiscent of Fountains of Wayne, Stereophonics, or Say Anything, this is some good-times rock to get you through until summer.

Try this track on for size, it's called "Paul Newman and A Ride Home."