What's Goin On

So recently there has been some news on some pretty big-name bands. New tracks have been released and artists have given a taste of what they have to offer fans during live sets. For the most part, so far so good ... with one fairly glaring exception in my opinion. Let me say this in the simplest way possible, U2's latest effort entitled "Get on Your Boots" kind of sucks. Hard. One Stereogum user said it best when they stated that it, "Seems a bit of a mess." I feel like Bono doesn't care anymore. He's phoning everything in. The lyrics are pretty generic and said without any kind of meaning or feeling. The same goes for the rest of the band. Everything from the weak, ordinary guitar intro to the meh "drum solo (?)." Hopefully, "Get on Your Boots" is not a sign of things to come on the band's upcoming album No Line On The Horizon. Click here if you wanna take a listen.

Not too long ago, Mastodon gave their fans a crease in the jeans when they released the album art for their up-coming record, Crack the Skye. If that's not enough for you, then hold your fucking horses. Mastodon also released the first single off the LP, entitled "Divinations." On a side-note, the single also has a badass cover. The track begins with a Deliverance-esque banjo intro and quickly explodes into a torrent of fast guitars, heavy drums, sludgy bass, and a soaring chorus. Translation: Brutal, Brutal Metal. Kind of reminds me of "Capillarian Crest" from Blood Mountain.Overall, this track makes my penis hard, like most, and is an extremely promising cut from the band's new album which drops March 24th. You can check out the album art on the bottom of the post.

Last but far from least, the Arctic Monkeys have been playing some of their new material live lately and responses have been pretty promising. While Homme's influence is not without a trace here, it is certainly not as prominent as many expected. It seems as though Turner and crew have traded in their brattiness for a much darker feel.Me Likey. Turner's vocals are a little more reminiscent of his work with "The Last Shadow Puppets" and the rest of the band, as usual, have come up with some pretty slick, tightly organized music. If you want to hear for yourself click here. The Arctics are currently wrapping up their untitled third album.

News Flash: Gorillaz demos, Fleet Foxes on SNL and more

- Guinness Book of World Records’ Most Successful Virtual Band, Gorillaz, premiered demos from their forthcoming as-of-yet untitled third record on UK’s Radio 1 on Wednesday evening. Mastermind Damon Albarn, who is also currently hard at work on new Blur material, hosted the show and premiered unfinished demos of three songs presumably going to be on the new album in one shape or another. Obviously, these are unfinished versions of songs, but it still provides some excitement and anticipation for LP No. 3. Links to download and stream “Broken,” “Electric Shock,” and “Stylo/Binge” are here, as is the entire setlist that Mr. Albarn played while hijacking the British radio waves. Eagles of Death Metal, Damon? Awesome.

- Their self-titled debut was named the best of 2008 by influential music websites Pitchfork and Stereogum, and now they will be harmonizing softly on live television. Seattle’s very own Fleet Foxes are to perform “Blue Ridge Mountains” (from the aforementioned eponymous LP) and “Mykonos” (from their Sun Giant EP, also released in 2008) on the upcoming January 17 episode of Saturday Night Live. The episode will be hosted by Rosario Dawson, who will be promoting her new, apparently subpar film Seven Pounds, which also features Big Willie. I guess Seattle ain’t known just for that grunge stuff anymore.

- Fledgling Capitol Records plan on milking former labelmates Radiohead for what their worth by re-releasing their first three albums (Pablo Honey, The Bends and OK Computer) as expanded, 2xCD collector’s editions. The bonus discs will sport all of the B-sides and live tracks that correspond to the singles, EPs and BBC Radio 1 sessions released in conjunction with these albums. In addition, DVDs will be bundled to make Special Collector’s Editions, which will feature music videos and live performances. While it is certainly easy to say “unnecessary,” some of the material on the bonus disc is rare and will now be properly re-released in a convenient manner. Die-hard fans need not bother, since all of the songs are out there in one form or another. Here is the laborious track listing. The re-issues are due out March 24.

- Previously mentioned as one of Andrew’s most anticipated albums of 2009, U2’s twelfth studio album, No Line on the Horizon, finally has some artwork and tracks to go along with the album name.

The album cover is pretty cool, minimalistic yet purposeful, and done by Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto. The track listing is below. Try to think of what each song might sound like based solely on the title:
1. "No Line on the Horizon"
2. "Magnificent"
3. "Moment of Surrender"
4. "Unknown Caller"
5. "I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”
6. “Get On Your Boots”
7. "Stand Up Comedy"
8. "Fez – Being Born"
9. "White as Snow"
10. "Breathe"
11. "Cedars of Lebanon"
“Get On Your Boots” will be the first single, available for download on February 15. No Line on the Horizon, meanwhile, will hit stores in about a hundred different variations on March 3 in the U.S.

- Once-respected, heavily influential metal gods Metallica and equally influential hip-hop group Run D.M.C. headline the latest candidates inducted into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame for the Class of ’09. Run D.M.C. are just the second hip-hop group to gain entrance into the prestigious institution, the first being Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five back in 2006. Meanwhile, as two deserving groups make it into the Hall of Fame, many other deserving groups are snubbed. The ceremony will be on VH1 on April 4.

Special: Andrew's Most Anticipated Albums of 2009

When all the cool kids (read: everyone else on this blog) jump off a bridge, you sure as hell better be running right after them to launch yourself off a convenient piece of architecture. In the same vein, I'm following suit with a 2009 list of what I'm kinda hyped for.

Working On a Dream- Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band January 27, 2009
This is an important album for the house-rockin' pants-droppin' E Street Band. With the sad passing of keyboardist Danny Federici (who will appear posthumously on some of the tracks), they have to decide if they can still make music that inspires generations like the songs on and Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town. Tepid offerings like the title track won't cut it-- but if more tracks are like "The Wrestler," I hope the Boss is making tunes for years to come. "Outlaw Pete" is supposedly an eight-minute cut, so there might be some hope for greatness. They just have to realize that making the guitars the only audible part of the mix isn't good for a band with Clarence fucking Clemons in it.



No Line on the Horizon- U2 March 3, 2009
Another potentially career-determining album. U2's last effort a stellar exercise in mediocrity; a lack of hooks and a lot of hamfisted humanitarian metaphor/imagery combined with general buffoonery ("Vertigo") makes it seem like U2 lost the edge they had on albums like War, The Joshua Tree, and Achtung Baby. Producers and mixers are all hailing the work as one of U2's best, most innovative works; Bono is being probably as misleading or vague as possible, citing "trance" and "metal" influences. I'm sort of hoping this album combines the previous album's stellar production value with some better songwriting. Who knows, maybe they're reworking Blood Mountain as a dubstep album.


Circa Survive's Third Studio LP- Circa Survive TBA
On Letting Go was one of my favorite albums of 2007. Circa Survive had sort of ditched the depressing emo atmospheres of their initial effort, Juturna, and moved on to a land of spring sunlight and new discovery. If they can continue making songs like the first eight tracks on On Letting Go, I'll be extremely happy.

Random aside: holy shit, the new Taking Back Sunday single blows.

That's actually kind of it. Saosin is recording a new album, but if The Grey EP is any indication, it will suck and not be nearly as good a trip through semi-technical pop-metal as their first LP. The new songs aren't inventive and it's impossible to say that Cove Reber has a good voice when he's essentially using AutoTune under all that voice production. I think Gary put down The Blueprint 3, which will probably be awesome. Don't count out The Hold Steady-- they've done a hat trick of albums in as many years. Coheed & Cambria might be due for something new: Equal Vision will have a good year regardless.


Best of 2008 List With Little or No Explanation
1. Phantom on the Horizon (The Fall of Troy)- The best fusion of Mars Volta-abstract algebra time signatures, terse and tense vocal delivery that would make the Blood Brothers proud, and straight up technical shredding.

2. The '59 Sound (The Gaslight Anthem)- Bruce Springsteen will never die; this band has masterfully captured the sense of yearning, sexual frustration, and caustic-summer stories that permeate Springsteen's better albums.

3. Only By the Night (Kings of Leon)- Kings of Leon ascend to new and interesting heights, incorporating some atmospherics along the lines of Joshua Tree and write soul-wrenching ballads like "Cold Desert." Keep on truckin'.

4. Stay Positive (The Hold Steady)- No, really, Bruce Springsteen will never die. A lot of songs aren't great on this album, but a lot of songs are also transcendentally amazing (see guitar solo in "Lord I'm Discouraged). Some songs, they get so scratched into our souls.

5. Fortress (Protest the Hero)- A bloody, frenzied masterpiece of technical metal from guys who write songs that are initially too difficult to play, so they must hone their game to get into the studio. A brilliant marriage of near-operatic emotions in clean vocals with more guttural screams and more math in song structures than you'd find in a differential equations textbook.