Adam “MCA” Yauch: 1964 – 2012

I’ve spent the past few days attempting to make sense of Adam “MCA” Yauch’s passing, but it all still feels strange and random.  Sort of like MCA and the rest of the Beastie Boys: You could never fit them into just one box.  Were they rock?  Were they hip-hop?  Were they pioneers or were they musical Philistines?  Perhaps at one time in their career the Beasties, MCA included, were all of the above.  You can read about those trials and tribulations elsewhere, in bigger magazines and more pretentious blogs.

I’d just like to talk about what MCA meant to me.

The first time I heard the Beastie Boys was in 2001.  A classmate in my second period Spanish class burned me a copy of Licensed To Ill, assuring me that I was going to love the album.  He didn't need to sell it that hard, an album like Licensed To Ill sells itself.  I still have that CD, mainly because these were the days of Roxio, and my classmate made the mistake of burning the songs in the wrong order.  It was too weird to throw away.  In effect, my first taste of the Beastie’s brashness came backasswards, starting with “Brass Monkey” and ending with “Time To Get Ill.”  I can’t remember the exact context in which I received the CD, but I know that I played the hell out of it in high school, out of order and everything.

Call it the new style if you’d like.

MCA came into my life at a time when I needed a new style.  High school was a strange, foreign place.  I didn’t party.  I knew nothing about hip-hop.  I knew even less about girls.  Perhaps thankfully, him and the Beasties didn’t teach me about ANY of those things.  However, Licensed To Ill was/is liberating, suggestive of an attitude that you can take the world hostage with.  There was a confidence to that album, and a charisma with which MCA’s cracked flow scraped against his nasally counterparts, warped record scratches, and Led Zeppelin samples.  Maybe it’s a cliché now, but MCA fought for that, for the chance to go against the grain, for the right to party while the whole world freaked out.  At a time where the hyper militant N.W.A. and Public Enemy raised their fists high, MCA seemed to be raising his craft even higher.

This made more sense as I explored the rest of the Beastie catalog.  From Paul’s Boutique…To The 5 Boroughs, I quickly realized that the Beasties and MCA were never content in towing the line.  They compulsively took their music places that were too splashy, too showy, and too funny for other hip-hop artists to feel comfortable with.  That’s courage.  While other rappers ached to live up to Snoop and Dre, the Beasties focused on weaving jazz, hardcore punk, and hard hitting 808s from the 80s into something completely different.  They had robots in their videos.  Lasers.  Dalliances with Sasquatch.  Moustaches.  Everything that was off limits to “serious” rappers, the Beasties reveled in like no other.

For a pessimist like me, that’s a whole lot of optimism.

At center of that optimism was MCA.  Maybe it’s a little late to say he was my favorite of the three, but it’s the truth.  He had a seasoned smoothness to him that was unmatched.  Of the three Beastie Boys, he rocked the most nimble flow, whether he was rapping about artisan cheeses or Klingons.  Not only that, but the biggest surprise is that he got BETTER as he got older.  In 2009, MCA rocked moccasins on Jimmy Fallon, doling out rhymes that would make people like 50 Cent hang up their tank tops in shame.  “Sucker MCs…” he’d call them.  To hear MCA was to hear a master a work, someone who had first class style and finesse, a presence that commanded attention without ever making it about his ego.  MCA’s rhymes always came from a place of honesty, and in the midst of the zany Beastie adventures he found himself in the middle of, he always had time to keep things real.  In fact, MCA dropped my favorite Beastie couplet on “Sure Shot:”

“I want to say a little something that's long overdue/The disrespect to women has got to be through/To all the mothers and sisters and the wives and friends/I want to offer my love and respect to the end…”

I don’t know another rapper out there who has displayed that kind of solidarity.

If albums like Licensed To Ill rhymed the rebel rhyme well, LPs like the rag & bone soup of Ill Communication and the bassed-out blitz of Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 were made to bring people closer, continuing to democratize a genre of music that was never meant to be exclusive.  Maybe that’s the thing that will stick with me most about MCA.  Where other rappers have become increasingly entitled as they’ve aged, MCA and the Beasties never did.  They understood that hip-hop is only as good as the hodgepodge of sounds you’re working with, and only if it casts a net to reach everyone within ear shot.  The idea surrounding hip-hop has always been to bring people together, whether it was on a block party or at a huge concert.  I owe a lot to MCA, some of my closest friendships, my sense of humor, and certainly my strangeness.  Though my chance to see the Beasties fell through at Outside Lands a couple years back, I imagine those that got to see them first hand felt that more than anything else.  Wackiness aside, MCA’s life seemed to be about leaving that kind of impact on people, and I can’t thank him enough for what he’s given me.

Wherever you are MCA, I hope you’re having dope times dropping ill rhymes.

Most Anticipated Albums Of '12

The rumors of my submission to the treacherous second semester of law school are...sort of spot on, actually.  However, that doesn't mean I've thrown the headphones out with the bathwater, especially since we've got such a great year of music ahead of us.  In between no sleep and less sleep, I was able to settle on a list of my most anticipated records for 2012.  Much like last year, my good friend Matt over at The Sight Of Sound has contributed his picks as well, mostly so we could form a Voltron-style super list for you, the loyal reader.

If that piques your interest, you should probably take a gander below...

Matt & Mike's Shared Picks

Green Day- “TBA” (Summer 2012)

Matt: Whether you like the Ramones-style punk of earlier Green Day work or the Queen-style punk (yes, I’m going to say that’s a valid description) of the recent albums, here is one thing to consider - you don’t have to choose between the two. Not much is known about Green Day’s ninth studio album, but I could be happy with it being a call to the Dookie days or a continuation of the storytelling found on American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown. Or a combination of the two. Just give me some new music from this band and I will be happy.

Mike: Something interesting is brewing in the world of Green Day, something they can’t quite contain due to sheer excitement.  After holding several secret club shows last fall, it’s evident that the Bay Area natives are sitting on an explosive stockpile of new material.  Of the 15 new cuts they debuted live, there are brash bar burners like the stutter-stop punch of “Carpe Diem” and sweet, acoustic picked ballads like “Amy.”  Rumors are swirling that the yet to be titled album will be reminiscent of nimrod. or Warning:, but what ever it sounds like, you know that the group’s signature energy and snide sense of humor will remain firmly intact.

Muse- “TBA” (Fall 2012)

Matt: With the expected release date to be sometime late in the year, there is a chance that new material from Muse could be pushed back to 2013. I’m going to still hold out hope that we get it before the world ends. Reports have stated that the material will be something “radically different” and a change of pace is always good. Personally, I think Muse is at their best when they go for a sound that employs the best of their instrumental work (“Knights of Cydonia,” “Time is Running Out”) so my hope is that it at least stays in that direction. But the success of The Resistance shows that the piano-heavy tracks can be a factor too. I expect big things out of this band.

Mike: Though The Resistance was a bit of a grower, Muse have promised fans that their latest musical concoction will be “radically different” than anything they’ve done before.  Does that mean more face melting solos?  Heavier synthesizers?  Symphonic art-rock?  Probably all of the above.  Boasting the tightest rhythm sections in modern music with Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme, and one of the most recognizable falsettos in Matt Bellamy, Muse sound like they have their sights sets well beyond the Milky Way.  Expect it to be brash, expect it to be bold, and expect it to bee 100% Muse.

Silversun Pickups- “TBA” (Spring 2012)

Matt: Silversun Pickups have been the dark horse in the alternative scene for a few years now, mainly because their sound is one that you can’t really pinpoint. At times it can be played alongside the heaviest Manchester Orchestra songs and at times alongside the slowest Death Cab for Cutie songs. Using those two bands as comparisons, you can sense my excitement when it was posted that 3 (as it has become unofficially called) was to be “darker.” I’m not sure what this means, or if it was a joke among the band, but I can tell you that I am salivating for this spring release after still giving Swoon some heavy rotation.

Mike: Quaintly dubbing their new material 3 via Twitter, the Silversun Pickups seem to be hard at work on the follow-up to their massively successful sophomore album, Swoon. While their last effort incorporated a fuller, thicker wall of sound, and some dramatic strings as accents, it’s still unclear what sonic direction this new material will take.  Though the group dropped a glacial and fuzzy 7” a couple weeks ago, those tracks were outtakes from previous recording sessions, rather than a teaser of things to come.  In the end, we’ll simply have to keep an ear on the Pickups.  Odds are, there will be plenty to swoon over come spring. 

Matt's Picks

Mumford & Sons- “TBA” (Spring/Summer 2012): A friend of mine once told me that you can’t really call an artist one of your “favorites” until they put out a second album. Until then, you are just a fan of that debut record. And believe me, I was a HUGE fan of Sigh No More, the debut release from Mumford & Sons. In fact, it was the album that introduced me to the folk genre and allowed me to explore other acts. What this new album brings will be the turning point in whether Sigh... was just a fantastic collection of songs or if M&S is a band that is here to stay. If “Ghosts” is any indication, I may just have a new band to call my one of my favorites.

Neon Trees- “Picture Show” (Mar. 27):  I have been itching for new material from this group since 2010's Habits, mainly because the debut album was nothing more than a glorified E.P. Eight tracks clocked in at around 30 minutes that left me wanting more when it was over, especially "In The Next Room" and the smash single "Animal." The Christmas song "Wish List" and the newest single "Everybody Talks" show that the band isn't aiming to change much, which is a good thing. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

Paramore- “TBA” (Spring/Summer 2012): Four songs have been released since Paramore went through a lineup shakeup that essentially changed nothing: Hayley Williams is still the focus of the band. And her voice carries with the modified sound on released singles such as "Hello Cold World" and "Renegade" as well as "Monster" from the latest Transformers movie. I don't think these will be on Paramore's newest release, but if the new material sounds like those tracks then count me in as a supporter.

Honorable Mention

All American Rejects- “Kids In The Street” (Mar. 27): AAR have been a bit all over the place in the near decade since their self-titled album. Along with Fall Out Boy, there are one of the few bands that has strayed into pop that I have actually stuck with. If the new album is anything like “Someday’s Gone,” I’m definitely in.

Linkin Park- “TBA” (Unknown): Talk about a band that has refused to stay in one genre over the
years. I initially hated 2010’s A Thousand Suns but grew to appreciate it. I have no idea what the new material is going to sound like and for that reason alone I’m intrigued.

No Doubt- “TBA” (Unknown): Will they or won’t they? This reunited album has been in the works for a couple years now but the stars are seeming to align and indicate that something will happen from Gwen Stefani and company in 2012. I sure hope so.

Pierce The Veil- “TBA” (Unknown): PTV is a band I fell in love with after seeing them live at a time when I had no idea who they were. They've continued to blow me away at shows, and I'm honestly looking forward to their third album so I have new songs to go crazy to at a future Warped Tour.

Mike's Picks

Bloc Party- “TBA” (Summer 2012): After quieting the rumor mills revved up over front man Kele Okereke’s supposed exit, Bloc Party confirmed their studio efforts to create new music for this year.  Whether it borrows from the spiky energy of Silent Alarm or the heavy electronic stomp of Intimacy, the silence surrounding what kinds of sounds they’re exploring is simply tantalizing.  No one knows what Bloc Party is going to sound like in 2012, and that might just be the most exciting part.

Garbage- “Not Your Kind Of People” (May 14): Though Butch Vig has been busy producing everyone from the Foo Fighters to Green Day since Garbage’s 2005 effort Bleed Like Me, it’s exciting to see him back in action with Shirley Mason and the rest of the Garbage crew.  Not only that, but their reunion seems fruitful.  Vig and Manson and described Not Your Kind Of People as extremely noisy and abrasive, while channeling their energy of their self-titled debut.  With the 90s coming back in force it’s nice to see one of the more dynamic groups from that era still kicking out meaty, attitude drenched jams.

Sleigh Bells- “Reign Of Terror” (Feb. 21):  Guitarist/producer Derek Miller and hipster siren Alexis Krauss have shared similar sentiments regarding the new Sleigh Bells album, namely, that it’ll be BIGGER than their raucous debut.  Reign Of Terror has been billed as a twisting hurricane of Def Leppard guitars, winding arrangements, and machine gun-like beats.  If the dizzying helicopter patter of “Born To Lose” and the blitzkrieg R&B onslaught of “Comeback Kid” are any indication, it’s gonna be an atomic bomb of noise pop.

Honorable Mention

Best Coast- “TBA” (Summer 2012): Bethany Cosentino swears that the new Best Coast record will boast a “mature” sound and concept.  Even if it doesn’t, Jon Brion’s often-pristine production will certainly be an interesting contrast to her typically choppy-surf overtones, and retro fuzz.

Every Time I Die- “Ex-Lives” (Mar. 6): When Keith Buckley isn’t proselytizing about the ills of social media, he continues to contribute grisly vocal performances for the next Every Time I Die record.  Judging by the chainsaw frenzied single “Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space,” Ex-Lives alludes to an effort just as punishing as their past records.

fun.- “Some Nights” (Feb. 21): Aiming to prove something past the sunshiny baroque pop of their debut, fun. is looking to really break through with their sophomore album Some Nights.  Based on the soaring electro-buzz of “We Are Young (Feat. Janelle Monáe),” this proves to be a more sophisticated effort than their debut.

The xx- “TBA” (Summer 2012): “Club music” seems to be the loose/ambiguous influence on The xx’s new record.  It remains to be heard if they can surprise the world via an Achtung Baby style departure, but hopefully The xx won’t lose their signature sense of space and silky bass lines in the process.

2011: A Playlist & Sampler

It's that time of the year again, where bloggers everywhere are starting to dole out End Of The Year lists like PCP-laced candy, detailing their opinions as well as the musical high points of the past 12 months.  In an effort to tide you guys over until mine is released in late December/early January, I decided to compile a little sampler to show you what's stuck with me this past year.  While the following playlist is by no means exhaustive, I feel like it gives a nice snapshot for 2011, and may even function as a great jumping off point for some of these great artists.

Belong- The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

El Paso- Taking Back Sunday

Paradise- Coldplay

I Don't Want Love- The Antlers

You Are A Tourist- Death Cab For Cutie

Ghost On The Dance Floor- blink-182

~ - Touché Amoré

Yonkers- Tyler, The Creator

Cruel- St. Vincent

Immigrant Song (Feat. Karen O)- Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

No Answers- Thursday

Simple Math- Manchester Orchestra

Shell Games- Bright Eyes

Graveyard- Feist

Sugar- The Horrible Crowes

Walking Far From Home- Iron & Wine

Television- Jack's Mannequin

Otis (Feat. Otis Redding)- Jay-Z & Kanye West

Helena Beat- Foster The People

June Hymn- The Decemberists

Six Cold Feet In The Ground- Hugh Laurie

Bonfire- Childish Gambino

Will Do- TV On The Radio

Gold On The Ceiling- The Black Keys

Stutter- Yuck

Give Up The Ghost- Radiohead

Download & Enjoy

And before you ask: Adele is missing because I made it a point to leave her off.  I know this may be an unpopular stance to take since she's a shoe-in for the "Album of the Year" Grammy, but I found 21 to be average at best.  If female singers are your thing, pay careful attention to the St. Vincent track here.  Annie Clark's voice is a light as a feather as it glosses over zippy snyths and some downright nasty, fuzzed-out leads.

Solidarity Through Sound: Kara McGraw

I know you guys haven’t heard from me in a long, LONG time, but this post is going to be about a person far more interesting then I am.

It may surprise you to know that unlike many other blogs on the Internet, I don’t get a ton of fan mail.  I also don’t get much mail worth writing about.  So imagine my surprise a few days ago when sitting in my inbox is an email from someone with a) real passion b) incredible talent and c) an honest story to tell.

Kara McGraw is an artist in the truest sense of the word, one of the many DIYers making their expressions known through the digital marketplace.  While her vibrant piano playing and silky voice will assuredly speak for itself, what really sets McGraw apart is the vision she has for her creations.  In the few emails I’ve exchanged with her, I can tell she’s driven.  Equal parts composer, playwright, and performer, McGraw is currently finishing a full-blown musical, the process of which is chronicled here.  This sort of creative transparency is rare in music today, but it shows that McGraw is interested in more than merely entertaining people.  It’s not enough for her simply to make something; she wants to see it shape the world around her.  In an age where the looming, technicolored claw of Glee has crushed the feeling out of musical theater, it’s refreshing that someone is still operating with real heart, about real issues.

This goes to the main reason McGraw contacted me:  To share awareness about her new Christmas composition “The Chandelier,” a song that explores frailty both in tone and timbre.  But more specifically, McGraw was also writing to let me know that all the proceeds from purchase (before Jan 1, 2012) will go to assist local farmers in Vermont that were hit by Hurricane Irene.  The holiday track is a “name your price” sort of situation, and McGraw has graciously offered a variety of formats (FLAC included for all you audio nerds out there).

In model and in message, I believe that such a gesture (especially around the holidays) is one that other artists could really take to heart, and one that gets at the core of what Kara McGraw is trying to do with her impeccable talents.  If you have a moment, give her Facebook and website a quick visit.  Very few artists out there can make solidarity through sound seem so effortless, to use their art as a catalyst for healing rather than one for pure profit.  If you want to support one that can, look no further than Kara McGraw.

Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday

So while I properly gestate new albums by The Kills, Fleet Foxes, and TV On The Radio (for your reading pleasure, of course), I thought I’d leave you guys with a few things to listen at the end of this EXTREMELY long Wednesday. Here are three new cuts that have really been burning up my iTunes and my iPod as of late. Enjoy!

Death Cab For Cutie- “You Are A Tourist”: Death Cab’s first gem from Codes & Keys is airy, haunting, and lush. I guess even marrying Zooey Deschanel can't cheer up Ben Gibbard.


Foo Fighters- “White Limo”: Though I have a hard time believing Dave Grohl can sustain this type of song throughout a whole album, this is a bar burner for sure.


Taking Back Sunday- “El Paso”: If you needed more proof that TBS was serious, meet “El Paso,” a monstrous cut that falls in between Louder Now’s largeness and early Brand New wit.


ALSO: Matt and Liz asked me to pick my favorite albums of 2011 so far. Check out my contributions on their blogs as well!

Well it’s true that we love one another…

I bought Elephant in high school, at a time in my life where I was just discovering how powerful music could be. Jack and Meg White taught me about the blues, and it was probably one of the greatest lessons of my life. While many people compared them to Led Zeppelin or Jimi Hendrix, I was fairly ignorant to all that hullabaloo. To me, those names seemed archaic, from a distant past that didn’t fit into the iPod generation. Those comparisons seemed boring, and I wasn’t about to waste my time with boring.

Yet The White Stripes were anything but boring.

They were a quirky little duo that was able to balance the old and the new. They illustrated the importance of paying respect to your musical forbearers while paving your own, creative path. It was liberating to hear them play. Meg bashed everything in sight. Jack used feedback like a puppet master, his own dancing marionette. It was visceral. It was loud.

It was flippin’ rock n’ roll.

I played the hell out of Elephant. At 16, if you had asked me to hum every fuzzy riff and over blown squealing solo on that record, I would have delightfully obliged. I could recite every word to the “Little Acorns” monologue, give you my best Jack White impersonation for “Seven Nation Army,” and was convinced that “Ball & Biscuit” was the sexiest song alive. After a while, I began to realize that every song on Elephant was special, each track a painting to a larger masterwork. They were all different, but strangely cohesive. Everything was part of something bigger, and I realized that principle held true for everything Jack White touched.

He meant for Meg and his band to be as earth shattering as they were.

That sly fox.

Though I didn’t realize it initially, The White Stripes broke out at a time where rock n’ roll needed one thing more than anything else: Fun. With radio dominated by misogynistic hip-hop and 80s revival, The White Stripes brought back sleazy, grungy, and melodic song craft. They could be tender, angry, and above all bizarre, but they injected some much-needed joy into an over-serious musical landscape. From the peppermint kitsch, to the spousal/sibling guessing, to their minimalist instrumentation, The White Stripes were about exploring the world with a lust for adventure.

Just the two of them. Jack and Meg. Meg and Jack.

As I got older I ventured further into their red/white wonderland, and I realized that The White Stripes were not only at the heart of what I admired musically, but present in some of my most cherished relationships. I think about how my neighbors hated me for singing “You’re Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)” in the shower, and how funny it was when we actually sat down and talked about it. When I hear “Jolene,” I think of an old ex-girlfriend and the way she’d squish up her face before a body shaking “JO-LEEEENE!” escaped her lips. I think about Andrew, my roommate in college, and how we had memorized “Rag & Bone” just to screw with people at awkward parties. I think about how I included “Well It’s True That We Love One Another” into a One Act I wrote, closing the play with same idea that Jack and Meg put in all of their art.

I think about all these songs, and how Jack and Meg were able to push people towards me with them. Words seem a little inadequate right about now, so all I can say is I’m grateful for what they’ve made, grateful I could partake in it.

In every White Stripes’ album booklet, Jack writes an open letter to his fans. The one for Icky Thump strikes me as his best, not only because it sums up the group’s triumphant career, but also because it’s his most profound:

“I saw an image of someone I once knew today and it made me write down my first impressions. I don’t normally tend to do that. Guess that makes me an impressionist.”

Life is like that. The White Stripes were like that. One big giant impression. We’re all impressionists if you think about it. Life moves too fast for us to recreate and preserve everything and The White Stripes understood that, painting with big broad strokes, blasts of distortion and color. They were both impossible and easy to define, mysterious and straightforward. They were about finding truth in the absurd while balancing the frailty and chaos that seemed to ooze from their lo-fi blues.

I love Jack and Meg White like a little brother.

The words seem corny when I type them out, but that’s only because it took me this long to really put them together. After all, I just have an impression of what they were about. In some ways, maybe that’s all I need.

Most Anticipated Albums Of '11

Part of the fun in anticipating music for the coming year is talking about it with your friends. My friend Matt over at A Rush Of Blog To The Head agrees with me. If half the fun is in expressing what excites you, the other half lies in remembering what you've forgotten about. So, we decided that instead of doing our own separate lists, we'd simply combine them so our readers get the full benefit of our music nerdom. Enjoy!

Matt & Mike's Shared Picks:

blink-182- "TBA" (April/May 2011)
Mike: It’s been over a year since blink-182 teased fans with the prospective single “Up All Night,” complete with Tom DeLonge making Pink Floyd comparisons. That’s all right though, even if the suspense is killing fans who’ve been waiting for new material since 2003. While the fanfare surrounding the group’s reunion/reunion tour seems to have pushed their record to the backburner, that seems to be changing in 2011. Cryptic Tweets from Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker allude to the band actually recording, rather than just yammering on about fun it is to jam together.

Matt: It’s a classic tale of band gets together, makes punk music for the kids, gets a little older and makes music for the older kids, get wildy successful and then inevitably break up and form two decent bands in their own right, have one member survive a fatal plane crash that brings them all together again, decides to go on tour and think “hey, this could work” and end up teasing a new album for nearly two years. Ok, maybe it’s not such a classic tale, but it’s nearly a sure bet that new blink music will come out in 2011. Personally, I’m happy they didn’t rush into it and worked at their own pace. Hopefully the music will reflect the dedication.

Dr. Dre- "Detox" (2011)
Mike: Hip-hop’s answer to Chinese Democracy: Detox is Dr. Dre’s decade plus labored opus, rumored to be his final album as an MC. While the record’s mythical status is as famous as its penchant for delays, there’s still reason to hope that it sees the light of day in 2011. Dre dropped the hazy, synth-heavy “Kush” late last year as the record’s first official single. Though it’s a bit of a regression towards his spaced-out 2001 era sound, it’s refreshing to hear him paired with Snoop Dogg again. Expectations are high though, and if Dre doesn’t deliver he risks souring his fan base in true Axl Rose fashion.

Matt: I was six when The Chronic came out, though I admittedly know “Nuthin But a G Thang” like every other white 90s kid. Then, a 12-year-old version of myself picked up 2001 because everyone was starting to get on the Eminem kick and he was featured on the “Forgot About Dre” track. What I didn’t know was going to happen was that I was going to get sucked the music of who I thought, based on my limited knowledge at the time, was just an old rapper who was big back in the day with some group. I am now 24 and have been waiting on Detox since it was first announced for release in 2004! With all the wakas and flockas running around trying to be the king, it’s going to be nice to have the ace back.

Death Cab For Cutie- "Codes & Keys" (Spring 2011)
Mike: Ben Gibbard has gone on record saying Codes & Keys is less guitar-driven than Death Cab For Cutie is typically known for. While that might scare some listeners, it’s hard to imagine the group coming out with a Kid A or Adore type experiment. Guitarist Chris Walla tastefully employs keyboards on all the albums he’s produced, as well as his solo offering, Field Manual. If anything, expect fragile songs with lush atmospheres, something Death Cab For Cutie has always excelled at.

Matt: I'm just going to let bassist Nick Harmer explain why this album should be on most anticipated lists (from stereogum): “The emotional spectrum feels much wider this time,” says Harmer. “The last record was much darker and was much more closely connected to what Ben had been going through in his life at the time. I think there is a lot more light in this record. Of course, Ben will always gravitate towards certain bittersweet material in his songs, but this record has a lot of expansive, soundscapey kinds of things. Thematically and musically, it’s just much more varied. We also have string sections on this record, which is very exciting for all of us. We’ve always wanted to hear that texture in our music, but it never really worked out before.” And on the statement of less guitar work: “Oh, there are definitely guitars on this record,” he says, “there are just less of them than before and we’re using them in different ways this time. Ben was really inspired by writing on acoustic guitar and on a piano, so often those parts become voices or keyboard lines, rather than guitar parts. We really experimented with piecing the songs together in different ways and using the studio differently, so this a much less guitar-centric album than we’ve ever made before.” That's what I like to read.

Manchester Orchestra- "Simple Math" (March 2011)
Mike: While Manchester Orchestra helped Kevin Devine and singer Andy Hull craft a true diamond in the rough with last year’s Bad Books, anticipation is running high for their forthcoming Simple Math. Hull recently debuted the album’s title track at an acoustic radio show, but the group has been tight-lipped about what the album will sound like. They’ve jokingly referred to it as a “spiritual miscarriage” in interviews, but that probably translates to songs that will get under your skin in very personal ways.

Matt: I really don't know what to expect from the Manchester Orchestra's third studio album. Like A Virgin Losing A Child had more low moments than the intensely heavy Mean Everything to Nothing, though both contained a good mix of pure rock music and down tempo storytelling. Then, the group taps into their folk side with Kevin Devine and the Bad Books side project. Throw in a handful of E.P.s and the fact that the title track for Simple Math is online as an acoustic version and there is no telling what we are going to get. If Manchester Orchestra stays on the path they are on, they could go down as one of the most respected groups out there. With more attention on them than in the past, I fully expect the Atlanta group to come through shining.

Taking Back Sunday- "TBA" (2011)
Mike: When John Nolan and Shaun Cooper left Taking Back Sunday, it seemed like everyone hated each other. Team Adam (Lazzara) and Team Nolan both alluded to their falling out through thinly veiled lyrics and bitter interviews. Yet nearly seven years after their separation, they seem to have put the past behind them. After a bout of writing in El Paso, TBS’s “classic” line-up is hard at work on a proper follow up to the mega-smash Tell All Your Friends. The group has also teamed up with producer Eric Valentine, suggesting that they’d like to capture the same effervescence that punctuated 2006’s Louder Now.

Matt: It's back to the future for Taking Back Sunday as the band returns to its 2002 lineup for the acclaimed Tell All Your Friends. If I can speak honestly, it creates a dilemma. I have no shame in admitting that TBS is my favorite band, but I do wonder if 24-year-old me would feel the same impact from TAYF that 17-year-old me felt. As the band has progressed, I have progressed with them and I honestly don't want a TAYF 2. However, as much as I don't think New Again sucked, it definitely could have been better. And it does seem like having the lineup that introduced them to the scene has sort of rejuvenated the band. A demo leaked by Adam Lazzara himself seems to keep the intensity while the band as a whole still makes the transition from emo band to rock band. And it made me completely wear out the play button, a result that will hopefully happen when the album is released.

Matt's Most Anticipated:

Coldplay- “TBA” (2011)
Viva La Vida was a great release for Chris Martin and company, but I did feel it was lacking something. And that something was the deep, heartfelt sound found on tracks like “The Scientist” and “Fix You.” I appreciated what they did, using a plethora of instruments to create an orgy of sound to go along with Martin's crooning voice, but I'm ready to get back to the chill out. When Martin performed “Wedding Bells” at an Apple event, I just sat there and smiled. That sound I was looking for? It had returned. Whether that track (or “Christmas Lights”) pops up on the new record remains to be seen. Though the rumors of it being a concept album turned out to be not entirely accurate, the fact that I heard something about the album going in an acoustic direction is music to my earholes.

Jay Z/Kanye West- “Watch The Throne” (Spring 2011)
Collaborations for singles happen all the time in hip-hop, but rarely does it happen for an entire album. Though Jay-Z has some experience in the past with R. Kelly, it will be interesting to see what happens with Mr. West. The first single, “H.A.M.," had a hit and miss reception, and my opinion of it falls somewhere in the middle as well. Also something to look out for is who else will be featured? Lil Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross... all potential guests. But time will tell exactly what two of the biggest, and best, names in music come up with.

Panic! At The Disco- “Vices & Virtues” (03.29.2011)
2005's A Fever You Can't Sweat Out is one of my favorite albums of all time. 2008's Pretty. Odd. is one my top disappointing albums of all time. So this is me hoping that new material from Panic! (who officially put the ! back in when two founding members split) will at least be somewhere in the middle. It looks like we won't have long to find out as the first single should be released in February and the album in March. I'm not going to hold it to Fever's expectations, but if it is slightly better than Odd I will be one happy music fan.

No Doubt- “TBA” (2011)
I missed out on a lot of bands growing up, but I was fortunate enough to still experience No Doubt before the Gwen Stefani solo days. Any doubts I had about the group's ability as a band were put to rest after I saw them on their comeback tour in 2009. Not only were they better than expected, but were still better than some of the stuff out there today. If I can be honest, as much as I like their music, I will be happy to have some more Gwen in my life. She may be starting to show her age, but she is still one of my original celebrity crushes and to her I will always be true.

Red Hot Chili Peppers- “TBA” (2011)
It is going to be interesting to hear what the Peppers' sound will be minus John Frusciante. And also noteworthy will be the fact that, let's face it, these guys aren't getting any younger. But don't take that as an insult, I love these guys. I'm just curious to see how they are going to follow up Stadium Arcadium. If they come out with a four-disc release, I will not be mad at all. I think more than new music, I'm excited at the fact that a new album could possibly mean a new tour and RHCP are #1 on my list of bands I haven't seen.

Honorable Mention:

Lil Wayne- “The Carter IV” (Winter 2011)- Fresh off his recent jail stint, the hype machine has already started for Weezy's latest effort. Good or bad, we should hear plenty about it in 2011.

Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows- “Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows” (02.22.2011)- Though I'm not sure how serious to take the name (D.R.U.G.S.), former Chiodos frontman Craig Owens assembled a pretty good team for a debut album from a band that came out of nowhere. Time will tell if the music will match up.

Gym Class Heroes- “The Papercut Chronicles II” (2011)- I have been a fan of Gym Class Heroes for years and looked forward to Travis, or Travie, McCoy's solo album but was pretty disappointed. Maybe his bandmates will help him recapture the magic and my car will have some good jams in 2011.

Yellowcard- “When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes” (03.22.2011)- Yellowcard make the list simply for curiosity's sake. In their “reunion” album (I didn't even know they broke up), the band looks to recapture the glory that once had millions of kids wanting to be on Ocean Avenue.

Mike's Most Anticipated:

The Beastie Boys- "Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2" (Spring 2011)
Originally due out in 2009, The Beastie Boy’s Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 was delayed indefinitely when Adam Yauch discovered a cancerous tumor on his vocal chords. Thankfully, Yauch seems to be recovering, which means we might be seeing these songs crop up early this year. Leaked cuts like the posse-heavy “Too Many Rappers (Feat. Nas)” and the punk-hop explosion of “Lee Majors Come Again” show the Beastie’s continued inventiveness and flowin’ prose. Plus, who doesn’t want to hear a track titled “Funky Donkey?”

Foo Fighters- "TBA" (2011)
The Nirvana faithfuls are salivating over the idea of Dave Grohl recording with Krist Novoselic again for the first time since 1994. Yet they should really get excited for Grohl’s reunion with Nevermind producer, Butch Vig. Though the Foo Fighters have stated this is their heaviest record yet, Vig is a master at focusing a band’s vision, adding variety to their albums with crisp production and small flourishes of strings and piano. In short, it’ll be interesting to see the Foos continue to evolve from their well-crafted Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace with some old friends to help out.

Lady GaGa- "Born This Way" (05.23.2011)
The Fame Mons†er was a half-baked, unfinished effort. Though it sported pop-blockbusters like “Bad Romance,” its sequencing and unfocused nature made it forgettable. Born This Way seems to be GaGa’s proper follow up to The Fame, an album that’s had time to fully gestate before being dropped like an atom bomb. Her recent interviews suggest that she’ll be incorporating bits of metal and hard rock into her sound, which sounds like she’s decided to take real risks again.

Radiohead- "TBA" (2011)
Things have been quiet in the Radiohead camp for a while, but fans are anxious. Of course there’s the occasional “Yes, we’re working on songs…” from band members like Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway, but no timetable regarding the follow up to the meticulously textured In Rainbows. There is a bright spot though. Thom Yorke teased fans with some works in progress on his last tour, most notably the chilled-out, finger-picked “Lotus Flower.” Maybe it was a hint for fans: Chill out and let us do our thing.

Thursday- "TBA" (Early 2011)
Other than continuing to employ producer David Fridmann, little is known about the musical direction on Thursday’s new album. However, singer Geoff Rickly has stated that the conceptual themes seem to revolved around devotion, sharing a commonality to their first album, Waiting. Regardless, Thursday has always been the thinking man’s post-hardcore group and it’ll be exciting to see them follow-up the aggressive, post-rock tinged Common Existence.

Honorable Mention:

Bright Eyes- "The People's Key" (02.15.2011)- Supposedly Conor Oberst’s swan song as Bright Eyes. Hopefully it’s a little more “Lifted…” and a little less “Cassadaga.”

The Kills- "Blood Pressures" (04.05.2011)- After a ravenous romp with Jack White, Alison Mosshart returns to the jangly indie vessel that made her a star.

Patrick Stump- "Soul Punk" (February 2011)- This is the first time Patrick Stump has written lyrics since Fall Out Boy’s Evening Out With Your Girlfriend. That alone is worth checking out.

Jack’s Mannequin- “TBA” (2011)- Something Corporate’s ivory slinger has been laboring in L.A. for over a year. We’re ready for Jack’s supposedly “new direction.”

Two Discs/Two Singles

Let's get down to business time, shall we?

How To Destroy Angels- How To Destroy Angels E.P. (***½)
It was rough to see the Internet collectively freak out at Trent Reznor’s recent marriage and “final” string of shows for Nine Inch Nails. Though it was understandable why: People didn’t want the world’s most dangerous musician suddenly writing songs about being middle-aged. If nothing else, the How To Destroy Angels E.P. rectifies that, but without taking a big leap forward in Reznor’s artistic canon. It’s reminiscent of the spacious soundscapes and electronic blips of Ghosts I-IV, but with less of an exploratory feel and more of a compact edge. In fact, HTDA can feel downright funky at times, the crawling bass and pulsing glitch of “Parasite” almost feeling like a warped pop song. Mariqueen Maandig Reznor also adds an interesting touch to these arrangements, her Amy Lee-like croon adding a hint of sexuality that NIN could never really pull off subtly. Yet the E.P.’s stand out is the piano laden haze fest “A Drowning,” expertly displaying the happy couple making depressing music with each other.

Key Cuts: The Space In Between, Parasite, A Drowning


Stone Temple Pilots- Stone Temple Pilots (**)
Since 1992’s dark and chunky masterpiece Core, the Stone Temple Pilots have been a band suffering from diminishing returns. Each album they put out seems to contain less and less bite, and have made us value Scott Weiland less and less as a lyricist. While Weiland briefly rediscovered his seductive wild side with Velvet Revolver’s Contraband, the honeymoon didn’t last but one more record, pushing his mainstay band back together for another bland offering. As it is, Stone Temples Pilots is a tired exercise in processed riff rock, a fangless 12 tracks that never really pushes the band’s talents. Weiland’s cockier-than-thou attitude never inspires danger so much as it inspires irritation, his metaphors opting for saccharine clichés over gritty introspection. Sure, the album has its share of fun moments (The big harmonies on “Huckleberry Crumble,” the acoustic thump of “Bagman”) but they feel tailor-made for top 40. Though if history is any indication, that means the Stone Temple Pilots are right where they’d like to be.

Key Cuts: Between The Lines, Huckleberry Crumble, Bagman


Kanye West- Power (Feat. Dwele) (*****)
Love him or hate him, the world needs Kanye West right now. He’s the only super star capable of balancing both eclectic genius with ADD branding, whether or not you liked his editorials at award shows. His new single, “Power” is yet another exciting musical buffet featuring a scattered beat, soulful samples, a smorgasbord of 80s snyths, as well as a delicate sprinkling of classical piano. It’s daring and reckless while other artists are attempting to streamline themselves, and it further displays West’s gifts as a composer. Concordantly, it builds the Kanye West mythos as a musical Michaelanglo with a troubled ego, and that excites us as well. Think about this: If Jay-Z dropped “Power,” do you think we’d all still care if it sampled King Crimson? Probably not. THAT, is true power in and of itself.


Weezer- Represent (*)
Oh Rivers, we get it. You like soccer, the world likes soccer, and for this summer, America likes soccer too. Unfortunately, there’s something that we, as Weezer listeners, don’t like: Bone-head stadium songs. And as hit or miss as Weezer’s recent output has been, “Represent” is a frustrating beast at best. It’s a soupy mess of shout outs, liberal amounts of auto-tune, and big booming bass. On the whole, “Represent” does a better job at representing River’s eternal quest to bottle up pop grandeur than it does to capture the group’s voice. Still, you get what you pay for: The song is free on iTunes, perhaps making it clear to die-hard Weezer fans that this doesn’t totally represent them as musicians. I wonder if they let Rivers in on that joke.

Burritos With Mr. Havok

This is Davey Havok’s autograph, scrawled all over a BART schedule I printed out hours beforehand.

Let me back up, things like this need an introduction.

I was in Berkeley yesterday visiting a very special lady, Alex, as well as the university for that scary “next step” in my life. The day was rainy, cold, and windy, and we’d done a great deal of walking around because of UC Berkeley’s dumb policy of having admissions offices built a mile away from campus. ANYWAY, I wanted to have dinner with Alex before I hopped on BART, so we stopped by this Mexican place that had a full-fledged salsa bar, and was a mere half a block away from the train station.

The two of us are having a lovely dinner, and I’m explaining something that may or may not have been important about being a good person when all of a sudden, my jaw drops. Literally drops. Chin to my knees, break the floor, flies come in please, DROPS.

Davey Havok is waiting for a burrito in the same spot I was standing in not 15 minutes ago.

For those of you that aren’t A.F.I. fans, Davey’s the lead singer/lyricist. He has been since A.F.I. was Gen Y’s version of the Misfits (during their “East Bay Hardcore” days), and when he was all glittered up performing “Miss Murder” on MTV a few years back. This man helped write cuts like "God Called In Sick Today," "Totalimmortal," and "Girl's Not Grey." He's played The Phoenix in Petaluma, stadiums in Long Beach, and alienated all the hardcore kids with his love of fashion. Love him or hate him, Mr. Havok has made an illustrious career out of music and his fascination with make up, and here he is, in this Mexican restaurant, WAITING FOR A BURRITO.

At this point, it’s by no means normal for me that this man is calmly chatting it up with the chef. I’m literally bursting at the seams, and I’m pretty sure Alex thought I had an aneurysm. To this, my response is that I really couldn’t help it. I get star struck like people get arachnophobia (That comparison made more sense before I typed it), especially considering the effect Mr. Havok has had on my life.

Davey Havok has written some amazing songs, songs that have helped me grow up, and songs that I still love. This is probably on par with our parents feeling all teary eyed when they hear Paul McCartney sing “Yesterday,” but this is a more punk version of that. A.F.I. has helped me through some of the darkest times in my life, and I’m forever grateful. Sing The Sorrow is not only a masterpiece, but also a record that I have a profound emotional attachment to. True, I only gave their newest album 2 stars, but he didn’t need to know that, and that still doesn’t diminish the A.F.I. songs that I’ve screamed, cried, sung, and air-guitared to.

So, as he’s gathering up supplies at the salsa bar, I went up to him.

Me: Excuse me, Davey? Hey, I don’t mean to bother you or anything like that because you probably get tons of that, and stuff, but yeah, I just wanted to come on over and tell you what a huge fan I am and that you’re music is really, really important to me.

I’m so eloquent that it hurts.

DXH: Ah, well thanks! I’m glad that it’s so special for you. (We shake hands)

Me: It is. You guys wrote some music that will probably stay with me the rest of my life. If you don’t mind, I was wondering if I could get an autograph. I mean I don’t mean to bug you when you’re eating, I know that must be pretty irritating, but, you know, if you don’t mind.

DXH: Sure, do you have a pen? (Starts scribbling) Yeah, as long as fans are nice about it and don’t feel entitled to something, I’m nice back. (He smiles) Is that a Neurosis shirt?

Me: Actually no, it’s from this other band, Brand New. I guess they look alike?

DXH: A bit. (We both chuckle).

Me: You know, “Sing The Sorrow” is a super important album for me, and I just wanted you to know how much it means to me. You guys made it all the more special when you played a lot of it at BFD.

DXH: Oh so you’ve seen us? That’s pretty cool. Was that in Mountain View?

Me: It was, I remember because Decemberunderground had just dropped and you guys played my favorite song off Sing The Sorrow, “Dancing Through Sunday.”

DXH: Ahhh, THAT show. That show was pretty fucked. All our equipment kept breaking.

Me: Really? I can only remember the good parts. You guys closed with “Miss Murder” and you played “Forever & A Day,” which shocked me because I didn’t know you’d be playing a whole lot from The Art Of Drowning.

DXH: Yeah, we had tons of technical difficulties during “Miss Murder,” but that’s cool. We’ve actually been playing “Forever & A Day” a lot on this tour as well.

Me: Oh wow, that’s awesome. You know, off the new album, I think “Torch Song” is probably my favorite track. Something about it is pretty huge and you guys tend to pull that off well.

DXH: Ah, well thanks, glad you like it.

Me: Well, I won’t keep you, but I just wanted to say thanks for the great music and the autograph. It was really nice to meet you.

DXH: Yeah, you too. Take care. (We shake hands)

And that was that. Mr. Havok helped himself to some brown colored salsa and I walked back to my table. My awkwardness aside, it was a great exchange. You don’t get to meet your idols often, and most of the time, they aren’t as nice as you think they might be. Davey Havok is an exception to that rule, a class act all the way. I may not share the same attachment with the more commercialized material A.F.I. puts out now, but at least he hasn’t become too much of a celebrity to snub his fans.

And that’s really something special.

Ten Most Anticipated Albums Of ‘10

While I’m busy preparing a careful summation of 2009’s musical landscape, I thought I’d offer up one more list for you guys. Rather than looking to the past this time, here’s 10 highly anticipated albums slated for release in 2010:

10. Massive Attack- Heliogoland (02.08.10): It’s been nearly 7 years since Massive Attack’s 100th Window and what a long wait it’s been for Heliogoland. While the trip-hop innovators have quietly worked on soundtracks and even dropped a teaser E.P. (2009’s Splitting The Atom E.P.), anticipation for a new LP is at an all time high. Yet rather than retreat into the glitchy keyboards that slowed down 100th Window, the almost tribal “Prayer For Rain” and string laced “Splitting The Atom” hint at a darker sound this time around. Guest vocals from TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe and Blur’s Damon Albarn add another level of interest beyond the band’s mysterious appeal.

9. Alkaline Trio- This Addiction (02.23.10): After 2008’s overly slick Agony & Irony, Alkaline Trio are reportedly going back to their old punk roots with This Addiction. Signing to Epitaph, recording with Goddamnit! producer Matt Allison, and making Social Distortion comparisons are all great signs, but big-talk is cheap. Still, road-testing cuts like “Dine, Dine My Darling” and “This Addiction” on their most recent tour has excited fans and interested skeptics. The Trio sound lean, caustic, and morose, all the ingredients that made us fall in love with them in the first place.

8. Tally Hall- TBA (Second Quarter 2010): Not much is known about the Tally Hall’s follow up to 2005’s incredible indie debut Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum, but fans of the band are glued to YouTube while they wait. The Michigan 5 piece played a hand full of new songs on their last tour such as The Beatles tinged “Misery Fell” and the folk flavored “Sacred Beast,” before entering the studio this past October. As they work with producer Tony Hoffer (Beck, The Fratellis, The Kooks), it’s safe to expect more whimsical weirdness and genre bending from these color tie clad minstrels.

7. Vampire Weekend- Contra (01.11.10): How does a band follow up a debut album that critics adored and pop culture went nuts over? If you’re Vampire Weekend you write new songs as if the first record never happened. Due out in January, Contra finds the indier-than-thou 4 piece creating some of the most exciting material of their short career. “Cousins” zooms by with a flurry of notes and spastic drumming while “Horchata” is a sweet love song underneath a veneer of thick beats and playful xylophone. Be sure to check out Contra before it becomes “uncool” to like Vampire Weekend.

6. Jack’s Mannequin- TBA (Third Quarter 2010): It’s been a busy few years for Jack’s Mannequin’s front man, Andrew McMahon. Since The Glass Passenger dropped in 2008, McMahons’s been on the road touring as well as promoting his DVD/EP combo, Dear Jack, a gripping documentary about his fight with leukemia. Now that the tours and the recovery are behind him, McMahon has his sights set firmly on the future of piano led tunes. He’s reconvened in Southern California to write his follow-up to The Glass Passenger, hinting that the local has hit him with a strong sense of Something Corporate nostalgia. Be it SoCo memories or Jack’s dreams, you can bet his heart will be on his sleeve in these new musical explorations.

5. Bad Religion- TBA (Fourth Quarter 2010): Bassist Jay Bentley was the one to initially spill the beans, sharing with fans that Bad Religion would be entering the studio this coming April. To take it one step further, guitarist Brett Gurewitz tweeted that fans could expect a new Bad Religion album next fall. However, barring those small snippets, there has been no word as to what the material will sound like. Taking into consideration how tight and well-composed 2007’s New Maps Of Hell was, these 40-year-old punks will have a tall order to fill.

4. The Black Keys- TBA (April 2010): Singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach got his solo record out. Along those same lines, drummer Patrick Carney contributed his talents to his side project The Drummer. Then, both members of The Black Keys invited a host of MCs like Mos Def and Pharaoe Monch to spit rhymes over their thick garage rock on Blackroc. As if that wasn’t enough, both Aurebach and Carney are promising fans a new Black Keys album in April. With their signature grit and frantic work ethic, it’d be surprising to see anything less than spectacular from this duo.

3. My Chemical Romance- TBA (Second Quarter 2010): After the Queen level theatricality of 2006’s The Black Parade, My Chemical Romance have promised a stripped down and gritty rock record this time around. Tapping Brendan O’Brien for the production duties, MCR showcased three new songs at a series of secret shows at the Roxy in Los Angeles, songs that sound about as far removed from the bombastic material on Parade. Instead, the choppy punk swagger of “Hail To The King” and the bluesy punch of “The Drugs” finds My Chemical Romance flirting with 70s bravado and attitude instead of make up and uniforms.

2. The Beastie Boys- The Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1 (First Quarter 2010): First off, the decision to push back the release of The Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1 due to MCA’s battle with cancer was a tough decision to make. However, the fact that MCA beat the disease, that the album is finished, and that a Part 2 is on the way, are more than enough reasons to get excited. And if the leaked tracks are any indication of what’s in store for fans, than Hot Sauce is going to blow some serious gaskets. “Lee Majors Come Again” is a fuzzy punk number with aggressive turntables and MCA and Mike D’s signature whine. Elsewhere, “Pop Your Balloon” features big beats and exotic strings as these 40-year-old MCs show the iGeneration what old school hip-hop is all about. Hopefully, Mike D will shower us not only in mp3s, but some ill rhymes.

1. Radiohead- TBA (Rumored 2010): Other than guitarist Ed O’Brien letting it slip that Radiohead were indeed working on music in the studio, nobody knows anything about the group’s eighth LP. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Still, doesn’t it feel better to know that the most innovative and focused band in the digital age is working on SOMETHING?

My $0.02: Billy Corgan's Smashing Experiment

Billy Corgan seems to be trying to lead The Smashing Pumpkins' legacy into stranger and weirder places these days. Whether it's turning a blind eye with the abdication of Jimmy Chamberlain, hiring a new 19 year old drummer, or telling his fans they suck, Corgan has been adamant that The Smashing Pumpkins are HIS band now, and he'll do whatever he damn well pleases. As such, yesterday's announcement about the release of a new Smashing Pumpkins album is just as strange.

Teargarden By Kaleidyscope will be a 44 song concept album about Corgan's tarot fascinations, released online and through limited edition E.P.s. Additionally, once all 44 songs are released, Corgan has promised fans a box set that culls together everything in one concise package.

Oh, and did I mention that the online downloads are free?

Let me repeat: Billy Corgan is NOT charging money for theses songs.

It's a dicey move, one that's grand enough for the Great Pumpkin and his humble little band, but can a project of this magnitude really sustain itself? It's hard enough to maintain a good double album full of quality material and rarely is a trilogy even attempted. 44 songs is a TON of music, and Corgan's promise of "the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins: atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty" might not be enough to win over those who soured on Zeitgeist.

Here are some things to consider:

The Good:
-As an avid fan of Siamese Dream, Corgan's promise of the original Pumpkins sound does intrigue me. I'm not short-sided enough to believe this album is going to sound like a time capsule from 1993, but a bit more shoegaze and a little less metal could add some life to Corgan's recent output.
-Corgan has effectively diminished the effect music piracy can have on an album and is reaching out to Generation iTunes. His release of songs one at a time, for free, in a digital capacity, makes the release more difficult to really disperse for pirates. In fact, it asserts his artistic autonomy while presenting his distribution method as the best way to get the material. The added bonus of E.P.s and box sets are ideal for collectors and faithful fans. Is it the beginning of the musical revolution we so desperately need?
-Unlike some bands (I'm looking at you Bloc Party) that offer an incomplete album online, the Teargarden By Kaleidyscope project is the whole enchilada. Bravo, Billy.

The Bad:
-Will this seriously impact how we listen to records? Corgan is releasing these songs one at a time over the coming months, so unless fans hold out until all the material is out, they won't be experiencing the material as one complete work. This troubles me, especially because I'm a firm believer in "the album" as an art form.
-How will he maintain interest? While everyone is buzzing about it now, receiving updates via Facebook or Twitter will become monotonous for every song release. This is going to be a big challenge for him.
-What fidelity can fans expect with these initial releases? Will we have to wait a year before we experience these songs at 320 kbps? For audiophiles, this is really frustrating.

Ultimately, we'll have to wait to see the full success/failure of Corgan's newest ego trip. Yet if the songs are good, none of this might matter one single (pun intended) bit.

The Rundown

Pardon me for slacking on my posting but for being unemployed, life is startlingly distracting at the moment. Additionally, I've been working with a couple friends of mine to get another blog up off the ground. It's called 1,000 Words and its primary focus is developing a community for short fictions writers. I'm a regular contributer as well, writing things that aren't music related. If that's your thing, I suggest your check it out.

Now then, things to expect from THIS blog in the near future:

Concerts!

I've won tickets to Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park this year. Expect coverage of that for the next few days as well as my pointed opinions. I was over at the park yesterday to pick up my tickets and the whole thing is fenced and tented. Very excited.

Album reviews!

This seems like a no brainer, but I'm anxious to share my thoughts on new albums from As Tall As Lions and Imogen Heap. The Used are also slated to drop an album so If I have time, I'll write on that. However, I don't think that will be a nice review. It's....well, less than stellar.

September! September!

Aside from the fact that I'll be seeing blink 182 twice in September (And turning 22. What's THAT about?), I just realized this is going to be an incredibly strong month in terms of music. Here are the releases I'm excited for:

Backspacer by Pearl Jam

The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z

Brand New Eyes by Paramore

Break Up by Scarlett Johansson (C'mon, you've got to chuckle a bit)

Daisy by Brand New

Crash Love by A.F.I.

Endgame by Megadeath

Remastered versions of The Beatles' studio albums (A touchy subject for most)

The Resistance by Muse

Sadly, I was also looking forward to writing up Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 by The Beastie Boys but I suppose that will have to wait. Here's to hoping MCA a smooth recovery and that the album drops this year.

With that, I leave you with Radiohead's recent performance of "These Are My Twisted Words" at Frequency 2009, simply because as my friend Trevor once said as he imitated me, "You know what's real kids? RADIOHEAD!"