The Teasing Was Worth It.

Have a taste of this delicious new song from Phoenix.

Heartless Bastards' New One

Here's a great new song from Heartless Bastards. Yes, that is a girl on vocals. Talk about a unique voice. It's a little bit country, a lot rock and anything but heartless. If the new album has more songs this good then I can't wait to hear the whole thing (And I see that's it was already released on 2/9, so I won't be waiting long).

The Mountain

Phoenix Teaser

Bastards.

Random Rufus Shows

Mr Wainwright has announced a handful of dates that are scattered about in a seemingly arbitrary fashion. The good news for me is that one of the shows is close enough to get to with minimal effort. Might I see you at the Anaheim House of Blues on April 29th? Tickets are in pre-sale now, and they will go faaast.

Here's a wonderful video from his last album.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs put out.

The new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, It's Blitz!, comes out on April 14th (same day as Silversun Pickups new one, oh and Metric... see you at M-Theory), and the first single Zero is streaming on their myspace. Get ready for a synth-attack! Sounds like the record won't bear much resemblance to Is Is, their dirty rockin' Ep from '07. Alright by me... I like to dance (and her sublime vocals are enough to make me swoon regardless). Check out the cover art for the album (I hope it's free range)...

January Retrospective

It doesn't feel right to ignore that it's already six weeks into the year. I need to backtrack and get 2009 started from square one. I have my share of OCD-like moments, and this is one of them. So I'm going to share what got my foot tapping back in el mes primero. Here's a couple to start...

It remains to be seen if this will ever eclipse his last couple of LPs on my forever growing list of favourite albums, but then that's a lot of "living up to" to be reasonably expected... everything I've heard by Andrew Bird to date has won me over and Noble Beast is no disappointment. It's beautifully layered, lyrically advanced, not-trying-too-hard-to-be-cool music for adults. Wait until it's raining outside and then play this song.

Animal Collective is a band I've never quite been able to get my head around, until now. The new album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, sucked me in immediately and I'm guessing it's gonna be hard to beat for album of the year (whatever that means exactly). It's like a more psychedelic In Rainbows. For a sample, try this acid trip of a video for one of the catchier cuts off the album, My Girls.

More reflection to come.

New Doves

Manchester (area) band Doves have been hinting at a new album for bloody ages (we're talking years people), and finally the official word is out... Kingdom of Rust will be released April 7th, 2009. If you want a little taste of what it has to offer, just go to their website and download the first single Jetstream. We're talking about a proper DRM free mp3 here. I love when bands do that. (Metric and Gomez are other examples of rad one-word-name bands who've been similarly accommodating).

I suggest turning the volume up nice and high for this one.

The Title Track

I'll make my first real post a link to the song that spawned the title for my blog. If I had to pick a favourite artist of all time, Rufus Wainwright would surely be standing somewhere on the medals podium. This is a lyric from one of the best albums of the decade, Want One. The song is 14th Street, and it's at once melancholic and uplifting, not for the faint of heart. It's quintessential Rufus, and it's practically compulsory that you enjoy this tune if my blog is to be of any use to you.

Rufus Wainwright - 14th Street - free stream

VML

I've made a reality of an idea I've had for a while... a blog where I can share my musical fixations with the world (or at least a few of my friends). It remains to be seen how well maintained I will keep this space, but I'll do my best to make it a place you can reliably come to for recommendations, entertainment or just a way to waste time at work. I stay way up to date with all the latest stuff so you don't have to. I hope I can filter my knowledge into something useful for my less obsessive, music loving peers. If I can turn you onto even one great band in the process then I'll feel like a more useful human being. Comments, suggestions and mild abuse are welcome, nay encouraged.

Please enjoy.