Rambling Through The Cracks

I was originally going to post a very simple, quick musical ramblings to catch you up to speed, but then 2 posts this week got taken down (both are back up) which slowed the process down. As much as it tickles me to know that I'm drawing the ire of the RIAA's copyright trolls, the whole mess gets a bit frustrating when there's stuff to be done. So instead this post is part ramblings, part stuff that fell through the cracks.

I started re-reading Watchmen late last week. I started reading it sometime freshman year (well before the movie trailer came out) and didn't get through it, but am now about 3/4 finished. If this gets put to film anywhere near as well as it was put to the page, it's gonna be fantastic.

Smashing Pumpkins - The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning [iTunes]
(Song in the Watchmen trailer)

Smashing Pumpkins - The End Is The Beginning Is The End [iTunes]
(Alternate version of the above song)

Two rappers on opposite ends of the spectrum both debuted new material yesterday. Kanye West unveiled an unmastered version of his next single from 808s and Heartbreak "Heartless". The track is much more in keeping with what we're used to from Kanye, but not altogether boring. I like the fact that this album seems to be keeping true to hip-hop, while branching out into old-school R&B and soul. Props to Kanye for keeping it real.

Kanye West - Heartless (Unmastered)

Also coming out of hiding is one Marshall Mathers, alias Slim Shady, alias Eminem. After going into hiding since 2005's Curtain Call, Em is back in the studio recording new music. The first evidence that a new album is imminent came yesterday with "I'm Having A Relapse", a quick, largely unimpressive new song that I think does little more than remind people that Eminem is not, in fact, dead. No exact release date is set, but if 50 Cent is to be believed (he isn't usually, but it's fun to pretend sometimes), it could see the light of day in the coming weeks.

Eminem - I'm Having A Relapse

Speaking of the coming weeks, Best Buy has posted the tracklisting for the most anticipated exclusive in recent memory, Guns N Roses' Chinese Democracy. On an inactive preorder page, the 14 track setlist appeared, and showed us that the tracks that have been pirated around for the last year are legit, and that there are 3 songs that have never been heard by anyone on the web. Billboard has the tracklisting here. Chinese Democracy is set to drop in your local Best Buy on November 25th. Anybody know of a Best Buy doing a midnight release party?
(I'm only half-kidding there)

Two days have passed since my last Album-A-Day entry, so that means I've heard two full albums.
Wednesday: Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
Thursday: Dean Gray - American Edit (2008 Re-issue)
Today: Haven't decided yet...will return when I have listened to it.

For those unfamiliar with the latter, its the mixtape project from whence the oft-traded "Boulevard of Broken Songs" originates. Highly recommended by VLM, which says something given my ambivalence toward mashups and remixes. The album is available by way of any torrent site worth its salt. Go forth, young pirates, and claim your bounty!

I've been fussing around with the iTunes Genius function, and I was right that the more music you have the better a playlist you get. Good for my ears, bad for my medieval computer. Anyway, my travels through the Genius list have a number of times landed me this song.

Slipknot - Before I Forget [iTunes]

This song is the biggest piece of evidence I have that Stone Sour did the rest of the band good. It's also the first proof I have that Slipknot is capable of producing a melody.

OK that shall be all. Back later today with my daily album and whatever else happens.

==TJ==

Take Out the Trash Day

The Chris Cornell song doesn't officially drop until this Tuesday, so I'll have a HQ copy of it then. However, adding evidence to my Timbaland is a thief conspiracy, Tim just announced plans for a follow up to Shock Value. Odds "Long Gone w/ Chris Cornell" shows up on it; 10:1.

In the meantime, some other goodies to make up for my weeklong absence.

Micro-Buttered Popcorn will have a new post later tonight, pretty much centered on the Watchmen trailer that debuted in front of Dark Knight. In conjunction with that, the song that is featured in the trailer.

The Smashing Pumpkins - The End is the Beginning is the End

(Trivia Question of the Day: "TEITBITE" was originally on the soundtrack for what other superhero movie?)

Coldplay currently has a track left off Viva La Vida available for download on their website. "Death Will Never Conquer" is pretty much meant as an exit for the album a la the outro from The Killers' Sam's Town.

Coldplay - Death Will Never Conquer

Last.fm updated their site, and now scrobbling/adding to charts and stats takes place in real time, rather than whatever system they used previously that added things as needed. Thus I can say with certainty that (thanks to another goofy glitch shortly before the update), the Gin Blossoms are the newest entrant in my Top 10 Artists.

Gin Blossoms - Soul Deep [iTunes]

This means I'll be doing last.fm related posts more frequently, including one later today/tomorrow if I get lazy.

I'm posting this reluctantly since it's my primary source of music income right now, but JamsBio is hosting a contest where you can win $10 iTunes gift cards and enter to win an iTouch. I'm already up 30 bucks in gift cards and thanks to unlimited entry probably have like 15 entries to win an iTouch. Go check it out.

Back later.

==TJ==

What I listened to this week

What with it being my first week back in civilization, I had quite a bit of catching up to do when it comes to music. I spent an unhealthy amount of quality time with my iPod (whose name is Dash Z. Linkin, if you were curious), and here's a quick rundown of what I was playing:

-Fuel released Angels & Devils, its first album with Toryn Green as lead singer on Tuesday. Green's a decent fit with the band, but in some ways he's almost too good a fit, and his voice gets lost behind Carl Bell's guitars and just becomes part of one big clusterfuck of radio rock. Tracks like "Wasted Time" and "Scars in the Making" show off how well the band can be when everyone's on, but Fuel has always been about its lead singer, whether it's Brett Scallions or Toryn Green, and for too much of Angel's and Devils Green gets washed out by simply serviceable instrumentation
Ruling on the field: 5.5/10
Highlight Reel: "Wasted Time"

-It only took about a week for me to get tired of "Who Knew" by P!nk. It's OK, 'cause that's still 6 days, 23 hours, and 57 minutes longer than it took "Girlfriend". Meanwhile, the new singles from Velvet Revolver and Finger Eleven are incredible.

-I know I'm a month late, but I got around to hearing Smashing Pumpkins' Zeitgeist. It has it's moments, but like everything else Billy Corgan's done, it's just a bit too weird and without direction for my taste.
Ruling on the field: 6/10

-At the suggestion of a friend from over the summer, I picked up the second album from Boston duo The Dresden Dolls, entitled Yes, Virginia. Expecting an hour-long lesson in elitist girl punk a la Courtney Love with a piano, I was very pleasantly surprised. Amanda Palmer's voice is strong, albeit it not very nuanced, but the drummer is absolutely sick in every sense of the word. Think Panic! At the Disco for people who have too many brain cells to deal with P!ATD.
Ruling on the field: 8/10
Highlight Reel: "Backstabber"

Downloading music from my blog makes me feel good about myself, but buying the music is good karma.

Fuel on iTunes
Smashing Pumpkins on iTunes
Dresden Dolls on iTunes

==TJ==

VLM Makes A Triumphant Return!!

OK everybody, I'm back! The month off was pretty awesome, but let's just dive in to the music!

-The Foo is back! The Foo Fighters have set September 25th as the release date for their new album, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace. A tentative tracklisting is on their myspace page, and early last week the first single "The Pretender" leaked onto the internet. The song isn't quite as good as "The Best of You", but as a sign of what's to come on the new album, I'll take it. In addition, the Foo Fighters have released a 10th anniversary edition of The Colour and the Shape with new bonus tracks. Normally this would suck and reek of corporate underpinnings, but since the bonus tracks are decent and they don't jack the price of the album up, it marks another classy move by the always awesome Dave Grohl.

Ruling on the Field: 6.5/10

Foo Fighters - The Pretender [via sendspace]

-Joining in on the fun is Jimmy Eat World, who slated October 16th as the release for Chase This Light, and also re-released Clarity and Static Prevails in anticipation. No single out yet, but look for one in the next few weeks.

Ruling on the Field: I want a single, dammit!

-A very large (and probably long overdue) "F--k you!" goes out to Chad Kroeger and the guys from Nickelback. The commercially angsty Canucks just reissued their 2005 smash All the Right Reasons with three pointless live tracks and a DVD of music videos. Since I'm pretty sure everyone who's going to buy All the Right Reasons already did so, this move just marks a cheap marketing ploy to scrounge another 30 bucks out of Nickelback's "hardcore" fans. Real smooth, guys...real smooth.

Ruling on the Field: Fuck you, Nickelback!!

-I Ruckused Sum 41's controversial new album Underclass Hero shortly after coming home, and damn it if it isn't a throwback to what punk rock is SUPPOSED to sound like! The title track is a ballbuster of the highest caliber, and nothing on the album is inherently bad, it just tends to lean into territory already walked by the likes of Blink 182. Regardless, Sum 41 comes through again with what might be the most underrated punk album of the year.

Ruling on the field: 7.5/10
Highlight Reel: "Underclass Hero", "Speak of the Devil", "March of the Dogs"

-My list of CDs I need to hear has expanded, now including Who We Are from Lifehouse (tentative ruling based on what I have heard: 8.5/10), Smashing Pumpkins' new album Zeitgeist, and the new one from Velvet Revolver. More on those when I sit down and hear them in full.

-Linkin Park released the video for their second single off Minutes to Midnight, "Bleed it Out". Love the camera work and the song's awesome, but didn't Coldplay already trademark the whole everything-in-reverse idea?



OK that's all. Back later

==TJ==