rock

Radiohead has just released dates for the first leg of their North American tour, and it looks like they're staying in the South.

May 5 - Cruzan Amphitheatre - West Palm Beach, Florida
May 6 - Ford Amphitheatre - Tampa, Florida
May 8 - Lakewood Amphitheatre - Atlanta, Georgia
May 9 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - Charlotte, North Carolina
May 11 - Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge - Bristow, Virginia
May 14 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - St Louis, Missouri
May 17 - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - Houston, Texas
May 18 - Superpages.com Center - Dallas, Texas

Pre-sale February 14 via W.A.S.T.E.
general on-sale February 16

It appears that the order cities are listed in for the second leg is alphabetical, not chronological. Based on their previously stated plans for reducing carbon emissions, they'll likely start on one of the coasts sometime in mid-July or shortly thereafter. And since it's unfortunately a Live Nation tour, we can make some pretty educated guesses about venues.

Likely venues in the Midwest are
Cleveland: Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Indianapolis: Deer Creek in Noblesville, IN
Chicago: hopefully Northerly Island, rather than making people drive out to that dump in Tinley Park or Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI, but the former Meigs Field has a much smaller capacity than the other two amphitheaters in the suburbs, so it's tough to call.

Listen:
Radiohead - Let Down (from OK Computer)
Radiohead - Follow Me Around (Unreleased Studio Mix) (from Meeting People is Easy)

Hey guys, guess what isn't cool? Punctuality. Screw all that "being timely" bull, I've got a midwinter treat for you. My annual mix of some of my favorite songs released in the last year is here for your enjoyment. Sorry you don't get the full physical package that I sent some lucky souls (trust me, it's impressive), but cover art and track numbers are embedded. If you really want the full cover art, just click the thumbnail to the right.

Enjoy! I'll try to be back with more soon.

Stars - The Night Starts Here
Coconut Records - West Coast
Bloc Party - Waiting For the 7.18
Kanye West - Can't Tell Me Nothing
Jens Lekman - I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You
Loudon Wainwright III - Grey In L.A.
National - Fake Empire
Spoon - You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
Wilco - Hate It Here
Arcade Fire - Intervention
Misha - Delovedly
Feist - My Moon My Man
Swell Season - If You Want Me
Cloud Cult - Pretty Voice [YouTube]
Shins - Split Needles
Twilight Sad - That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy
Andrew Bird - Fiery Crash
John Vanderslice - The Parade
Band of Horses - Is There A Ghost
Finches - House Under the Hill

Download:
You Don't Live Here Anymore [zip]

There are a few complaints about Spoon's latest release, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but aside from the title being difficult to type and making you sound foolish when you talk about it, the major frustration seems to be that it's too short, clocking in at just over 36 minutes. That really doesn't matter, because the songs are great (I mean, obviously they are, this is Spoon we're talking about here) and as soon as it's over you just want to listen to it all again anyway.

But for you whiners, now there's an even better reason to buy the actual album rather than just leeching the torrent from Oink. The first pressing not only comes in a gorgeous digipak, but also is accompanied by a bonus disc of jams, demos, and alternate takes. Labeled Get Nice, the disc provides you with an additional 22 minutes to add to your Spoon experience. I'll give you just two of the twelve reasons you have to purchase this: a short demo called "Mean Mad Margaret," and a sweet alternate take of one of my favorite tracks on the album, "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb."

Listen:
Spoon - Mean Mad Margaret
Spoon - You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb

And if you've never listened to Spoon and are pissed I'm not telling you what they sound like, where have you been and what the hell have you been waiting for? Get their albums today.

Buy Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Peter Bjorn and John follow in the grand tradition of Peter, Paul and Mary, by virtue of a guy named Peter being the first member identified in the band-name-comprised-of-the-first-names-of-members. Since Writer's Block finally got a proper US release yesterday, I figured it was as good a time as any to mention one of the best albums of 2006 (before we get too much farther into 2007).

At this point in the Swedish band's career, it's some kind of mandate for any review of their latest import to mention the whistling.

Yeah, they whistle. Yeah, it's actually pretty good. Yeah, it's still cool, and totally okay for you to like. It's also totally okay for you to like Axl Rose whistle the intro to "Patience," but that doesn't mean it's the most important and noteworthy aspect of the band's repertoire.

The important stuff is the music, and boy is it good. "Amsterdam" is one of the catchiest songs I've heard in a long time; it dares you not to sing along. They've been playing their first single "Young Folks," wherever they're allowed, so check out this clip from last week's Late Night. Be sure to stick with it through the end for the special gift they give Conan.

You owe it to yourself to buy this album, partly because it will make three Swedes feel pretty good that they've made inroads with the American audience, and partly because even if you somehow acquired it already, the US version has a bonus disk that does not disappoint. Besides, when has Drew Barrymore ever led you astray?

Listen:
Peter Bjorn and John - Amsterdam
Peter Bjorn and John - The Chills

Buy Writer's Block

I heard plenty of hype about Interpol in the second half of 2002 before I finally caved in and bought their debut album. When I slid the disc into the player and I heard the opening bars of "Untitled," I thought: Why the hell didn't I get this sooner?

The worst part about Interpol is the endless comparison to Joy Division. Originality is overrated. Sure, Joy Division was pretty good, but the production hasn't really aged well and they aren't really as awesome as their best songs make people think they are. Sorry kids, Interpol just does it better.

What Interpol does best is create a certain atmosphere; the bassline is steady and brooding, the lyrics sound morose even when the content is optimistic. It's amazing to me that bands can be equally adept technically and use the same instruments and basic song structures, but sound complettely different. You'd never confuse Interpol with, say, Phoenix. Turn On the Bright Lights is perfect for a solitary drive on a rainy day.

Listen:
Interpol - Untitled
Interpol - The New

Buy Turn On the Bright Lights

John Darnielle is quite possibly some kind of genius. With the impending release of the next Mountain Goats record Get Lonely, I decided to revisit the most recent album The Sunset Tree. I think it was the first time I had ever truly focused on listening to it without distraction or interruption. I can now safely say that not only is there not a bad song on the album, there isn't a song on the album that is not very, very good.

It's true that Darnielle's vocal stylings are somewhat of an acquired taste, and some yearn for him to return to his ultra-lo-fi roots. But his imperfect pitch intensifies the emotion of the lyrics, and the support of the studio band allows the music to complement his singing rather than fight to be heard alongside it. The instrumentation is sparse and perfect on every song.

I think it's against the law to talk about The Sunset Tree without mentioning that it's Darnielle's most autobiographical album ever. It just might also be his best. The upbeat tempos of "This Year" and "Dance Music" camouflage the somber lyrics detailing his attempts to escape abuse at the hands of his stepfather. The album begins with fear and thoughts of escape, and tension builds to an inevitable confrontation, but the last three songs are a catharsis of sorts. Mortality seems to be the end to all things, the escape from life and release from the grip of the dead.

Listening to The Sunset Tree in its entirety can be painful. Some albums are meant to be played loudly at parties with all of your best friends; this album is the complete opposite, meant to be listened to closely, alone in a quiet place. Each song is a gem, and together they combine to form an album that is simply amazing.

Listen:
Mountain Goats - Broom People
Mountain Goats - Dance Music
Mountain Goats - Love Love Love

Buy The Sunset Tree

Everyone knows the music of Billy Joel, though now his driving antics are more likely to be mentioned than his music. It's a shame, because it makes people forget just how damn good he was as a songwriter and musician.

When Storm Front was released in 1989, the biggest hit was "We Didn't Start the Fire," which sounds dated now with its synth chorus and choppy shout-singing. But even without that song, it's a classic album; Joel doesn't settle for singing the same song over and over like some bands of today. The album covers the spectrum of his oeuvre, from the girl-focused rock opener "That's Not Her Style" to the beautiful piano ballad "And So It Goes," which closes the album.

One of Joel's songwriting strengths is his ability to craft a narrative through the use of a distinctly seperate voice for the lyrics of a song; he can successfully seperate the speaker of the lyrics from his identity as the author. His narrators are frequently blue-collar or downtrodden, seen throughout his career from "Piano Man" to "Allentown" to my favorite on this album, "The Downeaster 'Alexa,'" a Celtic-tinged folk ballad. His other sea-faring song "Storm Front," featuring Joel in full eighties bombast and backed by horns and gospel singers, isn't as effective and betrays the age of the album.

After relistening to Joel's penultimate pop album, I was reminded both of his songwriting abilities and occasional missteps. I hope he someday reconsiders his retirement and releases another album, and maybe someday I'll be able to have the money and opportunity to see one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time perform live.

Listen:
Billy Joel - The Downeaster "Alexa"
Billy Joel - And So It Goes

Buy Storm Front