You Don't Know What You're Missing Now

I got you good with that scare yesterday, didn't I? Yep, well today I have an even bigger one!

Happy Halloween.

Before I Go Insane

Want a real Halloween scare? See below.
Blech

I've Got Blisters On My Fingers!

Yay! It's official - The Beatles will be featured on Rockband sometime in late 2009. I wish it were closer, but that will give me time to save some money to buy it. Very cool. No more air guitar for me. Details at Electronista.

Previously...

UPDATE: Billboard notes it's based on the Rock Band platform but will not be branded as Rock Band. Further confirmation of this at IGN.

BTW: Jeff Jones, Apple Corps chief executive said of digital distribution of The Beatles' catalog, "All I can say is that we're still working out the details, we have no announcement to make, no date or any information."

Say It's Not True

In a clear attempt at capitalizing on a new generation's interest in an old generation's format, Queen's entire studio catalog is getting a re-release ... on vinyl.

In an unclear attempt at capitalizing on a legacy name in danger of tarnish, Queen + Paul Rodgers (- Freddie Mercury) have a new album available: The Cosmos Rocks. Hmm.

Finally, what is it with me + equations today?

The New Morning Light

October has been busy month of vacations, work, illness, etc. I'm just trying to come up with an excuse for failing to share a free Fireman track courtesy of NME.com.

The Fireman = Paul McCartney + Youth - the inhibitions that keep Macca from letting loose. With this new release by Fireman, he certainly seems to be letting loose. The previous Fireman track I've heard, Sing the Changes, was quite a treat. Now it's time for Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight, and it's quite a departure from Sing the Changes or most of McCartney's music. If you think you need to hear more of the Paul McCartney behind Helter Skelter, Oh! Darling, and Why Don't We Do It In the Road, here you go.

MP3: The Fireman - Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight (via NME.com)

You Do It To Yourself, You Do

To me, MTV became irrelevant with the 7th season of Real World vs. Road Rules. Don't even get me started on their programming today (I would likely throw out phrases like bottom dwelling and soul suckers.)

Well, today I'm reluctantly giving kudos to MTV for launching MTV Music online this week. Get this novel concept: MTvM will show music videos.

Wait.

Give that some time to percolate.

Music videos.

On MTV.

Music Television.

Music Television Music.

Hmm, nobody said they were brilliant. Nonetheless, kudos to getting back to basics. The site is nice and simple, void of all the ridiculous noise of mtv.com that made watching videos impossible. I've embedded one of my favorite videos just to see how it works. Enjoy.

Radiohead |MTV Music

The Fleeting Triumphs, Brazen Lies

Today only (28 October), get Snow Patrol's new album, A Hundred Million Suns, for only $3.99 at the Amazon MP3 store.

Or if you prefer the deluxe version with extra songs & videos, or you read this after October 28th, buy from iTunes.

I haven't listened to the album yet (as it's currently downloading), but will sure to post a review at some point.

Previously...

If You're Small and on a Search

Last week, Iowa Public Television, along with most other PBS affiliates, ran Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives on Nova. PW, PL is a documentary about Eels mastermind E in search of answers about his father and his bleeding edge theory on quantum physics. I was able to catch most of his cigar-chomping, self-conscious journey and it was indeed fascinating both as a fan and as a lover of quality television.

Today is the last day to stream it online here. If you miss it, you'll have to wait for the inevitable release on DVD. If you want to download the tunes from the documentary, you can visit iTunes, where they have conveniently set up a special iMix.

Chimpanzee Riding on a Segway

The following was shared on the Andy Sturmer email list and I couldn't resist sharing. The original post pondered whether this was Andy himself.

I didn't think it was and it was quickly shared that the artist responsible is Parry Gripp, lead Nerf Herder. Seems like he's taking Nerf Herder's tendencies toward jokey music in a different direction and coming up with ridiculous jingles about ridiculous topics. He's got a ton of them. Check them out on his site or his YouTube site. Download them at iTunes. Love it.

I'm Looking Through You

Don't get your hopes up. This is not an Apple/Apple-sanctioned set. This Beatles boxed set offered exclusively by Bloomingdales includes a 120GB iPod Classic with The Beatles logo on the front and an Abbey Road silhouette on the back, the 13 original Beatles CDs plus Love, an engraved guitar pick and some other crap. All for the low low price of $795. Thanks, but no thanks.

Let's keep praying to god that Apple and Apple will come out with a more reasonably priced, much cooler and totally remastered offering SOON!!!!

So Free

Eels are releasing a deluxe LP version of Blinking Lights and Other Revelations. These are numbered and signed - only 2500 will be produced. The set includes the original album and Manchester 2005, a live album only available in this set!

From now until the set ships next Tuesday, you can download a free EP featuring 4 tunes from Manchester 2005. Go here to read more, order the set, and download the EP.

It Don't Really Matter

The new Guns n' Roses tune Chinese Democracy (legally) hit radio stations (and this newfangled webternet) today. It rocks, dude. Ok, so it is rock. Whether it rocks or not is certainly a subjective assessment and I'm completely indifferent to it. I thought for sure that I would hate it, but I don't. I never thought that I would love it, and I don't. It's no Sweet Child o' Mine, but it's better than the bloated crap of November Rain. You can be pretty sure that this won't change the world.

Billboard has the tune and the initial reaction at rock radio. Defamer has the snarky take and a bit of the sordid tale of how the CD cd has come about. CD (allegedly) hits stores Best Buy 11/23.

Keeping company with this disaster

It was five years ago yesterday that Too Poppy favorite Elliott Smith died. The circumstances behind his death are still unresolved and the music world is less one talent. LAist has an interesting article which for me anyway gives an interesting perspective. If you're not familiar with his work, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Feel the Thunder

A few weeks ago we reported that Paul McCartney was reviving his Fireman alter ego in a whole new way. No longer would The Fireman be limited to electronic dance music - he was going to rock. The latest NPR's All Songs Considered features the new tune Sing the Changes and I agree with NPR, it is quite simply "inspired." This isn't some half-hearted, obligatory ethereal collaboration with Delerium. Somehow Youth has made Paul McCartney tap into his inner Peter Gabriel and that is evidently quite a great thing. Listen here.

According to NPR, Electric Arguments comes out November 25. This could represent a most welcome sea change of output for Sir Paul. I'm excited.

Because Down Is The New Up

I thought some might be curious to know how successful the "pay anything you want" experiment for Radiohead's In Rainbows was.

According to Warner Chappell, total sales figures for the experiment were more than the total income from Radiohead's previous release, Hail To The Thief. While a large percentage of people paid nothing, enough people paid something to make the experiment worthwhile and a "material impact" on Warner Chappell's bottom line.

No word on if they will do it again in the future. Read the full rundown if you're so inclined.

Maybe You Feel It Too

Keane's Perfect Symmetry is out today. They had me at cheap:

To celebrate the release, Amazon.com's download store are offering the entire Perfect Symmetry album for just $2.99. This offer is available until October 20th.

Boinggggg! Via Amazon MP3s

Where Are You Now?

I love when Popdose digs up an album or artist that I have assumed nobody appreciates nearly as much as I do. They've done it again today with The Devlins, this time featuring their excellent debut album Drift. Of course there's no mention of my favorite, Someone to Talk To, but the rest of the album holds up incredibly well to this day. This was one of my favorite albums to listen to as the sun set while driving that 5-hour strip of I-80 between Des Moines and Chicago in college. For some reason, it just seemed like the right fit as I recovered from two weeks of finals.

Rather than reminiscing, though, I was most interested in future plans: a solo album to be released sometime this year and a new Devlins album next year! Excellent.

Now, singer Colin Devlin strikes out on his own with a warm, intimate album of personal reflections helmed by superproducer Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan, Rufus Wainwright) ...
While The Devlins’ atmospheric grooves consistently transcended both genre and era, Democracy of One takes Colin Devlin’s reputation for erudite simplicity to another level. Devlin’s new songs explore the language of a seasoned songwriter both lyrically and sonically: lush arrangements play out like beautifully-choreographed battles between the inner self and the world outside, as that voice – part raspy speak-singing, part unpolished tenor – mingles with the surrounding guitar, piano and strings to reveal untold emotional nuances.

It reads beautifully and judging by the samples on HisSpace, the songs will live up to that description. I really appreciate Marchand's moody production. Can't wait to hear it all.

The Devlins at iTunes (can't find Drift, though, which seems to be out of print and not online)

It's No Better to Be Safe Than Sorry

Okay, we don't normally put these types of things up, but as a musical child of the 80's I simply couldn't resist. Enjoy.

But I've Nothing More To Say To You So Please Don't Ever Ask

Not one to shy away from new music, I checked out Emma Pollock based on a suggestion toopopper "Warren in PHX" left on my Lenka post.

And what a great suggestion it was. I loved the entire album instantly. And that doesn't really happen too often for me. The album is more sophisticated than Lenka and even closer to The Sundays. But chock full of female-beatley-jellyfishesque-toopoppy goodness.

Buy instead of a gumball: Paper & Glue
Buy instead of a bitter Starbucks coffee: Paper & Glue, Adrenaline, Acid Test, Here Comes the Heartbreak
Buy instead of a fast food lunch: The whole album

Her voice does remind me of another artist which I can't quite place. If you have any ideas, leave them in the comments. At first I thought it was Box The Walls lead singer Wendie Colter, but I don't think that's it.

BTW, speaking of Box The Walls/Wendie Colter, I discovered that she had a solo album, Payday, released in 1999. I'll be listening to that and reporting back. If you're not familiar with Box The Walls, check 'em out. Unfortunately, you can't find 'em on iTunes, but maybe your local used CD shop(do they still have those?) has one.