I Found Meaning In A Tacky Old Guitar

Pop maestro Bleu is prepping his fifth full-length album for release next year and he's sharing a couple new tunes here. It's Not Over sounds like early Bleu through an 80s McCartney filter - very poppy. And Won't Make It Out Alive is a nice folksy tune with some electronic blips and whistles to make it just a bit different.

Bleu is also touring this fall. Check out dates here.

Finally, Bleu stopped by the Daytrotter studio in July to tape a session. Check it out here.

Official Site | iTunes | Amazon

I Feel Just Like Yesterday's Boy

The underrated House of Love is rereleasing their debut album in a loaded 3-disc set on November 26. Crazy that the original album was released way back in 1988. The set is probably worth it for the five different versions of the band's indisputable classic Shine On, but early House of Love is the best House of Love. Can't wait.

Official Announcement | Amazon | iTunes

The News Of The Day

Duncan Sheik is releasing a remix of his 80s covers album in case you didn't get enough the first time around. The painfully-obviously-titled Covers Eighties Remixed is out next week and is now available for pre-order. His voice seems well-suited for the synth-era so it should be interesting. Duncan is also touring. Details below.

Official Site | Amazon MP3 | iTunes | Tour

I Just Need Something To Remember You By

Dada was always unfairly pigeonholed as a one-hit wonder novelty act because their biggest hit happened to dream the dream of flipping "off President George" Bush and celebrating at "Dizz Knee Land." Sure, it's a one-joke, of-its-time tune that evokes a smile every time it shuffles its way out of the iPod, but if you chose to excuse Dada as a result you have been missing out.

Undoubtedly their peak was with their debut album Puzzle, which includes the aforementioned hit. Dada expertly weaved melodic pop, jam, and hard rock into a cohesive and eclectic long-player that stood out among its peers but could never overcome the grunge phenomenon. It's hard to believe it's already been 20 years since its release. The music really sparkles live in concert so I was thrilled to find out they'd be touring in celebration. Starting in January, Dada will hit the hotspots including Park West in Chicago where I saw them - well - 20 years ago.

Tour Dates | iTunes | Amazon MP3

As Much As You Can Stand

Mike Viola is releasing the original version of the Candy Butchers' self-titled album from 1996 in its original form. Here's the crazy backstory on the album along with a couple of samples. Man, the music industry really sucks. Thankfully Viola has his own label that allows him the flexibility to dig deep and release such gems. Man, the music industry sucks a little less.

The album features some tunes you may have heard before, but these are "NOT the ones you’ve heard before. These are raw. These are stripped down and dirty. These are the Candy Butchers."

Pre-order the vinyl and CD here

Yuletide Carols

Here in Iowa the temperature dropped about 40 degrees in the past 24 hours - par for the course this time of year. Good or bad, it reminds me we're perilously close to the holidays. Hear Music embraces that by releasing Holidays Rule on All Hallows' Eve -er - Eve, a new holiday compilation featuring Paul McCartney with a smoooooth version of The Christmas Song and The Shins' version of McCartney's holiday standard Wonderful Christmastime. Fun, Rufus Wainwright, Fruit Bats, and others also contribute to what sounds like a very eclectic yet deferential album that could very well soundtrack the Too Poppy household this holiday season.

Amazon MP3 | Samples | McCartney Stream

Hush

For a band with only two full-length albums, Jellyfish really knows how to milk them (catch that?) However, Jellyfish fans are undeniably voracious consumers in desperate need of anything remotely related to the band. And if you're familiar with those two amazing albums you completely understand.

Omnivore Records is releasing the instrumental versions of Bellybutton and Spilt Milk. Details...

Both albums, start to finish, as they’ve never been heard before. These versions of Bellybutton and Spilt Milk were created in the studio, at the time of their original recording/mixing. These are not “remixes” from the multi-tracks. To do that would have compromised the integrity of what was originally envisioned, potentially eliminating or dismissing elements that are actually there, yet not as audible under the vocals. This is not a “re-imagining” of what these records “might” sound like as instrumentals. They’re the real deal, transferred from the original 1/4″ masters.

This special release called Stack-a-Tracks is limited and will be available on Record Store Day. I guess I know where I'll be on November 23. Amazon also has the pre-order. Cool. Cool. Cool.

I Want To Relive All My Adolescent Dreams

Guster tours on ... acoustically ...

1/04 New Orleans LA @ House of Blues (full rock show -- not acoustic)
1/05 Dallas TX* @ Meyerson Symphony Center (Guster + Dallas Symphony Orchestra)
1/06 Austin TX @ Central Presbyterian Church (acoustic show)
1/08 Birmingham AL @ Workplay Theater (acoustic show)
1/10 Atlanta GA @ Variety Playhouse (acoustic show)
1/11 Atlanta GA @ Variety Playhouse (acoustic show)
1/12 Durham NC @ Carolina Theater of Durham (acoustic show)
1/14 Bloomington IN @ Buskirk Chumley Theater (acoustic show)
1/17 Northampton MA @ Calvin Theater @ PAC (acoustic show)
1/18 Port Chester NY @ Capitol Theater (acoustic show)
1/19 Portsmouth NH @ The Music Hall (acoustic show)

I'm Not Complaining

The great Barsuk Records is streaming the new solo album Former Lives by Death Cab for Cutie's Benjamin Gibbard in its entirety via YouTube. See here or below.



Album is officially released next week.

iTunes | Amazon MP3

Let's All Get Up and Dance to a Song

Grab your intoxicant of choice and hop a ride on the Magical Mystery Tour. Yep, the wacked-out remastered movie by The Beatles teased here is out today. Get the trippy online experience here. The actual movie and soundtrack have been redone and are available exactly where you'd expect them to be.

iTunes | Amazon

And never ones to miss a format, The Beatles have finally decided to honor the renaissance and release their catalog in vinyl - the way they were meant to be heard. Amazon has the box set for a nifty four hundies.