Cough Up The Bucks

Stream Neil Young's new album Fork in the Road free at HisSpace before its official release on 4/7.

Fork In The Road is a new series of songs inspired both by the world economic and climate change crises, as well as by Neil Young's well-documented obsession with cars — specifically the LincVolt, a 1959 model Lincoln that Young has restored and converted into an electrically powered hybrid. Many of the songs were first performed live during Young's world tour last year.

via Blogcritics.org

Genuflect Beneath the Starry Skies

Billboard.com:

The Jayhawks, the lauded Americana band originally from Minneapolis, are reuniting their mid-90s line-up for a pair of summer shows, with plans to play together more next year.

So there you are. Read more details here. I'm a huge fan of Smile - one of the albums without Mark Olson. I do remember a great deal of controversy around its release that it was TOO POPPY! Gasp! As if there's such a thing.

Mark Olson & Gary Louris acoustic tour dates:

April 6: Seattle, WA (Triple Door)
April 7: Portland, OR (Aladdin)
April 9: San Francisco, CA (Great American Music Hall)
April 10: Santa Cruz (The Crepe Place)
April 11: Los Angeles, CA (Largo At The Coronet)
April 12: Solana Beach, CA (Belly Up)
April 13: Tucson, AZ (Club Congress)
April 15: Santa Fe, NM (Santa Fe Brewing Company)
April 17: Dallas, TX (Sons Of Hermann Hall)
April 18: Austin, TX (Antone's)

The Jayhawks tour dates:

May 30th: Barcelona, Spain (Primavira Sound '09 Festival)
July 10: Minneapolis, MN (Basilica Block Party)

Who Knows What Tomorrow Might Bring?

Our good friend Brandon Schott (and others) will be appearing at Cancerpalooza LA '09 on May 19 at Molly Malones in LA (that's Los Angeles, not Louisiana).

Cancerpalooza is about empowering young adults affected by cancer and raising awareness for the cause of "cancer under 40" through an artists showcase featuring musicians diagnosed in the prime of their lives who chose to get busy living by expressing themselves and sharing their story through the art of their survivorship.

More info here. I can't be there so you should.

We Gotta Make It Happen

Wow, it's nice to stumble upon stuff like this. Too Poppy favorite and power pop staple The Candyskins have a (very sparse) Facebook page with 4 unreleased songs - Get A Lot Done, Make It Happen, I Remember You, Stars Shine. Listen here.

It's nice to hear their distinctive sound again as it has been awhile for me. This means I'll be listening on the way home today.


Too Poppy Must-Have Album: The Space I'm In
Too Poppy Must-Have Song (if you don't buy the album): I Never Will Forget You

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Related: Mark Cope from The Candyskins also has a 'new' band - Nine Stone Cowboy. While I haven't had a chance to listen to more than a handful of 30 second clips in iTunes, they at least seem to have the same 'feel' as The Candyskins. The vocals are certainly familiar.

So Tired of the Same Ol' Crud

Here's some Fresh Blood via EELS at TheirSpace. Sounds Folk Implosiony.

HOMBRE LOCO out June 2.

Always Has a Replay

On May 5, The Smithereens continue their long avoidance to releasing new original material with The Smithereens Play Tommy, a tribute to the classic Who album that turns 40 this year.

The Smithereens decided to make a proper, all-out studio version of one of the albums that inspired their rock dreams of becoming a band in the first place for this 40th anniversary tribute. The Who's unique sound will never be duplicated, but then again neither will The Smithereens' sound that has made them enduring rock icons over the past 25 plus years. The result is part Who, part Smithereens. Part totally familiar, and part unexpectedly unique... and 100% tour de force. The Smithereens' "musical dreams ain't quite what they seem" -- the result is more than a loving tribute and much more like an inspired re-imagining. After listening to this album a few times, you may never hear any of The Who's versions of Tommy the same way again.

Oh, and they promise a new original album later this year - after they release their re-imagining of More of the Monkees and an acoustic remixed live version of their Meet the Smithereens Beatles tribute.

I kid. I kid.

A Welcome Arrow Through the Heart

Snow Patrol announced this week they will be supporting Coldplay on the North American leg of their tour, which includes Des Moines. This will make my June 12 so much better - a twofer!

Why do I feel guilty about liking Snow Patrol? A Hundred Million Suns has yet to wow me, though.