AHHH!!! NEW RADIOHEAD!!!

Well, I have nothing to share as far as actual material, but that's fine since the band is set to release their new album In Rainbows next week on October 10th (!!!) via this site that they posted yesterday. Basically you can name your own price for buying the digital download version of the album, but if you want the actual physical disc, a bonus disc, a copy of the album on vinyl with bonus tracks, and the accompanying hardcover book you'll have to shell out £40 (about $82 US) for the "discbox" that will be released December 3rd.

Since the band is not signed to any label and seem to have little interest in starting their own, this will probably be the only way to get the album. Be warned about their pre-order site though: it's a pain to use. Not terribly user-friendly, but if you're a fan and just want the dang album it might be worth the hassle.

Albums In The Day: The Records Of My Life - Pt. 34

Silverchair - Frogstomp (1995)

Ah, Silverchair... Yet another band that rode the post-grunge wave for all it was worth. My friend James had originally told me about them, saying that they were pretty cool. I didn't really pay attention to them until MTV, back when they still showed such oddities as music videos and random live performances, featured these guys playing "Tomorrow" on the roof of Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Intrigued, I picked up Frogstomp, and at the time I thought it was a competent record. From the opening bass groove of "Israel's Son", the Nirvana-isms of "Tomorrow", the faux-emo of "Suicidal Dream", to the manic energy of "Madman", Frogstomp may not have been anything revolutionary, but it served it's purpose.

Give It A Try:
"Israel's Son"
"Tomorrow"
"Pure Massacre"
"Suicidal Dream"
"Madman"

Albums In The Day: The Records Of My Life - Pt. 35

Hootie & The Blowfish - Cracked Rear View (1994)

I post this album partially as a joke, but also semi-seriously.

["What?!?", the crowd collectively gasps]

Come on, at least 75% of you reading this has to admit to having listened to this album at some point. Yes, even if you tried desperately to burn the memory of that insipid "Hold My Hand" song out of your head. If there's anything that these guys proved it's that a well-meaning college town band can occasionally catch just the right vibe and become bigger than they probably should be. Listening to their later work just validates that point ("Fairweather Johnson"? What?!?), but for a couple of years in the mid-90's these four frat boys turned light-FM juggernauts could do no wrong. Hell, it's bad enough that for the briefest time my Dad and I both actually *gulp* liked them.

Thank all that's holy that sanity never leaves one permanently. Particularly with music.

Give It A Try:
"Hold My Hand"
"Let Her Cry"
"Only Wanna Be With You"
"Running From An Angel"
"Time"

Albums In The Day: The Records Of My Life - Pt. 36

Hum - You'd Prefer An Astronaut (1995)

"She thinks she missed the train to Mars, she's out back counting stars..."

I remember hearing that line for the first time over the lightly-strummed intro, then just being enthralled by the power chord after the repeat of that same verse. I was sitting in the basement of my friend Eric's house back in '96, and he told me that absolutely needed to hear this track, and after the song broke into the main riff 45 seconds in I could see why. Hum helped open up the part of my musical taste that I'm still a sucker for to this day: good, slowcore, fuzzed-out guitar rock. You'd Be An Astronaut had it's moments otherwise, but it still can't hold a candle to the five minutes of feedback-soaked, riff-rife bliss that is "Stars".

Give It A Try:
"The Pod"
"Stars"
"Suicide Machine"
"Little Dipper"
"I'd Like Your Hair Long"