Since the first time I heard “Head Like a Hole” on the radio, I have loved Nine Inch Nails. So this week for Music Monday, I give you my list of NIN in my life.

• First NIN Album I Bought:

- “Pretty Hate Machine” – the story of how Trent created this album is one of the greatest stories of music. “Sin”, “Ringfinger” and “Sanctified” all remain strong and never sound dated.

• Favorite NIN Song To End a Workout:

- “Right Where It Belongs” from “With Teeth” – There is something about how this song flows that makes it the perfect cooling down to a strong hour long workout.

• Favorite NIN Album:

- 1999′s “The Fragile”. A double album that I regularly play from start to finish. Seriously, the entire (Left) side of the album [commonly referred to as Side 1 or Disc 1] is some of the most consistent music that flows into a single musical moment.

• Memorable NIN Concert Moment:

- I’ve seen NIN live twice: in 2005 for the “With Teeth” tour and in 1994 for the Downward Spiral tour. That tour date was at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City with my then wife Denise. The opening band was Marilyn Manson, but thanks to the giant pussy Larry H. Miller [Robin Finck's t-shirt said so], he didn’t want someone of that kind playing in his stadium. So instead of Marilyn Manson the band playing, Marilyn Manson the persona appeared on stage during the NIN set and ripped up a Book of Mormon. As for NIN themselves, it was one of the most intense concerts I’ve attended. The sound, the lights, the music, the atmosphere, the audience… all intense.

• Missed NIN Opportunity:

- In 2000, while touring for “The Fragile”, I was given the opportunity to a decent seat/ticket from a friend. I passed due to.. you know, I have no fucking clue why I passed up on opportunity to see NIN again in concert. [It had better been because I was spending time with my daughter.]

• Favorite NIN Song:

- You know how hard this is? Damn, I don’t know if I can pick a favorite. But if I had to, it would be “Heresy” from “The Downward Spiral”. The lyrics, the beat, the overall structure of the song is just good.

• Favorite cover song done by NIN:

- “Physical (You’re So)” from the “Broken” EP. Originally done by Adam and the Ants, Trent and band take this song into the next level. Musically, this song kicks some serious ass. A very close second for favorite cover is “Get Down, Make Love” for the Queen fan in me.

• Least Favorite NIN Album:

- “Year Zero” – I really, really loved the story, the lead up to the album’s release and how they got everyone – fans included – excited for new music. After a good 60 or so listens, there are parts of it that are not that enjoyable to me. Maybe if I saw them live for this tour, it would have got me more into this album.

• Most Exciting Moment In NIN History:

- When Trent won the Oscar for “The Social Network” soundtrack [along side Atticus Ross]. It was like a validation of everything he’s done from the beginning to that point in time. Plus, how cool was it to see Trent in a tux.

Original image found at Toronto Sun

• Most Respectable Move That NIN Did:

- The fan-created video project known as “Another Version of the Truth”, which has the full support of NIN. For Trent and NIN to recognize the power of the fan base over the old media dinosaur method of thinking gives him an incredible amount of respect. Trent’s criticism of the music industry was no surprise, given his support for this kind of project.

Any NIN fans out there? Any favorites you have? Comment away.

Howard Jones [no, not that HoJo] recently announced he is leaving Killswitch Engage. His statement is below:

Well, I guess I will shed a little light without going too deep. As some of you may know, I’ve had a pretty interesting couple of years to say the least battling with some personal issues. One of the low points being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes that went unchecked for years. The rest of the band stuck with me through it, and to be honest they are the ones that kept me going. The whole experience definitely put a scare in me.

“Recently we’ve all been in writing mode but somehow I couldn’t get excited about the new album and all the touring that would go with it. The guys saw it before I did. In hindsight I now realize that my heart wasn’t in it. I have had an amazing decade with KSE. I love Justin, MikeD, Joel and Adam for hanging in there and standing by me no matter how bad it was. I have so many good memories, and those are the ones that I will keep. Will I be involved in music again? Sure, I have been in bands for a little over half my life, can’t stop now. Until then, get the new KSE album, it’s going to be good. Thanks everyone for letting me try to entertain you, and I wish myself well in my future endeavors. Gone fishin’ Howard

Howard Jones with Killswitch Engage at Saltair – March 30, 2007

I’ve only seen Killswitch Engage twice and both times, the band killed it. They are my favorite metalcore band and their sound, lyrics and on stage persona stands up as one of the best and most popular. I am sad to hear of Howard’s leaving, but hope he gets better and also hope they can find a lead singer soon, given they are working a new album this year and have a tour starting in a few months.

My regular readers know that I really like Miniature Tigers. My daughter introduced me to them a few years ago and I’ve really embraced their sound, which has some hints of island sounds and tropical musical highlights.

In between mini tours, they have been hard at work on a new album and have recently released the details. It’s called “Mia Pharaoh” and it comes out on March 6th. Here’s the track listing:

1. Sex On The Regular
2. Female Doctor
3. Cleopatra
4. Afternoons With David Hockney
5. Easy As All That
6. Flower Door
7. Boomerang
8. Ugly Needs
9. Angel Bath
10. Husbands and Wives

Here’s the video to their lastest song “Female Doctor”

Last year, they released the single “Boomerang” which I played quite often and is officially released with this new album. It’s a wonderfully catchy song. And if “Female Doctor” sounds anything like the other 8 tracks on the album, this slightly more pop sound of this indie band will explode them into the mainstream this year.

When we last left you here on Music Monday, we talked about the teaser video that Van Halen tossed out about a new tour and a new album. Well, to announce the dates and give fans proof they are really doing something, they jammed to an invite-only event on Jan 5th at Cafe Wha? in New York. After reading the reviews, seeing some photos and watching the plethora of YouTube footage captured from that night, I can honestly say that they are back [well, not completely since Michael Anthony is not part of this] and look and sound like they are ready to take on 2012 in a big way.

David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Wolfgang Van Halen are look like they are fit, cleaned up, the same and well trained as a band. The new album titled “A Different Kind Of Truth” drops Feb 7th.

Track Listing

1. Tattoo
2. She’s The Woman
3. You and Your Blues
4. China Town
5. Blood and Fire
6. Bullethead
7. As Is
8. Honeybabysweetiedoll
9. The Trouble With Never
10. Outta Space
11. Stay Frosty
12. Big River
13. Beats Workin’

New song “She’s The Woman”

Somebody Get Me a Doctor

Tour Dates

No Salt Lake date, so I will be traveling for this tour.

February
• 18th – Louisville, KY
• 20th – Auburn Hills, MI
• 22nd – Indianapolis, IN
• 24th – Chicago, IL
• 28th – New York, NY

March

• 1st – New York, NY
• 3rd – Uncasville, CT
• 5th – Philadelphia, PA
• 9th – Buffalo, NY
• 11th – Boston, MA
• 15th – Montreal, QC
• 17th – Toronto, ON
• 21st – Ottawa, ON
• 24th – Atlantic City, NJ
• 28th – Washington, DC

April

• 1st – Rosemont, IL
• 10th – Sunrise, FL
• 12th – Tampa, FL
• 14rh – Orlando, FL
• 16th – Jacksonville, FL
• 19th – Atlanta, GA
• 21st – Greensboro, NC
• 25th – Charlotte, NC
• 27th – Nashville, TN

May

• 1st – Tulsa, OK
• 5th – Tacoma, WA
• 7th – Vancouver, BC
• 9th – Calgary, AB
• 11th – Edmonton, AB
• 17th – Winnipeg, MB
• 19th – St. Paul, MN
• 22nd – Kansas City, MO
• 24th – Denver, CO
• 27th – Las Vegas, NV

June

• 1st – Los Angeles, CA
• 3rd – Oakland, CA
• 5th – San Jose, CA
• 12th – Anaheim, CA
• 14th – San Diego, CA
• 16th – Phoenix, AZ
• 20th – Dallas, TX
• 22nd – San Antonio, TX
• 24th – Houston, TX
• 26th – New Orleans, LA

Reviews

Long Video

And one last video that melds a few songs together

Audio is so-so, but video is nice and up close

As we end the 2011 year of music, we were presented with a highly anticipated announcement from the Van Halen camp today. New tour and new album for 2012.

The rumor mill for the last 18 months has been pretty wild. The last time this band toured was in 2008. They signed with Interscope Records last month, which in of itself was riddled with rumors. But officially, they are now back. No dates for the tour yet, but they go on sale January 10th. So guess we’ll see where they go.

As for the new album. I’m guessing from the above photo I posted, it will be released on Feb 7th. Or maybe it will just be the first single from the album. Anyone’s guess at this point.

Thanks for reading my music posts this year. I’ll be starting off 2012 with more Music Monday on Jan 2nd with a list of albums that I expect to get in the new year. Happy New Year and let’s hope for another great year of music in 2012.

I’ve only seen Guns N’ Roses once before, back in 1991 before the “Use Your Illusion” albums came out. The only two line up changes were Matt Sorum on drums, replacing Steven Adler and the addition of keyboardist Dizzy Reed. The show was pretty good, even though the band didn’t take the stage until much later.

Fast forward twenty years with a new line up that is now eight members strong, with the only two members holding over are Axl Rose and Dizzy Reed.

Axl

The idea that a band can keep going without what has become known as the classic lineup is nothing new. Lots of bands have a revolving door of members come and go. But GnR is held to a different standard. Watching this new line up live showed this die-hard fan that even new members can really play well. The show started late, but was on time [the band took the stage at exactly 11pm]. All of the band members started at full throttle.

Axl and DJ Ashba

DJ Ashba is the lead guitarist, a position once held by Slash. Other than the missing top hat, this guitarist proved to be a phenom and quite active on the stage. I was impressed by this guy, who also shreds for Nikki Sixx’ band Sixx:A.M. not to mention the early 2000 group Beautiful Creatures.

Axl on piano

The songs were varied, from the opener “Chinese Democracy” moving right into “Welcome To The Jungle” with the concert ending with “Paradise City” – with a diverse set of other GnR classics to newer songs all in between. Two AC/DC covers “Riff Raff” and “Whole Lotta Rosie” and a piano medley of Elton John starters by Axl made this three hour show rather enjoyable. Axl’s vocals were top notch for a 49-year-old singer. No real missteps here.

End Of Show – Take a Bow

My overall thoughts going into this show were wondering how I would keep thinking about the missing classic lineup during the show. But as the lights came on after the show, I really was quite impressed at what Axl and Co. can perform. Tommy Stinson, Richard Fortus, Bumblefoot, Frank Ferrer were all on top of their talents, coming together to make for a night [and early morning] of great music.

Miniature Tigers

Charlie, Algernon, Rick

On a more toned down rock and roll note, the indie band known as Miniature Tigers played an after midnight show at Bar Deluxe later in the week. Lead singer Charlie Brand is joined by Rick, Algernon and newest member Brandon to kick up a nice set of tunes.

Brandon on bass

“Gold Skull”, “Japanese Woman”, “Sex on the Regular” and “Boomerang” worked well. There were a few mixing board mishaps, but other than that, this band proved to me once again that they are not to be missed when they come to town.

If you are a fan of Slash in any of the bands he’s been in, this is an album to check out. It was recorded live in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent, England.

Track Listing

1. “Been There Lately” (from Ain’t Life Grand)
2. “Nightrain” (from Appetite for Destruction)
3. “Ghost” (from Slash)
4. “Mean Bone” (from Ain’t Life Grand)
5. “Back from Cali” (from Slash)
6. “Rocket Queen” (from Appetite for Destruction)
7. “Civil War” (from Use Your Illusion II)
8. “Nothing to Say” (from Slash)
9. “Starlight” (from Slash)
10. “Promise” (from Slash)
11. “Doctor Alibi” (from Slash)
12. “Speed Parade” (from Ain’t Life Grand)
13. “Watch This” (from Slash)
14. “Beggars & Hangers-On” (from It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere)
15. “Patience” (from G N’ R Lies)
16. “Guitar Solo / Godfather Theme”
17. “Sweet Child o’ Mine” (from Appetite for Destruction)
18. “Slither” (from Contraband)
19. “By the Sword” (from Slash)
20. “Mr. Brownstone” (from Appetite for Destruction)
21. “Paradise City” (from Appetite for Destruction)

This album is a great work of production. I first heard a couple of the songs on Eddie Trunk Live on SiriusXM Boneyard 38. All parts of Slash’s bands are represented here, with a heavy emphasis on the first Guns n’ Roses album. Myles Kennedy is no Axl Rose, but he’s quite able to hit some nice high notes and appears to handle the stage like a rock frontman should.

Definitely an album that I highly recommend for any rock and Slash fan.

It’s that time again. The end of the year when I go through all of the music that came out in 2011 and pick which ones made my list. This year, I actually assign numbers, leading up to my number one pick. I also have listed those that didn’t quite the make the top 10, those that I liked, but still growing on me, ones I’ve not had a chance to listen to much and a special mention for one of my favorite albums of the year.

And here we go….

10. We Were Promised Jetpacks “In the Pit of the Stomach”
    
    KevinIL turned me onto this band and as I recently blogged, this second album has some great tracks on it like “Circles and Squares” and “Sore Thumb” that have a great flow to them, and that bit of hard edge that puts this somewhat obscure band and album at the start of my best of 2011 list.
9. Neon Indian “Era Extraña”
   
   I saw this band live before I heard any of their studio songs. The raw energy of being in the audience and feeling their giant cloud of sound surround everyone in attendance, I had to hear more. So this year, they released this album of electronica that was immediately embraced. From “Fallout” to “Polish Girl” and every other track from this release is great from start to finish. It’s just that bit of different sound of synths that separates this band from the rest.
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers “I’m With You”
   
   Since Mother’s Milk was released in 1989, I’ve been an RHCP fan. I’ve stuck with them through the several exits of John Frusciante and the myriad of guitarists that came and went [a special nod to Dave Navarro, even though he wasn't the best fit]. So with this new album, comes a new axe man in Josh Klinghoffer. And he shines on tracks like the album opener “Monarchy Of Roses” to “Look Around,” proving that this band’s sound still has what it takes to make a rock record these days.
7. Grouplove “Never Trust A Happy Song”
   
   Another band I saw live this year, who were just a fun band to see. Add to that the radio play “Naked Kids” received, which is itself an addictive anthem that you chant while listening. And then there’s the iPod touch commercial that showcased another song “Tongue Tied” that easily gets committed to memory. The rest of the album doesn’t disappoint, either, for being a late entry to my playlist. Excited to see this band live again in 2012.
6. M83 “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”
   
   Who knew this band had five previous albums before this double disc release. Well, I obviously didn’t. But no matter since this new effort quickly grew on me. With songs like the big international hit “Midnight City” and the upbeat “Claudia Lewis”, the sounds are just stellar productions of greatness. Their creative mixes help cement this record as a favorite.
5. Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues”
   
   I initially panned this band as a bunch of throwback Beach Boys fans trying to recreate that magical sound from the mid 60′s ‘Pet Sounds’ era. Well, after many listens to their debut album, I became hooked. So when they released this second album, I wondered if it was just going to be a rehash of the same songs. Nope. Much more grander on the musical scale. Tracks like “Montezuma” and the most recent single “The Shrine / An Argument” proves they are not just retreading their sound.
4. The Airborne Toxic Event “All At Once”
   
   And adding another band to my list of ones I’ve seen live that find an incredible way of duplicating their in studio sound to the stage. The vocals of Mikel Jollet are amazing and his range on songs like “All At Once” and “Changing”, accompanied by a bevy of musical talent once again keep them on my top list for this year’s album release.
3. Adele “21″
   
   Normally it takes a lot for me to embrace a British solo female artist, like Lily Allen, who is one of my favorites. But I add Adele, who continues to impress me. This sophomore album scores big with a giant sound on songs like “He Won’t Go” and “Someone Like You.” She’s had her recent share of vocal issues which I hope she can recover from to make a huge comeback. For now and for most of this year, this album has continued on it’s path of greatness.
2. Foo Fighters “Wasting Light”
   
   So let’s get this one out of the way right now. Sybil, I know you are probably saying “What the fuck, Marty?” And yes, this album was amazing this year, even though it came in as my second favorite of 2011. And their live show in October made my top 10 list of all time best concerts I’ve attended in almost 30 years.

   But coming in second place means this seventh studio release by this band is no loser. On the contrary, this is the best rock album of the year. I can’t find a single track on this record that was bad. Loved the videos for “Rope” and “Walk” The intense guitar work in tracks like “A Matter Of Time” and “Bridge Burning.” The thundering bass and drums in “Back & Forth.” I can’t praise this album enough. While there are Foo records that I place higher in the Foo Chain, this is one of their best. And that says a lot for one made in Dave’s garage on all analog equipment. Rock on, Mr. Grohl.

1. Foster The People “Torches”
   
   I first heard the song “Pumped Up Kicks” in 2010 on SiriusXM’s Alt Nation channel. They played the song a lot. In fact, once it caught on, they played it too much. I had to back away from this song for a while because I really got tired of hearing this song.

   Fast forward to April 2011 when they were gearing up to release this debut album. I decided to pre-order the album from their web site, which came with an instant download of four of their songs, including the afore mentioned hit single. I found other songs that were more in tune to my ears. “Helena Beat” and “Houdini” were so much more. Then the album released, introducing me to other tracks like “Call It What You Want” and “Don’t Stop (Color On The Walls)”

   Then I saw them live and met them at an acoustic show and was really pumped up [natch] about this Los Angeles-based band. Sure, there were some comparisons to MGMT, but I heard a fun and new sound that had a throwback to the 80′s. And it’s all of these reasons why this album became my favorite for the year. I can’t wait to see them live again and to see what other music they will create in 2012.

Growing On Me

I like these albums. I really do. I call them all 10.5 on my 2011 list.

• Explosions In The Sky “Take Care, Take Care, Take Care”
  
  This instrumental only band has been a favorite of my daughters for a while. I listened to the song “Trembling Hands” and really, really liked it. Now the rest of album is growing on me, thanks to Spotify.
• Radiohead “The King of Limbs”
  
  I am an unapologetic fan of Radiohead. I loved “In Rainbows” when it came out in 2007. And I even talked about how this album might end up on my best of 2011 list. Well, I guess it did, but it’s just not growing on me like I thought it would to make the top 10.
• St. Vincent “Strange Mercy”
  
  To me, this is the definition of a hipster album. Lots of melancholy sounds and vocals. This is like a female version of The National, with a bit more upbeat sound thrown in for good measure. Regardless, the background sound tends to stay in the background.

Took It To 11

And I don’t mean that in the Spinal Tap interpretation. Not bad, not horrible… just not in the top 10 of my favorites.

• The Cars “Move Like This”
  
  After 24 years, The Cars came out with a new album. And for this Cars fan, it was highly anticipated. It’s good, but after listening to it for most of the year, I admit it didn’t have the staying power to make the top 10 list.
• Jane’s Addiction “The Great Escape Artist”
  
  It was hard to believe this was only their fourth studio album. And it was a good effort. But after many listens, it fell off my replay list quicker than I expected. Maybe I needed to see them live to reinvigorate my interest.

Queued Up

Albums that I have heard good feedback on or already have an invested interest in the band. Here’s my thoughts after a couple spins.

• KoRn “The Path Of Totality”
  
  I just barely got this album this last week. I have all other KoRn albums and while I prefer their sound from their first five releases, I’m actually not hating this completely new direction. There’s a core sound here, but it’s way more techno than you’d expect from this nu-metal band from Bakersfield, CA.
• Bon Iver “Bon Iver”
  
  Not really a fan, but I’ve heard really good things about this album. I’ve listened to it a few times on Spotify and it’s not bad. Perhaps a few more listens and I’ll learn to embrace it more.
• Yuck “Yuck”
  
  I saw this on many of the best of lists for this year and had heard the song “Get Away” and it’s catchy sound. The rest of the album is just as catchy. It’s got a slight Smashing Pumpkins feel to it, mixed with some indie guitars.

Special Mention: Pearl Jam “20″

While a favorite of mine, as evidenced by my glowing review of it, this album really belongs in a special place [saving the best for last, if you would like to look at this way] on this 2011 list.

• Pearl Jam “Twenty”
  
  What more can I say that I’ve not already said about this soundtrack to the Cameron Crowe-directed documentary. Just about every track is a pleasure to listen to for any long time Pearl Jam fan.

Any thoughts, favorites or omissions? Comment away

I blogged about this album a few months back and now that it’s been out for a while [iTunes, Amazon], I’ve been playing it a lot and have to say I am enjoying it very much. It’s a two disc set that takes you way back at the beginning and brings you forward to present day.

Here is the track listing:

Disc 1

1. “Release” (live in Verona, Italy, September 16 2006)
2. “Alive” (live in Seattle, WA, December 22 1990)
3. “Garden” (live in Zurich, Switzerland, February 19 1992)
4. “Why Go” (live in Hamburg, Germany, March 10 1992)
5. “Black” (MTV Unplugged in New York, NY, March 16 1992)
6. “Blood” (live in Auckland, New Zealand, March 25 1995)
7. “Last Exit” (live in Taipei, Taiwan, February 24 1995)
8. “Not for You” (live in Manila, Philippines, February 26 1995)
9. “Do the Evolution” (Monkeywrench Radio, Seattle, WA, January 31 1998)
10. “Thumbing My Way” (take 2, Seattle, WA, September 6 2002)
11. “Crown of Thorns” (live in Las Vegas, NV, October 22 2000)
12. “Let Me Sleep (Christmas Time)” (Verona, Italy, September 16 2006)
13. “Walk with Me” (live with Neil Young, Mountain View, CA, October 23 2010)
14. “Just Breathe” (live in New York, NY, March 13 2010)

Disc 2

15. “Say Hello 2 Heaven” (Temple of the Dog demo, 1990)
16. “Times of Trouble” (demo, 1990)
17. “Acoustic #1″ (demo, 1991)
18. “It Ain’t Like That” (Alice In Chains cover, demo, 1990)
19. “Need to Know” (Matt Cameron demo, 2007)
20. “Be Like Wind” (Mike McCready score, 2010)
21. “Given to Fly” (Mike McCready acoustic instrumental, July 29 2010)
22. “Nothing as It Seems” (Jeff Ament Montana demo, 1999)
23. “Nothing as It Seems” (live in Seattle, WA, October 22 2001)
24. “Indifference” (live in Bologna, Italy, September 14 2006)
25. “Of the Girl” (instrumental, 2000)
26. “Faithfull” (soundcheck in Pistoia, Italy, September 20 2006)
27. “Bu$hleaguer” (live in Uniondale, NY, April 30 2003)
28. “Better Man” (live in New York, NY, May 21 2010)
29. “Rearviewmirror” (live in Universal City, CA, October 1 2009)

Tracks that are getting a lot of multiple plays are #6 “Blood”, #11 “Crown Of Thorns”, #26 “Faithful” and #29 “Rearviewmirror”. These songs are so strong as live cuts, demos and sound checks. Track 11 in particular was played at the 10th anniversary performance, which if you know the history of Pearl Jam, you will really appreciate how well this cover was done live. And track 29 was during their last major tour in 2009, which was the last time I saw them live.

Pearl Jam Twenty on DVD

So after you listen to these songs, you need to go and seek out the documentary, which is so well done [it was done by Cameron Crowe, so it has brilliance already written on it]. It’s on DVD and Netflix Instant Watch. You won’t be disappointed.

Today’s Music Monday is coming to you a bit late. And it’s a bit lazy, too. Forgive me. I’ll be back next week with a post of more substance.

The Rio PM300

Anyway, since the early 2000′s, I’ve had many MP3 players, starting with the Rio PMP300 [mine was actually in clear teal] and had 32mb of space. That held maybe five songs. Primitive much?

Rio PMP300 Clear Teal

Today, I have several iPods, and iPhone and an iPad. My main iPod is still my 30gb, but it’s been recently plugged into my iPod adapter and mostly stays in the car, soon to be replaced by an iPhone 4S with 32gb of space. It’s evolved into quite a collection, which get upgraded every so often [mostly to increase space or reduce size].

So with that, the question begs: How many iPods or digital MP3 players do you own? Phones that play digital audio count, too.

What’s old is new again. That’s the beauty of an album re-release.

Such is the case with Mayfield, which was a collaborative project by Curt Smith in 1997. Here’s some history of this album.

Previous album cover from 1997 original release

Most know Curt as a member of Tears For Fears. During his ten year hiatus from the band, he met up with Charlton Pettus and they wrote some songs and created a band. What came out of it was ten tracks that had a familiar TFF sound, mixed with a creative pop that flows quite well. The main single that alternative radio played was “What Are We Fighting For” which is a strong lead off track that’s equally catchy.

1. What Are We Fighting For?
What Are We Fighting For by curtsmith

But as with some albums, this one went out of print. I was lucky enough to have had a CD of it, but at some point in the last 14 years, that CD is no where to be found.

Lucky for me, I can remedy that. Starting tomorrow – November 15th – the album gets re-released, with a bonus track. So if you are a fan of Tears For Fears and especially Curt Smith’s solo work, I highly recommended getting this album.

Click on this link to open a page with links to download the album from Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp and other sources.

The Great Escape Artist

Since 1988′s “Nothing’s Shocking” album hit the scene, Jane’s Addiction has been one of my favorite hard edge alternative bands. And while they have only released four studio albums [not counting the endless number of compilation albums], they seem to always matter musically on many levels. Three of the original members remain for their latest album. Tracks like the first single “End To The Lies” are easily trumped by other songs like “Irresistible Force” which is a force of sound escaping from the speakers or headphones. Their trademark sound is evident in “Ultimate Reason”, which is more like a leftover from 2003′s “Strays” album. Evolving is what this album is all about and any Jane’s fan will like it, even if it lacks the bite from music released 23 years ago.

Hurry Up We’re Dreaming

Hurry Up We’re Dreaming

I’m a newcomer to the M83 scene. How new? Well, this is my first M83 album. Yeah, catching on with their sixth release. Better late than never. So what do I think? This double disc of electronica is a dream. Far beyond the lead single of “Midnight City”, the tracks on this album are all filled with dance, funk, pop and a bit of smooth. Songs like “Train To Pluton”, “Splendor” and “Steve McQueen” are quite accomplished numbers. Normally it takes a double album quite a few listens before it grows on me. And so it is with the latest from this French outfit. I hope to have many more listens.

In The Pit Of The Stomach

In The Pit Of The Stomach

Thanks to KevinIL for turning me onto this band. A nice mix of alternative, indie and edgy rock, this sophomore album picks up where their debut album “These Four Walls” left off. Tracks like the opener “Circles and Squares” with it’s raw guitars to “Picture of Health” which shows off their musical stylings quite well to the very Radiohead-esque “Sore Thumb” are all flowing with creative lyrics and jams. I am really liking this album with each additional play. Not bad for a Scottish group breaking into the US indie territory.