This Week's Releases

After last week, it seems like there couldn't be anything left to release. However, this week doesn't disappoint and gives us some quality music.

My emphatic pick for this week is Underworld's Oblivion with Bells. It's not often that I get to write about one of my favorite artists of all time. Underworld has been a favorite of mine since I first heard Second Toughest In The Infants and they only grew on me as time went on. I currently own every album and after I learned that the band had come back from a 5 year hiatus, I nearly jumped out of my chair with excitement. The album does not disappoint and is one of my favorite CDs of the year. If you are a fan of any type of electronic music, then check these guys out as they were some of the ground breakers of anything electronic.

Ring Road

The Northwest music scene has been hitting it big this year and now have another point to add to the scorecard with The Blakes' new self-titled album. A long time coming, this CD has been much anticipated and now fans everywhere can get their hands on it. After playing some CMJ shows and a live set on KEXP just like Le Loop, these have really made a name for themselves as a bunch of rowdy guys playing great music. Give them a listen and see what you think.

Don't Bother Me

Now to go back in time, we get a couple of great live CDs. First up is The Jimi Hendrix Experience with Live at Monterey. Bust out the drugs and tie-dyed clothes (only kidding) and get ready to travel to a simpler time. I am personally too young to have experienced all the amazing things Jimi Hendrix came up with or did on stage, but I can at least get a hint of it from this CD.

Purple Haze

The second CD is from another group I have been a fan of for a large chunk of my life and that is R.E.M. who's aptly titled live CD is called R.E.M. Live. This CD has also been a long time coming and as a fan who has never seen the band live, this seems like the perfect opportunity to try and imagine what it would be like. I am a fan of live music, both watching it and listening to it; so I am always happy when an artist puts out something like this.

Man On The Moon (from Automatic For the People)

Other great releases this week:

Soulsavers

It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land: "Revival"

Dan Wilson

Free Life: "Baby Doll"

Maritime

Heresy and the Hotel Choir: "For Science Fiction"

Kenna

Make Sure They See My Face: "Say Goodbye To Love"

Dragons of Zynth

Coronation Thieves: "Harlot Blues" (Daytrotter Session)

Throwback Thursday: R.E.M. (Post IRS)

Back in September, we covered R.E.M. in their IRS years, due to the fact that the Best Of came out at this time. It is time to revisit, as they were recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

After their stint with IRS, R.E.M. moved to a major label and took the momentum from Document to launch themselves on the road to glory. Already having a large following on college campuses and some air play from a few singles, they took over the alternative scene with the uber-catchy, radio friendly, yet still socially conscious Green. They continued with stellar albums (Out of Time, Automatic for the People), while trying new things (Is that Peter Buck playing a mandolin? Michael is bald?). The rocking Monster and the tour that accompanied it saw the end of R.E.M. as we knew it. Bill Berry almost died on tour and then left the band. New Adventures in Hi-Fi, recorded on tour and a pretty good album, kept it going, but it seemed the flame dwindled after that. While Up, Reveal, and Around the Sun have their moments, they lack the flavor of the days with IRS and the glory of the first few WB albums.

That being said, they will always be one of the most influential bands in college-rock, the indie scene, alternative, whatever you called it (I personally went through all three) and are now enshrined forever as a hall-of-fame band.

Green (1988)

Pop Song 89
World Leader Pretend

Out of Time (1991)

Country Feedback
Radio Song (feat. KRS-One)

Automatic for the People (1992)

Nightswimming
Sweetness Follows

Monster (1994)

What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)

Bittersweet Me
How the West Was Won and What It Got Us

Up (1998)

At My Most Beautiful
Lotus

Reveal (2001)

All The Way to Reno
Beat a Drum

Around the Sun (2004)

Leaving New York


And as a little bonus:

Love is All Around


Past Throwbacks:
1/25/07: Radiohead
1/18/07: The Police
1/11/07: Smashing Pumpkins
1/4/07: Ryan Adams
12/28/06: The Replacements
12/14/06: Talking Heads
12/07/06: Peter Gabriel
11/30/06: The Pixies
11/16/06: Prince
11/09/06: Ben Folds Five
11/02/06: Beastie Boys
10/26/06: Joy Division
10/19/06: They Might Be Giants
10/12/06: The Psychedelic Furs
10/05/06: The Clash
09/28/06: The Smiths
09/21/06: A Tribe Called Quest
09/14/06: R.E.M. (The IRS Era)
09/07/06: The Cure
08/31/06: Morphine
08/24/06: The Lemonheads
08/17/06: Depeche Mode
08/10/06: New Order

Throwback Thursday: I.R.S. Era R.E.M.

If someone were to ask me to name my favorite band of all time, I would probably just stand there and stare at them blankly. If someone were to ask Mike the same question, they would have their answer in the time that it took him to mutter 3 letters, R.E.M. In honor of I.R.S. finally giving them a proper best of collection this week, we felt that the time was right to do this.


R.E.M. is a band that stormed out of the college town of Athens, GA in the early 80's. In a lot of ways, they ushered in college radio and alt-country. Many believe that they were the best live band of this era. One thing you can't argue, is that they were quite prolific. In 1981, they released an E.P. and followed that with 5 studio albums and a rarities collection between '83 and '87. They remained viable through the mid 90's and have since become a touring carnival featuring a makeup wearing and bald Michael Stipe who either reads the lyrics or lip synchs. While I do not feel anywhere near as passionately about this band as Mike does, I have to respect what they did in the 80's. Many of the indie bands that we listen to today had their path paved for them by these guys.

Since there is a new collection out, we wanted to delve a little deeper in to these albums and avoid duplicating what they did. I hope that you enjoy what we came up with. These were all handpicked by Mike as the best songs that did not make the disc. He feels that in some instances, these are actually better selections.

Chronic Town (1981)
1,000,000
Wolves, Lower

Murmur (1983)
Laughing
Catapult

Reckoning (1984)
Letter Never Sent
Camera

Fables Of The Reconstruction (1985)
Maps and Legends
Green Grow The Rushes

Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)
These Days
The Flowers of Guatemala

Document (1987)
Exhuming McCarthy
Disturbance At The Heron House

In addition, we have a couple of surprises for you. I found this complete concert recorded at the Werchter Festival in Belgium on July 7, 1985. Other bands that performed that day included Depeche Mode, The Ramones and U2. Considering its age, the quality is excellent.

Feeling Gravity's Pull
Driver 8
(Don't Go Back To) Rockville
So. Central Rain
Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (CCR Cover)
Can't Get There From Here

Finally, here is a video of a live performance of Harbour Coat from 1985. Look at how young they are and check out Michael Stipe's hair. Also, this is your opportunity to see how good of a live band they once were. They had a lot of energy and Peter Buck was all over the place. Plus at this point their career, they actually were indie.

REM Harbour Coat (Live, 1985)


Past Throwbacks:
09/07/06: The Cure
08/31/06: Morphine
08/24/06: The Lemonheads
08/17/06: Depeche Mode
08/10/06: New Order