James Triumphant Return!

After a depressing break up (at least for me) in 2001 James Return with their 10th Studio Album Hey Ma and it's excellent!! Fans of James will not be disappointed and they might even make some new ones. Time will tell were this album will fall amongst all their albums as they have many great ones. My favorites from them are 1993's big commercial crossover success Laid and 1999's almost un-noticed in the US Millionaires. For me the beauty of James has mostly been their underground status, just under the radar for the most part. Except for their brief commerical success in the early 90's they've mostly been an under the radar band and that's kinda were I like them. What's the fun if everyone was into them? They've probably gotten more fame in the last few years due to nice placements of their big 1993 hit Laid which came out in American Pie as well as commercials. Seems they reunited like other big bands to play some festivals when their fans began clamoring for new material and then bang a new album was born. They've not lost any of their passion and even get political in tracks like Hey Ma were Tim sings 'hey ma, the boys in bodybags, coming home in pieces.' Tim Booths voice sounds as beautiful as ever! Long may they live!!! The album is already out in the Europe and will be available in the US on Sept 16th. Here's a couple of my favorites to tide you over till then...

P.S. Much thanks to Rob who sent me the album!!

MP3: Whiteboy (YSI)
MP3: Of Monsters & Heroes & Men (YSI)

Here's a Classic James Track off of another under-appreciated album of theirs 1997's Whiplash. Although not their best, it had several stand out tracks, like this one.

MP3: Waltzing Along (YSI)

Happy Hour!

It's about that time! It's FRRRIIIIDDAAAYYY!!! Get out of the office and find your favorite 2-4-1 and get lit!

The self-proclaimed fourth best band in Hull (after Red Guitars, Everything but the Girl, and The Gargoyles), The Housemartins broke through with the single Happy Hour in 1986.

You may recognize the drummer from the band (2nd one after Ted Key left) as little ol' Norman Cook better know as Fatboy Slim.

Anyways, this track is a little blast from the past to get your evening started!

MP3: Happy Hour (YSI)

Super Early Release

The Super Furry Animals are releasing their 8th studio album on August 27th. Continuing their tried and true blend of pop, folk, psychedelica and eccentric lyrics. Check out the song titles...

1. The Gateway Song
2. Runaway
3. Show Your Hand
4. The Gift
5. Neo Consumer
6. Into the Night
7. Baby Ate My Eight Ball
8. Carbon Dating
9. Suckers
10. Battersea Odyssey

Yes you read correctly, Baby Ate My Eight Ball. Here's to hoping they go back to their "Rings Around World" days. Their last albums have been a little ho-hum. Not horrible but not "Slow Life".

MP3: Neo Consumer
MP3: Into the Night

The bassist from Super Furry Animals is the next person chosen to handpick the tracks from Trojan Records vaults for a dub compilation. Furry Selection: Luxury Cuts of Trojan by a Super Furry Animal is out now. Excellent series. The last one was curated by Jonny Greenwood (Jonny Greenwood Is The Controller) and is up for a Mojo award for best compilation of the year.

Still on my power trip...

Sucks that my selection is limited while I am at work or it would get REALLY crazy in here.

Here is an underrated Klaxons track from their album Myths of the Near Future. Thankfully it is not Nu-rave.

MP3: Forgotten Works

That is my dog Renzo in the picture. You have no idea how cool he is. Definition of cool. Coolisimo. I also test drove a 2008 Audi TT today during lunch. Ees berry niiice.

THE VERVE REUNITE!

So excited to hear about The Verve

Reunion! Glad they didn't wait till they were 50 either. NME just reported that one of my favorite all time Brit-Pop bands The Verve will be reuniting for a European Tour and New Album!

Back in 97' there were 3 albums that I couldn't stop listening to. One was Radiohead's 'OK Computer' the other Pulp's 'This is Hardcore' and lastly The Verve's 'Urban Hymns'! All classic albums that I think will hold up well to the most important test of all, time. But The Verve were at the time my absolute favorites. So much so that I went out and bought every import single they put out for Urban Hymns. 2 import cds for every single.

I remember driving all the way to Sawgrass Mills (about 45 min drive from were I used to live) to go buy them at a Specs they had there. Which at the time had alot of great stuff, especially hard to find import CD's. I spent a crap load of money on those import CDs, but it was well worth it. Each CD had 1 or 2 bonus tracks that weren't on the album. By the time you added them up you had another albums worth of new Verve music in b-sides. Not bad for a die hard fan.

Anyways right at the peak of their success they broke up! Damnit! I was so pissed as I'm sure a lot of their fans were. Apparently the guitarist Nick McCabe and Richard Ashcroft couldn't get along. It was pretty frustrating to know that was gonna be it. To break up at their creative peak. To this day I still play 'Bittersweet Symphony' to close out a lot of my parties. It's a perfect come down song to mellow out the night/crowd and those strings and lyrics are untouchable. 'Cause it's a Bittersweet Symphony, that's life....'

I'm just glad their back to give us some new music! Richard Ashcroft tried to do a solo thing for the last 10 years or so and it wasn't bad. The first solo album and last one were good, but it didn't reach anywhere near the popularity of Urban Hymns, especially here in the states.

I hope it goes so well for them and a tour of the States ensues... ;) That would be magical!

Anyways here are some of those b-sides off of Urban Hymns that many of you probably don't have. So it'll be new music for you...

Enjoy!

MP3::The Verve - So Sister

MP3::The Verve - Echo Bass

MP3::The Verve - Lord I Guess I'll Never Know

MP3::The Verve - Never Wanna See You Cry

Apple Macca

What do you guys think? Not the commercial but Macca, you know Paul McCartney. He is looking pretty good for 65. He is not trying to be young but that only makes him come across younger. The song is not bad either. I had heard another one from the album and gotten a bad taste, but I think this little commercial has me going back.

That being said who is helping who is this video? Is Paul channeling Apple's coolness factor or is Apple using Macca's career cred?

The Guillemots are seabirds in the auk family.

I cannot stop playing this song. It is not new but I think it is sufficiently off the radar. I like it so much I might even hear it more than once a day and considering how much music we go through here at OTR, that is a lot. I am referring to Trains to Brazil by The Guillemots.

The Guillemots were formed in 2004 in London. Their name is pronounced gillimotts, like the sea bird and not the pseudo-French way. Not only have the birds been an inspiration for the band's name but also for some of the music as well. The Cliffs EP released in 2006 is a reference to the sea side cliffs that guillimots take shelter in. Numerous songs also have references to bird species or other aviary themes .

Narrowly losing the 2006 Mercury Music Prize to the Arctic Monkeys has not slowed them down.

MP3: Trains to Brazil
MP3: Annie, Let's Not Wait (new single re-released this year)

And since I told you we had you covered today, here are a couple of covers performed by The Guillemots

MP3: Never Went to Church (The Streets Cover)
MP3: Take Me Out (Live Lounge Version - Franz Ferdinand Cover) - great interpretation of the song

We've Got You Covered Slow Week Edition

VS.

It has been a slow week. The rains have started in South Florida (saw hail for the first time yesterday), the humidity is kicking, the sun is hot, the days are long but the ocean is getting warmer!

I found this Radiohead cover this morning. I am hesitant to post covers of certain respected artists because there are few bands that can recreate/interpret songs as well as the original (or even anywhere close...). Since I am putting up a Radiohead cover, why not stick with the iconic British bands and post a couple of Beatles covers too?

Beatles covers are all over the place just not all necessarily good. And now with all Beatles musical Across the Universe being released in theaters this fall (September it seems), I think we are going to see an explosion of other bands being covered.

I think everyone knows enough about the original artists in this post and most definitely should have the original in their music collection, so let me talk about the artists covering the songs.

Flash Hawk Parlor Ensemble is a an instrumental funk band that includes a member of The Decemberists in their roster. Interesting is how they formed. Chris Funk, guitarist of The Decemberists moved to a Mississippi neighborhood in Portland, OR to quickly discovered that his neighbors were a little bit more than just talented. A few house parties later, someone decided to record their jams which included some original instrumentals and a few cover songs. It seems this project is just a one off but we will wait and see. Go to their MySpace to check out an incredible stripped down version Massive Attack's Teardrop.

The Kaiser Chiefs pull off this version of The Beatles pretty well. It was recorded for the BBC at Abbey Road studios for the 40th Anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the same engineers that recorded the original.

MP3: Flash Hawk Parlor Ensemble - Amnesiac/Morning Bell (Radiohead Cover)
MP3: Kaiser Chiefs - Getting Better (Beatles Cover)

Edit this....

The Editors are back with a new studio album An End Has a Start which comes out June 25th in the UK and probably sometime in July for the States.

The new album follows their 2005 sleeper album 'The Back Room' which took awhile to catch on here in the US, but I think eventually earned them some accolades and positive reviews (despite contant comparisons to Interpol) This success was probably mostly due to their constant touring and great live performances.

I saw them perform Live here in Miami @ Studio A in 2006 and that was probably one of the best shows I have ever seen there. Before their performance I liked the band but it wasn't until after that show that I became a real fan.

You know studio records are great, but you get all the studio advantages. If you can perform the records out and sound just as good or better than the recordings, now that's hard to do. You don't see that too often anymore. Mostly live performances are let downs for me.

The Editors are the real deal though. They seem like they are reaching for something bigger (the heart mostly) with their epic music and you gotta love that voice.

Check out this new track from their forthcoming album...

MP3: Smokers Outside the Hospital Door

More New Jangly Pop From Overseas...

Ignore our earlier post about Cajun Dance Club (okay not completely) but THIS is the new stuff coming out of London.

I have no idea how many teenage bands London has but they seem to keep pumping them out. Bombay Bicycle Club is composed of three 17 year olds and a 16 year old and have only been together for about a year.

Their lyrics show their youth. On the song Sixteen they sing:

You realize, you realize...
It's real life, it's real life...

They must be talking about getting their licenses or deciding who to take out to the school dance (what age to Londoners get their licenses anyways?). I remember thinking that I was adult at 16. But, the simple lyrics make it even easier to listen to the steady drums and jangly rhythmic guitars. The lead singers voice has a nice British twang to it and is easier to listen to than other teenage sensations from the UK (eg. Arctic Monkeys). Give them some time to grow up and we should see some nice music from them. They have already been signed and released their first EP independently, The Boy I Used To Be.

MP3: Sixteen

Travis is Back!

Luckily for their new album The Boy with No Name, Travis have employed the genious that is Nigel Godrich behind the controls. After a mediocre and uninspired attempt without him at the helm on their last full length 12 Memories they figured, we better stick to what works on this one. (smart move!)

Nigel worked on their other classic albums The Man Who and The Invisible Band which helped propel them to stardom and opened the doors for other mid-tempo contemporary rock bands such as Coldplay.

Some bands just need that great producer to point them in the right direction and maybe nudge'em if their steering towards the land of cheese. Considering Nigel is one of the best engineer/producers of the last 10 or so years and has done such classic albums for the likes of Radiohead, Beck, and Paul McCartney, they're not in bad hands (or should I say ears).

Check out this great new track which proves they are back and in top form... Good to have you back Travis!

MP3: The Big Chair

They ain't from Louisiana...

Set to take over the sought after next "it" British band title from last year's Arctic Monkeys, Cajun Dance Party are creating a name for themselves by ignoring the current wave of new rave and dipping just enough into post-punk to create their sound. They are even being compared to Belle and Sebastian (sorry missed that relation...)

Bearing a few similarities to their simian predessors (Londonites? Check. Teenage Members? Check. Catchy eager vocals? Check.), they are taking their sound out of the garage and into what sounds like the indie-est barn dance ever. So go grab a Jack 'n' Coke and enjoy the tunes.

MP3: The Next Untouchable