The musical reel of coming attractions continues on this fine Friday morning. Check it out, and don't do anything we wouldn't do when the late afternoon rolls around...
Since the
Arctic Monkeys'
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is the fastest-selling debut in British history, there's a lot of anticipation surrounding the release of their follow-up. Sophomore effort
Favourite Worst Nightmare will hit stores next week, and initial album reviews have been very positive. 4/5 stars from
Mojo... 9/10 from
NME... and lots of talk about things being harder, heavier, and faster. All in all, it's looking for good for those Sheffield boys with pockmarked skin and a mantle full of assorted awards. Check out a radio rip of lead-off single "Brianstorm"
here, or YouTube it for the
official video.
Also coming next week:
Patti Smith's
Twelve, featuring covers of songs by Tears for Fears, Nirvana, and Paul Simon. Random! But the
Los Angeles Times digs it, calling the album "a bluesy, psychedelic witches' brew that feels like one long, complex incantation to keep us safe, to make us see there is indeed some kinda way out of here." Check out her coarse-throated take on "Gimme Shelter" at
Smith's MySpace page.
So you like ABBA? Enjoy the Cardigans? Psshhhh. Why don't you check out
Tio Bitar, the next psychedelic offering from Swedish rock outfit
Dungen, to hear some truly native Swedish music? Although Dungen is mostly overseen by frontman/multi-instrumentalist Gustav Ejstes,
Tio Bitar (translation: "ten pieces") also leans heavily on contributions for Ejstes longtime collaborator and lead guitarist, Reine Fiske. The guitar riffs are raw and fuzzy, almost as if the instrument itself dropped a tab of acid and tripped back to the Hendrix-helmed heyday of psych rock. Check out an interview with Fiske at
Stereogum, followed by two of the best tracks from the upcoming album (set to hit U.S. shores/stores on May 15th).
Also, Maroon 5 will release an album in May. It will be funky. It'll probably be played on the radio. It'll be called
It Won't Be Soon Before Long. Somewhere, a middle-schooler who thinks Adam Levine is
soooooo hot!! is actually caring about this.
