New albums?

Yes.  They’re not in my possession yet, but they do exist.

Silversun Pickups’ third LP, Neck of the Woods, hit shelves today…and I don’t have it yet.  I’m a terrible fan, I know.  But I have had their (absolutely incredible) second album, Swoon, on repeat all day.  That counts for something, right?

I promise I’ll buy and review the CD soon.  In the meantime, I’ve also been listening to Best Coast’s forthcoming sophomore album, The Only Place, over on NPR.  Actually, I only listened once and then never again, as I’m generally opposed to pre-listens, which tend to suck all the fun and excitement out of purchasing the album on release day (or, in the case of Neck of the Woods, thereabouts).

The Only Place is really excellent.  It sounds deeper and more polished than the duo’s surfer-teen-pop-style debut, yet still manages to retain that carefree California vibe.  Bethany’s sunny voice can brighten up any weather, and so I’ll definitely be buying the album to chase away future cloudy NY days (like today, for instance).  Full review forthcoming!

As for Neck of the Woods…well, I’m not as optimistic.  I’m not a huge fan of the single “Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings),” and while I fully respect a band’s right to change musical styles and bend genres when desired, that doesn’t mean I have to like the new sound itself.  This is probably why I didn’t rush out to buy the album on release day, as is my custom.  Oh well.  Fingers crossed that the new SSPU grows on me!

The end of Batman…begins

I’m pretty bummed that The Dark Knight Rises is apparently going to be the last Batman movie for quite a while.  However, this new trailer is almost awesome enough to make up for it.  Watch and gape at the marvels of modern special effects technology:

The best thing ever

Jack White’s debut solo album (which we all know is neither very solo nor very debut) officially came out a couple of days ago.  And you know what?  I love it.

Big surprise, right?  Especially considering Jack White has his very own tag and category on this blog?

Anyway, the album is, in a word, eclectic.

The first single to be released, “Love Interruption,” is a slightly sinister take on the love ballad. It was soon followed by “Sixteen Saltines,” a starkly contrasting, near-headbanger of a track; still, the theme about love gone wrong is prevalent, as it is throughout Blunderbuss.

The album opener, “Missing Pieces,” has a kind of careless elegance to it: it is a perfectly executed, lyrically astute modern rock song, and yet it sounds like it easily could have been recorded in one shot. “Weep Themselves to Sleep” is a melodramatic blend of classic rock and classical piano, while “I’m Shakin’,” the only cover on the album, is hardcore rockabilly in its catchiest, most tasteful incarnation to date.

Whereas “Freedom at 21” is bold, bass-heavy, and borderline R&B, “Trash Tongue Talker” and “I Guess I Should Go to Sleep” have undeniable country undertones. The latter two songs may cause one to momentarily forget that Jack grew up in seedy Detroit and not in rural South Carolina.

Considering that the only thing all these songs have in common (again, with the exception of “I’m Shakin’”) is that they sprang from the mind of a man who pretended to be the brother of his ex-wife and fellow ex-White Stripe Meg White, this is far from the most cohesive album to hit the shelves in recent memory. But, although your first listen may tell your ear otherwise, it isn’t the most fragmented, either. Jack White’s genius lies in his innate ability to blend (and bend) genres, creating something all his own in the process. He may not be not the first man to mix a cup of old-school blues with a cup of twenty-first century rock and stir well, but true fans know that one doesn’t have to be the first to be the best.

And sorry, Black Keys, but there is not a doubt in my mind that he’s the best.

You know what tomorrow is!

At least, I hope you do! Tomorrow, April 24 is, at long last, the release date of Jack White’s solo debut, Blunderbuss. Best Buy. Midnight. Be there or be square.

Just kidding. I’m pretty sure Best Buy isn’t open past nine…but still. If you don’t acquire this highly (and I mean highly) anticipated album in some form–preferably tangible–then you’re a–

Well, do yourself a favor and just get the CD.

Is it immoral to listen to a leaked album?

I don’t know, but I’m not doing it.  At least, not with Jack White’s solo debut, Blunderbuss, which apparently leaked out all over the interweb two nights ago.  Then, last night, Jack himself (again, apparently) announced that he would make the album available to stream.  I don’t really know if anything official is up yet, but I don’t really care.  Listening to albums early–like The Strokes’ Angles and Sleigh Bells’ Reign of Terror–always diminishes the excitement of actually going out, buying the physical CD, coming home, popping it in my laptop’s disc drive, and breathing deeply while taking that very first listen.

Which I still stubbornly do for every big release, despite the fact that all my friends and pretty much the entire Internet is pressuring me to do otherwise.

The anticipation is killing me, but at the same time, I think I might die if I don’t wait until April 24 to listen.  I’ve had the date in my head for so long that it would ruin it to hear anything more than a song or two beforehand (especially considering I’ve already heard three).

Is that weird?

So Green Day has some big news…

I can’t believe I missed this.  A few days ago, punk rock legends Green Day came out with the news that they would soon be releasing not one, not two, but three brand-new albums beginning in just a few months.  The albums will be titled ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! (what else?) and are set to drop on September 25 2012, November 13 2012, and January 15 2013 respectively.

Is this not insane?  Ridiculous?!  And amazing?!?

Yes, yes it is.

Read the full press release here.

Keeping track

A lot of stuff has been happening lately.  So here’s a handy little list of (what I strongly believe) should be on your radar:

April 19 — The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle return to the CW network (at 8 p.m. EST and 9 p.m. EST, respectively) with the last batch of new episodes before their season finales

April 20 — Supernatural returns to the CW with its last few new episodes before the season finale

April 24 — JACK WHITE’S SOLO DEBUT, BLUNDERBUSS, HITS STORES YES YES YES

May 8 — Silversun Pickups’ third LP, Neck of the Woods, drops

May 10 — The season finales of The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle air on the CW (spoiler alert(s): Elena chooses between Stefan and Damon on TVD, and there are some serious casualties on TSC!)

May 15 — Best Coast releases their sophomore album, The Only Place

May 18 — The season finale of Supernatural airs on the CW

May 21 — The series finale of House airs on Fox at 9 p.m. EST

June 5 — The Hives release their first full-length in five years, Lex Hives!

So get excited, people, because there’s a whole lot of fun stuff happening between now and summer.

And then it’s summer, which is fun in and of itself.  So life is looking pretty good right now.

Or, at least, it’s looking entertaining.  And doesn’t that essentially amount to the same thing?

Go right ahead and get excited…

…about the new Hives album, Lex Hives, which hits stores on June 5!

Thankfully, we have some awesome music to which we can celebrate The Hives’ first full-length in five years: “Go Right Ahead,” their amazing new single!

The song is classic Hives: upbeat, addictive, slightly crazed, and quite obviously not American.  They’ve always stayed true to their garage rock roots, but with 2007′s The Black and White Album, the Swedish band expanded their loud-yet-slightly-claustrophobic sound, and this song is just as big as any on that last LP.  Take a listen:

The song might be free…

…but the plane tickets sure aren’t.

Best Coast is offering their new single, “The Only Place,” for free on their website.  It’s a sunny California track that seems to echo the sentiment of Katy Perry’s “California Girls,” but in a way that indie rock fans can appreciate much less grudgingly.  I’m a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker myself, but even I was kind of craving a brief visit to the Golden State myself after I first listened to this song.

Although there has been talk that the West Coast diehards’ forthcoming LP will be a lot more “grownup” (and even “emo”) than 2010′s teenage hormone bonanza Crazy For You, this track is one of several I’ve heard off the new album, and I have yet to notice any signs of either seriousness or maturity.  Once May 15 arrives, however (just five more weeks!), we’ll all be able to hear (and judge) the entire album to our hearts’ content.

Until then, enjoy your free track, and happy listening!

Kids these days

There are so many things I want to say about Jack White’s video for “Sixteen Saltines,” but I have no words with which to say them.

Watch:

Do you understand now?  Weird, scary, insane and often disturbing…but brilliant.  That’s Jack White for you.

The kids gone wild motif also reminds me a little of Yeah Yeah Yeah’s vid for “Y Control”–which just happens to be one of my favorite music videos of all time.  Watch here.