Review - Iron & Wine

Band: Iron & Wine
Album: The Shepard’s Dog
Label: Sup Pop
Rating: 4 out of 5
Sam Beam has come a long way since he recorded The Creek Drank the Cradle out of his own house. The singer-songwriter has progressed over the years with each recording. His original tracks mainly showcased acoustic guitars, banjo and slide guitar- all of which were recorded by Beam. He has gradually built the sound of Iron & Wine by surrounding himself with other musicians. The extensive assortment of instrumentation on Iron and Wine’s latest release The Shepard’s Dog really shows how far Beam has come.

I was recently strolling through a long list of music blogs and almost every blog in some way or another mentioned Iron & Wine. With this type of hype there is no doubt that they’ve become a very influential band within the Indie world. Their earlier releases were made up of basic instrumentation that put the listener to into a dreamy state. If you need to be awake and alert, listening to Iron and Wine’s earlier work might not be a good idea. But with The Shepard’s Dog comes music that is a little bit more accessible as it movies from dreamy to mellow-chill. This is an album you can listen to when you’re doing your work and still be productive. Because of this The Shepard’s Dog will really expand the band’s fan base.

Those who are worried that The Shepard’s Dog is too far of a departure from Beam’s previous work shouldn’t be concerned. His vocals and distinct songwriting are the driving force behind Iron & Wine that hasn’t changed. There are songs that could only be done by the band like the track “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” or “Resurrection Fern.” There are also songs that one might be not expect to hear on an Iron & Wine release such as the surprisingly funk driven “Wolves (Song of the Shepard’s Dog).”

The wide range of instrumentation on The Shepard’s Dog really stimulates the listener throughout the whole album and makes it Iron & Wine’s best release to date.

DJ Palumbo

Daryl Palumbo, singer of Glassjaw and Head Automatica, has a new project as a DJ/producer in the group SPORTS. They will be releasing their debut MIX CD entitled, "I'm Hungry" an eclectic mix of 70+ minute selection of breakbeats, freestyle, electro, ghettotech and funky house/disco. "I'm Hungry" will be a hand numbered, limited edition pressing of 1,000 copies with full color art.

Now Form a Band

Last.Fm launched a new program to make better music. Their new blog nowformaband.last.fm gives some insight of how you can promote your own music with low cost and without a record label. Anybody that is looking to promote their band has to check out this blog it has some really great information.

Foreign Born on Chuck

Did you catch Foreign Born on Chuck on Tuesday? If not you can check it out here. They performed the song "Into Your Dreams" which you can download below.

mp3:
Foreign Born Into Your Dreams

Fall TV Premiere Week

We are now in the middle of the biggest week in Fall TV premieres. While Fox and the CW had several of their television shows premiere last week, the major networks like ABC, CBS and NBC choose to compete together this week with the bulk of their fall lineups. There are 10 brand new shows all premiering this week, Monday to Friday, alone. There are several shows that have been highly anticipated or overly marketed (ie. Bionic Woman, Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money) while there are some that have flown lower on the radar (ie. The Reaper, Moonlight, and Aliens in America- premiering next week).
Personally old favorites are most highly anticipated on my list. Monday brought Heros... I have it Tivo-ed to watch this week, shhh don't tell me what happened yet, and How I Met Your Mother. H.I.M.Y.M. is a great little show that doesn't strive to be more than it is. This is the key to its success. You could argue that it is worth it to watch what Neil Patrick Harris' character, Barney, will come up with next.
But my true love returns tomorrow, Thursday, at 9pm- The Office. Rumor has it that Michael believes the offices has become cursed. This season opener runs for one hour, along with the next three episodes.
Enjoy the old and the new shows premiering this week and in the weeks to come. Let me know what show you are most anticipating and what you think of the new shows coming out!

Amazon MP3 Beta Launched

Amazon.com has launched a beta version of their new MP3 store. This represents the first real service that can compete with iTunes. Amazon's downloads are DRM-free making the songs compatible with whatever MP3 player you have. Only EMI Music and Universal Music Group are the only major labels that are working with Amazon as of right now. This is due to the DRM-free service, the other labels want more protection for their artists so the songs cannot be duplicated. The biggest difference between iTunes and Amazon MP3 is that Amazon offers varied prices. iTunes has been very stubborn in the fact they are set to the .99 cents for every song. Amazon MP3 has some songs for .99 cents and others are .89 cents while albums range from $5 to $9. Nothing like some healthy competition, right now Amazon is offering some better deals. It will be interesting to see if iTunes matches the prices. Check out Amazon MP3 here.

Frontman Responds

Alex Gaskarth, frontman for All Time Low, has responded to the incident of the girl being suspended for three days for carrying a picture of the band in their underwear. The picture can be seen here.

"Personally, I'm a little upset that anyone would find that picture to be 'offensive.' We tried our very hardest to look as sexy as possible and I think that maybe the administrative figures responsible for suspending the student were just jealous of our dashing, young physiques. I don't see any harm in carrying that particular picture around in a school environment. In fact, I've been speculating that studies may prove that the picture actually stimulates brain activity, and promotes greater levels of success in the classroom. But that's just one theory..."

Review - New Found Glory

Band: New Found Glory
Album: From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II
Label: Drive-Thru Records
Rating: 4/5
Seven years ago New Found Glory released an EP titled From the Screen to Your Stereo. It was at a time when the band was just starting to gain popularity. The EP worked for the band because it took some really cheesy songs and made them fun. Big success came with the track “The Glory of Love” from The Karate Kid. Nowadays, New Found Glory is known as one of the creators of the pop punk genre. With their return to Drive-Thru Records comes From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II.

New Found Glory has perfected the carefree fun-in-the-sun sing along. The biggest difference from Part I to Part II is that this time around the band decided to feature other artists on a majority of the songs. The best features include Patrick Stump on “King of Wishful Thinking” and Lisa Loeb on her own hit “Stay.”

It’s pretty simple to decide if you like this album or not. If you’re a fan of New Found Glory’s other music you’ll also enjoy this album. Others that don’t love the New Found Glory vibe or aren’t into cover songs should take a pass on this one. But don’t criticize the album because you hated it before you even listened to it. Is that asking for too much?

Despite it’s good qualities, From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II does have some weaker moments. Johnny Cash’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” could have been better if the band had stuck closer to the original call-and-answer style of the song. Instead of having Sherri Gilbert (of Eisley) do a solo answer to lead singer Jordan, Jordan did the call and Sherri accompanied him on the answer. “Iris” came a little too close to the original and could have been catchier. All I can say about the instrumental “Amelie J'y Suis Jamais Alle” is that it was an interesting song choice.

The tracks on From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II are sure to spark some fond memories. Listeners will likely say, “Hey! I remember this song!” and have some obscure memory attached to it.

Once again, NFG has brought its fan some good clean fun.

Recommended tracks: Kiss Me, King of Wishful Thinking, Stay, Don’t You (Forget About Me)

The track list for From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II is as follows:

1. Kiss Me originally by Sixpence None the Richer, from She's All That
2. It Ain't Me Babe (featuring Sherri Gilbert of Eisley) originally by Johnny Cash, from Walk the Line
3. The Promise (featuring Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional) originally by When In Rome, from Napoleon Dynamite
4. King of Wishful Thinking (featuring Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy) originally by Go West, from Pretty Woman
5. Stay (featuring Lisa Loeb) originally by Lisa Loeb, from Reality Bites
6. Lovefool (featuring Adam Lazarra of Taking Back Sunday and Stacy Dupree of Eisley) originally by The Cardigans, from Romeo and Juliet
7. Iris (featuring Will Pugh of Cartel) originally by The Goo Goo Dolls, from City of Angels
8. Don't You Forget About Me orignally by Simple Minds, from The Breakfast Club
9. Intro (Amelie J'y Suis Jamais Alle) from Amelie
10. Crazy for You (featuring Max Bemis of Say Anything) originally by Madonna, from Vision Quest
11. Head Over Heals originally by Tears for Fears, from Donnie Darko

Promo Pic of All Time Low

What type of band does promo pics that will get their fans suspended from school? Apparently All Time Low does because a girl that goes to school at a middle school in Maryland got suspended for 3 days for having this picture posted outside her locker.

This funny little incident just happens to be right next to the bands release date for their new record So Wrong, It's Right, due out Sept. 25th. Which brings up the question is this picture/incident so wrong that it could be just right to help promote their new album?

30 Rock Takes Home the Emmy

I can't believe 30 Rock won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. They had a great season and they really deserve it. I'm glad they are getting some credit because I think that show is underrated. I'm looking forward to the new season especially with the season opener including Jerry Sienfeld.

Another notable Emmy that went out last night was Jeremy Piven (Entourage) Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. That was a tough category. I personally would have liked to see Kevin Dillon (aka Drama from Entourage) win. Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) was also deserving in this category.

Kiss Me Video

Since I posted the behind the scenes footage of New Found Glory's music video for "Kiss Me" I figured it would be cool to post the final product. I liked the polaroid picture hanging up on the clothes, it goes by really fast but the video of Jordan on the polaroid was cool. I think they could have used that effect a little more but I guess its better than over doing an effect.

Make sure you go buy New Found Glory's new cover album From The Screen to Your Stereo part II tomorrow.

Steel Train Post New Song

Steel Train have posted "Firecracker", a brand new song from their new album Trampoline, on their myspace page. The new album is set to be released on October 16th, Steel Train will be posting a few more new songs on their myspace leading up to the release day.

Who's Next?

The Rocket Summer has won the User's Choice Award for Yahoo! Music's Who's Next program. They performed an exclusive version of "So Much Love" with back-up singers Meg and Dia. Its a good tune that you can check out here.

Led Zeppelin Back For One Night

Its official Led Zeppelin is going to be reuniting but for one night only. The three surviving members (Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones) will reunite for the third time in 27 years at London's 18,000 capacity 02 arena November 26. The drummer for the night will be Jason Bonham, son of the original drummer John Bonham (John died of a heart attack in 1980).

The event is to honor the memory of Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who died Dec. 14 2006, aged 83. The Who's Pete Townshend, former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, Foreigner's Mick Jones and Paolo Nutini will also perform on the night.

The Stills Move to New Label

The Stills have signed with Arts and Crafts Records. The Montreal-based group will head to the studio to record their third album. Check out the bands website for their statement.

Kanye Outselling 50

The feud between Kanye and 50 Cent isn't really that big of feud at all. 50 Cent has stated that he has no hard feelings against Kanye, he was just trying to stir the pot since both of their albums were released on the same day. Or is it the fact that 50 Cent regrets saying that he would no longer make solo albums if Kanye outsells him in the first week. Either way it looks like 50 is going to have to eat his words, with Kanye outselling 50 at the moment.

Here is a good article on the feud. I'm off to go do my part...go buy Kanye.

Behind The Scenes

Here is a behind the scene look at New Found Gloy's new music video for "Kiss Me". Its pretty funny check it out.

Reunion Galore

It seems like everybody is reuniting, am I complaining? Not at all. Van Halen tour with David Lee Roth is on and is selling out as soon as tickets are available. The Eagles are getting ready to release their first studio album in 28 years in October. Bruce Springsteen reunited with the full E-Street Band for an album and tour.

In non classic rock reunions Blur announced they are going to be reuniting next month to record a new album. No Doubt is set to record a new album that is hinting will go back to their original ska roots. Public Enemy reunited earlier this year to join the Rock the Bells Tour. Am I forgetting anybody else?

One more could be added to the list soon. Led Zeppelin is expected to make the announcement next week at a press conference in London. I will make sure to keep you updated if any more news about this filter in.

Excitied for New Foo Fighters?

I don't know about you but I am getting pretty excited about the new Foo Fighters album Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace. Here is the music video for the single "The Pretender" to tide you over until the album is released Sept. 25th.

Bands on TV for this Week

9/10 - Bad Religion on Conan O'Brien [NBC]
9/10 - Spoon on Jay Leno [NBC]
9/10 - The Used on The Sauce [FUSE]
9/10 - Joss Stone and Mandy Moore on Jimmy Kimmel [RR - ABC]
9/10 - Dropkick Murphys on Steven's Untitled Rock Show [FUSE]
9/11 - 50 Cent on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC]
9/11 - The Buzzcocks on The Daily Habit [FUEL]
9/12 - Daughtry on David Letterman [CBS]
9/12 - Modest Mouse on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC]
9/12 - Spoon on Craig Ferguson [CBS]
9/12 - The Bravery on Jay Leno [NBC]
9/13 - Vanessa Hudgens on Jay Leno [NBC]
9/13 - Kanye West on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC]
9/13 - Daughtry on Regis And Kelly [SYN]
9/13 - Rihanna on Ellen DeGeneres [SYN]
9/13 - 50 Cent on The Sauce [FUSE]
9/13 - Hawthorne Heights on Steven's Untitled Rock Show [FUSE]
9/14 - Chamillionaire on David Letterman [CBS]
9/14 - Good Charlotte on Jay Leno [NBC]
9/14 - Kanye West on Ellen DeGeneres [SYN]
9/14 - Fall Out Boy on The Sauce [FUSE]
9/14 - Finger Eleven on Craig Ferguson [CBS]
9/14 - Hot Hot Heat on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC]
9/14 - The Used on Conan O'Brien [NBC]

Review - Every Time I Die

Band: Every Time I Die
Album: The Big Dirty
Label: Ferret Records
4 out of 5


When I pick up a brand new Every Time I Die album I expect to hear three distinct characteristics. These include the witty and sarcastic lyrics singer Keith Buckley brings to the table, catchy and devastating guitar riffs, and the infamous cowbell that seems to show up on at least one track. The Big Dirty, the bands 4th full-length release, doesn’t disappoint in any of these categories.

ETID’s last release, Gutter Phenomenon, was a surprising departure from the band’s previous work. The album shifted to a more metal influence that officially put the band into the metalcore genre. The Big Dirty finds the band returning to the more rock driven and hardcore feel that many ETID fans are accustomed with. This is apparent from the very beginning of the record with the kick off song “No Son of Mine.” The guitar riffs are downright nasty and the vocals demand your attention.

ETID’s main draw is front man Keith Buckley. Each album that ETID puts out has the listener guessing what Buckley will say next. Buckley’s witty style of writing has given him the reputation of one of the best lyricist of our generation, especially within the hardcore genre.

ETID has definitely topped the effort that they put out on their last release. It will be interesting to see how fans react to this album. I can see the fan base being split in half. One half will cry “genius” in a dramatic fashion while the other half will admit it’s a great record but claim it isn’t a Hot Damn! or Last Night in Town. Either way this is a satisfying release and should be a nice addition for those who are consistently wishing they had more ETID.

Recommended Tracks: No Son of Mine, We’rewolf (this track has the infamous cowbell), INRIhab

Gym Class Heroes Cover the Beach Boys

Gym Class Heroes covered the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" performing at a New York City fashion week party. The video can be seen here.

iPhone Madness

After two months of the release of the iPhone Apple announced they were dropping the price of the phone by $200. Making people who already bought the iPhone not particularly happy. To try to make amends Apple is giving a $100 Store Credit to all iPhone Customers.

Copeland Parts Ways with Columbia

Copeland announced on their myspace blog that they have parted ways with Columbia Records. Click here to read the statement from the band.

iPod Touch

Well, Apple really went the extra mile today announcing a whole new line of products. They indeed announced the release of the iPod Touch that has similar functions as the iPhone. The only downside is the 8GB and 16GB small storage but it is still better than no iPod Touch.

Exclusive Sherwood Track

Altpress.com has a stream of "Best In Me (Electro Mix)", a brand new Sherwood track that's not available anywhere else.

New iPods!!!

Apple has announced several new items today. Including custom ring tones for the iPhone, a brand new iPod Nano (with video), and brand new "Classic" iPods.

Its a bummer the new "Classic" iPods are not full screen like the iPhones, as rumored. However the new iPod will hold either 80GBs or 160GBs and the battery life is supposed to be far superior. The new iPods should be hitting stores by the weekend.




For more information visit engadget.com

Mixed Feelings

NBC announced the return of American Gladiators to prime-time television. They are holding open casting calls for both gladiators and contestants.

It will be pretty comical for the first few episodes but I can't see it being entertaining for a full season. It will be interesting to see what they do with it. The old episodes are some of the best comedy of the 90s.

David Bazan Tour

David Bazan (of Pedro The Lion)started a 50 city tour today. Advanced tickets are available at http://www.davidbazan.com/shows.php. Dates are Listed below.

09/04 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
09/05 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
09/06 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall
09/07 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
09/08 - Champaign, IL - High Dive
09/10 - Bloomington, IN - Waldron Arts Center
09/11 - Saint Louis, MO - The Billiken Club
09/12 - Springfield, MO - Randy Bacon Gallery
09/13 - Memphis, TN - Hi Tone Cafe
09/14 - Little Rock, AR - Sticky Fingerz
09/15 - Denton, TX - Dan's Silverleaf
09/16 - Houston, TX - Walter's On Washigton
09/17 - Austin, TX - Emo's Lounge
09/19 - Lubbock, TX - Jake's
09/20 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot
09/21 - Norman, OK - The Opolis
09/22 - Iowa City, IA - The Picador
09/23 - Omaha, NE - The Slowdown
10/23 - Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room
10/24 - Cleveland OH - The Grog Shop
10/25 - Pittsburgh PA - Garfield Artworks
10/26 - Buffalo NY - Mohawk Place
10/27 - Cambridge MA - T.T. the Bear's
10/29 - New York NY - Mercury Lounge
10/30 - Brooklyn NY - Southpaw
10/31 - Philadelphia PA - Johnny Brenda's
11/01 - Washington DC - Black Cat
11/03 - Durham NC - Duke Coffeehouse
11/04 - Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle
11/05 - West Columbia SC - New Brookland Tavern
11/06 - St. Augustine FL - Cafe Eleven
11/07 - Orlando FL - The Social
11/08 - Tallahassee FL - The Moon (with Spoon)
11/09 - Birmingham AL - BottleTree Cafe
11/10 - Atlanta GA - The Earl
11/12 - Nashville TN - Exit In
11/13 - Newport KY - Southgate House
12/02 - Spokane, WA - Empyrean
12/03 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
12/04 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue
12/05 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
12/06 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
12/07 - Tuscon, AZ - Solar Culture
12/08 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
12/10 - Pomona, CA - Glass House
12/11 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
12/12 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
12/13 - EugeneE, OR - Indigo District
12/14 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
12/15 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe

Bands on TV for this Week

9/3 - Grinderman on David Letterman [CBS]
9/3 - Feist on Conan O'Brien [RR - NBC]
9/3 - Jesse Malin on Jay Leno [RR - NBC]
9/3 - El-P on Jimmy Kimmel [RR - ABC]
9/3 - Lily Allen on Craig Ferguson [RR - CBS]
9/4 - Hellogoodbye on Carson Daly [NBC]
9/4 - Gogol Bordello on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC]
9/4 - Every Time I Die on Steven's Untitled Rock Show [FUSE]
9/4 - The Starting Line on The Sauce [FUSE]
9/5 - Mat Kearney on Carson Daly [NBC]
9/5 - Dinosaur Jr. on Conan O'Brien [NBC]
9/5 - Rilo Kiley on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC]
9/5 - Boys Like Girls on Steven's Untitled Rock Show [FUSE]
9/5 - Avril Lavigne on TRL [MTV]
9/5 - Fall Out Boy on The Sauce [FUSE]
9/5 - Gym Class Heroes on Ellen DeGeneres [RR - OXY]
9/5 - The Receiving End Of Sirens on The Daily Habit [FUEL]
9/5 - Avril Lavigne on David Letterman [CBS]
9/6 - The Honorary Title on Carson Daly [NBC]
9/6 - Blaqk Audio on The Sauce [FUSE]
9/6 - Kanye West on The Today Show [NBC]
9/6 - Kings Of Leon on Jay Leno [NBC]
9/6 - Goo Goo Dolls on Craig Ferguson [RR - CBS]
9/6 - Manchester Orchestra on David Letterman [CBS]
9/7 - Hot Hot Heat on Conan O'Brien [NBC]
9/7 - Arctic Monkeys on David Letterman [CBS]
9/7 - Avril Lavigne on Regis And Kelly [SYN]
9/7 - Maroon 5 on The Early Show [CBS]

New Website for Jacks Mannequin

Jacks Mannequin has redesigned their website and myspace.

Andrew has also updated his blog.