INSPIRING US ALL TO REVISIT THE GENIUS OF BILLY SQUIER'S "THE STROKE"

THE STROKES

I'm not a huge Strokes fan, though I liked "Hard to Explain" from their first album and "12:51" from their second. With First Impressions of Earth, I find myself responding to only three of the 14 songs. "You Only Live Once" has been all over the Internet for quite some time now, so I think we'll go ahead and skip that one.

[MP3] "Heart in a Cage"

[MP3] "Electricityscape"

GIRLS JUST WANNA

HE OF THE HIGH CYANIDE-WHINE

PLACEBO (PART DEUX)

Thanks go to Torr and Ear Farm for two more tracks from the upcoming Placebo LP [Meds, available March 13th]. Apparently, it's "Because I Want You" that's the first single, not "Song to Say Goodbye," as I suggested in my post of a few days ago. My bad.

"Broken Promise" features Michael Stipe and some stark, haunty piano. Not sure it all adds up to much beyond that, however. Alas, alas....

Anyway, for those of you who haven't already snared these songs from their original sites...

[MP3] "Because I Want You"

[MP3] "Broken Promise" [w/Michael Stipe]

NO, REALLY, THIS TIME WE MEAN IT...THE NEXT ONE'S GONNA SOUND JUST LIKE "THE BENDS"

RADIOHEAD IN '06?

As I wait for my favorite band on this particular planet to get its shit together for an expected [?] 2006 release, I stumble upon the news that their long-time producer, Nigel Godrich, will not be participating on the upcoming project. Apparently, they are considering Mark "Spike" Stent as a replacement - this a man who has worked with the likes of the Spice Girls and No Doubt. Granted, he has also worked with Bjork, Massive Attack, U2, and countless other decidedly less pop-gloss acts, but still....

In truth, though, I like the band's explanation for the change. After a decade of work with Godrich, they had become too "comfortable" with him and needed, essentially, to yank the rug out from under their own feet. Which is just fine by me. (I only wish R.E.M. would look to follow their lead.)

Today's offerings include some tracks that Radiohead have played live in the past few years that may or may not appear on the forthcoming album. Also, we have a very early demo from the band when they were still called On a Friday. They haven't written all that many "happy" songs since. Which, by the way, is just fine by me as well.

[MP3] "Last Flowers Till the Hospital" [live]/Thom Yorke [2005]

[MP3] "House of Cards" [live]/Thom Yorke [2005]

[MP3] "Reckoner" [live]/Radiohead

[MP3] "Arpeggi" [live]/Thom Yorke/Jonny Greenwood/The Nazareth Orchestra [2005]

[MP3] "Happy Song"/On a Friday [Radiohead] [1988]