SPIN: Free Pixies Coachella ’04 EP
The Pixies
Spin made my evening with a free download of the set which launched the era of 90s alternative nostalgia: The Pixies, live at Coachella in ’04. The EP features “U-Mass,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” “Hey!” and “Caribou.” If you’re really into the band, dive off the deep end and buy the entire set. If anyone’s wondering where my mind’s going to be at when I’m at work tomorrow … you’ll have to head to Spin to check it out, I was unable to embed it properly here. But trust me: it’s worth it!
FREE MP3: Tribes – “We Were Children”
Tribes -- rock and roll lives!
DOWNLOAD (MP3): Tribes – “We Were Children”
This one reminds me of that Pixies song that plays at the end of Fight Club … one of those memorable hooks you’ll want to hear as many times as you can to let it sink all the way in. The band, based in Camden, England, is an “it’s about time” return to straight-up rock & roll melodic guitar riffs, anthemic tunes, and they’re doing it all themselves, working these songs from the ground up and earning the acclaim. Inspired by Pavement, Nirvana, the Libertines — any of those 90s-era rockers who dared to twist conventions while crafting songs which have stood strong through two decades — Tribes are going to hit you hard and fast, and they’ll hope you’ll agree their music has the potential to stick around as well. Their EP We Were Children came out on Universal Republic in late November, and they’ll be dropping a full-length at some point in 2012, so there’s still plenty of time to check them out and become a convert to the sound. Once you do you won’t want to stop listening — take it from an addict with no particular need for recovery.
ALBUM REVIEW: Baby Teardrops – “X Is For Love”
Year of the Album — #011
Baby Teardrops – “X Is For Love” (2011, Independent)
Another review went up at Yahoo’s Contributor Network today! This one’s a review of an independent album from New York City’s Baby Teardrops. It releases in early April, and for fans of R.E.M., the Pixies or the New Pornographers, it’s a must hear! Read the review here.
Indie rockers Baby Teardrops make it immediately clear they’ve got a clear, concise rock vision few other bands just starting out could even dream of. X Is For Love gets right to the point, a thirty-minute magnum opus which is going to get them noticed.
Baby Teardrops’ X Is For Love is one of those rare albums that can be a throwback to a bygone era while at the same time pushing modern pop-rock into a completely new direction. It’s energetic and brings the fun from the first song to the last, and the album doesn’t overstay its welcome, encouraging repeat listens. In the end it’s a recipe for success in a pop landscape which appears ripe for innovation and creativity. Trust me, Baby Teardrops are the real deal, and X Is For Love is a classic in the making.
Enjoy the lead single, “Banged In The Heart,” which is available for download if you get hooked.
