Usually I don't post any new and easily available music here, but today I'll make an exception. Axl Rose and his bunch of hired guns have finally finished their "Chinese Democracy" album, and here it is for your listening "pleasure". "Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band, led by frontman and co-founder Axl Rose, has gone through numerous line-up changes and controversies since their formation. The band has released five studio albums, two EPs and one live album during their career. "Chinese Democracy" is the upcoming sixth studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, to be released worldwide on November 23, 2008 and in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2008. Once released, it will be their first studio album since 1993's "The Spaghetti Incident?", and their first album of original studio material since the simultaneous release of "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" in September 1991. Retail store chain Best Buy will exclusively sell the album in the United States. In a 2007 interview, Axl Rose's close friend Sebastian Bach stated that "Chinese Democracy" will be the first installment in a trilogy of new albums. Bach also remarked that Rose had told him the third, as yet untitled, album has been slated for 2012". Source: Wikipedia
Tracklist: 1. Chinese Democracy, 2. Shackler's Revenge, 3. Better, 4. Street of Dreams, 5. If the World, 6. There Was a Time, 7. Catcher In the Rye, 8. Scraped, 9. Riad N' the Bedouins, 10. Sorry, 11. I.R.S., 12. Madagascar, 13. This I Love, 14. Prostitute. Download (136 Mb): Rapidshare
"I Need That Record" is a documentary feature examining why over 3000 independent record stores have closed across the U.S. in the past decade. Are they going to die off? Will they survive? Since the 1890s the record store was THE place to go for prerecorded music, but today the way we access and consume music has been redefined by technology. Ecommerce, iTunes, the iPod, P2P networks, music blogs, and social networking sites have all had a profound impact on the way we access music and on the state of the independent record store. Downloading and pirating seem to be the easy answers to the chaotic state of the music industry, but higher powers like major labels, big box stores (Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy etc.), and corporate owned FM radio are also shaking things up. The music industry has always been a unique marriage of art and commerce, but today commerce has proved to be the ultimate influence. Rather than develop great acts, embrace new technology, offer affordable products; the major labels are more concerned with turning the clocks back to preserve old business models - with only one thing in mind - THE BOTTOM LINE. Keep the full paid expense accounts and 7 figure incomes. Keep suing fans. Keep shoving bland music down people's throats that will sell x amounts. Keep producing homogenized radio programs that play the same 50 songs. Keep supporting big box businesses that could care less about music; businesses that sell music below list price. Keep screwing the consumers and retailers who love and care about good captivating music. Squash new ideas, new innovations, and new possibilities as the future of recorded music, a commodity that supports the artist, vanishes. While it would appear that the internet is the new force for musical discovery and delivery independent record stores have been, and still are a strong force on the musical experience. Record stores serve as important community spaces that provide foundations for new musical and artistic scenes and movements, a place where unique under the radar bands have been continuously supported, a place where the underground can thrive, a place where independent thought is encouraged and challenged, a place where people of different ages, races, and taste can mix and mingle face to face. Unlike the internet, physical stores are a real place, with real people, where community is formed and supported. Not just record stores, but original mom and pop main street stores are all in a fight to stay alive. Independent businesses are hubs for new jobs, new innovations, and creative thought. Over the past ten years it has become increasingly harder to compete with big chain businesses that have big money and Congress protecting them. The rich and powerful in business and government have thrown a wrench in the wheels of progress. American culture has become more isolated and atomized as a result of homogenous culture and thought. Businesses and establishments that make different parts of America distinct from one another are disappearing. In order to save community, ourselves, and our world what we need are independent creative places where new ideas and thought can be nurtured. Not more of the same... Through found footage, expository voice over, talking head interviews with artists, musicians, retail owners, and animation "I Need That Record" will tell the story of our connection to independent record stores and the importance of independent thought and culture. What happened to the stores and what will the future bring...
Some interviews include: Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Ian Mackaye of Dischord Records Fugazi/Minor Threat/Teen Idles, Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers, Chris Frantz of the Talking Heads, Pat Carney of the Black Keys, Mike Watt of the Minutemen/reunited Stooges, Noam Chomsky, guitar composer Glenn Branca, punk author Legs McNeil, rock photographer Bob Gruen, Bryan Poole guitarist of Of Montreal, Numero Records, Rhino Records, Bloodshot Records, United Record Press (the largest vinyl plant in the U.S.), and many many many indie stores across the U.S. (NYC, Boston, DC, Cleveland, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Minneapolis, Memphis, Nashville, L.A.).
Yesterday the American punk band Pennywise "released" their brand new album "Reason to Believe" as a free download through a collaboration with MySpace Records and Textango. The album is also available in the conventional formats CD and LP through Epitaph Records, with different bonus tracks. According to an recent interview with guitarist Fletcher Dragge, the band had written about 60 songs for this album. The CD version of this album was supposed to come with a DVD, but according to rumors I've heard this was cancelled. "Pennywise were formed in 1988 in Hermosa Beach, California by singer Jim Lindberg, guitarist Fletcher Dragge, drummer Byron McMackin and bassist Jason Thirsk. To date, this line-up is considered a classic. They released two EPs "A Word from the Wise" and "Wildcard" (both 1989). Each of the band members had played in other bands in the Hermosa Beach area and attended the same high school. The group signed to Epitaph Records in 1990 and released their first album "Pennywise" (1991). The album quickly spread throughout the punk community, earning the band some nation-wide recognition. Lyrics in the album endorsed a positive mental attitude, helping promote progressive ideals for Generation X". Source: Wikipedia Enjoy it - then go out and buy it!
Tracklist: 1. (Intro) As Long As We Can, 2. One Reason, 3. Faith and Hope, 4. Something to Live For, 5. All We Need, 6. The Western World, 7. We'll Never Know, 8. Confusion, 9. Nothing to Lose, 10. It's Not Enough to Believe, 11. You Get the Life You Choose, 12. Affliction, 13. Brag, Exaggerate & Lie, 14. Die For You. Download (115 Mb w/booklet): Megaupload
PS! American users got an option to download a bonus track for free by sending the text message PW15 to TANGO (82646). If someone could send me this track I would be extremely pleased. Thanx!
The Norwegian music site MIC Norge reports that Turbonegro's new album is going to be entitled Retox and released in Europe on June 13. In Norway Retox will be released by Sonet/Universal, in Scandinavia by the Swedish indie label Playgroud Music, and in Europe through a licence deal with Edel Records. The album's release in the USA, Australia and Japan is scheduled for the fall of 2007. The German version of Amazon offers more insight on the album's tracklist and coverart.
Tracklist: 1. We're Gonna Drop the Atom Bomb 2. Welcome to the Garbage Dump 3. Hell Toupée 4. Stroke the Shaft 5. No, I'm Alpha Male 6. Do You Do You Dig Destruction (DL1/DL2) 7. I Wanna Come 8. You Must Bleed/All Night Long 9. Hot and Filthy 10. Every Body Loves a Chubby Dude 11. What Is Rock?!
Usually I don't post any new and easily available music here, but today I'll make an exception. Axl Rose and his bunch of hired guns have finally finished their "Chinese Democracy" album, and here it is for your listening "pleasure".
