The Strokes — "One Way Trigger" (NEW TRACK)

Happy late Friday afternoon. Thought we were gone for the weekend, eh? Well, so did we, but guess what? The Strokes just dropped a new tune via their official website. It's in the vein of a lot of Angles material, but also a bit more classic than anything on that full-length. Including a quirky little synth line, some acoustic guitars, and Julian's killer falsetto, it's definitely worth a spin, or 100. Yum. Stream or grab the mp3 over at the band's official site.

UPDATE: MP3 Below!

mp3: The Strokes - One Way Trigger

Menomena - "Toomer"

This January, a fair number of tracks have been cropping up from bands that are on the HAD favorites list, not the least of which is the latest from Menomena, "Toomer". The track is culled from the sessions for last year's Moms, and is certainly true-to-form for the band. Built around a  lilting percussion track, hypnotic vocals, and smooth analog synths, it somehow manages to be even more engaging than anything on that full length. It's a mystery why it didn't make it on the record, but we're certainly glad that it's seen the light of day! Stream the track below...

Phoenix Return With Bankrupt!

There's not much news to report yet, but suffice it to say that we are jump-out-of-your-chair excited about the return of Phoenix. After being off the radar for the better part of the last year or two, the band has update their web-site with a flashing logo and a hypnotic synth line. Both point to the release of the band's new record, apparently entitled Bankrupt!, which is scheduled to drop in April. That's all the news we have for now, but suffice it to say, we are very, very, excited.

EELS - "Peach Blossom" (Video)

The latest album from EELS is still two weeks away, but that hasn't kept us from salivating over the sneak peeks that are out there. Case in point: the above video for "Peach Blossom". It finds Mr. E back in his Souljacker-era bass-driven, fuzz guitar, take-no-prisoners mode. After two records in 2010 that both hooked into his more sensitive side, we couldn't be happier to hear a little rock and roll back in teh mix.

Wonderful, Glorious, Eels drops on February 5th, and will be accompanied by an internatonal tour, including the US dates listed below. It's being billed as a "Natural, Spectacular Event", make of that what you will. What's more, in addition to "Peach Blossom", you can further whet your appetite with "New Alphabet", an equally fuzzed-out accompaniment to this killer new material. Yum.

EELS US Tour Dates 2013 February 14 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory
February 15 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
February 16 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
February 18 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
February 19 Seattle, WA Showbox Theater
February 22 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
February 23 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
February 24 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
February 25 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
February 26 Montreal, QC Theatre Corona
February 27 Boston, MA Paradise
March 1 New York, NY Webster Hall
March 2 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
March 3 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
March 4 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
March 5 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
March 7 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
March 8 Houston, TX Warehouse Live Ballroom

New Bowie Record Gets Cover Art, Album Tracklist

Following today's news regarding the new record from David Bowie, The Next Day, we are stoked to have stumbled upon (what could be) the cover art for the record, as well as a definite tracklist. Culled from the iTunes pre-order screen, the monster 17-count tracklist seems all-but-certain, whereas the cover art, a white overlay on the cover of Bowie's 1977 record 'heroes' (see above), could possibly be a placeholder. Either way: excitement!!!!

David Bowie — The Next Day
Tentative Tracklist via iTunes pre-order

1. The Next Day
2. Dirty Boys
3. The Stars (Are Out Tonight) 
4. Love Is Lost
5. Where Are We Now?
6. Valentine's Day
7. If You Can See Me
8. I'd Rather Be High
9. Boss of Me
10. Dancing Out In Space
11. How Does the Grass Grow?
12. (You Will) Set The World On Fire
14. Heat
15. So She (Bonus Track)
16. I'll Take You There (Bonus Track)
17. Plan (Bonus Track)

David Bowie Drops New Single, Album In March

If you're a long-time reader of HAD, you'll no doubt recall that one of our undying obsessions is that of the Thin White Duke, David Bowie himself. Given that he's been a bit of a recluse in recent years, there hasn't been much news to speak of, and we've had to satisfy ourselves with perusing the archives, and enjoying memories of live shows gone by.

Well, starting now, that's all going to change: on this, his 66th birthday, Bowie has released a new track entitled "Where Are We Now?" (video above), and announced a full-length record The Next Day, due to drop March 12th. To state it lightly, for any fans of Bowie this is huge, huge news!

So what does it all mean? Thus far details are sketchy, but the track (which is currently available on iTunes) and record are apparently produced by long-time cohort Tony Visconti, which is a good way to get things started. Bucking the trends of Bowie's last few records, the lead single is decisively a ballad, and it's a good one at that.

With a strikingly simple studio arrangement, "Where Are We Now?" is loaded with nostalgic lyrics about Bowie's time in Berlin, and recalls the instrumentation of his mid-seventies work, notably "Wild Is The Wind", off of Station To Station. The songs conclusion breaks from the ballad structure, with a march-influenced drum beat, and a sense of general rebirth. A good thing, indeed.

Suffice it to say, we are ridiculously excited about this development, and will keep you posted. In the meantime, check the video above and enjoy it!!!

Nick Lowe - "Endless Sleep"

While listening to Nick Lowe's greatest-hits reboot Quiet Please: The New Best Of Nick Lowe, we stumbled across a serious gem from the singer-songwriter's earlier days. Culled from his Bowi EP  , the track "Endless Sleep" is a bulletproof example of the man at his very best.

Unlike much of his early work, the track is subtle in delivery, and eschews the pub-rock machinations of his hit records at the time. Instead, the track is a subtle build-up centered around a reverb-laden guitar and a pulsing bass drum. Combine that with Lowe's voice being in top form and, well, you've got yourself a classic.

mp3: Nick Lowe - Endless Sleep

Divine Fits Played Letterman (Video)

On Friday night, Divine Fits paid New York a visit, and continued to prove that just about any track from their killer debut could serve as a TV-worthy single. In this case, it was the beat-driven "Baby Gets Worse". The track was simplified from its already-great studio incarnation, and really benefitted from a juxtaposition of instrumentation, with a palpable back-and-forth. What's more, the track emphasized just what makes the Fits' live show so great: a relaxed Britt Daniel easing in with killer bass lines, and a frenetic Dan Boeckner tearing it up on guitar. In short, rock wizardry. Watch now, above.

Divine Fits Played Fallon (Video)

Last night we managed to catch a stunning show from Divine Fits at Music Hall Of Williamsburg. More on that later, but in the meantime, you can get a taste for the vibe at the show by checking out the band's appearance on Jimmy Fallon (above). Featuring the album track "Would That Not Be Nice", which appears to be leading the race for the next single from the band, the performance is incendiary, tight knit, and totally switched on. Enjoy.

John Cale Readies New Record, BAM Appearances (Video)

Around these parts, our love of John Cale has only increased in recent years, as the once-Velvet rocker has expanded his musical vocabulary to all sorts of electronics, and released some of the most pleasing records of his career. As such, we couldn't have been more delighted to learn that Cale has a new record on tap for next month.

Shifty Adventures In Nookie Wood drops on October 1st, and the first taste we've gotten is fantastic. The track "Face To The Sky" is a meditative ballad, with a killer abstract video to go along side. You can check out the video below, and enjoy the loveliness. If the rest of the record follows suit, we're sold.

On top of the new album excitement, Cale is also scheduled to arrive at BAM in January after a fall European tour. Over three nights, he will deliver two performances of his classic solo record Paris 1919, along with a one night tribute to his frequent (and sadly, deceased) collaborator, NICO. It's always good to know there's a highlight in store to make our January a bit less bleak. Excitement abounds!



John Cale Winter 2012-13 US Dates
Wed. Jan. 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ BAM [Life Along The Borderline - tribute to NICO]
Fri. Jan. 18 – Brooklyn, NY @ BAM [When Past & Future Collide: Paris 1919]
Sat. Jan. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ BAM [When Past & Future Collide: Paris 1919]