Smells Like Alternative

Can’t wait to hear more tracks from Beck’s upcoming album Modern Guilt before July 8?
Well have no fear, because two more songs are now streaming for your listening pleasure. The tracks “Gamma Ray” and “Orphans” can be heard on Beck’s MySpace page or iLike.
Both songs are pretty groovy. “Gamma Ray” defiantly has a 60’s psychedelic vibe to it, while “Orphans” has a sweet beat with a cool acoustic guitar to accompany it. Man, I can’t wait until July 8.
If you missed it, here’s a live performance of another new cut “Modern Guilt”, from Beck’s June 9 secret show.

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So, there’s this Pearl Jam superfan who got to follow the band on their little 2008 tour, which he got to blog about on Spin.
To top things off this bearded dude, whose name is Zach Newman, actually got to sit down and interview one Mike McCready before the band’s show in Mansfield on June 28. Very cool.
Anyways, the 25 minute interview is really laid back as Zack and Mike talk about Brendan O’ Brien, Neil Young, touring and more. Check it out, it’s pretty neat.

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Since the Jersey natives are on the road this summer, and have a new album coming out sometime this year, then it seems like a perfect opportunity for an FYI on Blues Traveler.

John Popper (vocals, harmonica) and Brandon Hill (drums) formed a garage band in Princeton, NJ in the mid 80’s called The Establishment, which was later renamed Blues Band.
By 1987 guitarist Chan Kinchla and bassist Bobby Sheehan joined the band.
The band adopted the black cat as their mascot while they were jamming in the basement, since a black cat was nearby.
Blues Traveler took the traveler part of their name …read more

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The Jesus and Mary Chain will release a box set on September 30 through Rhino Records.
Billboard dropped the announcement yesterday, June 26, about the box set entitled The Power of Negative Thinking: B-sides & Rarities. The four disc set will be a chronological collection of unreleased tracks, alternate versions of songs and demos spanning the band’s career. It will, however, also include 19 of the 20 tracks from the band’s 1988 compilation Barbed Wire Kisses.
The packaging also sounds pretty cool. The box set will be a 6 by 10 gatefold shell, which will also feature a 18 by 24 …read more

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When Pearl Jam announced that they were doing an east coast tour, I made up my mind to go to four shows (which was all I could pretty much afford). The two shows in Camden, NJ were an obvious pick, but I was stuck for the next pair of shows. I was all about making a road trip to Boston, but when the band announced that they were playing Madsion Square Garden, it became a no brainier on where I was going to go.
So, E (from Evolvor) and I took the train into NYC on Tuesday afternoon. We checked into …read more

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Amazon released a 2:02 long teaser video for Beck’s upcoming album Modern Guilt, which comes out on July 8.
The video is black and white and plays off of the trippy, psychedelic days of artists like Andy Warhol. The montage features the self-titled track, “Walls” and “Youthless”. Check it out below, it’s pretty cool.
In related news, iTunes just put up the pre-order for Modern Guilt. If you pre-oder the album you will immediately get the first single “Chemtrails”, the video for “Gamma Ray” (when the album comes out) and a Ticketmaster password for a pre-sale for Beck’s upcoming tour (Yay!).
Finally, if …read more

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The Verve has announced the title and release date for their first album since 1997’s Urban Hymns.
The album will be entitled Four and will hit shelves in the U.S. on August 19, and a day before internationally. The first single, “Love is Noise”, premiered yesterday (June 23) on BBC Radio One. You can currently hear the track on the band’s MySpace page, where you can also check out the band’s tour dates.
“Love is Noise” isn’t bad, but not really my cup of tea.
Anyways, here’s the video for “Lucky Man”.

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Billy Corgan has hinted that he will be releasing a Gish box set in honor of it’s 17th anniversary.
The box set will obviously include the Pumpkins 1991 debut, as well as material that preceded Gish. The only other info out right now is that the box set will be released sometime this year.
To coincide with the the box set, the Pumpkins will also embark on a Gish tour. Billy had already mentioned plans to celebrate the Pumpkins twenty years as band with a tour sometime this year as well.
The Gish box set is likely the first reissue of the …read more

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After over two long years Pearl Jam returned to the Philly area with back to back shows at the now Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ on June 19 & 20. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to get my Pearl Jam fix and I wasn’t disappointed with the two electric shows that the boys treated us to.
On June 19 my small group and I tailgated with some fellow Jammers in one of the beautiful parking lots in Camden. We had a great time chit chatting about the band, politics and whatever else, not to mention drinking some beers. …read more

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FYI will have to be a repeat this week cause Pearl Jam took too much out of me last night, plus I need a second wind for another night with the guys.
Anyways, since the Toadies are on the road this summer (it actually starts tonight) let’s revisit an FYI on the band from last September. By the way, you can check out their tour itinerary right here.
FYI: Toadies
Here’s a cool acoustic version of “I Come From The Water”, sorry that it starts with ad.

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