FFAF Cover and Tracklisting

Funeral For a Friend are about to drop their latest disc Memory and Humanity . Check out the cover and track listing below.

1. Rules And Games

2. To Die Like Mouchette

3. Kicking And Screaming

4. Constant Illuminations

5. Maybe I Am?

6. You Can't See The Forest For The Wolves

7. Building

8. Beneath The Burning Tree

9. Someday The Fire...

10. Waterfront Dance Club

11. Charlie Don't Surf

12. Ghosts

13. Constant Resurrections

FREE MUSIC!!!

Gallows have posted a new song "Gold Dust," available to download for FREE. Let me tell you it may only be a minute long, but it is sure to melt your face.... Click here for the Download.

The Chemical Brothers are also giving away a free song. It is a remix to the classic, "Hey Boy, Hey Girl," done by Soulwax 2Many DJ's. It is sure to get your body rocking. Click here for the Download.

Oasis Info

Playlist

Here is a list of jammers to check out...

-The Verve - "Rather Be"
-Estelle Feat. Kanye West - "American Boy"
-Oasis - "The Shock of the Lightning"
-Radiohead - "Fake Plastic Trees"
-Damien Rice - "Crimes"
-De Novo Dahl - "Shout"
-Your Vegas - "Up Until the Lights Go Out"
-The National - "Mr November"
-Elliot Smith - "I Don't Understand"
-Bill Reese - "Marble Hill" (Soon to be Released)

Verve Discuss "Love is Noise"

Richard Ashcroft and Simon Tong discuss the meaning and story behind the band's latest single "Love is Noise."

Quick News

Swirling all around the music world today is that apparently Coldplay are ready to launch a new record next year. They have so much left over music from the Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends sessions with producer Brian Eno, they can launch into album number five at some point in 2009. Many speculate it will be bundled or then followed up with a "greatest hits" or "best of," so that the London lads can fulfill their EMI obligations and part ways with the fading label.

Coldplay protege's Snow Patrol are also readying the release of their fifth record. The album, A Hundred Million Suns will be released in October. Snow Patrol spent the summer in a Berlin recording studio with producer Jacknife Lee (REM, Bloc Party) to work on the record. The first single "Take Back The City" will be released at the end of September.

The Verve, whose first album in 11 years is due out next week are winding down their summer tour and front man Richard Ashcroft still has plans to go solo. As the band are not breaking up again, he will still per sue his solo material while working with his reunited band.

While these bands prep for new releases, the fall is also the perfect time to prep for new films. One film in particular is getting much buzz It Might Get Loud, directed Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), chronicles the first meeting between guitar God's Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White. It Might Get Loud is premiering at the Toronto Film Festival next month and will hit theaters this fall.

RIP Leroi Moore

LEROI MOORE 1961-2008

If I go before I’m old Oh brother of mine please don’t forget me if I go...

Coldplay Sorta Cover Depeche Mode

Coldplay have paid homage to Depeche Mode and photographer / director Anton Corbijn in the alternate version to the "Viva La Vida" video. The video is made to look, or cover if you will, the Depeche Mode video for "Enjoy the Silence" that Anton had shot for the band in 1990. Here is the "Viva La Vida," alternate video as well as Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence."

Bloc Party PreOrder

New U2 on the Horizon?!

This maybe the best rumor you ever herd, or just a huge let down. But NME magazine is saying that the latest U2 disc will be called No Line on the Horizon and will be out November. The band however, has not confirmed NOR denied any of this. I shall keep you posted as soon as things start happening. As for now check out the NME article here

Bloc Party New Album Details

Bloc Party just dropped the ball on details about their forthcoming third album. The album entitled Intimacy, will be available for download August 21. However, a physical version of the album will not be available until October 27 and will contain more songs. According to the band, the album produced by Paul Epworth (Silent Alarm) and Jacknife Lee (A Weekend in the City) was recorded in Kent and London. Some songs are Bloc Party at their most wildly experimental, while other tracks are simply classic Bloc Party, fitting in seamlessly amongst fan-favourites 'Helicopter', 'Banquet' and 'So Here We Are'.The tracklisting for Intimacy goes as follows:

01.Ares
02.Mercury
03.Halo
04.Biko
05.Trojan Horse
06.Signs
07.One Month Off
08.Zephyrus
09.Better Than Heaven
10.Ion Square

Indy Watch

The wait for the great adventure to come to DVD is almost over. Paramount announced that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will be hitting shelves October 14!! It will be available in three versions; A single disc adventure, a two-disc collectors edition as well as a blu-ray collectors edition. Head on over to Theraider.net for more info on the DVDs.

Olympic Spirit

While Michael Phelps continues to break records, here is one video that is looking to break boundaries. From the master himself, Kanye West is his latest video for "Champion."


Also, after witnessing what was one of the greatest artist displays I have ever seen at the Olympic Opener a week ago. I am feeling a little nostalgic and felt I needed to put this up. For me this was the highlight of the 2004 games, Bjork performing "Oceania."

Recommended Reading

Check out this site from my friend Jared Ziedman, Take Over The Game. His site is his views and expressions on everything from music to sports to poetry. Interesting and thought provoking commentary from someone who I used to work with at WQAQ back in the day. Check it out here

Quick News

While one of the heaviest bands to emerge from Australia begin to prep for a massive world tour next year - that being AC/DC of course. One of the other heaviest bands to emerge from Australia is calling it quits - that being Wolfmother. The power trio is splitting up after the release of one record, the band has currently been working with Rick Rubin on their sophomore effort when the split occurred.

Bruce Springsteen can now add his name to the roster of Superbowl Half Time All Stars. The Boss has been picked to play this season's Half Time show at the big game in Tampa.

Euro electro-rock poppers The Sounds are currently in the studio working on their third record. The follow up to their sophomore breakthrough, Dying to Say This to You, will be out sometime next year.

Fresh off of causing a ruckus at Lollapalooza, Rage Against the Machine will be performing free concerts outside this years Democratic National Convention. Followed by a week later at the Republican National Convention. Rage will be joined by MC5 singer Wayne Kramer, who famously shook up the '68 DNC in Chicago. This of course is not the first time Rage has guerrilla played the DNC, they had famously done so back in 2000 before the band's first breakup.

EXCLUSIVE! Spacehog INTV

Just right before I went off to cover Lollapalooza, I posted that Arckid had split up and Spacehog were getting back together. Since then rumors were swirling that Spacehog singer Royston Langdon was to be fronting Velvet Revolver and Spacehog were no more already. This could be further from the truth. The band known for their biggest hit, "In the Meantime," are looking to reclaim popularity and begin a new chapter in the band's career. Playing their first show in LA, a few weeks ago, opening for fellow Brit-rockers The Subways, Spacehog are looking to claim their place back in the hearts and minds of fans worldwide. I remember seeing the band back in 1999 opening for REM at Jones Beach, it was a thrill seeing four really cool guys up on stage and myself a 15 year old belting out all the song lyrics. It was also a little awkward singing the band's hit "At Least I Got Laid," with my mother sitting next to me, but that's the power of rock and roll--right? It was also great to see the band in their new formation of Arckid last summer. They were everything I loved about Spacehog, the energy, the passion and above all else the fun seeing a band having fun on stage. I had the opportunity to speak with Spacehog member Jonny Cragg and asked a few questions about the reunion, music industry and what will happen to those unreleased Arckid recordings. Here is what he had to say...

What caused the Spacehog reunion?
Jonny Cragg: the realisation that we weren't that bad and a thirst for cash.

Where you inspired by other acts like The Verve, The Police, Portishead.. to get the band back together?
JC: It's hard to ignore what's going on with the other bands but no. I think we had to make our own decision in our own time

Are there any regrets for never officially releasing Arckid Material?
JC: Yes, but like it's forbear Spacehog, we procrastinated too much.

Will Arckid tracks find their way into Spacehog?
JC: maybe if Chris will let us

As a band of gentlemen from the UK, has living in the US inspired your recent work?
JC: I am now an American (still like pie, peas and a pint though)

What are your thoughts on the music industry today?
JC: Last days of the Roman empire

Spacehog "In the Meantime" (Above) / Christian Langdon performing Arckid's "I'll Stick Around" (Below)

Rising Artist-Dragons of Zynth

Every great city at one point or another will get a "scene" to emerge from it. Right now, the "scene," or great sounds in American music are coming from Brooklyn, NY. This month's rising artist, Dragon's of Zynth are no exception. The Brooklyn natives have caught the ears of listeners city wide and beyond, even getting a slot playing at this years Siren Fest in Cony Island. Their blend of 60's psychedelica mixed with 21st Century production are the perfect combo to display their soul/ thrash / garage sound. Think Saul Williams fronting TV on the Radio, Dragon's of Zynth have been rising to popularity in their native New York this past year. The band's debut Coronation Thieves is a complex and well constructed record that goes beyond debut expectations. It is an artistic statement about the world that encompasses us and is something to have on with lava lamps or just riding the subway. A band and record worth checking out.

Movie of the Month-Football Factory

August, the month when summer begins to ebb and American Football fanatics begin their fantasy leagues and ready for the new season. I however, gear up for another football, the English Premiere League and Italian Serie A, the finest football leagues on the planet. Yes, I am talking about Soccer, the single greatest sport on the planet. In the month that these leagues begin to gear up, we look at a film that shows how fanatical soccer fans (or football fans) really are. Coming from the UK, 2004's Football Factory, is without a doubt one of the most violent, offensive, brutal films I have ever seen---and I love every second of it. It is the story of English soccer zealots who travel from city to city each weekend to catch their home team of Tottenham play across the country. The catch is, these zealots never actually make it into the stadium to see their team play. Instead they are starting riots, doing lines of blow, selling blow and finding a girl to take home for the night. Think Trainspotting meets Green Street Hooligans. Instead the major difference between this and Hooligans is, Football Factory makes Elijah Wood's film look like Alice in Wonderland. Opening the film with the protagonist getting smashed in the face with a brick and saying lines like "Getting beaten up by football hooligans is like having V.D. The fucking pain goes on forever. But that's what makes it so exciting. " I promise you have not seen anything like this. Certainly a film to rent or add to your Netflix queue and enjoy.

Underated Classic-REM "Monster"

This maybe the year of REM's well deserved and much anticipated return to rock amazement. 14 years before they would put out Accelerate, a record proving to be their hardest and fastest,

1994 was the year of the Monster. Dealing with the death of close friends Kurt Cobain and River Phoenix, Michael Stipe turned to his music to console himself and his band. Cranking up the decibel levels and showing off distorted guitars and ambiguous lyrics, Monster debuted at number 1 both in the US and the UK. At a time when every band was going grunge in the early 90's, REM became poppy and received the most commercial success of their career. Monster was the record that was a middle finger in the air of celebrity, and proved that once and for all REM are a rock band. The record, most famous for the single "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" also featured songs like "Crush with Eyeliner," and "Star 69." These songs reflected the band's post-punk, post-new wave roots, but also had a mid-90's spin to them. Monster is the one record looked back on fans and critics as a guilty pleasure or a favorite, it is the one record that most fair weather REM fan's seem to leave on the shelf and collect dust. If you go to any CD store today (Yes, they still exist) and look in any used CD bin, guarantee you will find a copy of Monster. It is one of those records that either you love or you hate. Personally I love it, and when I found it as a teenager it was the most important record in my collection.

Live Review-Radiohead @ APW

This years inaugural All Points West festival down over in Liberty State Park, NJ on all accounts should have really been called "Radiohead with a bunch of cool openers." Unlike the schedule filling, exhausting and very fun Lollapalooza last week, this festival seemed to be the perfect detox. A much smaller scale music and art festival using the New York Skyline, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as the backdrop, it was beautiful but not as intense as its Chicago counterpart.
Having tickets for Saturday only, I caught some sights and soaked in the atmosphere. Not feeling as rushed as I did a week before, I could really take my time with some of the openers. Catching Kings of Leon, the southern rock band making big noise. I can see why everyone from Bono and The Edge to Mick and Keith call themselves fans. This was the first time I saw the Kings and they blew my mind. A very energetic and traditional rock and roll outfit, they had the crowd amped. From the magnificent set of Kings of Leon, I went to see Philly's finest, the most incredible Roots crew. The Roots jammed through their hip-hop/jazz/rock sound and showed why they are masters at what they do. The traditional hip-hop crew that is not afraid to take chances and do their best each and every time they hit the stage.
After seeing just a handful of artists, it all lead up to the moment the tri-state area had been waiting for all year, the triumphant return of Radiohead. Underneath the same LED lightning rods as they were last week, they sounded so much better than in Chicago. They also seemed more comfortable on stage as well. Playing In Rainbows in its entirety, with select songs from their back catalogue tossed in, it seemed strange, but then again its Radiohead. Their fans and critics have learned that they can do whatever they want. The highlight of last night's performance certainly came during "Bangers and Mash," a B-Side from In Rainbows 2, Thom Yorke sat behind his own drum kit and banged away with his band rocking out beside him. The one thing you cannot take away from Radiohead is the musicianship. They are a band that is not just a drummer, a singer, a few guitarist, a bassist and a producer making beats. They are doing it all themselves and the fact they can emulate their micro beats and homemade instruments each night is a wonder all in its own. They are true craftsmen and I am glad to have had the opportunity to see them twice in a week and glad that they are making music in my lifetime.

Verve Forth Preview

Preview the long awaited new album from The Verve before it hits stores August 25!!

Live Review-Lollapalooza Day 3

The final day of this fantastic festival in a beautiful city. Chicago and Lollapalooza were the perfect combination for a music geek like myself. I could not ask for more. Day 3 of the festival was very somber, it would get drawn out the way Hold Steady once sang "Chicago Seemed a Bit Tired Last Night." After witnessing the power of bands like Rage Against the Machine and Radiohead nights before, it was the final stretch the city and fans had as they used every once of energy for another music filled day.

We started off slow seeing a band that draws comparison to David Grey and Counting Crows, the Alabama band Wild Sweet Orange. A nice grass-roots style rock to ease into lazy Sunday. After seeing their impressive set, we got the closest we were to any act all weekend, standing front row for What Made Milwaukee Famous. The Austin band with the heavy bass and guitar work rocked on in blazing sun and didn't seem to break a sweat.

The one band of the afternoon I was looking forward to seeing was a big disappointment. New York City's Brazilian Girls, whose stage shows have gained them a repuation for being a great live act, seemed to fall on def ears. Singer Sabina Sciubba's voice was very powerful but was not supported by her band and at best sounded like a mellow version of Bjork. To energize the crowd and ourselves we turned to Montreal's Chromeo. The DJ's and multi-instrumentalists got the audience bumping and grinding. From dancing in the dirt we decided to rock under the shade and catch The Black Kids. A buzz band from Jacksonville, who were much more entertaining then their record leads on. At the end of the Black Kid's 30 minute set, we caught the great American Summer Festival band G Love and Special Sauce. What can you say about a band like G Love who have been around forever, for them and their audience it is all about the good vibes and good fun.

From good times we then turned to serious social commentary from Saul Williams. Williams, a slam poet turned industrial rocker / emcee thanks to Trent Reznor, showed Lollapalooza what he was made of. Decked out in a psychedelic Indian costume and jumping on stage, he commanded the crowd but unfortunate for him, his band was way to over modulated and sounded like garbage. They were overpowering his message and were far too distracting to enjoy his set.

After a rather weak morning, the ball of impressiveness began to roll as Gnarles Barkley took the main stage. The one band who is just plain impossible to see outside of festivals like this, were everything I hoped to be. Invigorating, creative, energetic and most of all talented. Singer Cee-Lo's voice just explodes from his big body of soul, while Danger Mouse looks like he is at the office, toying around with 3-4 instruments at once. The talent this band exudes should have others take notice. As fantastic as Gnarles were, we left a little early to catch The National's full set. It may not be the first time I have covered this band, and I promise it will not be the last. Playing to one of the largest crowd of their career's The National deserve the respect they are gaining now.

From the experimental Gnarles Barkley to the dark and moody National, they were both a taste to set up the duel headliners of the night-- Kanye West and Nine Inch Nails. I split my time as best I could, starting off with Kanye and his homecoming. West played without the theatrics of the "Glow in the Dark" Tour, from when I saw and reviewed him back in May. Instead it was just him, his band and lights on stage to prove once and for all he is the best performer alive. As huge as West's ego is, it is deserved after seeing his live sets. If I called his protegee Lupe Fiasco the "honorary Mayor" of Chicago, Kanye was the "honorary Governor." Dedicating his performance to his mother, the late Dr Donda West, she would have been proud to witness her son blaring out of his greatest performances. After an hour of Kanye, I dashed to the other side of the park to see Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor was admitting his voice was hurting for touring all summer, but it did not stop them from being very good. Reznor reminisced about his band's Lollapalooza past, that 17 year's ago Perry Ferrel asked NIN to be apart of his travel circus, and that after all these years have past, Nine Inch Nails can still come back, just now as headliners. Closing out the night with "Hurt," and songs off the band's latest The Slip, seeing one of the band's that started the festival back in '92 was a great way to close out the festival in '08.


The National (Above) / Kanye West (Below)

Nine Inch Nails (backed by Chicago skyline - Below)
What Made Milwaukee Famous (Below)

Chromeo (Below)
The Black Kids (Below)
Gnarles Barkley (Below)

Live Review-Lollapalooza Day 2

If Friday could be summed up as a day of cultural fusion through music, Saturday could be summed up as a day of intensity. Arriving early my mates and I caught Memphis' De Novo Dahl. This was the sucker punch band of the day, the act that no one was expecting anything from and were awesome. As soon as their set ended, the band I have been waiting all year to catch, England's Does it Offend You, Yeah?, took the stage. Does it Offend You were not only technically perfect but also drew a very impressive crowd to see their thrash - electro hybrid of sound. They were energetic, fun and everything Bloc Party should have been the day before. While braving the 90+ heat of the early afternoon, band members were running on and off stage in between songs to vomit from exhaustion. Certainly noble in action, and certainly one of the best bands all weekend.

From an epic showing of Does it Offend You, Yeah?, we took it easy catching sets from Mason Jennings, Fouls and Gutter Twins before heading to MGMT. They drew the biggest crowd of the afternoon, but MGMT needed to step it up a bit as it took them a while to really get into what was a rather boring set. As soon as MGMT finished, Brand New took the main stage. The Long Island emo band has come a long way and started off rather normal, yet in typical front man Jesse Lacey fashion he blows it for his band. Telling the band to see Explosions in the Sky (who were on the same time as his band) and calling the crowd "fools," he really insisted that his fans leave and not watch them. After playing a heavy Devil and God set, they cut their set 15 minutes short purposely. At a festival when bands would kill for that extra 15 minutes, Brand New showed their cocky side and it is something I am just really tired of. A band I once loved, I don't think I will ever waste my time with again.

As frustrated as we were, we blew off some steam with a few beers and Austin's Okkervil River. Their art rock and singer Will Sheff's voice projected all through the park. The fans were packed in tight for them, making it hard to see, but worth the listen. Another artist who was worth every second, was Chicago's own Lupe Fiasco. Lupe came out back flipping to the Rocky theme and was what I like to call the honorary Mayor of Chicago for the evening. It was a hometown throw down that had the audience begging for more. This is the second time I have seen Lupe cause a fiasco on stage and I can safely say he is the brightest star in Hip-hop's future.

After a long day of intense sets and music it would all be second fiddle to the most powerful band of a generation - Rage Against the Machine. A band that has taken me 24 years and trip to Chicago to see, but was worth the wait. Opening with "Testify," then going into "Bulls on Parade," and "People of the Sun," it was a performance for the ages. Yet, it was still backed with the stereotypes that follow the band, forcing them to stop their set three times due to serious injuries in the pit, people climbing the sound system and fire's breaking out on the field. After witnessing someone walk out with a broken nose, it was as if the band never stopped barnstorming through cities and energy is still there. The highlight of the band's program came during "Wake Up," my favorite song from the band; singer Zach De La Rocha spit his political diatribe during the breakdown, screaming anti-war, anti-Bush, anti-American comments that was a welcomed verbal embrace to his fans and why we need Rage back now more than ever. Once of the most epic band's I have ever seen and was the best and only way to close out day 2.

De Novo Dahl (above) / Does it Offend You, Yeah? (Below) Brand New (Below)
Rage Against The Machine (Below)

Live Review-Lollapalooza Day 1

After 13 hours in a car, 18 hours in Chicago, a couple hours at the Chicago Art Institute, and an hour in line - we made it! Two close friends and I entered Lollapalooza, the fourth Palooza taking place in Chicago's beautiful Grant Park. Perry Ferrel pulled out all the stops to curate the best line up of American Festival's this summer.

We got in just as Rogue Wave were finishing up, catching only 15 minutes of their beautiful ambiance, we dashed to catch England's The Go Team!. I knew The Go Team! would be fun, but I certainly did not expect to get knocked out of my socks the way I did. The Go Team's global energy, a fusion of Japanese rock, African drum, and Spanish flair proved the be the best way to kick start the day. After their hour long, energetic set we needed to cool down a bit with Wales songstress Duffy. Duffy, riding the neo-soul revival wave like her London counterpart Amy Winehouse, proved to be just as talented, just not as drug endused.

Friday was a marathon for us. After Duffy we ran to see Louis XIV, who proved to rock very hard in dapper suits braving the 100+ degree heat. As the temperatures rose and crowds packed in, Brooklyn's own Gogol Bordello showed how to really rock in the heat. All I can say about Gogol was they were certainly the best band of the day..period! Word's cannot describe how much fun they were and how it was a true pleasure it was to see them.

How does one top something like Gogol? We could not, so after them we took it easy for a bit, seeing Your Vegas and Mates of State, before going back to the main stage for Bloc Party. One of my favorite bands to emerge this decade, Bloc Party were definitely feeling the heat and were a tad disappointing. The band played more mellow tunes rather than some of their fan favorites. They were good, but I have seen them do better. Bloc Party's set began an all out marathon of running back and forth between the six stages to catch various acts. We were able to see Chicago's very own Cool Kids. Two emcees that just tore it up. The "Black Beastie Boys," as they refer themselves, rhymed and rocked the BMI stage like their heroes would have. From seeing 20 minutes of Cool Kids, we jetted to see VHS or Beta spin for a bit at the DJ tent, then ran over to catch Jack White and the Raconteurs. The Raconteurs were everything any rock an roll fan could have wanted--loud, fast and brilliant. I only wish we had seen more of them.

After seven hours in the blistering heat, it all led up to the almighty and powerful Radiohead. The only headliner of the night playing under their giant lighting rods to emulate the title of the band's latest In Rainbows. As they caught the attention of over 50,000 the one issue everyone had was the sound. The decibel level coming from the soundboard was not strong enough to support a crowd like this and at points they seemed mute on stage. Yet, they do not disappoint, the highlight of the band's set came during "Fake Plastic Tree's," as the band performed, mysterious fire works came off Lake Michigan and enhanced the song's strong finish.

****A more in depth RADIOHEAD review shall come next week after ALL POINTS WEST****

Radiohead (above) / The Go Team! (Below)

Duffy (below)
Gogol Bordello (below)
The Cool Kids (Below)
The Raconteurs (From the Screens--Below)
Rogue Wave (Below)