sonic slang

Eskimo Joe - "Foreign Land"

Though Eskimo Joe has long been a hot commodity in the band's homeland of Australia (6x platinum over the last two albums), the three-piece only started making some headway in the States when Black Fingernails, Red Wine was finally released here in 2008. 

I'm not familiar yet with the older stuff, but the consensus is that Black Fingernails was a big step forward, and a move away from the overtly commercial feel of the band's initial releases.  The album had a dark pop feel that had a lot of critics calling them INXS's moodier cousin (I agree).  Well if "Foreign Land" is any indication, Eskimo Joe's latest LP, Inshalla, will raise the bar even further.  

Maintaining the band's gothic feel but layering crunching guitars with a simple piano riff, it's the pretty but badass song Coldplay wishes they could write.  Dig it.

"Foreign Land" is available for download on iTunes now in advance of the 6.02 release of Ishalla, but I also found a YT clip featuring the track if you wanna try before buying.

Kanye West - "Coldest Winter"

Kanye West is so over hip hop.  Case in point - The latest leak from 808s and Heartbreak, "Coldest Winter," ripped from NYC's Power 95.  Will people dig the new rap-free, 80s electro-loving Kanye?  My hunch is: bloggers yes, hip hop fans no.   Maybe there's a reason they put off that second showdown with 50 Cent. Check out the track after the jump.

Preview Five Tracks from Cardinology

I know - Ryan Adams news has been scant at SS lately, but fear not!  With Cardinology less than two weeks away, Lost Highway has graciously provided five audio snippets for our perusal.  Check them out below, and drop us a comment with your thoughts.

"Born Into a Light" - "Fix It" - "Magick" - "Cobwebs" - "Evergreen"

PS - Big ups from Rolling Stone!

The Dears - "Money Babies"

The Dears' 4th LP, Missles, has been idling in the SS mailbag for a few days, but after catching the new and depressingly-timely clip for "Money Babies" - I should probably fast track this one for a review.

"Our money is elastic," indeed

Minus The Bear - "Guns & Ammo"

Minus The Bear's reps were kind enough to send me over a download of Acoustics, the band's previously-reported, you guessed it, acoustic EP.  I've already gone on record as a fan of plugged-in MTB, but lone new track "Guns & Ammo" is a keeper, and outshines much of 2007's Planet of Ice LP.  Grab it below.

Download: Minus The Bear - "Guns & Ammo"

Smashing Pumpkins - "G.L.O.W."

Smashing Pumpkins, in an increasingly desperate attempt to still feel relevant, recently announced plans to drop a single via Guitar Hero.  Since for the average Guitar Hero player, "1979" might as well have come out in 1979, this strategy hasn't exactly set the music world on fire.  But don't write Billy Corgan off just yet.  The song leaked to radio this weekend and I must say, though a Siamese Dream-level revival is probably a pipe dream, it's nice to hear the band tearing it up like the Pumpkins of yore. 

Check out a low quality YouTube rip after the jump.

The Decemberists - "Valerie Plame"

Considering that we're all about to look like extras from the set of Cinderella Man,  The Decemberists' new ode to "Valerie Plame" (of the infamous Robert Novak/Wilson drama) feels like small potatoes on political protest song hierarchy.  Catchy enough song though...Let's just pretend it's about chicks.  Listen after the jump.

Ray Lamontagne - "You Are The Best Thing"

Ray LaMontagne's Meg White-lovin' Gossip in the Grain is due on 10.14, and Amazon is streaming "You Are The Best Thing" this week on the album's pre-order page.  This track is a little Starbucksy for my tastes, but LaMontagne's smokey vocals still sells it better than most.

Ani DiFranco - "Present/Infant" and "The Atom"

Ani DiFranco's Red Letter Year, the indie icon's 103rd album since 1989, is due on 9.30.  She managed to squeeze in some time between recording album's 104-110 for a quick Daytrotter session, where she previewed two new tracks, "Present/Infant," and "The Atom."  While 1998's Little Plastic Castle was the last DiFranco disc that really grabbed me, these new cuts still prove that her alterna-folk muse hasn't lost its touch.

New Bob Dylan Track Available for Free Download

A "new" Bob Dylan track has been made available for free download on the folk legend's official site.  First released as a rocked-up cover on Sheryl Crow's 1998 album, The Globe Sessions, "Mississippi" was recorded by Dylan during the sessions for the Time Out of Mind disc, and is now available for the first time in its original, stripped-down form. 

Download "Mississippi" here