New Rush Tracks

As I mentioned in More Rush News, Rush have released a single in advance of the North American Tour. It is a two track single and I am hugely impressed with both songs:

Geddy's vocal style has changed over the years and synthesisers risen to the top and then fallen from grace... but their music has continued to grow and develop. It is exciting and challenging today as it every was.

Let me know what you think!

[Update: The widget isn't working... I'll try to fix it tomorrow.]
[Update 2: Rats! Still can't get the Amazon widget to work. Go there yourself and have a listen!]
[Update 3: If you haven't discovered it already, can I suggest you go to Isorski's Musings and have a look at the Rush review there (Music Review - New Rush Single) for a very thoughtful and helpful review.]

Free Music Friday #60: The Black Crowes

I've featured the The Black Crowes in a Free Download Friday before (see Free Download Friday #22: Black Crowes). They feature some of the scruffiest beards in rock but I really like this band!

They have made a free live track available for download: Good Morning Captain.

Go to Indie Artist Spotlight, download and enjoy! Find out how good old fashioned Rock should sound!

More Rush News

I recently wrote about some of the things that Rush fans have to look forward to this year (see A Good Year For Rush Fans). Details are now out on when and where the Rush documentary, Beyond The Lighted Stage, will be shown: see the cinemas link.

When it was first posted, the only Scottish cinema appeared to be Kilmarnock but more cinemas have now been added including Glasgow: huzzah!

And I spotted more Rush news on the Classic Rock site: Rush Announce Digital Single. Looks like this will be the first hint of what to expect from the new album.

Free Music Friday #59: The Black Keys

Two videos, both on The Black Keys' YouTube channel, for the same song. I've read that the band don't like one of them but I like them both and think both suit the quirky nature of the band.

This is the first one I saw:

And this one appeared more recently:

Which one is your favourite?

Free Downloads

Essentially, these videos are just an excuse to link you to the excellent HearYa site where you can download three live tracks from The Black Keys including an excellent version of 10am Automatic. Stripped back, visceral blues with a rock edge. Two blokes with a guitar and a drum kit. An astonishing racket!

Univrsal: Fail!

I have posted before about my frustration with the music industry and how it doesn't seem to get digital music distribution. A couple of months ago I named and shamed Warner Music and their decision to pull out of streaming music. (See Warner Music goes backwards!)

Today, I saw an article in the Grauniad which suggests Universal Music Group is also trying to make its music hard to access. (See Behind the music: Universal throws down the gauntlet to download stores for details.) Bizarre!

It is not clear how restricting legal download/streaming services access to you artists' work is in anyone's interest. Except of course that by making a commodity scarce, you might be able to demand a premium price for it.

I found two aspects of the report in the Graudiarn particularly interesting. First, Paul McCartney says it's EMIs fault that the Beatles are unavailable for download from iTunes. I always assumed that it was some legal wrangle over who owned the digital distribution rights but maybe it's just about money. Secondly, the insight into Universal's business model was illuminating. Essentially it seems to involve extorting ludicrously high fees from potential online providers so that what ever happens to the online retailer, Universal always gets paid!

Free Download Friday #58: The Dead Weather

You may not have heard of The Dead Weather but it is yet another one of Jack White's side projects. (Although he has so many side projects, perhaps his side project was the White Stripes and everything else is what he does for a day job.)

The excellent RcrdLbl site has Die By The Drop from The Dead Weather's album Sea Of Cowards.



With Jack's vocals and input, it sounds to me like a hi-fi version of the White Stripes. But that's a bit unfair because it's a great track and, if indicative of the whole album, it will be well worth checking out.

Have you heard any more from The Dead Weather? What do you think of them?

Exile On MP3 Street

I understand why up and coming bands put out free music: to let people know they exist and hear what they sound like. I understand why record companies with new albums to promote give away samples: to encourage fans to buy the album and generate some buzz. But guess sometimes people just give it away because they want to.

I guess today's download falls into that third category. As bands go, they don't get much bigger than the Rolling Stones. As events go, you would think the release of a remastered version of Exile On Main Street would create a major splash without too much marketing effort. So it is great to see they've made a version of All Down The Line available free - presumably, just because they can rather than because they have to. My only gripe is the download is time limited and runs out on Sunday, so you'd better get it quick!

As an aside, I was pleased to discover that Amazon UK is giving some free downloads. I keep coming across USA only downloads from Amazon but this is the first time I've noticed a UK freebie. I've signed up for their Twitter feed so hopefully I'll get more notice of future offers.