The Playlist #4

It's December and it really feels like the holidays in the house. I didn't do anything this week except help with the Christmas decorations. I put up a tree last Monday, and then climbed on top of the roof to set up some lights. I also wrapped all my gifts and mailed my greeting cards. So I didn't get to start on any of my new books nor played games that much. But I did listen to a lot of music.

"A Horse Called Golgotha" by Baroness

I've never heard of this band before. But this band came up on the Genius Recommendation sidebar of my iTunes while I was listening to Mastodon. Curious, I streamed their songs, fell in love with the sick guitar riffs, and ended up buying the album at Amazon Mp3 (because it's a dollar cheaper than iTunes). The whole album, simply entitled as Blue Record, is one of the best metal albums I've heard this year. It has the complexity of Mastodon and the sludge of The Sword. \m/

"Crying Lightning" by Arctic Monkeys

I heard this song playing in the store while I was choosing an ink for my printer. At first -because of the bass intro- I thought it was the song "Cannonball" by The Breeders, which instantly reminded me of the 90's. I was wrong, of course, and later realized that it was a song from Humbug, the new album by the Arctic Monkeys.

"December" by Collective Soul

Well, it's December and it's starting to get cold around here. But besides the falling temperature and the month, this is also the first non-Nirvana song that my band learned to play.

"Monkey Gone to Heaven" by The Pixies

The announcement of The Pixies' boxed set, Minotaur, had put me in a state of extreme cheapskatiness -saving every penny I have so I could buy the set- and pixie worship. Unfortunately, I only have one of their albums, Doolittle, so I don't have much songs to share.

"The Fixer" by Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam have been nominated for the Grammys. Their first single, "The Fixer", from their album Backspacer is nominated for the "Best Rock Song" category. I do hope they win.

"Keep The Car Running" by Arcade Fire

My favorite indie band, Arcade Fire, is coming out with a new album next year! You can read all about it here. In the meantime, I'll just keep on listening to their 2007 album, Neon Bible.

"Your Decision" by Alice In Chains

This is the second single from Alice In Chains' new album, Black Gives Way to Blue, and it's actually my favorite song from the album. Its music video premiered on YouTube yesterday (12/05/2009), and I was so surprised to see Jerry Cantrell looking so old. He still rocks, nonetheless. Amanda Fields, a model from Project Runway, also had a cameo appearance on the video. I don't know who she is though since I don't watch TV. Anyways, you can watch the video here.

Alright. That's that for this week. See you guys next week and enjoy.

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Pearls and Chains

Finding new music has taken a back seat for me lately. It's just I've been busy to do anything besides ripping my old CDs (tons of them) into mp3 files, with a much higher bit rate this time, to upload into my new iPod Touch. But, despite being time-deprived and all, I still managed to find out about -and also purchase- the new albums of Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains.

Alice In Chains

I thought it was the end of Alice In Chains when Layne Staley (vocalist) died a couple years ago. But then they did a reunion tour back in 2007 with a new vocalist, William Duvall, in tow. Although I never really expected them to record another album. That's why I almost cried when I heard their first single, "Check My Brains", from their new album, Black Gives Way to Blue. The album is really good, heavy but full of melody, and it even sounds as if Layne never really died. It's probably their best one ever since Dirt.

Pearl Jam

I'm not really a big fan of Pearl Jam, and I only own a few of their albums. But I really like their new album, Backspacer, a lot. Although Pearl Jam fans, especially the ones who like their older work, might be put off by this one. No more meaty riffs or a screaming Vedder here. They stripped down their sound to a minimum and what's left is just good ol', lighthearted rock & roll.

Both bands are almost at the 20th year of their career. But, after all these years, they still rock. While both albums aren't "album of the year" material, they're still worth listening compared to most crap that is out right now. So to all former fans, it's time to re-discover these bands. If you haven't heard of Alice In Chains or Pearl Jam before, then now is the best time get acquainted with them.

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