OK this has been out for a few days. I am late posting the link I apologize profusely. This is from the new CD from the band which came out on April 20.

One of the reasons I do not and will not do reviews of music releases is that what is the point? These days you can go listen to music yourself in bits and pieces where you buy your music or streaming on a band website.

I received a brief press release saying, essentially, “I am not going to tell you about this band…go listen to them.” I appreciate brevity. I listened to them. YOU can download a song from the band Treetop Flyers for free. The song is Mountain Song is available on the Treetop Flyers' Website.

Have a listen!

Fight Fair, punk popsters out of sunny San Diego, will be leaving the beach (literally I suppose since their press release says they arose from the area’s surf scene) to tour the USA. The tour starts in early May in Tucson and is in support of their June 2010 released, California Kicks. The band are not strangers to the road, having toured like madmen in support of their ep, Settle the Score.

The band is also confirmed for the Warped Tour this summer.

Also on the tour are NY band, Honor Bright (beginning on the second date in Austin) and Kill Paradise. All three bands have Myspace pages. Go look them up!

Knitting Factory Records have announced the release of seven CDs (containing 14 albums) of Fela Kuti’s work from the mid 1970s (for the most part). If you know anything about Fela you know the world “prolific” doesn’t even begin to describe the output. Apparently 12 of THESE albums came out in ’75 and ’76.

For those young folks attracted to the political music of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh but who have not heard Fela Kuti you really should give a listen. But there is more to his music than politics.

These titles are the ones coming out: Alagbon Close (1974), Why Black Man Dey Suffer (1971), Expensive Shit(1975),He Miss Road(1975), Everything Scatter(1975), Noise For Vendor Mouth(1975), Monkey Banana(1975),Excuse O(1975), Ikoyi Blindness(1976), Kalakuta Show(1976), Yellow Fever(1976)/Na Poi(1976), J.J.D. (Johnny Just Drop)(1977) and Unnecessary Begging(1976).

You can get presales of the set as a digital download, a digital download AND all the CDS or a digital download/the CDs and a t-shirt. The CDs are all digipacks with original artwork.

For more on the Fela releases go to Knitting Factory Records website.

More coming in the Fall.

Man, that was a terrible headline. It does get the point across though doesn’t it? The Locksley tour begins at Sunfest in West Palm Beach on April 28. The full on tour with Butch Walker starts May 4 in Omaha. Man, how is that for tour routing?

In case Locksley is not familiar, they conjure swing, doo-wop, soul and the early years of the punk movement in their music. They’ve played the late night talk shows and been in a slew of movies as well. Odds are you have heard them even if you don’t know it. Apparently they were in Cloverfield which is really cool.

Find the tour information at the Locksley website.

Steel Train’s self-titled CD comes out June 29th on Terrible Thrills Records (the band’s own imprint). They also got behind the nation’s record retailers and released a limited 7 inch for the just past Record Store Day. You can still get one-- is at Coachella where Steel Train play on May 17.

You can download a copy of the band’s song Turnpike Ghost here.

Keep your eyes open for a tour starting in June. For more info log in to the Steel Train website.

Band of Horses first single from the band’s third release, Infinite Arms, is available for download with pre-orders of the deluxe version of the full-length. The full length is set for a May 18th release. The single is Laredo and you can hear it streaming at www.bandofhorses.com

The previously mentioned “deluxe package” includes a digital, CD and 180 gram vinyl lp version of the release. There is also a DVD with videos for every song on the album.  If THAT was not enough there is a hardcover
coffee table which includes the work Christopher Wilson.

This sort of offering is becoming more and more commen—deluxe packages for “super-fans.” And they tend to not be ridiculously expensive all things considered (this one is $99.99). It makes a musical release a multimedia effort and that can only be a good thing. Right?

Normally I do not bring up the review segments sent out by publicists. But when The Guardian says a record sounds like “Barry White in a water bed with Brian Eno” I take notice. I admit it could just be some douchebag English writer trying to show his or her cleverness.

And they have. That is clever. It also makes me want to find out if there is any truth in it.

Grovesnor (whose mom named him Rob Smoughton), drums for Hot Chip, and the solo album will be titled Soft Return. The basis of all this is described as a modern, electronic styled update of the likes of Hall and Oats, Steely Dan and Billy Joel. I guess anything can become hip if you give it a couple of decades. Yeah, yeah, yeah I am being a smart-ass.

You can decide for yourself download the first single, Taxi From the Airport. Let me know if the link doesn't work.

Visit the Grovesnor website as well.

Cate Le Bon's debut album Me Oh My comes out May 4th in the USA after scads of great revies in the UK. Of course they ARE UK reviews. But what do reviews mean these days? You can go hear the music yourself at Youtube. The video for Hollow Trees House Hounds is up at Youtube. Hell, the CD is also available digitally.

In case you still cannot decide if you want to plunk down your hard earned money there is also an mp3 of the song Shoeing The Bones available for download.

It is pretty good stuff and they put some thought into the video as well. Have a look, have a listen. And if you want to find more about Cate Le Bon check out her website.

Get the Shoeing The Bones MP3 here.

Piebald, beloved of both hardcore and alterno-rock fans, are going to  be stoked. A six disc set of the band’s early releases and rarities are coming out beginning on April 27. The set will be in three volumes of two discs each.

The first volume will be made up of the album When Life Hands You Lemons and other rare early recordings including songs from a split 7 inch they did with Cave In. The second volume will include  two complete albums--If It Weren't For Venetian Blinds It Would be Curtains For Us All (one of the cleverest album titles ever) and The Rock Revolution Will Not Be Televised.  Selected covers of tracks originally from Slayer, Jawbreaker and Weezer will also be included. This one hits the stores May 25. Finally, on July 20th  the third volume will hit the streets. It will include the album We Are The Only Friends That We Have, b-sides and radio show rarities.
The artwork for the collection is the work of Sergie Loobkoff of Samiam. In true punk rock fashion you can get the first volume via the band’s Myspace page for $11.