Silversun Pickups - Swoon Stream

I'm not even going to say anything - you just need to click this link and listen to one of the top albums released so far in 2009. 

+++ Silversun Pickups - Swoon

Bridge And Tunnel - Call to the Comptroller's Office

Bridge and Tunnel - Call to the Comptroller's Office from If You Make It on Vimeo.

Another recommendation from C-Bear, another great track. Call to the Comptroller's Office by the indie punk outfit coming out of New York. Look at how red the dude gets near the end - INTEEENSE! God I love me some upright bass

+++ B & T's myspace

Austin Lucas - Go West

Austin Lucas - Go West from If You Make It on Vimeo.

Big ups to my buddy Chocolate Bear for giving me the heads up on this video - the chorus will probably never, ever leave my head! (yea, thanks a lot C-Bear :p). After hearing this song, I dropped everything I was doing (which was probably not much, to be honest) and went to track down Austin Lucas' latest offering entitled 'Somebody Loves You'. Part folk, a bit of country and all passion, coupled with Austin Lucas' undeniable talent on the guitar leaves audiences enthralled and entranced. Even people who try to avoid country music like the Dust Bowl (Exhibit A - me). Maybe its time to stop being so close minded and to see what other knee slappin' ho down's are out there...

+++Austin Lucas' myspace

EDit - truth be told, I dig this live version more than the album version. The one laid down on CD has fiddles and banjoes. I think that's also a testament to Austin Lucas' live chops - and my dislike for country!

Black Heart Inertia

The latest song released by Incubus, Black Heart Inertia, is now streaming in it's entirety off the Enjoy Incubus website. After being thoroughly teased by the teasers (leave me alone...its late...) they had previously upped on their official website, I was almost surprised as the complete song far exceeded my lofty expectations. Think of all the best elements of Light Grenades, but with that same 'epic' and expansive vibe from A Crow Left of The Murder, and you'll get Black Heart Inertia. Hopefully that makes sense! Check out Einziger's solo! I love this guy's playing the more I hear it, and it seems he's incorporating what he's learned from studying music at Harvard as the solo definitely hints to a stylistic shift. A real great tune that easily trumps the best from Light Grenades - the only thing that bums me out is that in June we're getting a greatest hits album from these guys, not a brand new LP. Incubus is still alive and relevant, and I can't wait to hear more.

+++ Enjoy Incubus Website

Thrice At Bamboozle Left

There were two main reasons why I wanted to catch the Bamboozle Left festival here in Southern California - Thrice were playing, and they were gonna give a sneak peak of their album by playing some new material, and the Deftones were in attendance as well. There's only one reason I didn't get to experience both things in the flesh - I'm an idiot. I thought it was a month away until I looked at Thrice's twitter updates about being sunburnt and thanking fans and slowly the rusty cogs began to turn. TODAY is April 5?!  I found this pretty poor quality of the untitled Thrice song, which you can watch here. I don't know if it was the shitty sound quality (though props for whoever put it up) that's detracting from it, but I managed to curb my fanboy-ism enough to hold off judgement until hearing it laid down on an LP. I dig that bass riffage though. OK, I'm off to listen to it 27 more times.  

New Thrice Song at Bamboozle

*edit* re-upped link with a better quality version. 

Welcome Home - Neverender 2009

Welcome Home played live off their newly released 'Neverender' concert series. Check out how intense that solo section is - when Claudio starts headbanging like he's got no neck bones and Chris Pennie lays down that sick double kick riff, it'll get your heart pumping even if your heavily sedated on horse tranquilizers. I don't know about the extra percussion section, but this clip still makes me down to grab Coheed's latest DVD release. Available in a 2 disc  set and a special edition that contains like 20 discs, it was released March 24th. The band dedicated individual nights to playing whole albums in their entirety, and the whole set spans their 4 record career. More info here ---> Coheed and Cambria 

"Welcome Home" - Live from Neverender DVD