Chris Mills Announces New Release, First Tour in Three Years

Chris Mills is one of those singer-songwriters who just melts your heart with his lyrics. Word came today that Mills will release a new record, Alexandria and start his first U.S. tour in three years come mid-January 2014. His new album features nine originals recorded in New York, Chicago, and Oslo, Norway, and mixed by Grammy award winning engineer Ryan Freeland (Tift Merrit, Ray LeMontagne, Aimee Mann). Mills will head to Europe for a run of dates in February before returning to the states to perform at SXSW in March. Other U.S. dates to be announced soon.

Chris Mills U.S. tour
 1/19 - Cambridge, MA - Atwoods
1/23 - St. Louis, IL - Off Broadway
1/24 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's
1/25 - Madison, WI - Kiki's House of Righteous Music
1/26 - St. Paul, MN - Amsterdam
1/29 - Yipsilanti, MI - Woodruff's
1/30 - Cleveland - Grog Shop
1/31 - Toledo, OH - Frankies
2/1 - Cincinnati, OH - House Concert
2/2 - Chicago, IL - Saki Store In-store
2/8 - Peacedale, RI - Roots Hoot House Concert

Seen Your Video: Justin Vernon of Bon Iver Shows Up to Play "The World Cafe" with Kathleen Edwards

Philly.com reported that Kathleen Edwards was joined by her beau, Justin Version of Bon Iver, for a few songs last night in Philly on "World Cafe."

Edwards latest record, Voyageur came out last month, which Bon Iver also produced. She is playing the here tomorrow at the 930 Club.



Kathleen Edwards - Wapusk (featuring Bon Iver) by Kathleen Edwards

Garbage to Release New Record in May, First Record in Seven Years

The gritty sound of Garbage will hit the streets again in May with the release of a new record, Not Your Kind of People, their first in seven years.

Not Your Kind Of People will be the fifth studio record from Garbage and will be released on the band's label STUNVOLUME. "It has the same kind of adventurism that we had with the first stuff," says Garbage guitarist Duke Erikson.

Europe will be toured in the spring, and US dates will follow. "Thinking about going back on the road is both thrilling and terrifying in equal measure," says Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson. ".........but we've always enjoyed a little pain mixed in with our pleasure."

NPR Streaming New Records from Nada Surf and Craig Finn Solo

NPR and its streaming of new records in their entirety is such a blessing. And a money saver! And a great way to start off a new week!

Yesterday, NPR began streaming The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy, the seventh record from Nada Surf, and Clear Heart Full Eyes, the first solo record from The Hold Steady lead singer Craig Finn. Surf lead singer Matthew Caws and the boys display their signature catchy-as-hell guitar hooks ("Jules and Jim" for instance) and power pop beauty ("Looking Through," the chorus of "No Snow on the Mountain"). Finn takes on a bit more of a country-fried feel in spots on this vacation from THS and the testosterone-laden hooks of THS guitarist Tad Kubler, but his story telling of the down-and-outers and Jesus are still in abundance. This one may take a couple of spins, but it's got potential.

Both records drop for purchase on 1/24.

The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy-Nada Surf-NPR Stream


Clear Heart, Full Eyes-Craig Finn-NPR Stream

Craig Finn's Solo Record, Clear Heart Full Eyes Out in January, Tour Dates Announced

The Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn made a solo record this year while The Hold Steady in on their break. Titled Clear Heart Full Eyes, the 11 tracks come across a tad twangier than the full on testosterone-laden rock normally heard in The Hold Steady.

Craig Finn - Honolulu Blues by Vagrant Records

Finn is touring behind the record as well. Tickets go on sale this Friday (12/16).

Craig Finn 2012 Tour Dates
2/01 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada*
2/02 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory*
2/03 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown*
2/04 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club*
2/06 - Iowa City, IA @ The Mill*
2/07 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle*
2/08 - Detroit, MI @ The Lager House*
2/09 - Columbus, OH @ The Basement*
2/10 - St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway*
2/11 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar*
2/13 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge*
2/19 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah*
2/20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour*
2/21 - San Francisco, CA @ Noise Pop at Bottom of the Hill
2/23 - Portland, OR @ The Doug Fir Lounge*
2/24 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile*
2/27 - Ringwood, NJ Live @ Drew's House
2/28 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott#
2/29 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (Late Show)#
3/01 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's#
3/02 - Washington, DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel#
3/03 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506#
3/05 - Atlanta, GA @Earl#
* - w/ Mount Moriah
# - w/ Marcellus Hall

Finn talks some about his inspiration for the songs and the making of the record. Accompanying Finn in the studio were members of White Denim, The Heartless Bastards, Phosphorescent, and Centro-matic. About the title, he says, "I’m calling this record Clear Heart Full Eyes. It’s a juxtaposed reference to Friday Night Lights, a TV show that excited and moved me and also happened in Texas. Further, “Clear Heart” signifies honesty and transparency, and “Full Eyes” suggests experience. Thus, it’s about being optimistic and open without succumbing to the weariness or doubt that comes with age and experience. To me, that is what it’s all about.”

Craig Finn "Clear Heart Full Eyes" from Helms Workshop on Vimeo.

Independent Record Labels Curate Free Music Discover Platform

TheNewRecord, a free music platform put together by a cadre of independent record labels went live today. Anti-, Kill Rock Stars, Sub Pop, Century Media, Daptone, and SideOne Dummy are among the 30+ labels involved in the new venture. The co-founder of SideOneDummy Records, Bill Armstrong, was also the creator. "As a fan, I felt that new music wasn't being organized in a way that made it easy to find....I wanted a filtered environment with what I consider other high quality artists whom we might share similar or even some of the same fans," he said. New label partners are being added.

So what is TheNewRecord? Essentially, it's an electronic interface that allows users a free filtered environment to play and download new songs weeks in advance of release. With a free one-time sign-up, a user can play and download unlimited free MP3s, use a built-in widget to embed songs or playlists, create and swap customizable playlists with other users, and share new finds over Facebook, Twitter, email, or 340 other social networks. Using the "Follow" feature, users will have new music delivered to them directly from the record label or artist before release date. Users can also follow each other, filtering new music through their friend's tastes.

Access to TheNewRecord will only be available in North America.

Guided by Voices to Release Let's Go Eat the Factory, First New Material in 15 Years

GBV @ the 930 Club, 10-21-2010

The "classic line up" of Guided By Voices-Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Greg Demos, Kevin Fennell with Jimmy Pollard-is releasing the first record of new material in 15 years shortly. Titled Let's Go Eat the Factory, the 21 new songs were recorded "in the living rooms, basements, and garages of various long-time band members."

Some tracks were recorded more-or-less live at Mitch Mitchell's garage, where the band would often practice back in the early- and mid-90s. These sessions comprised Mitch, Bob, and Jimmy Pollard, Bob's brother and long-time collaborator, who, though never a part of the touring ensemble, always played a crucial role on the classic-era releases. Some tracks were improvised over acoustic jam sessions at Greg Demos' house. Many were recorded at Tobin Sprout's place in Wherever, Michigan, and later lovingly fucked with in order to achieve the proper level of weirdness. Band members switched instruments (e.g., Bob plays drums; Mitch plays drums; Jimmy Pollard plays bass; Greg plays lead guitar; Toby plays pretty much everything; etc.), and Bob gladly accepted input from the rest of the band. Tobin Sprout wrote or co-wrote and sings on six out of the 21 songs.

Let's Go Eat the Factory is slated for a 1/1/2012 release on the band's label, GBV Inc.

We covered the GBV classic lineup show at the 930 Club in October here.

Black Keys New Record, El Camino, Out in December

The Black Keys announced that El Camino, the follow up to Brothers, will drop on 12/6. Danger Mouse helped produce El Camino so one can only ponder of the interesting combination of sounds we will get. (Hot fact of the day: Danger Mouse produced their 2008 record Attack & Release as well.) The first single,“Lonely Boy,” will be released 10/26.

Black Keys' guitarist and singer Dan Auerbach says of El Camino, “I think where this record is going to shine for me is playing the songs live. This record is more straight ahead rock and roll—raw, driving, and back to basics.”

El Camino is the first Black Keys album that Nonesuch Records will release worldwide.

El Camino track list
1. Lonely Boy
2. Dead and Gone
3. Gold on the Ceiling
4. Little Black Submarines
5. Money Maker
6. Run Right Back
7. Sister
8. Hell of a Season
9. Stop Stop
10. Nova Baby
11. Mind Eraser

Peter Wolf Crier to Release New Record, Tour in September

Peter Wolf Crier is a Minneapolis, MN-based duo that makes incredibly lush music using just a drum and a guitar. I've long thought their music sounds like that feeling of sitting before a fire during a snowstorm: quiet, warm, and full, with just a hint of danger running underneath (what if we're snowed in forever gaaaah). Their 2010 debut, Inter-Be, includes "Untitled 101" which is quite the stunning pining-for-love-prayer.

PWC will release its follow-up to Inter-Be with the full-length Garden of Arms on 9/6. Says they of it, rather accurately:

Peter Wolf Crier's second album Garden of Arms is a document that paints a vivid portrait of all the pain and beauty of growth. Written with the at-home repose demanded by performing a hundred shows in six months, these eleven tracks were nurtured from their hushed origins with a new-found footing of confidence and experimentation. Adapting the tenets of the grinding live show, the duo of Peter Pisano and Brian Moen transformed the fuzzy distortion, rolling and crashing drums, and laser-focused purposefulness into an intensely dynamic yet supremely polished album.

Give a Listen: Settling It Off-Peter Wolf Crier (from Garden of Arms)

Peter Wolf Crier Tour Dates
09/23 Minneapolis, MN- Cedar Cultural Center
09/24 Chicago, IL- Schubas
09/27 Cambridge, MA- The Middle East (Upstairs)*
09/28 Philadelphia, PA- Kung Fu Necktie*
09/29 Washington DC- Red Palace
09/30 New York, NY- Mercury Lounge*
10/03 Chapel Hill, NC- Local 506*
10/04 Atlanta, GA- Drunken Unicorn*
10/07 Austin, TX- Lambert's*
10/08 Denton, TX- Dan's SilverLeaf*
10/10 Norman, OK- Opolis*
10/11 Columbia, MO- Mojo's*
10/12 Bloomington, IN- The Bishop*
10/13 Bloomington, IL- The Castle Theatre
10/14 Madison, WI- The Sett*
10/15 Milwaukee, WI- Club Garibaldi
10/24 St. Louis, MO- Off Broadway
10/25 Omaha, NE- The Waiting Room
10/27 Denver, CO- Hi-Dive
10/28 Salt Lake City, UT- Kilby Court
10/29 Boise, ID- The Neurolux
11/01 Portland, OR- Mississippi Studios
11/02 Seattle, WA- Tractor Tavern
11/04 San Francisco, CA- Cafe du Nord
11/05 Visalia, CA- Cellar Door
11/06 Santa Cruz, CA- Crepe Place
11/07 Santa Barbara, CA- Muddy Waters
11/08 Los Angeles, CA- Bootleg Theatre
11/11 Tucson, AZ- Solar Culture
11/12 Santa Fe, NM- SOL @ Santa Fe Brewing Company
11/14 Lawrence, KS- Jackpot Music Hall
11/15 Ames, IA- Maintenance Shop

*with Milagres

Surfer Blood to Release New EP, Opening for Pixies This Fall

The big rock sound of Surfer Blood is returning in October (25th to be exact) in the form of a four-track EP titled The Tarot Classics. The record is being released on vinyl, digital, and CD, and each format will include bonus remixes by Totally Sincere (Connor Hanwick of The Drums and Peggy Wang of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart), San Francisco-based Speculator, School of Seven Bells and Allen Blickle. Tarot is the follow up to 2010's Astro Coast.



Tracklist
1. I’m Not Ready
2. Miranda
3. Voyager Reprise
4. Drinking Problem

Surfer Blood will be opening for The Pixies on dates this fall. Check out the coverage we did of their DC show earlier this year for WCP over here .

Surfer Blood Fall 2010 Tour Dates
(Headlining)
8/27: LOUfest Music Festival, St Louis, MO
8/31: Neumo’s, Seattle, WA
9/3: Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
9/10: Firestone Fest, Orlando, FL

9/16: Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA
9/21: Crowbar, Tampa, FL

9/22: Double Down Live, Gainesville, FL


Opening for The Pixies
10/27: The Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ * 

10/28: Asbury Park Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ *
10/29: Palace Theatre, Waterbury, CT * 

10/30: Hampton Beach Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NH * 

11/1: State Theatre, Portland, ME * 

11/2: The Armory, Rochester, NY * 

11/3: State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton, PA * 

11/5: Paramount Theatre, Huntington, NY *

11/6: Grand Opera House, Wilmington, DE*
11/8: War Memorial Auditorium, Greensboro, NC*
11/9: Louisville Palace Theatre, Louisville, KY * 

11/10: Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville, TN * 

11/11: North Charleston Performing Arts Center, North Charleston,SC*

Avett Brothers Debut New Song During "CMT Unplugged" Episode

The Avett Brothers used their gorgeous tones to perform quite a few tracks from their most recent release, the lovely I and Love and You, for an upcoming CMT Unplugged episode. They also debuted a new track, "The Once and Future Carpenter," during the show, for which we have the video! These boys really take beauty and harmony to a whole other level.

The Once and Future Carpenter (CMT Unplugged) - The Avett Brothers - The Avett Brothers Videos

"Rave On Buddy Holly" Tribute Record to Include, Well, Everyone

LA Times reported today that a Buddy Holly tribute with, well, everyone in music today is coming out in June.

Rave On Buddy Holly, out 6/28, will include 19-tracks from folks like Modest Mouse, Cee Lo Green, and The Black Keys.

“As the tracks from various contributors were gathered for the album, we seemed to be gathering pieces of a complex and original puzzle … that traces back to the roots of rock and roll and shapes so much of the music that followed," says the press release. Rave On will, apparently, "steer clear of the reverent re-creations typically found on similar projects." Maybe that's why the peppy "Rave On" will be done by the droll-voice of Julian Casablancas?


Rave On Buddy Holly Tracklist:

1. "Dearest," The Black Keys
2. "Every Day," Fiona Apple & Jon Brion
3. "It’s So Easy," Paul McCartney
4. "Not Fade Away," Florence + The Machine
5. "(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care," Cee Lo Green
6. "Crying, Waiting, Hoping," Karen Elson
7. "Rave On," Julian Casablancas
8. "I’m Gonna Love You Too," Jenny O.
9. "Maybe Baby," Justin Townes Earle
10. "Oh Boy," She & Him
11. "Changing All Those Changes," Nick Lowe
12. "Words Of Love," Patti Smith
13. "True Love Ways," My Morning Jacket
14. "That’ll Be The Day," Modest Mouse
15. "Well… All Right," Kid Rock
16. "Heartbeat," The Detroit Cobras
17. "Peggy Sue," Lou Reed
18. "Peggy Sue Got Married," John Doe
19. "Raining In My Heart," Graham Nash

Seen Your Video: The Strokes Do Two Songs From Forthcoming Record, Angles, on SNL

The Strokes hit Saturday Night Live this weekend with two new tracks from their forthcoming record, Angles, due out 3/22. There are strains of Is This It? but it's...more evolved somehow. Nikolai Fraiture'a strong bass lines and Fabrizio Moretti's drums still drive the sound, but there's more of a change-up now in song structures and whatnot (great example, "Life is Simple in the Moonlight"). I'm praying they don't travel all the way to SXSW just for the single Auditorium Shores show, my Nikon is looking to love up on them up something serious.

"Under Cover of Darkness"


"Life is Simple in the Moonlight"

Sondre Lerche Announces New Record, Tour Dates (Includes SXSW Shows)

Sondre Lerche has one of those other-worldly voices of beauty that can bring light to the deep and dark places. (Check out this video for a perfect example, long one of my favorites.)

Lerche is releasing a self-titled record, his sixth, on 6/7 this year. What will be interesting to hear is that many of the tracks are one-takes. "We recorded a lot of it to tape, forcing ourselves to either commit or burn bridges and move on," said Lerche. "We were killing darlings left and right. It was truly liberating."

Lerche also announced a slew of shows he'll do in support of the record throughout June (and prior to that, SXSW yayayayay!) Pre-sale for shows is on now through tomorrow (3/3) at 8 am on Sondre Lerche.com.

Sondre Lerche Tour
@ SXSW
3/16:
-SXSW Bookstore Signing (1:45pm)
-Paste Day Party (Stage on Sixth - 6:30pm)
3/17:
-Rawkblog Party (The Liberty - 6pm)
-Yep Roc Music Showcase (Maggie Mae's - 9pm)
3/18: Bella Union / Zeitgeist Showcase (Central Presbyterian Church - 11pm)

Headlining Tour
5/31: Mod Club Toronto, ON
6/1: Sala Rossa Montreal, QC
6/2: Paradise Boston, MA
6/3: World Café Philadelphia, PA
6/4: The Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
6/7:The 9:30 Club Washington, DC
6/9: Cats' Cradle Carrboro, NC
6/10: 12th & Porter Nashville, TN
6/11: The Variety Atlanta, GA
6/12: Workplay Birmingham, AL
6/14: Southgate House Newport, KY
6/15: Old Rock House St Louis, MO
6/17: Fine Line Minneapolis, MI
6/18: Schubas Chicago, IL
6/19: Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
6/21: Larimer Lounge Denver, CO
6/22: Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
6/24: Biltmore Vancouver, BC
6/25: The Croc Seattle, WA
6/26: Doug Fir Portland, OR
6/28: Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
6/29: El Rey Los Angeles, CA
6/30: Belly Up San Diego, CA

Pearl Jam to Release Live Compliation Record 1/18

Pearl Jam announced the release of Live on Ten Legs, a new live compilation album that will be available through Pearl Jam’s Ten Club and select digital and independent music retailers on 1/18 in the US, 1/19 internationally.

Kicking off the band’s twentieth anniversary year, the record features 18 Pearl Jam tracks recorded over the course of the band’s 2003-2010 world tours by recording engineer, John Burton. All tracks have been newly remixed by longtime Pearl Jam engineer Brett Eliason and remastered.

Live on Ten Legs is a follow up to their platinum 1998 live release, Live on Two Legs,, which consisted of performances recorded during the band’s summer 1998 North American tour.

Live on Ten Legs tracklisting
1. Arms Aloft
2. World Wide Suicide
3. Animal
4. Got Some
5. State of Love And Trust
6. I Am Mine
7. Unthought Known
8. Rearview Mirror
9. The Fixer
10. Nothing As It Seems
11. In Hiding
12. Just Breathe
13. Jeremy
14. Public Image
15. Spin the Black Circle
16. Porch
17. Alive
18. Yellow Ledbetter

What the World Needs Now: David Lowery Releasing Solo Debut, Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven Touring January 2011

RadioVA interviewer, Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven frontman Dave Lowery is releasing his first solo record on 2/1, The Palace Guards.

A little Appalachian-woven folk, a little psychedelia, and a little of the usual suspects for a Lowery song, the record is meant to show many of the musical sides of Lowery and his cohorts. “One of the reasons the album sounds the way it does is that I have pretty strong personalities playing with me,” says Lowery, “guys who I’ve worked with for years, who have done engineering or playing on Camper and Cracker albums. There’s that instant easy rapport that shines through. Working with them brought out the more extreme edges in these songs and amplified them. It was also liberating to start with no preconceived notions of what they would end up sounding like or worrying about how they might sound in a live setting, as I have to do when I write songs for Cracker."

The Palace Guards has many of the musicians that Lowery has played with over the years at his Richmond, VA-based studio (Sound of Music), as well as Cracker bandmates Sal Maida and Johnny Hickman, and the late Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) who played keyboards on “Big Life.”

Tracklist for The Palace Guards
1. Raise 'em up on Honey
2. The Palace Guards
3. Deep Oblivion
4. Ah, You Left Me
5. Baby, All Those Girls Meant Nothing To Me
6. I Sold the Arabs the Moon
7. Marigold
8. Big Life
9. Submarine

Give a Listen: The Palace Guards-Dave Lowery/Buy The Palace Guards

In January, Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker will join together to perform Key Lime Pie and Kerosene Hat respectively, in their entireties, live as a doubleheader on the east coast. New music from both bands will be out in 2011.

CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN & CRACKER'S "KEY LIME & KEROSENE" SHOWS
1/14: NY, NY, Highline Ballroom
1/15: Toronto, ONT, Lee’s Palace
1/16: Cambridge, MA, Middle East Downstairs

The Dears to Release New Album, Degeneration Street, in February

The Dears announced today their next release will be called Degeneration Street. Word has it that DS is along the same form as previous records like No Cities Left and Gang of Losers, full of yummy Brit-pop.

One of the first singles to be released is "Omega Dog." The video below is from a recent show in Mexico City.



Degeneration Street is out 2/15 on Dangerbird Records.

DC's 9:30 Club Launches Record Label, 9:30 Records

Move over Dischord, there's a new label in town. Owners of the legendary 930 Club have started a new record label, 930 Records. Armed with a mantra, “If It Ain’t Broke, Break It!,” Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P. and co-owner of the 9:30 Club, said he decided to start the label after hearing local talent, Justin Jones. “You can imagine I’ve been exposed to more music than most, but once in a very blue moon, a new artist stops me dead in my tracks,” said Hurwitz. “When I first heard Justin Jones a few years ago I was blown away, and I’m determined to do all I can to bring this enormously talented artist to the rest of the world. It’s no secret the traditional record business is in total disarray. But I’ve been an independent businessman my entire career and have been used to taking things into my own hands, so we decided, hell, we’ll launch a record label so we can launch Justin Jones.”

Nashville's Thirty Tigers is distributing The Little Fox which hits stores and digital outlets on 9/14.

As you can imagine, Jones is mighty grateful. “We’ve been touring for more than a year showcasing this material and getting great responses from audiences, but signing on with major labels these days isn’t even something artists contemplate anymore. We decided to record something that sounds like us live. We went to our buddy’s basement, set up and in two days laid down the songs that would become The Little Fox EP. To have the 9:30 Club start a label just because of us, well, that’s pretty astounding. To have people like Seth Hurwitz believe in you and back you, I couldn’t feel luckier.”

No word as to other bands 9:30 Records is hoping to add just yet, but I'm sure we'll see news on this shortly.

To celebrate the launch of the record and the label, the 9:30 Club will host an exclusive invitation-only Open House Party on 9/16, which will include a special performance by Jones. Invites will be to media and such, but Hurwitz said they are also extending invites by a lottery to members of the 9:30 Club Forum (the club’s online discussion group), subscribers to Volume, the 9:30 Club’s print newsletter, the 9:30 Club’s email list subscribers, and members of 9:30 Club Social Media outlets.

Columbia Records To Release Bruce Springsteen's The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story on 11/16

Color me speechless. It was officially announced today that Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen's The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story on 11/16. The set will include all sorts of goodies like 3CDs/3DVDs (including Darkness on the Edge of Town digitally remastered for the first time), two hours of audio, six hours of video, studio and live footage/photographs never released, and an 80-page notebook containing facsimiles from Springsteen's original notebooks from the recording sessions, with alternate lyrics, song ideas, recording details, personal notes, with a new essay by Springsteen. Looks like the big package is running $115, but for all that, that’s mighty worth the cost. (Santa, if you're reading this, I already know what you can get me for Christmas...)

"Darkness was my 'samurai' record," Springsteen writes, "stripped to the frame and ready to rumble…But the music that got left behind was substantial." For audio, the two discs will contain a total of 21 previously-unreleased songs from the Darkness recording sessions, songs that Springsteen writes, "perhaps could have/should have been released after Born To Run and before the collection of songs that Darkness on the Edge of Town became." Look for a rock version of "Racing in the Street," "Someday (We'll Be Together)," "Ain't Good Enough for You," a soul-based vocal performance on "The Brokenhearted," a haunting "Breakaway," never-before-released original recordings of "Because the Night," "Fire," and "Rendezvous," and the fully orchestrated masterpiece and title song "The Promise."

For video, the package will include a 90-minute documentary, The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town,. Shot between 1976 and 1978, it includes footage of home rehearsals and studio sessions during the making of Darkness, new interviews with Springsteen, E Street Band members, manager Jon Landau, former manager Mike Appel, and others closely involved in the making of the record. The Making will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on 9/14, and run on HBO 10/7.

Can you take one more?? Are you sure?? The set features more than four hours of live concert film from the Thrill Hill Vault, including the bootleg house cut (the footage that appeared on-screen at the concert) from a 1978 Houston show, and a 2009 performance of Darkness on the Edge of Town in its entirety, at the Paramont Theater in Asbury Park, NJ. This performance was shot in HD, without an audience, and “successfully recreates the stark atmosphere of the original album.”

A previously unheard song "Save My Love" and an excerpt from the documentary will be streaming here sometime between now and the 9/14 documentary premiere in Tornto (they think. I rang Shorefire to ask about "when" this will begin and they didn't know exactly, this was the best guess). So keep checking in...

Update 4:42 PM: The "Save My Love" stream is now live here.

Bruce Springsteen - "The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'" Sneak Peek from Columbia Records on Vimeo.

All the specifics of the package are below.

Video.....
DVD 1: "THE PROMISE: THE MAKING OF 'DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN'"
DVD 2:
-DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (PARAMOUNT THEATER, ASBURY PARK, NJ, 2009)
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy's Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town

THRILL HILL VAULT (1976-1978)
1. Save My Love (Holmdel, NJ 76)
2. Candy's Boy (Holmdel, NJ 76)
3. Something In The Night (Red Bank, NJ 76)
4. Don’t Look Back (NYC 78)
5. Ain't Good Enough For You (NYC 78)
6. The Promise (NYC 78)
7. Candy's Room Demo (NYC 78)
8. Badlands (Phoenix 78)
9. The Promised Land (Phoenix 78)
10. Prove It All Night (Phoenix 78)
11. Born To Run (Phoenix 78)
12. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (Phoenix 78)

DVD 3: HOUSTON '78 BOOTLEG: HOUSE CUT
1. Badlands
2. Streets Of Fire
3. It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City
4. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
5. Spirit In The Night
6. Independence Day
7. The Promised Land
8. Prove It All Night
9. Racing In The Street
10. Thunder Road
11. Jungleland
12. The Ties That Bind
13. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
14. The Fever
15. Fire
16. Candy's Room
17. Because The Night
18. Point Blank
19. She's The One
20. Backstreets
21. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
22. Born To Run
23. Detroit Medley
24. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
25. You Can't Sit Down
26. Quarter To Three

Audio...
CD 1: REMASTERED DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy’s Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town

CD 2: THE PROMISE (DISC 1)
1. Racing In The Street ('78)
2. Gotta Get That Feeling
3. Outside Looking In
4. Someday (We'll Be Together)
5. One Way Street
6. Because The Night
7. Wrong Side Of The Street
8. The Brokenhearted
9. Rendezvous
10. Candy's Boy

CD 3: THE PROMISE (DISC 2)
1. Save My Love
2. Ain't Good Enough For You
3. Fire
4. Spanish Eyes
5. It's A Shame
6. Come On (Let's Go Tonight)
7. Talk To Me
8. The Little Things (My Baby Does)
9. Breakaway
10. The Promise
11. City Of Night

Columbia will also release The Promise,, a double CD that includes tracks from Darkness "lost sessions" around the same time as The Promise package.

They're doing preorders now here.

Fitz & the Tantrums Debut Full-Length, Pickin' Up the Pieces, Out Today

It's a lovely day here in DC, made even more so by the debut release of one of our favorite bands this year, Fitz & the Tantrums. Titled Pickin' Up the Pieces, this debut includes many of the tracks from their 2009 EP, Songs for a Break Up, Vol. 1, as well as others like "L.O.V" that bring the house down live. Armed with horns, a Hammond B3 organ and lots of blue-eyed soul, you'll find yourself shimmying and swaying in a way you never have before. They put on an incredible live show as well, so be sure you get yourself to the Rock and Roll Hotel next month (9/20) for their area appearance. And even if you don't usually dance, come prepared to do so anyway-with a Fitz and the Tantrums live show, resistance to boogieing down is futile.

Give a Listen-MoneyGrabber-Fitz and the Tantrums/Buy Pickin' Up the Pieces

(Fitz and the Tantrums are out playing now, and will be in DC at the Rock and Roll Hotel on 9/20. They will also be playing the Voodoo Experience Festival in New Orleans in October)