I DON'T WANT TO HURT ANYBODY

Oh, yeah. And speaking of legends, Radiohead's releasing a new album on Saturday, the 19th.

destined to be obscured

Well, I know I haven't posted in over six months, but what kind of music blogger would I be if I didn't do a post-Grammy article?

I heard the Arcade Fire won something, and somebody on my Facebook feed is complaining about something called Florence deux Machina not winning something else.

More importantly, though, post-hardcore legends Glassjaw have released a free six track EP. This is the first truly new material the band's put out in about nine years, and the 28 minutes of glorious aural ecstasy effectively function as the pinnacle of everything that is hard rock music*.

Did I mention it's free?
http://www.mediafire.com/?qknq3kf56enlnc7











*Okay, maybe not. But it's pretty effing good.

My Terrible Friend

Quick one. Lauren O'Connell and Nataly Dawn have teamed up to create a project called My Terrible Friend. Check their YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/myterriblefriend

Their new EP is available on iTunes for $3.99, and it's more than worth it. Even if the music wasn't spectacular (which it is), you could feel good about yourself for supporting an independent artist (for once).

Guess who's back?

Marshall Mathers established himself abruptly in 1999 with The Slim Shady LP, and a year later cemented his place with The Marshall Mathers LP. Unfortunately, in the last few years the rapper hasn't been delivering. Since the curtains closed on The Eminem Show in 2002, Mathers hasn't done anything particularly worthy of critical praise. Sure, there have been a handful of decent singles. But his last two LP's, Encore and Relapse were sloppy at best.

Eminem addresses the issue on his latest, the aptly titled Recovery. "This time around, it's different. Those last two albums didn't count. Encore I was on drugs, Relapse I was flushing 'em out. I've come to make it up to you now, no more fucking around. I got something to prove to fans, 'cause I feel like I let 'em down. So please accept my apology. I finally feel like I'm back to normal. I feel like me again." This risky statement comes on the album's second track, and thankfully—and finally—the rest of the album actually delivers.

Don't get me wrong. This isn't quite the manic, depraved Marshall Mathers we remember from early on in the last decade. This is a Marshall Mathers who is more mature. What's back is his ability to deliver lines that resonate with listeners, and deliver them with style. His pop sensibility has returned, and it's been adapted for the next generation. Tracks like "Won't Back Down" and "Love the Way You Lie," featuring Pink and Rhianna on the respective choruses, will surely bring Eminem back to the top commercially. His sobriety has given him a fresh outlook, and the bits of introspection strewn across the record are bound to surprise—and appease—critics who lost faith in recent years. For the moment, Eminem's back. Let's see if it lasts.

Here's a video of Rhianna and Eminem performing "Love The Way You Lie." The quality isn't particularly amazing, but it's just a preview of the album which will be released on Monday.

Unexpected treat from E3

E3 has always been something for gamers to get excited about. It's the conference where video game companies unveil new technologies and the most anticipated games. Microsoft showed us Kinect, a camera that attaches to the XBOX 360 and tracks the movements of players to give them a new form of control over their games. Sony showed us what high definition and 3D glasses can do for gaming. Nintendo unveiled the 3DS, a handheld gaming console that delivers 3D without the need for glasses.

Activision, however, gave music lovers a surprise. For some reason, they had Billy Howerdel and Maynard James Keenan of A Perfect Circle, along with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra, perform Queen's legendary "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Ukulele Radiohead Covers

If your life has been feeling empty lately, it's probably because you haven't heard Amanda Palmer covering Radiohead songs on a ukulele.

http://blog.amandapalmer.net/post/687905407/look-the-idioteque-single-from-my-radiohead-covers

If that doesn't fill the void, well... find something else.

HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS

Nine Inch Nails fans were more depressed than usual when Trent Reznor, the group's mastermind, announced that they would no longer be releasing new music. However, as consolation, Reznor has formed a new group. HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS is a gentler Nine Inch Nails fronted by none other than Reznor's wife, Mariqueen Maandig Reznor (former lead singer of West Indian Girl).

Check out the band's debut EP here: http://www.howtodestroyangels.com/store/

It's free, but you will need to provide a valid e-mail address.