April 1

Another week, another hearty bounty of new entertainment choices - including the anticipated home video release of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Though many seemed to feel Johnny Depp was robbed of a Best Actor Oscar, it's difficult to believe anyone other than Daniel Day-Lewis should have hefted the golden statue last month.

Still, Sweeney Todd is a fast-paced, fun horror-musical with all the Burton-esque earmarks we've come to expect. As might be expected, there is the gloriously gloomy, yet oddly beautiful, cinematography and the characterizations are all nothing short of bizarre. Naturally, we wouldn't have it any other way.

Also of notable release is absolutely ridiculous children's film Alvin and the Chipmunks. While I would enjoy tearing apart the film and pointing out why this sort of tripe is hardly helpful to the developmental growth of our youth, such ruminations would fall on deaf ears. Considering the film broke the two hundred million mark, it's safe to suggest that Americans simply wish to give their children what they want.

Here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud, two new under-the-radar releases we recommend are The Good Night and Fiorile. The Good Night revolves around a former pop star who now composes commercial jingles for a living. Naturally, a mid-life crisis is inevitable. Fiorile, actually released in 1993, is a warm Italian film about a unique family curse.

Films released for the first time on high-definition Blu-Ray discs are Unbreakable, Coyote Ugly, and Hidalgo.

Musically, the new releases are even more diverse this week. First of all, R.E.M. offers their first new record since 2004 with Accelerate. Sun Kil Moon officially releases April, their first record of original material since 2003. Electronica maven Moby released his ninth album and Van Morrison trumps Moby with his thirty-third studio album.

Hard rock and heavy metal fans will surely pounce on new ones from Sevendust, Theory of a Deadman, In Flames, and The Sword. For country fans, both Josh Gracin and George Strait are presenting new albums, as well as brilliant country-tinged musician Jackie Greene.

Alternative-country singer Matthew Ryan, who has a song featured on the latest Paste Magazine disc, releases his new one today. The blues-rock of The Black Keys gels into another solid new album, in addition to a rarities release from seasoned singer/songwriter Robyn Hitchcock. Finally, instrumental indie outfit Unwed Sailor and rock band Foals both have new ones. The official U.S. release for Foals is April 8, but impatient fans can opt for the import release today.

Theatrical new releases this week, beginning April 4, are: Leatherheads, Nim's Island, and The Ruins.

Leatherheads is a screwball/comedy/football film set in the mid-twenties, Nim's Island has been described as an "Indiana Jones film for girls", and The Ruins is a by-the-numbers horror flick (is there any other kind?)

Celluloid

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)

The Good Night (2007)

Fiorile (1993)

Unbreakable (2000) [Blu-Ray]

Coyote Ugly (2000) [Blu-Ray]

Hidalgo (2004) [Blu-Ray]

Music

R.E.M. "Sing for the Submarine" from Accelerate (2008)

Sun Kil Moon "Moorestown" from April (2008)

Moby "Alice" from Last Night (2008)

Van Morrison Keep It Simple (2008)

Sevendust Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow (2008)

Theory of a Deadman Scars and Souvenirs (2008)

In Flames Sense of Purpose (2008)

The Sword "Fire Lances" from Gods of the Earth (2008)

Josh Gracin We Weren't Crazy (2008)

George Strait Troubadour (2008)

Jackie Greene Giving Up the Ghost (2008)

Matthew Ryan Matthew Ryan Vs. Silver State (2008)

The Black Keys Attack & Release (2008)

Robyn Hitchcock Shadow Cat (2008)

Unwed Sailor Little Wars (2008)

Foals "Cassius" from Antidotes (2008) [Import]

Treasure!

I've always been a fan of shipwrecks, pirates, lost treasure, early exploration, and the history of Earth in general. There are times when I find myself purchasing obscure documents and historical periodicals in the hope of finding something curiously unique.

Typically the most interesting articles are found in thick history tomes or defunct magazines such as Great Battles and Lost Fortunes. Imagine my surprise, then, to find a "Lost Treasures" article in an issue of childrens magazine Disney Adventures dated January of 1994.

The magazine quizzed three top treasure aficionados on what shipwreck would be the most valuable if found. These people included Marco Meniketti, the project director of San Agustin Institute of Marine Technology; Denise Lakey, marine archaeologist; and Jim Lima, marine historian.

The following text is taken straight from the article:

La Gallega - Sank in a Panama River, 1503.
The Treasure - a priceless Christopher Columbus ship.
Columbus was on his fourth and final trip to the Americas when he sailed up a Central American river he called Rio Belen for rest and to resupply. He and his men were attacked on shore by natives; Columbus and his crew made it to another ship but had to leave La Gallega behind. Shipwreck hunters simply can not find this wreck.

Las Cinque Chagas - Sank in the North Atlantic off the coast of the Azores, 1594.
The Treasure - 1,000 tons of spices, silk, gold, and jewels worth $500 million.
Las Cinque Chagas, one of the richest Portuguese treasure ships, was returning from India when she was attacked by English warships; only 13 people out of 1,000 survived. They were spared from execution by flashing jewels at the English sailors in return for rescue. Why hasn't anyone found the ship? No one knows where she went down.

San Jose - Sank off the Columbia coast, 1708.
The Treasure - Gold coins worth about $30 million.
This is the Big One: the richest Spanish galleon ever lost in the Western Hemisphere. The San Jose was bound for Spain from South American. She was nearing Isla del Tesoro ("treasure island") off the coast of Columbia when she was attacked and blown up by English warships. She's 2,000 feet below the ocean, too far down to get to - even if anyone knew where to look.

Grosvenor - Sank off the coast of South Africa, 1782.
The Treasure - Gold bars, gold coins, 19 chests full of jewels, and a jewel-encrusted gold throne called the "Peacock Throne of India" worth $10 million.
You'd think a 729-ton ship would be hard to wreck, but the captain did just that: he got lost, took a wrong turn, and ran the Grosvenor up a reef. The shark-infested waters - the world's most dangerous - keep treasure hunters away.

Yankee Blade - Sank off Point Arguello, California, 1854.
The Treasure - Gold Rush booty.
During the California Gold Rush, the Yankee Blade ferried food, supplies, and gold miners up and down the West Coast. On one trip, she drifted into a fog and hit a reef. Water rushed in from a 30-foot gash in her bottom, and she sank two days later. All the ship's gold is said to lie in a rusty steel vault that went down with her. Today, heavy currents and year-round bad weather keep the treasure hunters away.


I hope to eventually confirm the veracity of these accounts, and discover if any of these vessels have been at least partially located in the fourteen years since this article was published.

We shall see!

John C. Reilly "My Son John" from Rogue's Gallery (2006)

Bryan Ferry "The Cruel Ship's Captain" from Rogue's Gallery (2006)

Acid House Kings

Swedish indie pop group Acid House Kings, by the year 2002, already had two albums under their collective belt. But it wasn't until third album Mondays Are Like Tuesdays and Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays that the band honed their distinctive twee style into a cohesive mixture of delirious hand claps, sunny guitar melodies, and late night fireside lyrics.

You probably wouldn't guess that from their moniker, which admittedly recalls some obscure stoned seventies garage rock group rather than a cheery European twee band.

Though founding member Niklas Andergard provides much of the vocals, some of the best tracks are helmed by relative newcomer Julia Lannerheim. Lannerheim's assuaging voice trickles along the melody of the song like creekwater, lending an already soothing track an airy springtime feel.

"Say Yes If You Love Me" is rife with lyrics that would typically induce eye-rolling in the hands of another artist, which makes covering the work of Acid House Kings a tricky business at best. Within their artful hands, however, the track instead induces a knowing smile. It's a song that should be pegged as a one-off soundtrack single for a children's film, but it is so blissfully pleasant adults will keep it for their own.

Sing Along with Acid House Kings displays an even more dramatic creative growth for the band. Nearly every track is a standout, and as a bonus the album comes packaged with one of the most uniquely tailored companion dvds in recent memory.

Continuing the "sing along" theme the title suggests, the dvd features the band performing mundane tasks such as reading the newspaper and making coffee while a karaoke-style lyric banner assists the viewer with the sing along. Also included are a couple of promotional music videos.

With the consistently lengthy period between albums and many of its members extending themselves into outside projects, such as the excellent Club 8, it's unlikely we will hear from Acid House Kings until somewhere deep into 2008. The last post on their website, dated eight months ago, suggests just that.

Until then, we will wait anxiously. . .

"Say Yes If You Love Me" from Mondays Are Like Tuesdays and Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays (2002)

"London School of Economics" from Sing Along With Acid House Kings (2005)

BONUS MP3

Club 8 "Jesus, Walk With Me" from The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming (2007)

HHDC Mix #1

"He who sings scares away his woes." - Cervantes

David Gray "One With The Birds" from A Thousand Miles Behind (2007)

"When we are inhuman, we're one with the birds. When we hide our feelings, we may as well fly away."

"One With The Birds", a sublime piano-driven ballad, is absolutely one of the most beautiful songs in the Oldham canon, and this version is superbly handled by Gray. It is a rare artist that can strike all the intended nuances inherent within a song written by another, yet Gray displays true finesse for crafting a cover with profound respect to the original work.

In many ways it is akin to finishing a book written by another, which in my experience is generally disastrous. Anyone read Spider Robinson's horrid take on Robert A. Heinlein's unfinished novel Variable Star?

But I digress.

The cover album "One With The Birds" is taken from features quite a few curious choices, including Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" and no less than three Bob Dylan tracks. It is available exclusively from Gray's official website, yet it is not quite worth the staggeringly high amount of money demanded. That's no less than twenty-six dollars for the cd and eighteen to twenty-two for the digital download. Way to give back to your fans, Mr. Gray.

Ben Lee "We're All In This Together" from Awake Is The New Sleep (2005)

"Ask a scientist, it's quantum physics, we're all in this together."

"We're All In This Together" is a pop song in the grandest fashion. The deceptively simplistic lyrics give rise to uninhibited sing-alongs, and the bouncing beat of the melody harkens back to a time when the music was a bit sunnier, in addition to being hopelessly catchy.

These days, pop musicians are created in a labratory by the record label. The artist is propped up and airbrushed to picture perfection. It's all light and mirrors. Pop artists with blazing originality are becoming increasingly scant, and Ben Lee is one of the last remaining standouts in this field. As a side note, this track was recently used in a Kohl's Advertisement.

The Avett Brothers "Die Die Die" from Emotionalism (2007)

"You can try to swim the sea, but say goodbye to you and me."

At first listen "Die Die Die" recalls Pernice Brothers, specifically compared with "Amazing Glow" from Live a Little. Partly because of the tight acoustic instrumentation, but mostly because of the beautifully harmonizing vocals.

At second listen, all the glorious subtleties surface and with them comes the gift of a truly charming song. Aside from that, these guys can sing.

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever" so said Keats. Songs like "Die Die Die" serve to prove that declaration.

Arctic Monkeys "Flourescent Adolescent" from Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)

"You used to get it in your fishnets, now you only get it in your night dress."

The video clip for this one is gloriously camp, with its entertaining yet uninspired battle betwixt men and clowns. Somehow, the band is even able to interject a bit of true emotion in such a cornball scenario.

Brief flashbacks are seen in which one of the men and one of the clowns are both children, gleefully playing together. Later during the battle, when the clown has the man pinned, he implores "How did it come to this?" Tragic, isn't it?

Raveonettes "Aly, Walk With Me" from Lust Lust Lust (2008)

"Aly, walk with me in my dreams, all through the night."

Hooray for distorted guitar reverb and high volume feedback! Thanks Mr. Lou Reed, really, I mean it. If you had not fashioned an album of utter ear-shattering noise, where would songs like this be today?

The Raveonettes have taken the Velvet Underground playbook and run with it, though it would be a severe discredit to unload their creativity wholly at the altar of Reed. There are shades of eighties new wave in the mix as well, not to mention the stunningly excellent balance between melody and misrule.

March 25

It's Tuesday, and time for another new release report!

This week the term "new release" is a bit relative, as the majority of new film releases are reissues, but there are a couple of anticipated albums that are in stores now.

The classic 1967 gangster film Bonnie & Clyde, previously only available on a bare bones single disc, has been re-released in a typically extravagant Warner Brothers two disc special edition set. Also getting the deluxe re-release treatment is Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line.

After languishing in relative obscurity for years, one of the definitive films of David Lynch's career, Lost Highway, is at last receiving a proper dvd release. An unquestionably bizarre murder mystery film, it has inevitably become something of a cult classic. Fans will be especially interested to know that the dvd will ship with an in-depth director interview.

Also seeing release today is mediocre horror film The Mist, Sundance favorite Wristcutters: A Love Story, and weepy drama The Kite Runner.

Counting Crows have a new album dropping today, and if the pre-release cut of "Cowboys" is any indication, it will be the hardest rocking Counting Crows record since Recovering the Satellites. Remember "Angels of the Silences" anyone? Rounding out the list this week are punk-turned-pop fashionistas Panic at the Disco and indie newcomers Plants and Animals.

Celluloid

Bonnie & Clyde (1967)

Walk the Line (2005)

Lost Highway (1997)

The Mist (2007)

Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006)

The Kite Runner (2007)

Music

Counting Crows "Cowboys" from Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings (2008)

Panic at the Disco "Nine in the Afternoon" from Pretty Odd (2008)

Plants and Animals "Feedback in the Field" from Park Avenue (2008)

Sun Kil Moon: April

Recording under Red House Painters since the early nineties, Mark Kozelek has fashioned a career out of reinventing the once tired singer/songwriter genre into a veritable melange of genre-bending conventions.

The latest offering from Kozelek, now working under the title of Sun Kil Moon, will hit stores the first of April. Those who pre-ordered the album, however, received the album sometime last week.

The first two thousand and eight copies were hand signed by the man himself and included a four track bonus disc of alternate cuts from the album, including: "Tonight In Bilbao", "The Light", "Like The River", and "Tonight The Sky."

Longtime fans will knowingly smile at the play length: approximately seventy-five minutes spread over eleven tracks. As rumored, providing supporting vocals are Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard and Will Oldham (also known as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy).

Stylistically, whether recording under Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters, or just simply Mark Kozelek - the end result is always the same. Brilliantly evocative, impassioned instrumentation is set to Kozelek's wry, penetrative lyrics. The sound has become something of a trademark, so much so that Kozelek's music has been recognized even during an unheard, instrumental cut.

This consistency makes April an easy decision. Anyone who has enjoyed an album of Kozelek's is practically guaranteed to adore the latest. It is perfect music for spring, for April, for anyone with a heart - broken or otherwise.

Sun Kil Moon "Moorestown" from April (2008)

The Public Enemy

From left: James Cagney (Tom Powers), Jean Harlow (Gwen Allen), Edward Woods (Matt Doyle), and Joan Blondell (Mamie).

Tom Powers. Today, the gangster archetype is typified on a scale of comparison to performances by either Robert De Niro or Al Pacino. Whether set up against the white hot adrenaline of Pacino, or built up around the brooding intensity of De Niro, modern gangster films have become a classic staple of American cinema second only to the western.

Scorcese and Coppola merit the bulk of the credit for their masterful weavings of, respectively, the Goodfellas and Godfather sagas. Yet a string of directors have helmed such recent cult gangster films as Miller's Crossing, King of New York, Carlito's Way, Donnie Brasco, Romeo is Bleeding, Hoodlum, Mobsters, and Road to Perdition.

But prior to all of this, there was Tom Powers. The protagonist of The Public Enemy was an ambitious, cunningly intelligent, borderline misanthropic mobster. It was a role no different from the gangsters in other pre-code era films, such as Scarface or Little Caesar, except for one aspect - James Cagney.

Cagney's energetic performance in The Public Enemy decisively established his career and gave birth to scores of mob-related films, many including Cagney. Tight scripting and top gear acting (with a few exceptions, Jean Harlow is a significant low point in that department) ensure a never dull picture, and the cinematography is astonishingly picturesque at times.

Watch the montage of city life at the beginning and marvel at the rather long tracking shot that introduces the two main characters as children. Another early scene involves Powers, as a teenager, getting himself into trouble with his strict, diciplinarian father. The father slowly walks to the kitchen to retrieve his lash as his mother looks on sympathetically.

The camera remains stationary as the father, ever so slowly, strides into Powers room to punish him. The scene is shot with such delicate care in regards to the subject matter that it is every bit the equal to modern portrayals of castigation.

The attention to detail, curiously adept for such an early film, is breathtaking. A later scene has a camera hidden in the ground so that a gangster's car drives over it ominously. When a police officer is killed during Powers first big heist, the film depicts his death by displaying a hand clutching a revolver - smoke still subtly trailing from the barrel.

I could expound on the amount of deftly shot scenes endlessly. Perhaps most notably, the infamous grapefruit scene became so iconic that it's still parodied to this day.

And the chilling climax, in which Powers seeks revenge for the death of his best friend, remains one of the preeminent symbols of early pre-code cinematic violence.

His gang weakened by the accidental death of its primary enforcer, Powers finds himself outgunned and essentially aloof. Paddy, the gang's leader, strives to protect what's left of his outfit by sequestering them in an apartment, replete with a mistress to take care of them.

After barely a day, Powers grows restless (and incensed at the mistress who seduced him in a drunken state) and storms out. Matt Doyle, ever Powers intrepid companion, accompanies him.

Not surprisingly, rival gang members are lying in wait and immediately open fire as they depart. Doyle is struck and nearly instantly killed, while Powers is able to seek cover around a corner. Beside himself with fury, Powers plots a devious retribution.

Alone in the rain he stands silently, watching the rival gang's automobiles arrive at a popular hangout for the gang. One by one they scurry inside as Powers glares at them. Though an malicious grin escapes his lips, it's clearly evident his rage is rapidly reaching a boiling point. That's when Powers shoves both hands in his coat pockets and marches inside the building.

From here, the only thing the audience witnesses is the anterior of the building. No score is played, only the unnerving sound of gunfire and a few grisly screams. We do not see the firefight and we do not see men fall to the ground clutching their abdominals. Powers emerges a minute later, noticably wounded, and tosses both his pistols through the windows of the building.

Powers staggers down the street a bit before collapsing in the gutter, torrential rain descending around him, only managing a weak "I ain't so tough" before losing consciousness. The screen fades to black, and only then is the tension dissolved.

What makes this series of events so remarkable is that no actual violence is seen. The entire episode takes place within the recesses of your own mind, and that can often be more terrifying that any cinematic sequence could ever be.

It's brilliantly executed and boldly shot with such a detached sense of realism that you feel as if you're standing right there on the corner next to Powers. . .and still there as he commits murder.

The Public Enemy, in the humble opinion of Hurry Home Dark Cloud, is the purest exemplification of the gangster film. In the years since its release, all others have served as naught but pallid facsimiles.

The National

It has been reported that this summer The National and Modest Mouse will support R.E.M. on tour to promote their latest album Accelerate, which hits stores April 1.

Modest Mouse is a palette thing, you simply either have a taste for it or you do not. Outside of their hopelessly accessible Good News for People Who Love Bad News, Modest Mouse possesses the unique ability to craft obtuse, nearly inscrutable songs that, nevertheless, appeal to the masses.

The National, on the other hand, should provide a perfect foil to the alt-rock-lately-leaning-towards-adult-contemporary R.E.M.

With frontman Matt Berninger's rich baritone drenching already melancholy songs in an even deeper shroud of obsidian fog, it will contrast nicely with Stipe's trademark robotic murmur covering more diverse topics such as deceased comedians and passenger trains.

The National's eponymous debut showed promise, but it was evident the band had not found its footing yet. With sophomore outing Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, however, the band found solid ground with a teary-eyed outlook on relationships and life itself.

But mostly relationships.

This leering love life outlook was expounded upon in spades with the subsequent release Alligator. The record would finally earn the band critical accolades and a major tour. Just when it appeared as if the band had reached its artistic peak, along came Boxer in 2007.

"Fake Empire" alone is worth the purchase price of The National's fourth LP. A cautiously quiet piano begins the song and, in its brief three minute span, expands into something progressively tense.

Piercing single "Mistaken for Strangers", which finds the band punishing their guitars more than ever, contains one of the catchiest choruses of last year.

The album garnered high praise, including a Best Album nod from Paste Magazine. Demos from the recording sessions are floating around the 'net, countless live bootlegs abound, and many tracks culled from the record have found their way into television spots - namely the NBC program Life.

Try out a track from each album below, buy a record or two, then head over to their myspace for the latest tour dates. You will not regret it.

"Cold Girl Fever" from The National (2001)

"Cardinal Song" from Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003)

"Daughters of the Soho Riots" from Alligator (2005)

"Apartment Story" from Boxer (2007)

Battlestar Galactica: Season Three DVD

The penultimate season of Battlestar Galactica was released this week and in addition to all twenty episodes the set is loaded with special features, including:

• Showrunner Ronald D. Moore's podcast commentaries for every episode.
• Deleted scenes for every episode, including an extended cut of "Unfinished Business" (colloquially known as "the boxing episode") with an incredible twenty-five minutes of extra footage.
• Tons of Producer David Eick's Video Blogs.
• Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance webisodes.

This is sufficient enough to whet the appetite of BSG fans in anticipation of the fourth and final season premiere April 4!

BONUS MP3

Bear McCreary "Wander My Friends" from Battlestar Galactica: Season One Soundtrack

Duncan Sheik

If you judged Duncan Sheik's debut by the cover shot, you'd probably think he was some sort of ex-New Kid on the Block who raided his hair gel stock and sheepishly posed for his major label solo outing.

That would be a shame, and were it for for lead-off single "Barely Breathing" engaging pop radio in a stranglehold for much of 1996, it's likely the album cover alone would've repelled potential impulse buyers.

"Barely Breathing" struck a chord with audiences in the same vein as the typically upbeat guitar pop of the late nineties did with hit singles like Eagle-Eye Cherry's "Save Tonight" and "Wonderwall" by Oasis. Interestingly, Sheik's self-titled debut was constructed of more organic, baroque pop rather than radio-friendly hits.

"She Runs Away" kicks off the album classically and provides a more suitable blueprint for the remainder of the record than "Barely Breathing" suggests. The beautifully morose offerings "In the Absence of Sun" and "Out of Order" lead into one of the albums' more trite yet tranquil tracks: "Home".

The following two records, Humming and Phantom Moon, were more experimental and attracted little mainstream attention. With fourth album Daylight, however, Sheik strode back to his pop roots and fashioned a record every bit the equal to his debut.

"Genius" will ring a familar tone with those who have endured a luckless relationship, "On Her Mind" treads the same ground as James Blunt's "Beautiful" without causing involuntary cringing, and "Good Morning!" is perhaps one of the more clever lyrics Sheik has penned.

His last record, White Limousine, carried both a single that sounded as if it was a lost cut from his debut sessions and an extra dvd disc that allowed listeners, with a simple download of an Acid-like program, to completely deconstruct the record and remix any song in any way the user wishes. It was a brilliant concept that I wish more artists would follow.

With Sheik's burgeoning creative branches into broadway composing, it's unclear when (if ever) we can expect a sixth album. If his previous releases are any indication, it's a safe bet that whenever Mr. Sheik steps back into the studio we will be first in line to hear it.

"Out of Order" from Duncan Sheik (1996)

"Alibi" from Humming (1998)

"The Winds That Blow" from Phantom Moon (2001)

"Good Morning!" from Daylight (2002)

"White Limousine" from White Limousine (2006)

The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead

In 1986, The Smiths were responsible for developing one of the most lyrically ornate, musically brilliant albums of the past thirty years. The Queen Is Dead represents a milestone in the furtherance of more complex pop records and served to unequivocally establish The Smiths as the most meaningful band of their era.

The burgeoning eighties indie scene gave rise to artists as eloquent as Elizabethan poets while still musically proficient enough to fashion those words around catchy, hook-filled songs.

The DIY aesthetic that permeated early punk rock recordings also fueled like-minded indie musicians who desired to branch outside of the limited confines of popular radio, Top 40 countdowns, and cheap dancefloor programs.

The Queen Is Dead commences with the rip-roaring title track which very nearly sounds like an early punk recording, before branching off into the whimsically astute observations on dealing with spiteful industry types with "Frankly, Mr Shankly."

"I Know It's Over", which essentially parallels a breakup with death, stands as a bleak testament to both the internal turmoil of its author and his ability to sum up a lifetime of agony in a few brief minutes. "Cemetry Gates", another whimsically droll melody, is a clever response to critics who accused Morrissey of outright plagiarism.

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" proved to be an exceptionally popular single, with its war-cry of "Now I know how Joan of Arc felt" and relentlessly energetic guitar work. Immediately following the intensity of "Bigmouth" was the impassioned "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", a favorite here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud.

The final highlight is "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", which has over time became known as The Smiths signature track. Darkly elegant in feel, the timbre of Morrissey's voice accentuates every sympathetic syllable. It is small wonder fans have embraced the track as an anthem.

Curiously, despite the universal critical acclaim this record received, both Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr consider their next album to represent the peak of their creative output as the collective Smiths.

Check back soon for a review of that final album: Strangeways, Here We Come.

"The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" from The Queen Is Dead (1986)

"I Know It's Over" from The Queen Is Dead (1986)

March 18

"Isn't it interesting that the same people who laugh at science fiction listen to weather forecasts and economists?"

- Kelvin Throop

It's March 18 (or close enough) and time for another virgin tuesday roundup!

Perhaps the most anticipated film making its home video debut is I Am Legend. Leading man Will Smith, who is steadily fashioning a career of portraying classic science fiction characters, spottily displays a bit of geniune acting prowess in Legend but otherwise his performance is par for the course.

The two-disc dvd release is advertised as having two endings, one of which is "controversial", but truthfully both are disappointing and grossly negligent with respect to the original Richard Matheson novel.

In the book an ironic barb is uncovered at the climax, in which it's revealed the protagonist (Robert Neville) has become to the vampire race what they were once to humanity. With the essential extinction of mankind already certain, Neville becomes the feared legend - a man who stalks and slays the vampires while they sleep.

Granted, it was important for the filmmakers to change entire sections of the novel both for translation to the screen and to modernize ideas that were slightly outdated. Still, by tearing out the heart of the novel, the film is dumbed down until it dissolves into an illogically pastoral - even cheerful - ending.

Aside from Legend, a couple of films directed at children are now available: Enchanted and The Seeker: The Dark is Rising.

Enchanted is a by-the-numbers kid flick, while The Seeker is more action oriented and features diverting performances from Deadwood-alumnus Ian McShane and former Dr. Who Christopher Eccleston.

Best Picture nominee Atonement is certain to send drama fans flocking to their dvd outlet. Though a bit self indulgent, it is unquestionably a fine film and a worthy addition to any home library. As an added bonus, the dvd comes with more green dress goodness!

Lastly, to the great gratification of us here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud, the third season of Battlestar Galactica hits the streets today.

As for music, a few new albums from major indie acts are in stores today, including the excessively prolific Joseph Arthur. The new EP, Could We Survive, is among at least three others coming out this year in addition to a possible LP release.

Quasi-veteran Dan Bejar (who records under the stage name of Destroyer) and newcomers She & Him also have albums coming out today. She & Him consists of folk superstar M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel, and with their solid debut Volume One, they're certain to have many already clamoring for the second one.

Two rogue acts who have both, curiously, benefitted greatly from hit indie films also have albums due today. Devotchka featured prominently in Little Miss Sunshine, and Adam Green (formerly of The Moldy Peaches) had tracks than ran throughout the course of Juno.

That's it for now, it's time to catch up on Battlestar before the new season premieres April 4!

Celluloid

I Am Legend Two-Disc Special Edition (2007)

Battlestar Galactica: Season Three (2006-07)

Enchanted (2007)

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (2007)

Atonement (2007)

Music

Destroyer "Dark Leaves" from Trouble in Dreams (2008)

Joseph Arthur "Rages of Babylon" from Could We Survive EP (2008)

She & Him "This Is Not a Test" from Volume One (2008)

Devotchka "Transliterator" from A Mad and Faithful Telling (2008)

Adam Green "Leaky Flask" from Sixes & Sevens (2008)

Sera Cahoone "Only as the Day Is Long" from Only as the Day Is Long (2008)

Math and Physics Club

Jangle pop. Unfamiliar readers will find that Hurry Home Dark Cloud has a multitude of issues with typical genre conventions. Predominantly, we find they are too confining and often pigeonhole an act unfairly.

However, despite the laughably absurd genre title, jangle pop fits Seattle crew Math and Physics Club quite well. So well, in fact, that a cut from last years EP sounds eerily similar to influential eighties band The Smiths - perhaps the most celebrated purveyors of pop that jangles.

"Nothing Ever Happened" appears to be distinctly fashioned as a homage to the work of The Smiths, seeing as the carefree guitars and utterance of lines such as "I must be terribly lonely" are textbook Morrissey trademarks.

It's sunny, upbeat music that sounds awfully pleasant during a long Saturday afternoon. Considering the depressing dearth of music this breezy and blissful, we've composed an open letter to the band:

Dear Math and Physics Club,

More, please.

Sincerely,

Your friends at Hurry Home Dark Cloud

"Nothing Really Happened" from Baby I'm Yours EP (2007)

The Sellout Conundrum

Ingrid Michaelson, currently one of the most popular targets for venemous "sellout" accusations.

Sellout. The very mention of the term curdles the blood of music fans and bloggers. It symbolizes the death of original music and avant garde creativity. It is the harbinger of massive success and profits, high profile media tours, and sold out big venue concerts. A sellout is a very bad thing.

Suddenly the casual music consumer has the audacity to enjoy a band and not even consider the fans who listened to them "before they were cool."

Ingrid Michaelson, formerly an artist struggling to get her music heard, propelled her single "The Way I Am" from backpage release to breakout hit by drafting the track into an advertisement for Old Navy and a showcase spot on hit program Grey's Anatomy.

These savvy business moves gained her national exposure and are directly responsible for the success of her debut Girls and Boys.

So why has Miss Michaelson become anathema in the eyes of many fans and bloggers? It's quite simple, really.

Human nature. The fabled scorpion and frog deal.

We revile an artist if he or she becomes successful, though we constantly extoll his or her virtues to the masses when they're languishing in obscurity.

We rack our minds pondering why people will not stand up and recognize what is clearly amazing work, but we are disgusted by fans who only first discovered the band because of their breakout, major label record.

We're tired of listening to classic rock and pop staples on television, yet we are disappointed when an artist accepts money and widespread publicity by having a song featured on mainstream, nationally syndicated programs.

We eagerly accept an office promotion or pay raise, yet we spurn an artist who seeks to market their music commercially.

Here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud, we applaud the accomplishments of indie artists who have broken into the mainstream.

So here's to you sellouts, rogues, charlatans, scalawags, reprobates, ye swindlers of indie cool!

Here's to you!

Ingrid Michaelson "The Way I Am" from Girls and Boys (2007)

Eiffel 65

Europop. Denoting both the given genre of the group and the title of their breakout record, Eiffel 65 enjoyed an extremely successful year in 1999. With lead single "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" hitting the number one spot on charts in nearly every civilized nation on Earth, there was a point in which the track became such a ubiquitous staple on radio it became as reviled as James Blunt's "Beautiful."

To the everlasting joy of thousands, "Blue" hasn't been heard from since at least 2002. It's the sort of track that will invariably (if it has not already) appear on Time Life produced Remember the Nineties discs along with dance-oriented essentials like "Macarena" by Los Del Rio and "Wannabe" by Spice Girls.

Europop was unabashedly accessible, almost to a fault. This accessibility was enhanced by trendy (well, at the time) gimmicks such as extensive use of vocoders. I don't believe a single lyric was sung though anything but a voice synthesizer.

Granted, it was a dance record, and as American Bandstand proved back in the seventies, people will pretty much dance to anything as long as there is a discernible rhythm.

The bulk of the record is composed of nitwitted by-the-numbers dance melodies for club hopping automatons. "Move Your Body", "My Console", "Hyperlink". . . .those are probably three parts of the same song.

Still, Europop did have its flashes of astuteness. "Too Much of Heaven" is a damning statement on rampant consumerism, while still strangely encouraging dancing to lines like "No love, no friendship, nothing else."

At best, Eiffel 65 will remind you of Violator-era Depeche Mode. At worst, they will recall everything vile about the nineties' fascination for provisional dance pop.

"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" from Europop (1999)

"Too Much of Heaven" from Europop (1999)

The Smiths: Meat Is Murder

Meat Is Murder, the sophomore effort from pioneering English band The Smiths, found the act experimenting with a myriad of genre bending styles. First of all, Morrissey's long time penchant for Elvis-esque rockabilly is in full gear (i.e. "Rusholme Ruffians") as well as more sensitive, introspective ballads ("I Want the One I Can't Have").

Not immediately accessible, and with no standout radio single, the record would remain one of The Smiths least favored records. It's remarkable, then, to recall that Meat Is Murder is the only original album to chart at #1 in the U.K. The inclusion of the immensely popular "How Soon Is Now" on the U.S. release ensured that Meat Is Murder would also sell reasonably well stateside.

The politically charged ideology is abjectly confrontational but never quite approaching tiresome. Lettuce love lullaby "Meat Is Murder" is, like veganism, an aquired taste. Though a bit preachy and self-righteous, the lyrical content does hold some sad truths. Just recently, to the shock of no one, it's come to light that some slaughterhouses routinely employed torture.

"Barbarism Begins At Home" and sister song "The Headmaster Ritual" serve as compelling odes decrying the stringent disciplinarian tactics of English schoolhouses.

Perhaps the most amusing track is "Nowhere Fast" with it's giddy declaration of "I'd like to drop my trousers to the Queen" amid typically dispiriting reflective imagery such as: "I think about life and I think about death, and neither one particularly appeals to me." Brilliant.

Meat Is Murder is primarily regarded as an important step in the creative growth of The Smiths which reaches its peak with the monumental third release The Queen Is Dead. Check back soon for an upcoming discourse on that album as we continue our spotlight series on The Smiths.

"Rusholme Ruffians" from Meat Is Murder (1985)

"Barbarism Begins At Home" from Meat Is Murder (1985)

Crash Test Dummies

Crash Test Dummies frontman Brad Roberts (seated, blue shirt) at home with his family.

Annoying. What other adjective could wholly express the baritone, monotone drone of Crash Test Dummies frontman Brad Roberts?

That voice permeates the song without regard for harmony and selfishly squats on every note.

That voice wrenches into the instrumentation with reckless abandon until it consumes your ears like ravenous pirahna.

In essence, it's like listening to Ben Stein on a bad acid trip.

If songs like "Afternoons & Coffeespoons" were all Crash Test Dummies had to offer us, the loyal music consumers, I'm confident God Shuffled His Feet would've tanked and vanished beneath the depths of obscurity.

So how did it sell over five million copies since its release?

That second album, you see, contained the gloriously peculiar "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm", a song which inexplicably plants itself in your mind and refuses to leave. You plead with it, try to reason with it. Yet all it does is cross its arms and vigorously shake its head at you.

Despite the danger infectious songs present the melody-susceptible public, I'm offering the infamous track here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud.

But heed my warning: listen at your own risk. . .

"Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" from God Shuffled His Feet (1993)

Deep Blue Something

Home. With that record, Deep Blue Something forever cast themselves as the guys who sung "Breakfast at Tiffany's." From the guitar strum that commences the track to the sing-along chorus, what unfolds is a pleasant yet pedestrian pop song.

Akin to Goo Goo Doll's single "Name", which was released just a few months before Home, it's a song that never quite fulfills its inital promise of being something great.

In lieu of greatness, we're left with something closer to adequate.

What comes as a surprise, then, is to realize a good deal of Deep Blue Something's work is entirely pleasing. "Josey" is every bit the equal to "Breakfast at Tiffany's", if only a bit lacking in enthusiasm.

"Enough to Get By", from 2001 album Byzantium, is subdued in tone yet awfully assuaging. Especially when the trumpet kicks in.

According to the band's myspace, the band rejoined in late 2007 and have plans to release new music through iTunes.

I, for one, anticipate something approaching excellence yet only reaching adequate.

Sometimes, that's all I need.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" from Home (1995)

"Name" from A Boy Named Goo (1995)

March 11

It is Tuesday! For film and music fans across the nation, this is the busiest (and sometimes most expensive) day of the week. Here at Hurry Home Dark Cloud, we are proud to introduce Virgin Tuesdays, in which the latest releases share the spotlight and subsequently seek a spot in your collection.

For starters, a new double-disc release of Gattaca hits stores today. A brilliant character study disguised as a science fiction film, Gattaca remains a lushly-realized achievement with more than a few things to say about humanity.

Aside from the radiant scripting and top drawer acting, Gattaca also sports one of the finest film scores in recent memory - which is almost as underrated as the film itself. Under Michael Nyman's skillful direction, the orchestration fully captures the foreboding feel of the movie in all its grandeur.

Also readily available on dvd is pedestrian family film August Rush, the amusing yet banal Bee Movie, brainless actioner Hitman, 2007 Best Picture winner No Country for Old Men, and quirky romance comedy Dan in Real Life.

Gattaca Two-Disc Special Edition Re-Release (1997)

August Rush (2007)

Bee Movie (2007)

Hitman (2007)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Dan in Real Life (2007)

BONUS MP3

"The Departure" by Michael Nyman from Gattaca Soundtrack (1997)

The Smiths

"It's time the tale were told of how you took a child and you made him old."

So begins the eponymous debut album by seminal eighties band The Smiths. From there, the record unravels to reveal layer after layer of complex lyrical arrangements that touch on everything from distresses concerning social economics to denouncements of abject murder.

In defiance of their contemporaries, The Smiths adopted a back-to-basics approach - which their very name suggests. They dressed down in t-shirts and denim, rather than gaudy costumes or stage outfits. They utilized the standard structure of guitar/bass/drums at a time when synth was everything.

Frontman Morrissey wasn't afraid to wordlessly vocalize or display an almost comical falsetto on tracks like "Miserable Lie." Guitarist Johnny Marr was just coming into his own as an accomplished arranger, as if he was only then realizing the power his instrument held to impel tracks like "This Charming Man."

In short, The Smiths were young yet eloquent, and what they lacked in experience they made up for with surprisingly erudite sentiments.

Take "This Charming Man", for example, an early single penned with such ace insight that an inscrutable line like "Why pamper lifes complexity when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat" doesn't pan out as obtuse but rather quite fetching.

The bulk of the album continues this trend of shrewd awareness for humanity's darker recesses: "Pretty Girls Make Graves" is a sexually-androgynous ode to romantic frustration, and "Hand in Glove" continues this theme with lines like "No, it's not like any other love. This one is different."

The Smiths was a landmark album and a sign of great things to come. This album and the ones proceeding it would influence acts as diverse as Belle & Sebastian, Radiohead, Doves, and Suede in the years to follow.

Check back soon at Hurry Home Dark Cloud for upcoming reviews of the remainder of The Smiths catalog, including the oft-forgotten live album Rank.

"This Charming Man" from The Smiths (1984)

"You've Got Everything Now" from The Smiths (1984)

Headlights

Wow. Headlights' sophomore album Some Racing, Some Stopping is hands down the best new release thus far this year.

Consumate pros at their craft, which happens to be solid indie pop, Headlights came out of nowhere to offer Earth the moonstruck beauty of "Cherry Tulips". One listen is practically guaranteed to have you downloading their latest within minutes.

Be sure to stop by their myspace for upcoming tour dates, I hear they put on a hell of a show!

"Cherry Tulips" from Some Racing, Some Stopping (2008)

Snowden

Snow! A veritable rarity here in the southern United States, the recent heavy snowfall has caused a few remote areas to be inaccessible. Fortunately, I've a powerful shovel to render the driveway snow asunder.

Pitiful frozen water is no match for iron and brawn. To war!

But not before breakfast. . .

In the meantime, if so inclined, please enjoy two stellar snow-related songs from artists soon-to-be featured here:

Doves "Snowden" from Some Cities (2005)

Mew "Snow Brigade" from Frengers (2003)

Jaymay

Dames. It has been noticed that since the inception of Hurry Home Dark Cloud not a single female artist has held center stage. Further, there has been a distict lean towards music from bygone years rather than more recent releases.

Lest it be said that we are stuck in the past or, worse, misogynistic: it is with great pleasure that I introduce the exceptionally talented Jaymay.

Her debut Autumn Fallin' was released a few months ago and has been steadily gaining momentum, culminating in an expanded March 11 re-release of the record.

Album highlights "Blue Skies" and "Gray or Blue" showcase the complexity she is capable of, channeling both a touch of Missy Higgins and a bit of Alela Diane.

Highly recommended.

"Blue Skies" from Autumn Fallin' (2007)

Better Than Ezra

"Good." With that single syllable song, Better Than Ezra firmly established themselves as one of the premier alt-rock bands alongside such illustrious contemporaries as Blind Melon, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Dishwalla, Gin Blossoms, and Collective Soul. Debut Deluxe was a surprise hit and spawed at least two other successful singles.

From there, Better Than Ezra crafted an equally grand sophomore record. The release of Friction, Baby saw newfound fans across the globe embracing one of the most reliably crowd-pleasing songs in Better Than Ezra's catalogue: "Desperately Wanting". However, despite the success, no new ground was broken because the band opted to utilize the exact same mold they'd used for their debut.

The debate between releasing a roster of straight rock records and experimenting with a style a bit deeper than the average alternative album has torn apart lesser acts. Granted, it is a crucial decision that can make or break a band.

Do you cater to the greatest common denominator and give the people what they theoretically want - another piece of the same rock record? Or do you alter your present style to something less mainstream yet still have the album solidly land within the field of pop music?

Better Than Ezra's conceptualization of third album How Does Your Garden Grow set about to regenerate the dormant creativity long-time fans knew they were capable of. It begins with quirky opener "Je Ne M'en Souviens Pas", which essentially establishes this will not be BTE Rock Record #3.

The record really kicks off with "One More Murder", which adroitly highlights the senselessness of random killings. "At the Stars" recalls late nights that seemed as if they could last forever. "Under You" unfolds beautifully as a love paean, while adjacent track "Live Again" suggests a more complex relationship replete with worries and woes.

"Beautiful Mistake" is nudged near the end of the album when many bands are tacking on filler songs and half-hearted tracks. Concerning a father who has abandoned his family, the track was immediately seized upon by fans who understood the pain of loss. For years it could be found next to Everclear's "Father of Mine" on oft-pressed melancholy mix discs.

Though Better Than Ezra has released two albums since Garden, with some notable high points, they have yet to reach the creative heights they scaled so seemingly effortlessly in 1998.

"Good" from Deluxe (1993)

"Desperately Wanting" from Friction, Baby (1996)

"Beautiful Mistake" from How Does Your Garden Grow? (1998)

"A Lifetime" from Closer (2001)

Enigma

1994. It was, perhaps, impossible to view VH1 at any given moment during that year and miss the memorable clip for Enigma's "Return to Innocence". Opening with the peaceful death of an elderly man beneath a tree, the video unfolds in reverse exposition (a la Coldplay's "The Scientist") to weave the tale of that man's life all the way back to birth - the literal return to innocence.

Inspired by recent revisitations to the work of E.S. Posthumus and simultaneously reminded of the mid-nineties by dusting off my copy of In the House of Stone and Light, I felt compelled to remain in flashback mode and review the early works of prominent electronica musicians Enigma.

Fronted primarily by the gifted Michael Cretu and an insanely awesome bamboo flute, Enigma burst onto the electronica/new age scene in the early nineties with impressive bravado. For a few precious years, they accomplished the improbable and made new age sound rather swell.

Then, as fate would have it, Yanni had his Acropolis deal in '94 and Enya released an album a year later. New age sunk back into its former state of what could be described as "cotton candy" music. Though it should be noted Enya did win a Grammy for her record, but a new age Grammy is pretty much a Gimme Grammy. Enya has racked up a win for nearly every album released. At last count, she is up to at least four or five.

You see, it's not exactly a hotly contested genre.

But I digress.

With the release of MCMXC a.D. in 1990, Enigma catapulted themselves to stardom with a brilliant cohesion of Gregorian chants, sweet synth beats, and the aforementioned insanely awesome bamboo flute. Their work would be drafted into dozens of films, trailers, and television ads and have the distinction of featuring on my fifth grade mix tape.

Their early albums, perhaps inevitably, sound a bit prosaic at present. It is probably difficult for first-time listeners to recognize that in 1990 the sound of Enigma was both edgy and stylistically nouveau.

Fourteen years after release, there is still something innately special about "Return to Innocence" - indeed, the whole of Cross of Changes is an impressive piece of work. Never, before or since, did Cretu and crew combine their stock of worldly chants and electronica beats with such pitch perfect effect.

That's why it will always remain a mainstay in my collection, and that's why it should remain in yours as well.

"Mea Culpa" from MCMXC a.D. (1990)

"Return to Innocence" from The Cross of Changes (1993)

Pacific!

Disco. I'm not entirely certain why that was the first genre that struck me upon listening to Reveries by Pacific!, but it seems to fit rather well. Reveries is unquestionably retro in spirit, and there is a certain charm in revisiting a long lost friend from the past - but the term disco is still too tainted with seventies absurdity to take it seriously again.

And yet, I'm bereft of a more decorous summarization.

Reveries just recently hit the streets and a few tracks are already burning up my playlist. Specifically, I simply cannot get enough of "Sunset Blvd". At first listen, it sounds like a track from a lost seventies soundcheck. Each successive listen reveals a firm root in the present, while still ringing with all the best intonations of that bygone era.

Call it disco, retro, old-soul, whatever. Suffice it to say Pacific! is in fine form. Pick up the single below, stream a few more tracks at their myspace, then buy the album here.

If "Sunset Blvd" doesn't immediately sell you, I'm willing to bet one listen to "Love Isn't Always On Time" will!

"Sunset Blvd" from Reveries (2008)

Martin Page

Genesis. An admiration for that particular progressive rock band is perhaps one of the few commonalities Martin Page and I share. Though, now that I consider it, Page harbors a partiality to the pre-Collins Genesis records and I definitely fall into the post-Gabriel realm of fandom. Apparently the distinction between the two is still fiercely debated, with many fans still referring to Collins as the "new guy."

But I digress.

Aside from a mutal partiality to Genesis, I have an absolute adoration for In the House of Stone and Light, the first and (so far) last album from Page. Released in 1994, the album gained significant buoyance from the success of its album-titled track and subsequent single "Keeper of the Flame."

The video clip for "In the House of Stone and Light" was played endlessly on VH1 (back when they actually rotated music videos) during the summer of '94 and could still be seen deep into 1995 (usually adjacent to the outstanding Annie Lennox clip for "No More I Love Yous"). The track also spun heavily on radio and featured on adult contemporary playlists for years afterward.

Despite a default categorization as a "one hit wonder", I find the record an endless source of indulgence I return to at least once a year. This is partly because of the polished, superlative songwriting and partly because of the exceedingly intricate care given to the instrumentation.

Prior to recording his debut album, Page had written songs for acts as diverse as Go West, Tom Jones, Earth Wind & Fire, Heart, and Starship. This experience in the music business, combined with Page's involvement in seminal eighties techno band Q-Feel, allowed him to slate such venerable session musicians as Robbie Robertson (of The Band, on guitar) and Phil Collins (of Genesis, on drums) who lent their considerable talents to the harmony of Page's magnum opus.

Spaced throughout In the House of Stone and Light are the ubiquitous love songs ("Light in Your Heart", "I Was Made For You"), yet a variety of disparate topics are addressed on the album, including: domestic violence ("In My Room"), World War II internment camps ("The Door"), and a general condemnation of modern wars and societal ills ("Shape the Invisible").

Curiously, the single version of the marriage ballad "Keeper of the Flame" was coupled with the b-side "Broken Stairway" - which could very well have been written about a divorce. Though this may strike some as a contradictory move to some, I found it a perfect accompaniment to the chugging percussion and amiable tone of the a-side.

"Broken Stairway" is a heartachingly beautiful piano ballad clocking in at a scant two minutes forty-nine seconds. In that brief period of time, what unfolds is perhaps one of the saddest songs I've had the pleasure of discovering.

For those who share my affinity for In the House of Stone and Light and lament the sophomore album that never came, there is light on the horizon. According to Page, second album In the Temple of the Muse is slated for "imminent" release sometime in early 2008. A recent track, "Healing Waters", which Page recorded for the 2007 Abrazos breast cancer benefit album, can be streamed here.

While the tone is certainly reminiscent of his debut album and the track overall is warmingly strong, it's rather evident his vocals lack the robust power they once held. At present, it is unclear if "Healing Waters" will feature on the upcoming record because a track listing is still unavailable.

Page has long had a penchant for quoting historical figures in his works (his myspace blog is adorned with them). In homage to this practice, I'll leave you with the selection he inserted into the liner notes of In the House of Stone and Light:

“Defenceless under the night

Our world in stupor lies;

Yet, dotted everywhere,

Ironic points of light

Flash out wherever the just

Exchange their messages:

May I, composed like them

of Eros and of dust

Beleaguered by the same

Negation and despair,

Show an affirming flame”

- W.H. Auden from “September 1, 1939”

"In the House of Stone and Light" from In the House of Stone and Light (1994)

"Broken Stairway" from In the House of Stone and Light (1994)

"Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)" from Q-Feel (1983)

Seabear

Iceland. Home to a little over 300,000 people. Home to the popular children's program LazyTown and the magnificent waterfall Dettifoss. Home to the modern progenitors of heartachingly gorgeous melodies. Luminaries such as Bjork, Sigur Ros, and now. . .Seabear.

I could spin a yarn about the subtle complexity of the record, add a couple paragraphs about the existential beauty of the songs, perhaps even the an excessively verbose track-by-track analysis. I could tell you the single "I Sing, I Swim" alone would be worth the purchase price of the LP.

But all of that would only keep you from finding out for yourself one of the brightest new stars on the indie scene today, and you'll want all the time in the world to enjoy this beautiful, exquisitely crafted gem.

"I Sing, I Swim" from The Ghost That Carried Us Away (2007)

"Libraries" from The Ghost That Carried Us Away (2007)

Klaatu

Would you entrust these guys with a recording contract?

"Sub-Rosa Subway". Had it not been for this track it's likely Klaatu would not have achieved the success they attained. Formed in the early seventies, the band strove for years to garner attention until they finally landed a deal with Capitol. Klaatu released their debut album 3:47 EST in 1976 to surprising success.

For whatever reason, there was a distinct lack of information about the band and a rumor began that Klaatu was, in fact, the Beatles. The record label and the band did nothing to dispel this rumor, and as a result many avid music consumers truly believed the gossip.

In particular the track "Sub-Rosa Subway", which the band themselves admitted was structured as a tribute to the Beatles, fueled the madness.

It didn't take long for natural sensibilities to quell the Beatles rumors and, as one might expect, the band was subjected to severe backlash from fans who felt misled and essentially duped into buying the record.

Still, Klaatu carried on with four more albums before finally disbanding in 1981.

Perhaps the most favored track in Klaatu's short career, "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft", was later covered successfully by The Carpenters.

"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" from 3:47 EST (1976)

"Sub-Rosa Subway" from 3:47 EST (1976)

BONUS MP3

"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" from Passage (1977)