Sounds of the gardenI’ve never been much of a Soundgarden fan, mostly due to the fact that the band sort of passed me by. But it’s never too late, right? Especially since the band is coming out with a rarities collection, titled Echo of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across the Path, which features seven unreleased tracks, B-sides, EPs, bonus tracks, live recordings and more. That boxed set comes out on Nov. 24, and one of said unreleased tunes (“Storm”) is available for listening below. Enjoy!Clawing his way backMy introduction to the oeuvre of Swedish singer-songwriter José González was his cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats.” Anyone else ‘member the bouncy balls? No? Either way. González has announced that he’s coming out with a new record, titled Vestiges & Claws, on Feb. 17, 2015. That’s still some time away, but at least this gives you some time to go through his past work in anticipation for said release, whether it’s his solo tunes, his work with Junip or even his contributed tracks to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Head to Pitchfork to read more ’bout it and to view an album teaser.Peacetime tunesIt was announced a week or two ago that Scottish group Belle and Sebastian are coming out with a new record (Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance) on Jan. 20. Fresh off that revelation, the band has posted one of the album’s ditties (“The Party Line”) online. At first listen, I can see that this dance-pop tune is more akin to something that might have come from The Third Eye Centre, rather than their earlier works. But bands evolve, right? Have a listen below.It’s our land!Everyone knows Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.” And if you don’t, you’ve straight up been living under a rock. But it’s okay. It’s only one of America’s most noted anthems, aside from “The Star-Spangled Banner.” But that’s neither here nor there. Rock band My Morning Jacket have decided to do their own version of the track for North Face’s campaign to “protect, preserve and celebrate public lands.” Head to Consequence of Sound to give that a listen and to view the television commercial that features the song.I’ll be on the bleachers …Most people know Bleachers as the solo project of that guy from fun. Regardless, Jack Antonoff’s musical endeavor has gained some traction over the past year with his debut LP Strange Desire, and now he’s come out with a video for the record’s track “Rollercoaster.” I’ve not yet heard the album, but if this song is any indication, I’m sure it’s one “fun” listen. View the vid below.Such a buzzkillThe Dead Weather recently released a couple tracks on vinyl as part of a Third Man Records compilation, but now the songs have been made available online. Well … one has been released officially, while the other is a sped-up recording (as Rolling Stone notes). So head there if you want to catch a glimpse of “Buzzkill(er)” and “It’s Just Too Bad.” They’re both pretty good tunes, if I do say so myself. The one-eyed Jack is backLet me preface this by saying that I used to be a huuuuge Marilyn Manson fan. If you’ve not yet heard Mechanical Animals or Holy Wood, you’ve got some listening to do. It was around the release of The Golden Age of Grotesque that the band lost me, and subsequent albums haven’t done much to assuage my abandonment. But like a train that keeps on rollin’, Manson is still going, still making music, which is now in the form of a new tune, “Third Day of a Seven Day Binge.” That is supposedly going to get released on an upcoming record that drops some time in 2015, but no word on an official release date yet. Still, you can listen to that below.Keep on keepin’ goldThis next post serves as a reminder that I still need to listen to Stay Gold by Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit. I’m so behind, y’all. But enough of that; the band has come out with a video for the title track of said record, which was released earlier this year. Have a looksie over at Stereogum.Heart’s ode to Foo FightersIn case you didn’t know: Heart is badass. Regardless of how you feel about their place in the rock and roll canon, they’ve always been one of those bands that comes on the radio and you can’t help but turn the volume up. I’m not the only one who feels this way. Foo Fighters performed with the band a few weeks ago on “Late Show With David Letterman.” And as a way to say thanks, Heart covered Foo Fighters’ “No Way Back” on a little home-made video. The sound is rough, but would you have it any other way? View that below.Cale’s heartfelt goodbyeThis past week was the one-year anniversary of the death of poet/rocker Lou Reed. It was a tragedy not only because rock and roll lost one of its pioneering voices, but also because the art world in general lost one of its most avant-garde progenitors. Now, Reed’s former Velvet Underground bandmate John Cale has come out with a new version of his 1982 track “If You Were Still Around” with a video paying homage to the late, great rock star. View that over at NME.
Rooster Roundabout: This Week’s Music Highlights
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