King's X "XV" and Amazon MP3

In the "Didn't see that one coming" department ...

Amazon has entered the mp3 download market with DRM-free downloads. So I picked up the new King's X (14 songs) for under $8 without those lousy, stinkin' DRMs. At first listen, this sounds like King's X best since ... "Gretchen Goes to Nebraska." I was never gaga over "Dogman," which is apparently a favorite among many King's X fans. I've never been one who gravitated toward dark-sounding music (melancholy's OK), and "Dogman" was painful to listen to--in retrospect almost certainly because of the pain that the group was going through (notably singer/bassist Doug Pinnick).

It's nice to hear the group back on their game.

And now I'm listening to D. C. Slater trying to decide how to prioritize my next music purchase ...

Goes to show you never can tell ...

I love browsing music.

Today I ran across two bands whose music I almost certainly will never purchase but I want to give each one honorable mention for catching my interest.

First, the Dictatortots. Inspired name. The music is, er, "fun" but probably a bit too depraved for my tastes.

Second, the Radioactive Chicken Heads. Stupid name, but catchy in a stupid sort of way. Their attitude reminds me of the Dickies (I still love their work on the soundtrack of "Killer Klowns from Outer Space").

These are not recommendations but there you have it, whatever it is.

Good band: Melodyssey

I'm waiting and waiting and waiting for new music from an Emusic discovery, the Aussie band "Melodyssey." I've described them as sounding a bit like Rush crossed with the Offspring. The singer delivers a Geddyesque take on new rock vocals while the band stretches out well beyond the commercial rock sound, putting a progressive instrumental angle on crunchy rock.




My favorites, more or less in order, are:
Aquaplane
Gameday
Intro
Distance and Regret
Bullrush
Vacate

The band supposedly has a new release coming out ("The Two Windows"), but I haven't yet located an avenue for procuring it.

New music from King's X

King's X has been a favorite of mine for a very long time.

How long?

Well, I bought the vinyl version of "Out of the Silent Planet" without having heard the band at all. I was in the habit of periodically visiting record stores and looking at every single album in stock to see if there was anything new and interesting. King's X remains one of my treasured finds, though their recent work hasn't measured up to the first half of their catalog.

The pre-release single, "Alright" sounds good, though. I'm hoping the rest sounds as good.