Radiohead sometime in '08; Band of Horses next month

Before the beginning of this year, I was already holding out the #1 spot on my 2007 top ten albums list for the album that I was anticipating most this year. That would be Radiohead's 7th LP, which was slated for release this fall. Well, winter and spring came and went with hardly a whisper of news. Then, last month, rumors abound that the band was in New York mastering the album, but that it wouldn't be released until 2008. Now that has been confirmed at At Ease. Such a bummer, but expected from the lads who will put five years between albums in order to get the sound they want. I doubt we'll have an official date until the band settles on how to release the album, as they have fulfilled their obligations with EMI/Capitol and are currently label-less.

I sometimes think of the Phish documentary Bittersweet Motel, where Trey Anastasio is reading a review that says, in essence, "Phish could urinate into the ears of their fans and they would lap it up happily" and wonder if Radiohead could do the same for me. I'll not lose sleep over the thought. Here's some Radiohead to tide you over, including two live tracks that I hope make it onto the new album (I've been waiting for a proper "Nude" release for almost ten years now). Here's looking to the best album (hopefully) of 2008.

Like Spinning Plates (Live) (from I Might Be Wrong)
Palo Alto (from Airbag/How Am I Driving EP)
4 Minute Warning (6.04.06)

Nude (8.17.06)

In late 2005 I stumbled upon a new band (thanks to links on Iron & Wine's home page) out of Seattle called Band of Horses. They would post demos on their website from the album they were working on and I really got into them. I saw them at Kilby Court a few weeks before their debut hit the shelves. They were fantastic. I didn't know the extent to which they would be recieved by the music community, but figured if the right things happened, they could go big. I also passed as Philip Seymour Hoffman at that show. Some girl came up to me and said "Congratulations on your Oscar" -- this being a week or so after Mr. Hoffman won for his role in Capote -- I thanked her and offered an autograph, but alas, no pen or marker tobe found. It was the third time I had been mistaken for him (the other two were in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival the previous year), so I decided that from then forth, I'd just roll with it and see what happens.

Well, BoH haven't been content with all the laudatory comments and buzz-band worhty hype that came with their 2006 debut Everything All The Time, relocating to bandleader Ben Birdwell's home state of South Carolina and cranking out a follow-up for this year. Cease To Begin is no-doubt one of the year's most anticipated albums for me and from what I've heard so far, it is no let down. It will be released October 9th on Sub Pop. I'm posting two tracks from the forthcoming album. "Lamb On The Lam (In The City)" is my fave -- I'm a sucker for piano-chord driven melodies, while "Is There A Ghost" is right where EATT left off. Also, enjoy a couple of tunes of their debut.

Lamb On The Lam (In The City) (from Cease To Begin)
Is There A Ghost (from Cease To Begin)
The Great Sale Lake (from Everything All The Time)
Funeral (from Everything All The Time)