I wanna start this week off with an announcement:
Starting next week, and hopefully all the way to the big day, once a week I’ll add a bonus preview, thus making 6 overall. However, the 6th will be holiday related only, so Christmas music, Kwanzaa music, whatever, those will be included every week for pretty much the rest of the year…IF there’s even that many coming out. If not, then the usual five instead. I can just hear your excitement right now, and I don’t blame you.
With that being said, let’s go on with the chlorophyll.
Jason Aldean – Night Train
Got me some country this week. Jason Aldean is actually one of my favorite country artists, so excuse the biased preview. Singing about Chevy’s and girls and radios is what the first single, “Take a Little Ride” features, and that’s really all you could hope for in a country song. Night Train is Aldean’s fifth album, and if “Take a Little Ride” is any indication, it’s gonna be a good one. It’s already gotten tremendous reviews from other websites, but I won’t mention them here because they aren’t paying me. The song “The Only Way I Know,” if it hits radio, will no doubt be a huge hit, as it features top country artists Luke Bryan, who’s essentially the biggest thing going lately, and Eric Church. A superhit, if you will. And it’s a fine song by itself. Country fans have probably already picked this up somehow now, but if you’re just now hearing about it, you’re welcome.
Trey Anastasio – Traveler
First and foremost, this album features a very, VERY good cover of a Gorillaz song. A much slower paced version of “Clint Eastwood” is in this release, and it’s impressive. It’s sort of stripped down in a way. The album is able to be streamed, by a website I, again, am not being paid to mention, so I won’t. So if you’re a fan of Phish, which Anastasio is the vocalist for, then go ahead and seek this one out.
Dethklok – Dethalbum III
What a diverse set of stuff so far, eh? Country, alternative, now metal? Wowie kabonkers. Everyone’s favorite devilish animated deathcore band is releasing their third album, or “dethalbum” as they call it. I have only two words to describe the first single, “I Ejaculate Fire,” and that’s ‘testicular propane.’ The whole album features songs that were featured in the last three seasons of the show ‘Metalocalypse’ on Adult Swim. Songs have been sent out to radio personality Full Metal Jackie to create hype for the album, if enough hasn’t been created already just by the band being wildly popular.
Smoke & Jackal – EP1
Smoke & Jackal is a new band that consists of only two people: Jared Followill, of Kings of Leon, and Nick Brown, of Mona. As a side note, Mona is really good live. But that’s irrelevant when this is a completely different band who is making their debut. One song from the six song extended play, titled “No Tell,” sounds more like Kings of Leon in my eyes, but different at the same time. I’d suspect the other 5 songs to sound like one band or the other, or a mix of the two.
Anberlin – Vital
If anyone knows of Anberlin, first off, high five to you, good sir or lady. Secondly, you’ll know that this is more of the same awesomeness from the Florida natives, and that sure as hell ain’t a bad thing. “Someone Anyone” is actually really more hard rocking than usual, so who knows if alternative radio stations will even play it. I certainly hope they do, because it’s an awesome song. I can see the song having crossover appeal to hard rock fans as well. Something you don’t see a lot these days, between alternative and hard rock at least. Singer Stephan Christian has said the band’s had new influences, hence a particularly different sound than usual.
That’s it for this week. Who’s ready for Christmas next week?!