A Daredevil?

Nigel Godrich brings "In The Basement" back...Polyphonic Spree cover Neil Young...Cat Power shares new song...Red Hot Chili Peppers set to release new stuff...The Idler Wheel...

So...lots of stuff to get into today...Nigel Godrich, famed music producer who is known for his work with Radiohead and Beck, has brought back his show, "In The Basement" for a third season, and it's going to air this summer. So, that's pretty exciting. I've definitely seen a lot of "in the basement" videos via YouTube, while bored and browsing, so I'm looking forward to seeing a few more. According to Entertainment Weekly, the series is set to premiere on 3Net in July, so be on the lookout for that one.

Next up...we have Polyphonic Spree covering Neil Young's "Heart of Gold," one of Young's most famous tracks. You can view that here.

Moving along, Cat Power has shared a new song from her upcoming record, Sun, which is set to come out on September 4th. I've only heard the song once, and I like the direction she's taken. Now, I can't speak too knowingly of Cat Power, seeing as how the only record I've heard in full was The Greatest, which had a more soulful feel to it, while this song represents a more indie-pop type of feel. You can view the video for "Ruin" below:



Lastly, The Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced that they are going to be releasing 18 singles in the next six months, in the form of 9 double-sided 7" records. According to NME, the first one should be out some time in August, and the next one will follow in September. Supposedly, these new tracks are demos the band cut while writing and recording for their 2011 record, I'm With You, but they didn't make the cut. Well, now fans will get to hear some new stuff from the band. Be on the lookout for the first single, which comes out on September 11th.

LISTENING: I've spent the entire morning listening to Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do. The album drops today, so go out and get a copy because it's every bit as good as I knew it would be. I've been listening to it on loop, so I think I've heard it about four times today, and while they may seem excessive, I have to stress that the album is pretty short. I think it runs a little over 40 minutes, but not a single moment is wasted. It's difficult to go into writing about this album because every track is different than the others, and it's important, with Apple's work, to let each song completely take you over, otherwise you run the risk of pigeon-holing her into a certain sect of musicianship, IE: piano, vocals, jazz-feel (well, she may just be another Norah Jones) WRONG!

Her work is a lot more layered and complex, even though this is her most stripped-down album, lacking the lush productions of former releases. But, this isn't to say that every piece of music on this album isn't meticulous. Everything is so neatly penned and put together that it's hard not to notice. Key tracks to listen to include "Jonathan," "Periphery," "Regret," and "Werewolf." As I said before, EVERY song is excellent. If I had a scale to rate and measure albums, let's just use a "graded" scale, this receives a flat A across the board. Let's not include the + just for the sake of being "objective." Other than that, the album is a fucking winner and well worth the 7 year wait. You can hear gut-wrenching "Regret" below:



That's all. PEACE.