The Edge

Hey remember this cover from back before break?  Well The Decemberists have now released the full album! The album is currently rated #4 at the CMJ top Alternative Charts too (so its nationally a hit too in college radio). If you liked the single… you will love the full album!

Side note… The Decemberists will be playing at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee, WI on March 25th and there are STILL tickets available! We hope to see you there!

Before we kick of the new year with lots of exciting releases to look forward to…. lets take a quick look at the albums and artists that kept college radio rocking throughout the nation!

Statistics based on the CMJ charts, not WSUW.

On a date like today, there better be some memorable music that marks this, and there is nothing better than The New Basement Tapes album, Lost on the River.  Now there is a notable background to the band’s name that should not be ignored.  When rumors were going around that old unreleased music of Bob Dylan’s had been found in a basement, a special group of musicians came together to make this great album happen.  The songs that they produced were handwritten copies by Dylan himself that were found in the Red Room in his basement where the original recordings for the album The Basement Tapes took place back in 1967.

The band had more than 50 finished songs to chose from for the album, and 20 tracks were on the final album released in November 2014.  At the same time this was released, Columbia released The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete and The Basement Tapes Raw under Dylan’s name.  The New Basement Tapes, on the other hand are comprised of Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Taylor Goldsmith, Jim James and Marcus Mumford (yes from Mumford and sons).  Even Johnny Depp can be heard here playing the electric guitar on the track,”Kansas City,” which was recorded live at Capital Records Studios. While the whole album is a work of art, and Dylan approved, here are some highlights: “When I get My Hands on You,” “Nothing To It,” “Spanish Mary,” “Liberty Street” and “Married to My Hack.”

Once again She & Him have released another album that captures the Classics… Pun intended. The band tackles songs from the 1930’s to the 1950’s like their prior albums, yet this time it is different, the album is live.  M. Ward and Zoey Deschanel’s duo both tie well into each other.  Critics have said that even though the songs have been done many times before, the two still manage to create an engaging album that takes a new spin off them.  At the same time, the album has a more lounge-like feel to it than the other four albums.  The two even had a 20 piece orchestra to help pull the album together!  Songs to check out: Stay Awhile and Time After Time.  They do not have any listed tour dates at this time.

It was no surprise this week that TV on the Radio would sweep the number one spot for College Radio at CMJ this week; given that their latest album is their fifth to hit number one on the charts. The album Seeds has people talking for sure.   The band from Brooklyn encompasses the place they come from.  the band mixes beats and melodies from pop, indie, r&b, hip-hop, 90’s rock, post-punk, and they aren’t just limited to these.  The way TVOTR meshes these elements together helps the band to create their own distinctive vibe yet again.  Track to check out include: Happy Idiot, Careful You, and Quartz.