Orange Alert Music Minute

My Dearest Friends and Fans,

It is my greatest honor to present to you The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, my new album produced by Trent Reznor and mixed by Alan Moulder. The wall of sound that we've created is tagged with such graffiti that a passerby would seek out doors and ways to ENTER. Once inside a world defined by dreams come true they'd find aligned with the simplest act of sharing what we treasure. Most people aren't aware of the world of art and commerce where exploitation strips each artist down to nigger. Each label, like apartheid, multiplies us by our divide and whips us 'til we conform to lesser figures. What falls between the cracks is a pile of records stacked to the heights of talents hidden from the sun. Yet the energy they put into popularizing smut makes a star of a shiny polished gun. The ballot or the bullet for Mohawk or the mullet is a choice between new times and dying days. And the only way to choose is to jump ship from old truths and trust dolphins as we swim through changing ways. The ways of middlemen proves to be just a passing trend. We need no priests to talk to God. No phone to call her. And when you click the link below, i think it fair that you should know that your purchase will make middlemen much poorer...

NiggyTardust!

love,
Saul

To preorder the new album from Saul Williams go here. He is asking for $5, if you wish "to directly support the artists involved in the creation of this music", but there is also an option to download it for free. The album will be available to download on November 1st.



Austin, TX Indie pop band Masonic is releasing their 4th LP on November 20, 2007. Since 2002, Masonic has been creating well crafted noise pop along the lines of Stereolab, Yo La Tengo, and The Vaselines framed by pre-murder Phil Spector influenced production.

Armed with vintage keyboards and guitars, a vinyl collection, and some tape loops, Masonic recorded this album during the spring and summer of 2007 only one year after 2006's Without Warning, which was named one of 2006's Austin Top 10 release by the influential Austin Chronicle. 2003's Too Far. Too Fast. Too Soon. was also named one of Austin's Top 10 releases by the same paper in 2003.

Things I Am Guilty Of is a well crafted indie pop gem that I was lucky enough to receive via e-mail this past week. If you go their website you can stream the entire album. Don't pass on this one, I was pleasantly surprised.

Listen to: Under the Radar (mp3)



It really wouldn't be Halloween without a quality mashup album to accompany the festivities. One of my favorites (yes their are multiple albums) this year is "Mashing Pumpkins: Halloween 2007" complied by Cheekyboy and currently being hosted by Mashuptown. Featuring the work of Mr. Fab, Fettdog, and Cheekyboy himself amoung other, this album is fun, festive, and free. Check it out!





In celebration of their upcoming US tour with Band of Horses, (dates below) Australian band The Drones will be the first band to kick off ATP Recordings' new series of double 7" vinyl called Custom Made. Custom Made invites artists to submit 4 songs which will be released on limited edition 7" and also made available as a digital download.

For each Custom Made 7" the bands choose: something old (an old song), something new (a song from their latest album), something borrowed (a cover) and something blue (a blues song, the word blue in the title, anything...)

The vinyl is limited to just 1,000 pieces, and 100 of them will be special edition silk screened printed covers, numbered and signed by the sleeve designer.

The Drones: Custom Made will be out on November 5th and will include the following tracks:

Side A. Something Old - "Cockeyed Lowlife of the Highlands" (New recording of this old song) Side B. Something New - "I Don't Ever Want to Change" (taken from the album Gala Mill)
Side C. Something Borrowed - "I Drink" (originally by Charles Aznavour)
Side D. Something Blue - "Shark Fin Blues" (mp3) (taken from the album Wait Long By the River.)

The Drones will be in Chicago at the Metro on November 11th and 12th. For additional dates go here.

The Peel Back: Black 47 "Fire of Freedom" (1993)

Taking their name from the worst year of the Ireland's Great potato famine, Black 47 is an ultra hard core political group of Irishmen based in New York. They focus on stories on Irish American culture and revolutionary Irish figures. In 1993, they released their debut album Fire of Freedom, and my local radio station started playing "Funky Ceili (Bridies Song)". I suppose I didn't listen closely enough, but I don't remember thinking is song was overly political. I simply loved the fiddle and dancing the jig!

Fire of Freedom

Livin' In America (Fordham Road 8:00 AM)/Maria's Wedding/Rockin' The Bronx (mp3)/Fanatic Heart/Funky Ceili (Bridie's Song) (mp3)/Fire Of Freedom/James Connolly/Livin' In America (Bainbridge Avenue 2:00 AM)/Banks) Of The Hudson/40 Shades Of Blue (mp3)/New York, NY 10009/Sleep Tight In New York City / Her Dear Old Donegal/Black 47/Livin' In America