Kearney seems to pick up right where he left off with this sophomore effort.   He’s branching out a bit on this song, with a different percussive sound than anything heard on Nothing Left to Lose, but he fortunately for us the song stays true to his sound. The new album, City of Black & White, is due out May 19th.  Let’s hope this single isn’t a fluke, and for once a breakout Christian artist can avoid the sophomore slump.  He heads out on tour with Keane early next month.  You should definitely go out and see him if he comes your way.

The Lovers Are Losing – Keane

SUPPORTING KEANE:

May 9              Los Angeles, CA          Hollywood Palladium

May 10            Anaheim, CA               The Grove at Anaheim

May 12            Salt Lake City, UT       Kingsbury Hall

May 13            Denver, CO                 Ogden Theatre

May 15            St. Paul, MN                Myth

May 16            Chicago, IL                  Aragon Ballroom

May 19            Washington, DC           Constitution Hall

May 20            Upper Darby, PA         Tower Theater

May 21            Boston, MA                 Bank of America Pavilion

May 23            Toronto, ON                The Sound Academy

May 24            Cleveland, OH             Time Warner Amphitheatre

May 26            Montclair, NJ               The Wellmont Theatre

May 27            New York, NY            Radio City Music Hall(Sold Out)

HEADLINE DATES:

June 19            Knoxville, TN               Bijou Theatre

June 20            Birmingham, AL           City Stages

June 21            Charlotte, NC              Amos

June 22            Charleston, SC            Music Farm

June 25            Norfolk, VA                Norva

June 26            Richmond, VA             The National

June 29            Milwaukee, WI            Summerfest

June 30            Bloomington, IL            Bluebird

July 2               Grand Rapids, MI        Intersection

July 3               Detroit, MI                   Comerica Cityfest

July 5               Duluth, MN                  Bayfront Festival

July 6               Green Bay, WI             Meyer Theatre

July 7               Madison, WI                Majestic

July 10             Minneapolis, MN         Basilica Block Party

July 11             Kansas City, MO         Beaumont

July 15             Memphis, TN               Minglewood

July 16             Columbia, MO             The Blue Note

July 17             Omaha, NE                  Slowdown

July 19             Denver, CO                 Mile High Festival

Music

Ray LaMontagne – Gossip in the Grain

Ray LaMontagne – Let It Be Me (removed 2/13/09)

This is sure to be one of the best albums of the year.  One of the best performers and songwriters of our generation. He hasn’t disappointed me yet, and I think we can expect nothing but greatness on LaMontagne’s third release. I mean it even has a love song that he wrote for Meg White.  What more could you ask for?

Keane – Perfect Symmetry

Keane – Spiralling (removed 2/13/09)

I feel like I should say the exact same thing about this band as I just did about Ray.  These guys are truly pop geniuses.  Now I’m not trying to say that their music is really complex and that they are super talented.  Quite the contrary.  They make very simplistic music with familiar chord progressions, but they manage to make it sound very intricate and brand new.  I highly encourage you to go out and get this as soon as you can.

Copeland – You Are Sunshine

Easily one of the best Christian bands out there.  Their sounds never ceases to amaze me.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to hear a bit of this new album, but I am really looking forward to it.  The whole album is available to be streamed from their myspace. You should check it out. I know I would be if myspace wasn’t blocked on our server here at work.

Ingrid Michaelson – Be Ok

I have only heard the title track, and I actually didn’t care too much for it. But I still felt that his release was worth mentioning because of how incredibly catchy and enjoyable her debut from last year was.  If wouldn’t rush out and buy this one. But if you’ve never heard her before she is definitely worth a listen.  I recommend the songs Breakable or Die Alone.

*

Film

W.

“A chronicle on the life and presidency of George W. Bush.”    Really?  This movie is already being made? I mean his presidency hasn’t even officially ended yet.  This just blows my mind.  Almost as shocking as the fact that a movie has already been made about the events of 9/11.  At least all of those gave us at least a year or two to look back upon what had happened and gain some perspective.

I am definitely curious to see this film and find out what they have to say, but I am just afraid it will only piss me off.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to tell you that Bush is perfect and that he’s been a fantastic President.  But I just don’t understand what makes Oliver Stone think that he has such great perspective on his life and presidency as to make a movie like this.  I don’t know, maybe he isn’t trying to make a statement and it will actually have a tasteful plot line and ending.  We’ll see.

I hope that your eyes and ears bleed all week.

Yes.

That is right, I am bringing you a fairly new video for the single “Something Anything” off of the new album coming out later this month called Ode to J. Smith.   And it has a pretty different sound than anything I’ve heard from them in the past.  It has a much harder sound than what we’re used to from these guys.  The video is nothing to get excited about.  But just getting to hear a new Travis tune and knowing that an album will shortly follow is exciting enough in itself.

Travis – Something Anything (removed 2/13/09)

And here is a pseudo cover song of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know.”  This is a fun little tune that they wrote for their appearance on the Mark and Lard show.

Travis – After Mark and Lard Go (removed 2/13/09)