Depressing cover albums, entertaining Kanye commentary, British alter-egos and iTunes-related woes abound as we at The Phoenix ease ourselves into the new year, one day at a time . . .
1. Swedish serenaders Peter, Bjorn and John, having initially delighted and subsequently annoyed everyone on the planet for going on three years with the absurdly catchy (and shamelessly overplayed) single "Young Folks," are finally releasing a proper follow-up to their 2006 album Writer's Block.
(On a related note, Kanye happens to think this "shit is dope.")
2. The relieved sighs of DRM-hating music pirates everywhere were cut short when someone discovered that the now 100% DRM-free iTunes tracks are still host to potentially incriminating personal information.
3. Flight of the Conchords, the #1 guitar-playing comedy duo to ever come out of New Zealand, will be releasing (via iTunes) weekly new songs from the new season of their cult HBO show, which hits airwaves January 18.
4. Chicagoan rapper Lupe Fiasco may have recently assumed a sassy British alter-ego and recorded a few catchy "Britrock" songs under the guise of politically stringent band Japanese Cartoons.
5. Indie folker Phosphorescent (aka Matthew Houck) will soon release an album of Willie Nelson covers that is supposedly so depressing that it will make you cry, maybe even more than you did at the end of Bicentennial Man.
6. Jersey Rockers The Wrens have released their first new song in ten years, which they apparently made up on the spot because they were so jazzed to be playing at Abbey Road. Even they're amazed it turned out good.
Finally, here are some new tracks that have got us all giggling with excitement:
DOWNLOAD: Lil Wayne feat. Pharrell, Yes [mp3]
DOWNLOAD: Bon Iver, Blood Bank [mp3]
DOWNLOAD: The Love Language, Lalita [mp3]
DOWNLOAD: Naked Hearts, Call Me [mp3]
DOWNLOAD: Franz Nicolay, "World Inferno Vs. the End of the Evening" [mp3]