Being a massive and slightly obsessive Radiohead fan, I seriously wondered if what the world really needed now was a Thom Yorke "solo" album. I know, I know. Claims have been made, statements have been adamant refuting such nonsense. But to be honest, I've dreaded this day for a long time. Being so rudely forced out of my comfort zone. To my surprise however, I found myself supremely digging The Eraser. Towing the line between Kid A and Hail To Thief, the record is a pretty good indication of how those albums would've sounded had Yorke locked the rest of the band out of the studio. More of an exercise in neccessity, the tracks on TE really don't fit the RH mold per se, but yet at the same time have a familiar stamp to them. I guess this really does validate Thom's statement years ago regarding the truth behind Radiohead's songwriting and recording process: "We're like the U.N., and I'm the USA." For your listening (dis)pleasure:

::::SAMPLE TRACKS REMOVED & NO LONGER AVAILABLE PER XL RECORDINGS REQUEST:::

Thom Yorke: Black Swan

Thom Yorke: Harrowdown Hill

Thom Yorke: The Eraser

Thom Yorke: The Clock

::::SAMPLE TRACKS REMOVED & NO LONGER AVAILABLE PER XL RECORDINGS REQUEST:::

If you can get past the oppressively morbid tone, you will soon discover the utter beauty that lies within Eels Electro Shock Blues. Pretty much a solo guise for Mark Oliver Everett, this album caused quite a stir upon it's release. I remember reading an article about how hard Everett's A&R guy flipped out when he heard the album for the first time. And not in a good way. Sophomore albums are hard enough to promote without songs about suicide, mental illness and severe depression. Yes, it's that heavy of a record. But if you're looking for an album to shimmer and get lost in-- look no further. For your listening (dis)pleasure:

Eels: My Descent Into Madness

Eels: Last Stop: This Town

Eels: Cancer For The Cure

Eels: Going To You Funeral Pt.1

Emotional scars and music are a funny thing aren't they? Like partners in crime. Even though years may have passed, you can hear a song and in an instant be transported back to a place you had long thought erased from your psyche. I guess that's why I like Dashboard Confessional. Packing enough passion and angst to fill a stadium, Chris Carraba has, over the years, honed a songwriting style that eerily taps into a wide range of emotions in a way that 99.9% of the population can relate to. No easy feat, I assure you. With a new album due next month entitled Dusk & Summer I thought it only fitting to revisit one of my favorite DC collections A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar. Even if you don't dig on Mr. C's music; considering him too twee-mo, (even though the likes of Gil Norton & Daniel Lanois have produced his records) you at the very least have to agree with me on one thing: the guy can sure title his albums well. For your listening (dis)pleasure:

Dashboard Confessional: Ghost Of A Good Thing

Dashboard Confessional: Hands Down

Dashboard Confessional: Hey Girl

Dashboard Confessional: Carry This Picture

Today marks the debut of a new weekly feature here on Indoor Fireworks. Every week we will be presenting the Friday Five Alive Mix: five jams to get you ready for the weekend! Please feel free to submit any feedback on tracks you'd like to see appear in the future. For your listening (dis)pleasure:

Fiona Apple: Shadowboxer (live)

Nicole Atkins & The Sea: Neptune City

Zero 7: Your Place off their upcoming album The Garden

Radiohead: Palo Alto

Michael Jackson: I Can't Help It (Tangoterje Mix) courtesy of the ever fab Dilated Choonz

Don't you wish you were in The Walkmen? I do. With a sound so vintage it almost dares you to raid your parents vinyl collection, these guys truly sound like they're from another era entirely. Their third album One Hundred Miles Off was released today; ramshackle sound intact. This time around they focus more on constructing more cohesive, melodic gems rather than the meandering jams that appeared on their debut. Don't get me wrong, I fucking love Bows+Arrows. But AHMO really kicks things into high gear. For your listening (dis)pleasure:

The Walkmen: Another One Goes By

The Walkmen: Louisiana

The Walkmen: Lost In Boston

"It was a blast. We'd like to thank everyone who took the ride with us and let us ride with them."

As far as swan songs go, The Afghan Whigs 1965 was quite a whopper. Accompanied by a press release citing the above obligitory thanks to the fans, Greg Dulli and Co. shuffled off into the dark night. But what they left behind, the stereophonic evidence of a career marred by logistical differences and a status never rising above cult level, is hands down their best album. Full of soul, full of lust, full of vignettes straight from the underbelly of society. The Whigs were true soul fans, and 1965 is a shining testament of their talent. Even though Dulli has gone on to greater musical heights with the sensational Twilight Singers, this is still one album you should have in your collection. For your listening (dis)pleasure:


The Afghan Whigs: Crazy

The Afghan Whigs: Somethin' Hot

The Afghan Whigs: 66

The Afghan Whigs: Neglekted

Criminally underrated, De La Soul's Buhloone Mindstate remains today one of my favorite hip hop albums. Boasting a surreal, laid back vibe missing since their debut, De La eschewed the claustrophobic production of their near perfect sophmore release De La Soul Is Dead and instead focused on what they do best: laying down puzzle-piece like word play over sparse soul beats. For your listening (dis)pleasure:

De La Soul: Ego Trippin' Part 2

De La Soul: Eye Patch

De La Soul: I Am I Be

De La Soul: Area


::BONUS:: De La Soul: Ego Trippin' Part 3 (Egoristic Mix)

What a difference a band makes. Realizing he couldn't contain his power-pop urges any longer, Jack White coralled Detroit buddy Brendan Benson and two-fourths of The Greenhorns to record their absolutely devestating debut album Broken Boy Soldiers. This lo-fi masterpiece is laced with more psychedelic harmonies than a Time/Life 60's rock compilation but never at any time does it feel like the vibe is forced. With a tight sound and even tighter production, The Raconteurs really shouldn't be considered a "super group" a la The Yardbirds or Derek & The Dominos. They're better than that. For your listening (dis)pleasure:

The Raconteurs: Level

The Raconteurs: Hands

The Raconteurs: Call It A Day

The Raconteurs: Blue Veins

Listening to Be Your Own PET reminds me of Saturday band practices in my parents garage circa 1991. Loud. Fast. Blast furnace temperatures perfect for fucking shit up. I wonder if the Yeah Yeah Yeah's can hear this battle cry all the way from Nashville. Combining a mixed love of The Stooges, T Rex, Television, and early Blondie, BYOP display some serious chops on their new self titled L.P. out June 6 on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label. Don't believe me? For your listening (dis)pleasure:

Be Your Own PET: Bicycle, Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle

Be Your Own PET: Adventure

So, I'm not perfect by a long shot. There are times when I overlook things and wonder what the hell I was thinking. Such is the case with Phantom Planet's self-titled sophmore album. Laying in bed last week, crippled with pneumonia, I lamented the fact that this album sat on my shelf for over a year before being inserted into my stereo. Packed with haunting melodies and hooks tightly wound up in a ball of distortion, Phantom Planet is the sound of a band coming of age. Forget their debut album The Guest. Forget the fact that they provide the theme song to The O.C. And certainly purge from your mind the fact that actor Jason Schwartzman used to be their drummer. Just focus on lead singer/guitarist Alex Greenwald's killer knack for writing songs that remain in your subconcious long after the album has finished playing. For your listening (dis)pleasure:

Phantom Planet: Knowitall

Phantom Planet: 1st Things 1st

Phantom Planet: Big Brat

Phantom Planet: You're Not Welcome Here


::BONUS:: Mark Ronson feat. Alex Greenwald of Phantom Planet: Just (Radiohead cover)