Track list for new Beach Boys album

Amazon has the tracklisting provided for the new Beach Boys album, "That's Why God Made the Radio." It's a summer album, and The Beach Boys are already touring to celebrate their 50th anniversary. What a year for Beach Boys fans (and last year was quite a good 'un too, with "The SMiLE Sessions").

The songs for the new album, per Amazon:

1. Think About The Days

2. That's Why God Made The Radio

3. Isn't It Time

4. Spring Vacation

5. The Private Life Of Bill And Sue

6. Shelter

7. Daybreak Over The Ocean

8. Beaches In Mind

9. Strange World

10. From There To Back Again

11. Pacific Coast Highway

12. Summer's Gone 

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That's Why God Made the Radio 
The Beach Boys | Format: Audio CD 
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This title will be released on June 5, 2012.
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Added to the collection: Jack White's "Blunderbuss"

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I just bought (literally just bought ... about 30 minutes ago) the new Jack White solo album, "Blunderbuss."

I'm a big fan of Jack White. The White Stripes and The Dead Weather are among the discs I spin the most often when I'm wearing headphones at work (I don't listen to The Raconteurs as much ... I like them fine, but I don't love them). What will I think of Jack's solo work? Hmm.

Beach Boys' new song getting me through

Work and real life continue to be very hectic. I am not abandoning the blog, I just haven't been able to make it a priority lately. This month will be atypical, I promise. More music posts will come.

As the slog continues, music continues to be my biggest source of calm and joy. And one of my favorite groups, The Beach Boys, are topping my playlist this week.

The newest Beach Boys song to hit the Internet and (soon) the radio is "That's Why God Made the Radio."

It's a damn good song. A lot of people are already complaining about it, saying it is too safe or too sanitized or too bland or too processed. Whatever. It sounds good, and it is balm for the soul.

Brian's voice is strong, the lyrics aren't bad (there are a couple cringers, but nothing awful) and the rest of the group and the support singers (Jeff Foskett, etc.) really create a wonderful blend. The harmonies are cool, and the arrangement is punchy. The sound may be a little, well, unadventurous. There's certainly nothing "SMiLE" about it. There's nothing as dynamic as "Wouldn't It Be Nice," for sure. But it's a nice group exercise, and certainly meets (if not exceeds) the quality of many latter-day Beach Boys efforts.

For a group of guys in their late 60s and 70s, this is pretty damn tasty. It's not old codger music (though the radio as a topic kind of dates it ... unless people are talking satellite radio, I don't think AM/FM is gonna relate to younger listeners). It should please the already established fan base. It's fresh, pleasant and just has an overall sense of joy and reassurance that one gets from some of the best Beach Boys songs.

I'm tickled, and I look forward to the album (due out in June).

What do you folks think?

An iPhone full of music

About a month ago, I got my first iPhone.

My old cell phone was a reliable Samsung that was about 7 years old. I decided to retire it after I had to start recharging the phone twice a day. I needed something more reliable.

With the purchase of the iPhone, it also allowed me to demote my iPod nano (about 5 years old) to backup status. The nano has been a heck of a great asset, providing many long drives and late nights with music that kept me awake / sane / functional.

One of the big perks was an upgrade of space for music ... I went from 4 gigs to 16 gigs. Know what that meant? Lots and lots of music added.

Investing in a little Roy

Roy Orbison's talent often gets overlooked in the great assessment of American music.

Despite being an influence and inspiration, or an object of amazement, to such talents as Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bono, k.d. lang, and countless others, I'd be willing to bet that the majority of listeners under the age of 35 probably only know Roy for "Oh, Pretty Woman" and maybe "You Got It," since that was a radio hit in the late 1980s.

Well, maybe "In Dreams" too ... if you've ever seen David Lynch's film "Blue Velvet," it's hard to miss "In Dreams." Anyway, the dude has done some great music and deserves to be heard. So let's talk a little about his stuff.

I'm not ignoring you, I promise

It's been a busy several weeks at work, and the last two weeks in particular have seen a whole lot of hours being invested in making transitions at work go more smoothly.

I promise, there will be more posts very soon. I've got a couple that have been started, with one or two close to completion! Once I stop getting slammed so heavily at the job, I'll be able to relax into the awesomeness of music! Yay!

Please give me your patience, and we'll be back in touch again very soon!

Thanks, friends.