Nine Inch Nails' new album comes out in the US tomorrow, but the entire album is available for listening at their Myspace page. Sweet.

I'll be buying this tomorrow, for sure.

I've been digging on this weird, non-mainstream type of music lately, made by several bands in an organization called the 8bitpeoples. It's hard to describe exactly who or what the 8bitpeoples are, except that their music relates in one way or another to video games and my generation's collective memory of parts of the 80s zeitgeist. It's better to just quote you from their mission statement:

The 8bitpeoples first came together in 1999 as a collective of artists sharing a common love for classic videogames and an approach to music which reflected this obsession. Our primary interests were to provide quality music for free and most importantly to have fun. In the years since, we have grown in rank and expanded our goals.

Some of the albums don't really do anything for me, but a lot of them do. I don't know what it is, but somehow they tap into my memories and provide psychological stimulation as well as audio. The end result is interesting at the very least, enlightening at best, and if nothing else, it's free. Check it out already!

Hey guys, just writing to let you know about what YOU can do for me: My best friend Mike is the bassist for the screamo rock band Senses Fail, and their new album, Still Searching, is out as of yesterday. It would really help Mike and his band if all of you were to go out and pick up a copy of the album... I bought two.

You don't HAVE to do anything, of course, but the album's pretty good, and it would really help out a band that needs the support. Thanks!

Just a real quicky, as it's way past my bedtime:

a) I'm really really really loving the Decemberists right now. Not only is the music really mellow and comforting, and catchy, but the lyrics are intelligent and creative. I've got three of their albums right now, and I've got them all on repeat. Too nice!

b) In World of Warcraft, just tonight I got my character Melicious to the gnomish Airstrip outside of Ironforge. It's not normally an accessible area; it's meant to be viewed from overhead, during a flight from one city to another, but some creative people have figured out how to get there, and it's pretty cool. I took a few dozen pictures, so when I get the chance (probably Wednesday or Thursday), I'll go through them, pick out the best ones, and post them up on Flickr and here. I'll see you then!

Well, that's it. I'm off to bed now. Good night!

Hello folks, and welcome to another belated Friday Update! This week's CD, in case you were wondering, is Muse - Black Holes and Revelations (link). Muse, apparently a pretty big band in the UK, has managed to completely slip under my radar until just recently, when my friend Mike introduced me to the album. Though Black Holes and Revelations isn't his favorite album in their discography, what he showed me from it was enough to convince me.  Read more »

Salutations, amigos! This week's CD is A Camp - A Camp (link), a soulful blend of pop and country rock from Nina Persson, the lead singer of The Cardigans. The album sounds a bit like Sheryl Crow with a europop spin; it's got Crow's up-beat, down to earth quality to it, but is produced in a style reminiscent of some Bjork's more melodic works. Or, for a more dead-on comparison, it sounds like a moodier Rilo Kiley.  Read more »