"A Stroke of Musical Genius"- new music for your ears.

To keep the musical vibe going on this second to last Thursday of the month, I've got a feel good song for you. If you don't know who Albert Hammond, Jr. is, you should. I briefly mentioned him in my last article about Coldplay; Albert is best known in his role as guitarist for New York rock band The Strokes. Since going on hiatus in 2005, Albert used the group's downtime to his advantage by recording his first two solo albums. His first album "Yours to Keep," is a slight departure from the sound of the Strokes and invokes the influence of the Beatles and Beach Boys while sticking close to his indie rock roots.

His second album was released last month and has a sound similar to some of his Strokes material, with some further innovation and exploration. Clicking on the link below will direct you to his Myspace Music page so you can hear one of these great new songs, called "Lisa" (Not sure why he titled it this, since the name is never mentioned, my guess is he wrote it about a girl named Lisa). Either way, it's a great song, and if you dig it, you will definitely like his other sonic offerings, both off the first album, and this new one titled "Como Te Llama?" (the album is in English) His musical offerings should be interesting once the Stokes do get back into the studio to record their fourth album next year. He also puts on a great live show, I saw him open for Incubus in Washington, D.C. in 2007 and saw him play a solo show in Asbury Park at the Stone Pony later that summer. It's a cheap ticket to buy and well, well worth it, probably better than most arena/ampitheater acts you'll see touring through the summer. Enjoy and let me know what you think of the sound:

www.myspace.com/alberthammondjr

You may have to click on the song title "Lisa" in the player, but the other songs on there are others off his new album. Great stuff all around.

You can find both his albums at most music spots like Best Buy, and I can definitely vouch for the first one as being a good investment. If you are into a new/vintage (does that make sense?) sound different than what's on the radio, you'll enjoy it.