Editorial. New Music to Your Ears: Music in the Oasis, and "Fire" from the Kings.

Alright, I've been falling off like Jimmy Hoffa in the mid 1970's here, but it's hard to stay away people!!! I've got some new music for your ears if liking the listening of new and fantastical things is your thang (Notice how I said, "thang" there, to reiterate the coolness)

One tune is a new diddy from a group that's been around for about 15 years, Britain's favorite marble mouthed, outspoken Beatles/Stones clones Oasis. The group's best album would have to be their breakout 1995 album "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" which boasted such superhits as "Wonderwall," "Don't Look Back in Anger," and their hippie magnum opus, "Champagne Supernova." I've got a couple of their albums in between then and now, and have to say their last album from a couple years back "Don't Believe the Truth" is right on par with "Morning Glory." It's got a lot of catchy melodies/choruses, and has a lot more soul than much of the stuff out today. It's also a good pacemaking disc if you're into the British sound, but not as far out into Radiohead depths, but shy away from the popular tunes of Coldplay. It's vintage but fresh if that makes any sense.

Oasis has a new album coming out next week titled "Dig Out Your Soul," that critics are saying is their best in years. Well, if their first single is any sign of it, then I'll take their word for it. "Shock of the Lightning" is the tune, and it's got a freight train like roll that is sure to fill arenas in England and the US alike as they embark on a world tour. They're playing New York's Madison Square Garden for the first time in over 10 years this December, and these new tunes should hold up well. Take a listen to "Shock of the Lightning" here, this song is like "Tomorrow Never Knows" hanging from the edge of the caboose on a silver bullet train, ballsier, wilder, and out of this world. These guys are as close to a modern psychedelic sound as you can get; you can call Radiohead psych- i guess, but I'd rather refer to them as computerdelic; Oasis holds the torch for modern psych/Beatles/Stones/Who rock. Hear the song/see the music video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87IQhui_Yy8 Looks very Warhol-esque.

The next tune of choice comes from Nashville's very own Kings of Leon, and their recent album "Only By the Night." The song is "Sex on Fire," and I heard it on the new radio station 101.9 WRXP yesterday in the midst of a traffic fueled commute home. The song was so great and hit me like nothing I've heard recently, that I desperately tried to remember the sound, as well as the songs played on the station before and after it in hopes of finding out its origins today. Luckily, like most stations, WRXP keeps backlogs of the songs they play, so I found the mystery song today. There it was, sandwiched right after Radiohead and Elvis Costello, and right before Pink Floyd and the Meat Puppets, Kings of Leon "Sex on Fire" (Yes, this station is the best thing on radio right now; what other station has enough brass to play such obscure and great music??)

I've heard one of the Kings' previous albums and wasn't a huge fan, but this new album has a totally different sound/feel to it. I don't know what they've done here, but they need to keep on doing it. Has a sound much like the Killers, with an alternative vocal style. Check out the song/video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHhhcKxflMY

If you want to get a jolly ol' hop in your step listen to these tunes, rinse, and repeat.