Genre-hopping with the New Countdown

You know, if I ever featured a band called The New Countdown, I would have to be very careful about how I titled the post.

Yes, I really felt like this week's countdown mixed it up pretty nicely. There weren't a lot of back to back songs of the same genre and that always feels like a win to me.

I heard from a listener that she made chicken while listening to last week's show. Has anyone else tried cooking to the countdown? That sounds like an Appetite For Distraction/I Sing in the Kitchen crossover show, doesn't it?

Countdown #96

***Featuring***
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Foo Fighters
Foster the People
Fun. featuring Janelle Monae
Gotye featuring Kimbra
Grouplove
M83
Rise Against
U.S. Royalty

Oh yeah. And I do podcasts too :)

I've found myself really looking forward to doing this podcast this week. Not that I'm not normally excited to do it, but this week it's just been something I've been looking forward to. The blog seems like it has new life for me. And I think that it maybe has something to do with Tricia starting her blog. So thanks Tricia!

Countdown #39

***Featuring***
30 Seconds to Mars
The Black Keys
Cage the Elephant
Cake
Florence + the Machine
Linkin Park
Muse
My Chemical Romance
Neon Trees
Sick Puppies
U.S. Royalty

U.S. Royalty: Destined to become....well, you know...

So my brother-in-law asks me if I've heard of a local band called U.S. Royalty. His friend wants him to go to a show in D.C. and he can't check them out at work. So I check them out. And holy cow. This is why I love music and the internet.

Their debut album Mirrors (actually, the first r is backwards, but I don't know how to do that.) comes out on Tuesday (1/25) and I highly suggest you pick it up. They have said they're very influenced by Fleetwood Mac and I can hear it, but really, especially with this song I've posted below, they sound more like what I wish the new Kings of Leon stuff had sounded like. It's catchy as hell and it has guitar parts that are somehow bitchin' AND mellow.

They have two songs available in various places. I'm going to post the more difficult song to find. Also, I like it slightly better. The other one, "Equestrian", is available on their website. I'll be playing that song on my podcast this week, too.

U.S. Royalty - Monte Carlo from Mirrors

Here's the thing about this album. It doesn't even matter if the rest of the songs don't stack up to these two. But somehow, I have a feeling that they will.

You'll be able to get the album from basically anywhere you buy music on the internet. eMusic, Amazon, the band's website