Recently, I have begun to feel a strong sense of satisfaction, as if I were slipping into old, well-known, and comfortable shoes.  It has everything to do with my quest to reacquire a taste of how I used to be when it came to new music.  I remember that quest for new stuff.  I would zero in on a favored style of music and hunt for bands in that vein.  The finds were across the spectrum where some would be better than the base that I used, and some would be not as good.  There was a lot of weeding out and “natural” selection going on.  I enjoyed every moment of it.

Now, unfortunately, there is too much music out there.  Let me qualify that statement.  We only have 24 hours in a day.  Parts of that time is spent working, parts hanging out with the family, parts doing whatever.  I tend to fill in the rest with music search (and TAP-writing, of course).  What happens is that we end up spending a large part of some of our “spare” time (I sure do) listening to music that you’ll never care about.  That translates into invasion of time allotted to listening to music, an experience that is supposed to be rewarding.  I do a lot of my listening in order to find things not only for myself but also for the TAP audience.  My goal is to gift us with music that we’ll ultimately care about – new,fresh music from new bands that we could enjoy and await the next release from.

But its hard work.

Regardless, with all of the music out there…and there are a hell of a lot – way more than decades ago, it is still a thrill to “stumble” upon a band now and again that could slot into one of your favourites to the point you await each release.  Thus far, I’ve yet to fall hard for a band of this era because there are no more like Led Zeppelin and all of the usual suspects.  And that’s not the reasons why I cannot latch onto a band in a hardcore fashion.  You run into bands that could do it but they either fade away or change too constantly.

There are still missing parts of the bridge that I need to patch up and rebuild.  Some of it may never get rebuilt and I’ll just have to run and jump over those.  But as I bring my past and my present back together in a love for music that matches the past, I’ll just keep plugging away until I find that band that just wows my socks off to the point that I follow for years.

However, all the same….my satisfaction is building because I’m putting some quality time into a refined search much like reading a magazine that you like.  This is where the internet and its resources do wonderful things.  It just takes time, effort, and few well-placed bookmarks of sites that will direct you to that piece of musical magic.

We have a few reviews for you of some very interesting titles. Released yesterday (July 22) were Live Santa Monica '72 from David Bowie and Life Processes from a favourite of mine, ¡Forward Russia! Read those below.

Continue to send in your Beatles picks. In short, we're asking you to submit your favourite Beatles album from their catalogue.

We'll see you again on Wednesday.

If you have missed the last As The Disc Spins (updated), check it out here.

To access the previous site and catch up, click here.

We have a few date changes for you today.  Albums to make adjustments for are:

• In the Company of Wolves – Feels Like July – New Date is August 19 from the old date of August 5.
• There were a batch of LPs for classic albums from Coldplay, Steve Miller, A Perfect Circle, and Radiohead.  Those albums (listed below) all move to September 2 from the earlier date of August 19.  Some LPs have already been scheduled for September 2.  These noted changes bring all LPs to the same calendar square.  They are for: Coldplay (Parachutes; A Rush of Blood to the Head; X&Y – 2LP); Steve Miller (Greatest Hits – ’74-’78 – 2LP); A Perfect Circle (Mer de Noms – 2LP); Radiohead (Amnesiac – 2 10” LP; The Bends; Hail to the Thief – 2LP; Kid A – 2 10” LPs; OK Computer – 2 10” LP; Pablo Honey – 2LP).
• They will be welcomed by the September 2 set titles – Bob Seger (Nine Tonight – 2LP; Live Bullet – 2LP); REM (Document); and the mono version LP of Pet Sounds for The Beach Boys.

Century Media will move the expected 2CD Re-master of Necrology by Demolition Hammer from August 5 to the new date of September 16.  Also changed until September 16 is This Ain’t Friends by First Cousins, also from August 5.

Enigma fans, get ready for the release of Seven Lives, Many Faces, which is currently scheduled for release on September 30 in several versions.

Reaching into October, Mute Records will release Who Killed Harry Houdini? by I’m From Barcelona, which is scheduled for October 14.

Previously mentioned LP releases from John Lennon (Imagine); Jimi Hendrix (Band of Gypsys); and Paul McCartney & Wings (Band on the Run), have been rescheduled from their first date of September 2 to the last of October.  

Remember that the CD and CD/DVD Limited Edition of That Lucky Old Sun by Brian Wilson are expected on September 2 from Capitol Records.  The Limited Edition will add a DVD with an exclusive “Making Of That Lucky Old Sun” feature as well as bonus video content.  This 18-track album will be followed by a full-length performance and documentary DVD loosely scheduled for January of 2009.

Olivia Newton-John will release an album of duets called A Celebration in Song.  This album will feature duets with noted performers like Barry Gibb, Cliff Richard, Keith Urban, Jann Arden, and others in 12 complete songs.  This album is scheduled for September 2 on EMI Records.

Underoath will release their album, Lost in the Sound of Separation on September 2 on Tooth & Nail’s Solid State Records.  It will be released in three versions that include the standard CD, a Special Edition CD/DVD, and a VERY limited quantity of the CD/DVD Deluxe Edition that will be released in a Box with double sawblade-cut 10” vinyl discs and a 56-page cloth-bound book inside an 11-inch cloth-bound Box.  The 10” vinyl are heavy-gram coloured vinyl.  The Box is hand-numbered and autographed by each member of the band.  Don’t wait too long for this one if you want one of these collectibles.

Manhattan Records will release Shake Away from Mexican-American singer-songwriter, Lila Downs.  Her album is slated for release on September 2.  It follows her previous album, La Cantina.

Blue Note Records will release Symphonica from renowned saxophonist, Joe Lovano, on September 2.

Upcoming RVG (Rudy Van Gelder) re-masters include the following classic Jazz titles: Quintet (1957) (Hank Mobley) which adds two alternate take bonus cuts (“Funk in Deep Freeze,” “Wham and They’re Off); J.R. Monterose (1956) (J.R. Monterose) with an alternate take of “Wee-Jay”; The Opener (1957) (Curtis Fuller); Lou Takes Off (1957) (Lou Donaldson); and Plays Fats Waller (1962) (Jimmy Smith).

SixStepsRecords will release a CCM title called Hello Love by Chris Tomlin, slating the album for release on September 2.

Beegie Adair interprets 12 classic Beatles tracks with piano, which should be interesting given her prolific Jazz background.  The album, Yesterday: A Solo Piano Tribute to the Music of The Beatles will be released on September 2 by EMI Records.  In addition to the release of this album, Beegie Adair will have her Dancing in the Dark: A Jazz Trio Salute to Fred Astaire released on the same date.

EMI will replicate the fame of Michael Buble and Harry Connick, Jr’s crooning style with the release of Blame It on My Youth by new coming Sinatra-like crooner,  Matt Belsante.  There are some classic titles on this new album like “Witchcraft,” “Beyond the Sea,” “Never My Love,” along with a batch of other notable tunes.  The album is expected on September 2.

David Bowie has been around long enugh for everyone to recognize him by name. But with so many versions of the artist, it would be hard to settle on one era and call it definitive. This era, as heard on the latest Bowie release, Live Santa Monica '72, reveals a glam Ziggy Stardust in full glory with Aladdin Sane yet to come.

With an enjoyable blend of electronica and rock, this find of an interesting band is worth the click -thru to hear some of their music. The band has released a EP CD of 5 songs that I've enjoyed and so I'm passing this along to you. The band's name is Paper Route and their new EP is called Are We All Forgotten.