There is nothing that I love better than finding a new band (new to me as they may have been around for a few years) that absolutely massages that part of my brain and soul that loves great music. I admit, being in my '50s, it's much harder for me to find a current band that speaks to me musically. That's why I wander - and forage - in the weedy expanse of this music period that we call the New Millennium. There are no stones unturned in this vastness of the current music sphere. There is experimentation in every field, every genre, every note and strum with a origin that can be traced to another time. Rock has evolved to be sure, but no era that precedes it has had the resiliency that Rock has enjoyed these past 50+ years. Nothing save for Classical music.

Because there is MusicTAP, I look much deeper than i might normally have had. I reach farther than ever before. I do this with an intent to be what I used to love so dearly in my musical magazines that I have read in the past, musical information and leads. Great magazines like Crawdaddy!, Creem, Trouser Press, Rolling Stone, and every local 'zine I could get my hands on. Those methods were my touchstone (as well as radio) to new bands that I could listen to and would come to love deeply. With that, I can pass on new and exciting bands that appeal deeply to me and, hopefully, to many of you.

In the early age of Rock, a "cult" band could achieve significant sales numbers even if it was virtually invisible to the mass of music listeners who twisted a TOP40 AM dial or tuned into the FM stations that played AOR. "Cult" bands could sell 75,000-100,000 LPs, sometimes a little less, and put out 5-8 well-appreciated albums over a decade's time. Today, that number is significantly lower with "success" being touted if the band or artist logs 15,000-25,000 album sales (whatever that entails: CD, DD, LP). And while those numbers likely do not reveal the true depth of a band's album saturation because of the easy digital availability of music, they still indicate a shift of favoritism. I attribute this to the easy recording of music and its eventual distribution, all on the internet. With so many bands now recording, we are often stressed with how much love we can expend to these bands and artists.

But to find a band requires trust. MusicTAP speaks to an older market by default because we approach our readers with music that we love, much with their roots in the early years. But TAP has garnered a collection of young readers as well who have found that music from the early periods simply has a lot going for it with its vast and often untapped richness.

With that, I'd like to introduce to you a band from Austin, TX that approaches their music with feet firmly planted in the late '60s and the genre of psychedelia that hints of the bands from that era. Bands like The 13th Floor Elevators, Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground, but with a much darker, more current sound. In today's comparisons, you could say that The Black Angels are what Interpol should have evolved into. You would not be mistaken to say that there are similarities between the two bands.

The Black Angels explore the darkness of NYC's underground cornerstones of music as imagined by those many great NYC bands of the late '60s, Velvet Underground included. The adoration of Velvet Underground by The Black Angels is recognized in several nods. The band's name is extracted from the "The Black Angel's Death Song" from Velvet Underground & Nico (1967). In addition, their logo merges a contrasted view of Nico's tilted head. The Black Angels' music is nothing short of something special. They are everything you love about jam-extended, "smoke 'em" psychedelia that you have come to love if you harbor an infatuation for the psychedelic bands of the '60s, whether they came from San Francisco, London, or NYC.

On September 14 in the US and Canada (September 13 for Europe), The Black Angels will release their 3rd studio work, Phosphene Dream. It is preceded by a single release from the album, "Bad Vibrations." which is downloadable for free...somewhere, but I've lost the link. The other track, "Telephone," can be had here. The band begins a support tour, with Black Mountain, on October 28 at The Metro in Chicago, and concluding in Vancouver on November 30. But what really thrills me is the no-nonsense pre-order pricing of this release. The high-quality DD (FLAC, 320k MP3, Apple Lossless) of the entire album, the upcoming CD, plus the now-available high quality download of two tracks is only $9.99. Further, the above-mentioned DD AND the LP (180g), including the immediate DD of two tracks is only $19.99. Most amazing is the all-inclusive sale of DD, CD, LP, 2 bonus tracks, AND a signed lithograph poster, AND a band-branded hoodie sells for only $59.99 should you become a dedicated fan. This pricing scheme should become the standard for all music. If The Black Angels can do it, they can ALL do it.

If the single and their previous albums are any indicators, then I believe that fans of psychedelia will be very, very happy with the release of Phosphene Dream. Now, go check them out. Their MySpace, Facebook, Last FM, Twitter, etc links can be found at their site.

Mike Duquette of The Second Disc has provided a review of the just-released new Squeeze album, Spot the Difference.

I want to alert TAP readers to the fact that I have finally put together a FaceBook fan page that you can access and join by clicking on the badge below.  What this offers is the exact same thing as my Twitter feeds provide and that is first buzz on upcoming releases and free offered downloads, many announcements  that beat our main post, sometimes by days.  We also provide a Google BUZZ page that expands on most of the Twitter/FB feeds. On Buzz, you can even hear the music stream if a stream is offered.  There are still things that I'm working on in the FB page, like calender notes as well as links to great sites like The Second Disc.  I invite you to join us at our FB page and bookmark it.  Visit it daily and you'll be rewarded with much news and info.  Of course, you'll still want to come to the main MusicTAP page for our noisy commentaries.  Remember, with our Twitter feeds, you can elect to receive the news bursts as text on your mobile phone keeping you effortlessly up to date with stuff.  Lots of choices.  Find one, or two, that fits.

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Arista Records has a Santana title on tap and planned for September 21. The album is called Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time. There are two intended configurations that include a standard CD release and a CD/DVD Deluxe Edition. The album is a collection of well-known tracks such as "Whole Lotta Love" (Led Zeppelin), "Riders on the Storm" (The Doors), "Dance the Night Away" (Van Halen), "Bang A Gong" (T. Rex), and more, but you get the idea of what's on this album. There are 13 tracks with the Deluxe Edition including bonus tracks and a DVD with a "making of" feature. All of the songs are sung by high-profile vocalists that include Daughtry, Nas, Scott Weiland, Rob Thomas, Chris Cornell, and more.

Believe it or not, the above post is it. The posts below are from Friday.

The new album from Kings of Leon is being slated for release on October 19. The album is being released by RCA Records and will be named Come Around Sundown.

Apple Records will release their very first compilation album...EVER, on October 25. It is going to be called Come And Get It: The Best of Apple Records, the title a nod to a Badfinger song. Some of the artists planned for this 21-track release are Badfinger, Mary Hopkins, Billy Preston, James Taylor, Doris Troy, and others. Click on the link that leads to more info and be rewarded with the complete track listing as well as the list of albums to be expected in this reissue campaign that will include bonus and unreleased tracks.

EMI Germany has released the latest Steeleye Span Box (47-tracks, 3CDs) on July 30 in Europe. The set is called Another Parcel of Steeleye Span and covers the Chrysalis period between 1976-1989. You can pick up the MP3s, which were released on August 2. These tracks have been digitally remastered (2010).

Theatre of Death is being released on September 28 by Bigger Picture Group. Theatre of Death is the Live concert footage featuring the 2009 tour of Alice Cooper (supporting his Along Came a Spider release). Theatre of Death will be released on DVD, BD (Blu-ray), and a special CD/DVD set.

Rhino Records now has Superfly on 180g vinyl LP currently penciled in for September 28. The Superfly soundtrack is from Curtis Mayfield.

Roadrunner Records and Loud and Proud Records will release Live in Chicago by Kenny Wayne Sheppard on CD, scheduling for September 28.

Warner Brothers Records has Armistice Live by MuteMath coming on a CD/DVD Special Edition and planned for September 21.

Ryko will release Blood/Candy by The Posies, their first in five years. It's slated for release on September 28. It features Hugh Cornwell (The Stranglers), and Lisa Lobsinger (Broken Social Scene).

The new album by Orchestral Manoevres in the Dark (OMD) is scheduled for release on September 28 by Bright Antenna Records. It is called History of Modern. It is their first album in 14 years.

Glow is the new album by Donavon Frankenreiter, released on his own label, Liquid Tambourine Records and scheduled for October 5.

Fuel Records has a Performance series title coming by Jazz artist Dizzy Gillespie, featuring Charlie Parker. The CD is expected on October 5.

Sanctuary Records will reissue Anoraknophobia (2001) by Marillion on August 24 as a DD. Sanctuary also plans to re-release Scenarios of Violence (1996) by Kreator as DD on the same release date. Scenarios of Violence is a compilation album.

Fuel Records will deliver The Roots of Rod Stewart on October 5 in CD form.

Hip-O Select have The Solo Albums 2 featuring Smokey Robinson coming on CD streeting on September 14, and on DD planned for November 2.

Universal Republic will release the S/T (Self-Titled) issue of The Band Perry on CD, scheduled for October 12.