November EPs

Got news of a couple of EPs coming out next month that I am excited about and I wanted to pass the word along. I’m a fan of EPs; they are a good way to tide fans over between full-length albums. I always appreciate bands that get their music out to their fans as frequently as they can, without sacrificing the quality of the music. I wouldn’t expect any band to record a great full length album every year, but every two or three years, with an EP in-between is gold. Of course, these days there are a multitude of ways to get music out to fans. Ryan of Pet Marmoset recently wrote an excellent article on the benefits of bands releasing new music to their fans consistently, which you can read here.


On Nov. 1st The Dimes celebrate their EP release at the Doug Fir Lounge. The EP will reflect the New England-themed material the band has been working on for their second album, the follow-up to the delightful The Silent Generation, and is the second EP the band has released this year (I’m sure music marketing guru Ryan played some role in getting the band to release some new music as soon as it was recorded). Lead singer Johnny Clay has confirmed that “Winslow Homer” and a new mix of “The Liberator” will be on the release, as well as the band’s cover of John Lennon’s “Watching The Wheels” and at least one more track. I suggested to Johnny that “Clara Barton” make the cut, but we’ll see what the band ultimately decides. Of the new music Johnny has been writing the past year, the band really can’t go wrong whatever they put on the record; the material is even stronger than that of their debut album, an album that I love. Local band Derby and Matt Sheehy are also on the bill for the evening.

On the not-so-indie-music end of the spectrum, Coldplay will also release an eight song EP Prospekt’s March in November. The album will include six new songs, plus a new version of “Lost” featuring Jay-Z and a remix of “Lovers In Japan” (the original version of both songs appear on Coldplay’s latest album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends). I’m not gonna lie, I’m a fan of Coldplay and am looking forward to some new material from them, even though their album was just released a few months ago. However, as much as I love the Jigga Man, I'm not so sure about the two artists on the same track. I will try to keep an open mind though.