Deftones
Saturday Night Wrist
Label: Maverick
Release Date: October 31, 2006

Deftones fans mainly fall into two camps: Hard nu-metal Adrenaline (1995)/Around the Fur (1997) fans and post-punk industrial meets soaring vocals White Pony (2000) fans.

And when 2004 brought the Sacramento-based quartet’s self-titled fourth album, they tried to please both. Half cookie monster scream rock and half White Pony leftovers, few fans had their alt-metal appetites satiated.

It’s no wonder the process to pull together Saturday Night Wrist — Deftones’s fifth album coming out tomorrow — was anything but straightforward.

The group should have known booking the Morning View Studios (where Incubus officially mellowed and started sucking . . . → Read More: Deftones : Saturday Night Wrist

David & the Citizens
Until the Sadness is Gone
Label: Friendly Fire Recordings
Release Date: October 31, 2006

You say, “Scandinavian Bright Eyes,” and we say, “Mmmm….Swedish indie pop served cold.”

David & the Citizens are releasing their first U.S. release this week, Until the Sadness is Gone, and it’s an eclectic, folk surprise.

Part Bright Eyes (on prozac) and part Neutral Milk Hotel, this disc has plenty of solid lyrical allusions matched with emotional, yet pretension-free jamming.

The story goes: during the recording of the album, and in between bouts of Playstation and Jim Beam bourbon, the band hung different metallic and glass objects on a string . . . → Read More: David & the Citizens : Until the Sadness is Gone

Bright Eyes
Noise Floor
Label: Saddle Creek
Release Date: October 24, 2006

It’s not just a Midwest thing, but growing up 2 hours east of Omaha certainly didn’t hamper our love affair with Conor Oberst and all things Saddle Creek. In fact, we’ve seen Bright Eyes three times, bought each album on CD and vinyl and endured Conor criticism like he was our favorite cousin.

Naturally, the latest outtakes CD — dubbed a “rarities disc” now that many of the 4-7 year-old castaway tracks are worth some cash on eBay – comes out this week, which makes us shrug our shoulders indifferently as we scamper off . . . → Read More: Bright Eyes : Noise Floor

Whitey
The Light at the End of the Tunnel is a Train
Label: Dim Mak Records
Release date: October 24, 2006

NME’s “Best Of 2005” darling, Whitey writes electro-rock anti pop for those of us who openly luxuriate in the obtuse pleasures of Beck, Syd Barrett and the Lone Pigeon.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel is a Train, just now coming to the states for the first time, is an underground fuzz bomb rock party in your ears.

Currently, N.J. Whitey is holed up in an East End UK studio (above the pub where Jack the Ripper stalked his prey) putting the final touches . . . → Read More: Whitey : The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Butchering the Beatles: A Headbashing Tribute
Various Artists
Label: Restless Records
Release Date: October 24, 2006

Featuring more than 50 internationally known recording artists (like Butchering the Beatles is a headbanger’s Magical Mystery Tour come true.

Produced by Grammy award-winning producer/guitarist Bob Kulick (Meat Loaf / Paul Stanley Band), tracks are heavy, have classic metal solos, and many (e.g., Geoff Tate’s take on “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”) are barely remnants of the original tunes. However, Alice Cooper’s “Hey Bulldog” and Billy Idol’s “Tommorrow Never Knows” would most likely get a nod of approval from John and Paul themselves.

We don’t usually get into these tribute . . . → Read More: Butchering the Beatles: A Headbashing Tribute