MUSE - Teignmouth, Devon, UK 2009 (NEW LINK!)

In celebration of Muse's epochal new album The Resistance finally being released last week -- and making the U.S. Top 3 this week! -- I'm squeezing out one more show by the boys, probably the best one so far. It's a BBC FM broadcast taped just over two weeks ago at the band's hometown album launch concert, called (in a cute Queen reference) "A Seaside Rendezvous."

And yes, it's 61:15 of absolute perfection, a highlights mix of brand-new and classic tracks. My most favoritest part? The live Once Upon a Time in the West harmonica introduction to the climactic "Knights of Cydonia". If 21st century rock and roll gets any better, please let me know.

This was a damned difficult boot to track down, so thanks to the lovely Erato1 for hooking a brother up.

MUSE "A Seaside Rendezvous"
The Den - Teignmouth, Devon, UK - September 5, 2009 (FMB)
DOWNLOAD

PS -- This is a NEW LINK, with more songs and a higher bitrate! So thanks to "Tufty," whoever and wherever you are...

THE BEATLES - The Complete Rooftop Concert, 1969

It being Beatles Day and all, who am I to resist the holy spirit... yet, fatalist that I am, it seems only fitting to post their last (live) hurrah, no?

Me, I'm so broke at the moment that I haven't a pot in which to piss nor a window out of which to dump it. However, I am at the same time listening -- at no expense whatsoever, thanks to the good graces of a good friend -- to the very same remastered box set that's causing so many others to happily put themselves in the poor-house today...funny how that works.

Somehow I don't think Paul or Ringo will miss my $200.

THE BEATLES
"The Complete 2CD Rooftop Concert"
Apple Headquarters - London, England - January 30, 1969 (SBD)
DOWNLOAD 1 / DOWNLOAD 2

BLUR - Hyde Park, London 2009

These are great days we're living, bros. Within the same month, brilliant Britpop legends Blur finally reunited, and boorish Britpop louts Oasis finally disbanded.

Thank goodness for the former, and good riddance to the latter. I hope both are for keeps.

Herewith, the full BBC FM broadcast of the thrilling culmination of Blur's June-July U.K. reunion shows. And have a hap-hap-happy holiday weekend.

BLUR
Hyde Park - London, England - July 3, 2009 (FMB)
DOWNLOAD

THE MARS VOLTA - "Summer Demo Sessions," 2002

To finish off the massive 2009 summer concert season, I caught these mad scientists at the newly remastered Hollywood Palladium. It was no threat to Green Day's aforementioned Forum show in the Concert of the Year competition, but a very freaky scene nonetheless. They throw a ton of Zep/Sabbs/Rush/Santana-type ingredients into their space salsa, yet somehow they don't sound quite like anyone else. (I still think Cedric sounds like Björk, however.)

Their debut, 2003's powerhouse De-Loused in the Comatorium, remains their best. Here are the demos for that album.

THE MARS VOLTA
"Summer Demo Sessions" - 2002 (STU @320 kbps)
DOWNLOAD 1 / DOWNLOAD 2