Today's Hotness: Johnny Foreigner, The A-Sides, The Replacements

>> Surprisingly, given our typical microscopic coverage of all things Johnny Foreigner, we don't think we've yet reported that the Birmingham, England-based trio will release "Our Bipolar Friends" as a single March 5. DrownedInSound notes the release in this interview with fronter and guitarist Alexei Foreigner. We imagine that the single will be available in the UK only, but we're hoping that it will be carried, albeit digitally, via EMusic. Not that we won't buy a hard copy of the import, of course. We're curious as to what the b-sides to the single will be; as of yet there is no info at Index7, the amazing site that tracks the release of singles in the UK. Anyway, we first wrote about the track here back in April, and we still think it is among the best songs Johnny Foreigner has written. For one thing, it's got some of Alexei's finest shoutable lyrics, such as "she said it's written in the stars but I don't look at the stars anymore." We can't be certain the version the band was giving away last April isn't the same one that is to be released in March, so we won't repost it again here. What we will post, however, is the demo version of "Champagne Girls We Used To Know," which we've decided is superior to the commercially available version. It is just intensely frenetic, more overdriven, more lacerated with feedback. Enjoy it.

Johnny Foreigner -- "Champagne Girls We Used To Know (Demo)" -- I Like You Mostly Late At Never demos
[right click and save as]

>> Daytrotter goes an amazing two-in-a-row in posting live sessions by :: clicky clicky :: faves. Here the venerable web site -- which posts recordings made by touring bands who stop by their headquarters -- has begun offering four tracks from exceptional Philadelphia-based indie rockers The A-Sides. The Daytrotter version of "Cinematic" is rendered with a single vocal and acoustic production, resulting in a poignant and understated take on a tune that swirls and is massive on The A-Sides' sophomore set released last year, Silver Storms. Equally sublime and subdued is the quiet take on the album highlight "My Heroes Have Always Been Crazy." That The A-Sides can squeeze its material into different but equally beautiful forms is a testament to the chops of the quintet. Also available at Daytrotter are versions of "Amazing Grace" and "Sinking With The Ship." We strongly recommend you grab them all, as the new arrangements are stunning and the recordings could easily stand as a strong EP. Thanks for rocking us most steadfastly in early 2008, Daytrotter!

>> We're 125 pages into Jim Walsh's "The Replacements -- All Over But The Shouting, An Oral History." And while we'll hold the majority of our comments until we've completed the book, we can report that we had no idea that Buck Hill was a small ski mountain. We guess mountain is overstating it. Anyway, the book is a quick read, although we don't care for the format. More about that another time.