It only took a little more than a year and a half, but it’s with a sigh of relief to report that The Radio Dept.’s oft-delayed third record Clinging To A Scheme will finally see the light of day on March April 20th in North America (frustrating!) and the 21st in Europe.  The CD/LP will be available via Labrador.  Now that we actually have album art and a tracklist to gloss over, it’s actually starting to sink in and feel more official that this is finally happening.

To add to the great news, a stream (MP3 available below) of the track “Heaven’s On Fire” was made available through the band’s official site, which joins “David” – the single from the previously released 4-track EP in June of last year – as the first songs that we’ve been able to hear so far.

What else needs to be said?  I’ve already on record as saying that this is my most anticipated album of 2010, and while I’ve anxious/nervous to hear the final product, I’m confident that when April comes around that we’ll be back here singing its praises in unison.

MP3: The Radio Dept. :: “Heaven’s On Fire”
MP3: The Radio Dept. :: “David”

Feels like quite some time has past since I’ve posted anything, for which I do apologize.  I’ve been busy as of late; and while I can’t divulge any kind of information at the moment, some big changes will be coming within the next couple of months that may even affect this blog in some way or form.  So stay tuned!

Anyways, I figured it’d be best to jump right back into things with some noteworthy news that I haven’t been able to update and/or just have downright neglected.  The announcement of a new four-track EP from The Radio Dept. should come as no surprise that it would be mention here, as I’ve been a staunch supporter of this band for as long as I’ve been blogging. In fact, I recently just watched Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette again on DVD in hopes that I would actually enjoy it this time, unfortunately, to no avail.  For many, that film was the first introduction to these Swedes and I speak for all of us in saying that  we’re better off now because of it.

Back to this song, which kind of threw me off a bit in the beginning with that little thumping beat that begins within the opening seconds.  I would say it almost sounds like something from fellow Swedes Peter, Bjorn & John — that is, until you dig a little deeper, which the folks at Nialler9 discovered is a friendly nod to Barbara Acklin’s “Am I The Same Girl”.  Amazing what little details you can discover about a song, huh? Anyways, after a few listens, I’ve decided that it’s a solid pop tune filtered through that familiar Radio Dept. guise we’ve all come to love and admire.  Just like “Freddie and the Trojan Horse” from the previous EP of the same title, I wouldn’t put it up with the band’s best, but it’s serviceable.

Now, if Labrador would only pick up the pace a little bit on details of when the much-delayed third album Clinging to a Scheme will be released and I will be a happy man.

MP3: The Radio Dept. :: “David”

There’s never a good explanation for whenever I feel the need to put together these completely random mixes.  I think tonight I just needed to put my mind at ease, and the following just happened to be the songs that did this for me.  Listening to these bring about feelings of nostalgia, hopefulness, and an eagerness for what’s to come.  Tomorrow could bring about a completely different set of songs, but I’m just going to sit back and enjoy these for the time being.  Hopefully, you enjoy these too.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart :: “Stay Alive”
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (2009)
The Sundays :: “My Finest Hour”
Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic (1990)
Magnetic Fields :: “The Dreaming Moon”
Get Lost (1995)
The Radio Dept. :: “Lost and Found”
Lesser Matters (2004)
Math and Physics Club :: “Darling, Please Come Home”
Math and Physics Club (2006)
Moscow Olympics :: “What Is Left Unsaid”
Cut The World (2008)
Pants Yell! :: “Two French Sisters”
Alison Statton (2007)
School of Seven Bells :: “Connjur”
Alpinisms (2008)
Broken Social Scene :: “Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl”
You Forgot It in People (2002)

Sundae from Sevilla, Spain

Lately I’ve found myself listening to The Radio Dept. frequently before going to bed.  For no particular reason lately, it’s just something I like coming back to when I feel the need to randomly listen to music.  Or maybe because it’s out of sadness that there still isn’t any official release date in sight for their third album Clinging To A Scheme.  Though, a recent article over on Chromewaves suggests a possible release during the Fall of this year.  We can only hope.

Anyways, since this post is revolving around The Radio Dept., why not talk a little bit about a band I discovered recently on the Shelflife blog about Spanish indie pop/shoegaze band Sundae.  They’re essentially a Spanish version of The Radio Dept., or at least heavily influenced by them.  Unfortunately, I don’t know much else about the band, as everything on their myspace page is in Spanish.  I do have a couple of demos that I was able to track down, so definitely check these out.

MP3: Sundae :: “Arte y Ensayo”
MP3: Sundae :: “92″
MP3: Sundae :: “Verano-Invierno”
MP3: Sundae :: “Alarma nuclear”

Photo: Flickr

I meant to start back this back up last Sunday, but as you all know the site decided to throw up on itself. The plan was to include a bunch of songs carried over from last year that didn’t make the cut on the song list, and just have something fun for all of you to listen to on this lazy afternoon. Listening to a lot of these, i’m questioning myself as to why I forgot about how I forgot about some of them in the first place.

For those unfamiliar, every Sunday (not consistent at all) I would tackle any number of randomly selected songs. The format would change every so often, but the result always remains the same.

MP3: Mystery Jets :: “Young Love (feat. Laura Marling)”
- Ever seen a picture of these guys? Ugly dudes.
MP3: Minisnap :: “New Broom”
- Another good song from a band I never really mentioned on the blog.
MP3: The Lodger :: “Good Old Days”
- Jangly guitar goodness.
MP3: The School :: “Let it Slip”
- This is a fine pop song, in the vein of other 60s girl group revivalists (ex. Lucky Soul, Pipettes, etc.)
MP3: Noah and the Whale :: “Five Years Time”
- I think this was on some car commercial.  Just maybe.
MP3: Headlights :: “Cherry Tulips”
- Love the chorus on this one.
MP3: Ra Ra Riot :: “Oh, La”
- I never mentioned Ra Ra Riot at all last year, but I always liked this song.
MP3: The Radio Dept. :: “Freddie & The Trojan Horse”
- Bring out that new album right now. Thanks.
MP3: Lightspeed Champion :: “Tell Me What It’s Worth”
- This song introduced me to Emmy the Great. A million thank-you’s.