The Black Crowes have big plans for the release of their new album, Before the Frost..., on September 1. To sweeten the deal for fans and potential buyers, a second album, titled …Until The Freeze, will be given away for free exclusively through a unique download code which is included in Before The Frost. It’s the band’s way of showing their appreciation for two decades of continued support.
Check out the first track from the sessions, called I Aint Hiding – a surprising shift in the band’s sound. The song’s a punchy, high-rolling guitar-groove affair that abandons the traditional blues ride and finds singer Chris Robinson screaming “Feeling hiiiiigh” over and over towards the end:
Download the track here.
Both albums were recorded over a five-night marathon session at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York, and produced by Paul Stacey. While both are studio albums, all the new material was recorded in front of a tiny gathering of the band’s fans, who most likely lost their almighty shit to be part of such a rare experience.
Before the Frost… features eleven new songs, while the free album is a nine-song collection (cheap bastards) featuring eight new tracks, as well as a cover of the Stephen Stills classic So Many Times.
For those that like their continuity, a limited-edition vinyl release of Before The Frost… Until The Freeze, featuring all 20 tracks, will also be available on release day.
Chris Robinson conceived the concept of Before the Frost… Until The Freeze recently: “I think we fulfilled a musical commitment to continue on the golden road of artistic independence,” he said. “Approaching 20 years into our careers, we still are ambitious enough to push ourselves to create something unique that we have never done before.”
Before The Frost… tracklist:
01. Good Morning Captain
02. Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)
03. Appaloosa
04. A Train Still Makes A Lonely Sound
05. I Ain’t Hiding
06. Kept My Soul
07. What Is Home
08. Houston Don’t Dream About Me
09. Make Glad
10. And The Band Played On
11. Last Place That Love Lives
…Until The Freeze tracklist:
01. Aimless Peacock
02. Shady Grove
03. Garden Gate
04. Greenhorn
05. Shine Along
06. Roll Old Jeremiah
07. Lady Of Avenue A
08. So Many Times
09. Fork In The River
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Johnny Firecloud's been kickin' names and takin' ass since his first interview in 2001 with A Perfect Circle. You can find more of his rantings over at CraveOnline, where he's the music editor.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:07 AM
OMG, disco?
Thanks for the news, I’ve been completely oblivious about this.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:49 AM
KILLER! Groovy. Love this band.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:09 AM
this is one of my most favorite bands , i just want to know if Marc Ford was com ing back on this album
June 30th, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Dammit, where the hell are my roller skates and spandex pants? Now that we’ve gotten that unfortunate visual out of the way, how groovy, interesting and I like free (cheap bitch). I saw them last tour; dug the “One Night Only” thing, told friends to remember that they we still alive. You know I think that I spent equal time smelling the “Warpaint” album as I did listening to it. If you own the actual CD then you know what I’m talking about and why some of us will always purchase CDs til we die or they stop making them.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:52 PM
i second the cds till we die…well them or vinyls, as long as its in the hands! and as for smelling albums, have you tried modest mouse’s we were dead…? Weird amalgamation of glue, staircases, and old houses…
Anyways, love the new track, exactly the opposite of what i was expecting and you cant ask for much more then that. does anyone know if luther dickinson is still playing guitar though? would make me just a smidgen more excited for the record
June 30th, 2009 at 4:13 PM
I suspect Dickinson is still with them; can’t imagine a reason why he wouldn’t be. I just listen to the track again to hear what I didn’t hear the first time and, yes, this is nothing that I’d have expected from them which is rarely a bad thing. The opening had me going “won’t you take me to FUNKYTOWN!” I think I D/L’d that Modest Mouse album so I’m less that special olfactory experience. Damn.
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:59 AM
[...] opener Good Morning Captain to the snotty, disco-tinged Stones-esque single I Aint Hiding (listen), there’s a fifth-element force that lifts these new songs to more than the live party jams [...]