B-52s Funplex (new album) news
 

http://www.theb52s.com
http://www.theb52s.com/newsfeats/funplex.html

1. Pump
2. Hot Corner
3. Ultraviolet
4. Juliet of the Spirits
5. Funplex
6. Eyes Wide Open
7. Love in the Year 3000
8. Deviant Ingredient
9. Too Much to Think About
10. Dancing Now
11. Keep This Party Going

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdail...up-to-hot-pink

The B-52’s are going from the “Love Shack” to the Funplex. The long-running Athens, Georgia foursome (which does indeed include Cindy Wilson once again) gave Rock Daily the lowdown on their first album of fresh material since 1992’s Good Stuff, which is coming out in February. “We thought, we’re gonna keep [touring], we’re gonna need some new songs for the show, we need to put a new album out there,” explains guitarist Keith Strickland. During a trip to Maui in 2003, he says, “This idea for the sound of the new album just popped into my head, and I felt that the sound and direction of the music would be right for us, so for the first time in years, I felt inspired enough to begin writing music for a new B-52’s album.”
Strickland’s inspiration was fueled by the heavy dose of New Order’s Get Ready he was listening to, an influence that led him to hire that album’s producer, Steve Osborne. Strickland also found muses from Hamburg-era Beatles tracks and technology itself. “I began writing music at the same time as I was getting a learning curve on how to use ProTools.” Adds singer Kate Pierson, “I remember when they used to splice tape together with a razor blade. That seems so antique now, but we still kept it organic.”
Fans of the band’s music might be surprised by the leap in technology. While the quirkiness and humor still shine through, the arrangements on the eleven-song album are more focused and atmospheric. If songs like “Rock Lobster” had you dancing, then “Pump,” the album’s potential first single, will have you raving. “We’re more conscious of song structure, instead of fitting everything into a collage,” Pierson says, “This album, the songs build and build and by the end, it’s totally different, this course is hammering along and you’re dancing.”
The band still stays true their roots, interspersing futuristic references with sexual and political lyrics in tracks like “Love In The Year 3000″ and “Deviant Ingredient.” Pierson’s favorite, “Juliet Of The Spirits,” about the title character of the Frederico Fellini film of the same name, employs an upbeat vibe while conjuring up the tone of the director’s in-house composer, Nino Rota. The band has already played six of the new songs in concert, and they’re eager to try them out again during their Halloween show at New York’s Roseland Ballroom (they’ll be outfitted in their regular show garb) and at Los Angeles’ Roxy on November 16th. So far, they’ve been pleased by the positive audience reaction to the tracks. As Strickland explains, “It’s loud, sexy rock & roll with the beat pumped up to hot pink.” Funplex will be released on Astralwerks February 26th, 2008.
- RS, Daniel Kreps

it's about time, how many years have they been working on this album?, i remember what had to be about two years ago they were working on it

the halloween set list looked very nice. a good amount of wild planet songs

next one waiting for.......the long awaited Devo album, which may still not happen, since Mark only seems to write or rerecord Devo for commercials and film at this point

bob casale said that they were working on it and that it was going to happen eventually; that was two years ago, mind you...

OH FUCK.

I LOVE the b-52s.

I can't wait to hear this...

The first two albums still rock my world.

The B-52s "Free At Noon" @ The Electric Factory-Philadelphia, PA USA 2008-04-25 WXPN-FM Broadcast by rockcat

This torrent is a few days old now, but still going.

Some others...
The B-52s - Live On KCRW 2008 :::"We're In The Year 3000"::: by Nibbler

The B-52s - Apr. 1, 2008 - "Funplex" MPG (analog cable capture) - 'The Tonight Show' by bingobrain

The B-52s
"Free At Noon" Concert
The Electric Factory
Philadelphia, PA
2008-04-25

Track Title Length
----- ----- ----------- -----------
01 intro (2:20)
02 Pump (4:44)
03 Hot Corner (3:37)
04 Ultra Violet (4:33)
05 Juliet Of The Spirits (4:41)
06 station ID (0:14)
07 Funplex (4:02)
08 Love In The Year 3000 (4:50)
09 Love Shack (7:14)
10 Rock Lobster (5:50)
11 outro (0:19)
-------------------------------------
Total Time = 42:28
Source: Analog FM broadcast from WXPN-FM
Sound Quality: A+
Lineage: Sony ST-S730ES Tuner > ESI Juli@ Soundcard > Sound Forge v8.0b > CD Architect v5.2a > Plextor PX-230A CD Burner > EAC > FLAC level 6 files generated by Trader's Little Helper
Comments: Energetic lunchtime concert from The B-52s. Their new CD "Funplex" is great. Go buy it!

Seeded to DIME on 2008-04-27 by rockcat
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L7G12MPU
296.31 MB .flac files in .rar

I'm on the fence about this. Love the early 52s. But after that, spotty. Cosmic Thing was fun, and I love to play it in late spring/early summer, but it's fairly lightweight. Good Stuff? Meh.

Yeah, I agree.

Although, your last statement is a bit harsh...considering a lot of the crap that passes for music these days.

A piss ant Simon Cowell wannabe is in our midst, folks.

And why would anyone want to emulate a goon like Simon Cowell in this day and age? It just makes no sense!

new album is kinda mediocre, some songs are good and fun, but most of it is not good. bad pop songs forcing to be fun.

Yeah, you're right in a sense. Still, yours sounds like a knee-jerk dismissal.


Yet you are known to enjoy Avril Lavigne.
To me it all seems a tad incongruent, but then again, I'm not inside your head. To each their own. Thanks for the response.

I never stated I loved The B-52s performance, sarramkrop. If I felt that way I would have articulated as much. I just thought it might be okay to post a live show in lossless quality without a stink being raised. (edit: Many posts of his and mine have now been deleted out of this thread.) I believe most of us here have listened to the group at some point.

Are you talking to yourself?

I like the new record a lot. I've missed them. I'll be seeing them at the Roundhouse and probably dressing for the occasion. The Peaches remix of Funplex is probably my favourite thing at the moment.

Cool, I'll check out out the new album.

I was thinking about seeing them in DC, but it's pretty close to 50 bucks.