Beck and Benji Hughes

Tomorrow we can buy the new Danger-Mouse-produced Beck album, Modern Guilt. You can bet yer summer-lovin’ ass I’ll be there.

Listen on Beck’s MySpace to three songs from the disc, Orphans, Gamma Ray, and Chemtrails. For the scoop on what chemtrails are, check out this Guardian article.

Watch Beck Hansen perform the title track to the new album live on YouTube.

Drowned in Sound did a most-welcome song-by-song review of the album. It’s a fun read that will really whet your appetite.

If you’re a fan of Cat Power, you’ll be glad to know lead singer Chan Marshall does backing vocals on Beck’s Orphans track, according to Stereogum.

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If you’re excited about the Beck, also let me recommend Benji Hughes‘ forthcoming (July 22) 25-song album A Love Extreme.

Listen at Benji’s MySpace. Sometimes he sounds like the stripped-down funked out bits of Beck, such as in his song Tight Tee Shirt. And sometimes it’s like The Eels covering Jack Johnson in a good way; see All You’ve Got To Do Is Fall In Love.

Download four free and legal Benji Hughes mp3s.

Unfortunately, his tour is already over. But to get ramped up for his debut release later this month, Ryan at Muzzle of Bees thoughtfully provides two mp3s (So Well and You Stood Me Up) for download. Also, you can pay to download five songs via iTunes that were released as an EP titled A Little Extreme.

Bonnaroo Muxtape

To check out the Muxtape phenomenon, where anyone can upload up to twelve songs for the listening enjoyment of the cyberworld at large, I made a mix of songs by artists who will be performing at Bonnaroo Music Festival. See the complete list of bands from which I chose here.

Listen to the Stella Splice Bonnaroo Muxtape

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Nobody’s Baby 2:28 100 Days, 100 Nights 2007
Little Feat – That’s A Pretty Good Love 4:49 Ain’t Had Enough Fun 1995
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Rich Woman 4:05 Raising Sand 2007
Levon Helm – False Hearted Lover Blues 3:30 Dirt Farmer 2007
Drive-By Truckers – Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife 3:06 Brighter Than Creation’s Dark 2008
My Morning Jacket – Golden 4:58 12.1.06 @ the electric factory, philadelphia 2006
The Swell Season – Into the Mystic (Van Morrison cover) 5:05 NPR 2007
Jack Johnson – Rodeo Clowns 2:52 Live From Bonnaroo 2002
Rogue Wave – Lake Michigan 3:48 Asleep at Heaven’s Gate 2007
Iron and Wine – White Tooth Man 3:57 The Shepard’s Dog 2007
José González – Down the Line 3:11 In Our Nature 2007
CRS (Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Pharrell) – Us Placers 3:54 2007