Here is a clip (directed by Nathan Vollmar) for “Nothing Is The News” from Damien Jurado’s Maraqopa, out February 21st on Secretly Candian. Maraqopa is Jurado’s second album produced by fellow songwriter Richard Swift, following 2010′s overlooked Saint Bartlett. Jurado will be on tour this spring and will stop by D.C. on May 21st at the Black Cat. I saw him open for John Vanderslice last year and can assure you that he puts on an excellent live performance.

1. Nothing Is The News
2. Life Away From The Garden
3. Maraqopa
4. This Time Next Year
5. Reel To Reel
6. Working Titles
7. Everyone A Star
8. So On, Nevada
9. Museum Of Flight
10. Mountains Still Asleep

A new album from Spiritualized album is an event. After a delay or two, it looks as if the next Spiritualized album is set for release on March 19th. Fat Possum will handle the U.S. release of Sweet Heart Sweet Light, Jason Pierce’s 7th album as Spiritualized and first since 2008′s underrated Songs In A&E.

1. Hey Jane
2. Little Girl
3. Get What You Want
4. Too Late
5. Heading For The Top
6. Freedom
7. I Am What I Am
8. Mary
9. Life Is A Problem
10. So Long You Pretty Things

Photo by Steve Gullick

Photo by Glen E. Friedman

Edit: Tracklisting has been posted over at Merge. Release date is February 21.

Tour (Opening for Feist)

11/20/11 – Northern Alberta – Jubilee Auditorium

11/21/11 – Calgary – Jack Singer Concert Hall

12/1/11 – Toronto – Massey Hall

12/3/11 – Montreal – Metropolis

12/5/11 – Ottawa – National Arts Centre

12/6/11 – Quebec City – GrandTheatre du Quebec

If you were an avid music fan coming of age in the late 80′s or early 90′s, you experienced Nevermind, but if you looked deeper, you also experienced two classic albums that were released within two weeks of each other in the fall of 1991. Matthew Sweet’s Girlfriend was released on October 22nd, 1991 and My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless dropped on November 4th, 1991. One redefined power-pop, the other flipped guitar-rock on its head completely. It is no surprise that neither artist has come close to topping these feats, with the latter failing to release another record at all. I wouldn’t hear these albums until years later (I was five in ’91), but they remain as potent as ever. I can only imagine how amazing it must have felt to experience this music as it was being released for the first time.

This Is Our Science is out now on Fake Four.

Vince Gilligan fills in critic Alan Sepinwall on the burning questions that linger after BB’s amazing season four finale. Gilligan also drops hints about the show’s final season. The worst part? Waiting for what happens next.

• Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan post-mortems season 4 (@What’s Alan Watching?)

ESPN columnist J.A. Adande gives his two cents on the NBA lockout, which just sacrificed the first two weeks of this season. The fans lose again and I need a John Wall fix.

• NBA cancels two weeks, earns self-inflicted wound (@ESPN)

Kotaku gets an early glimpse at what next month’s new Assassin’s Creed game will offer. I’m ready for more daggers and lots of wall-climbing.

• Three Hours With the Surprisingly Ambitious (and Tougher) Assassin’s Creed Revelations (@Kotaku)

In the wake of Steve Jobs’ passing, a former Gizmodo editor documents his communications with Steve Jobs before and following his site’s discovery of an iPhone 4 prototype.

• Steve Jobs Was Always Kind To Me (Or, Regrets of An Asshole) (@The Wirecutter)

The new Crooked Fingers album, Breaks In The Armor, is out today. SPIN details Eric Bachmann’s time in Taiwan and offers a full album stream.

• Album Premiere: Crooked Fingers’ Boozy Opus (@SPIN)

While the NBA season is in limbo, college basketball will be here in a matter of weeks. The CAA, otherwise known as the conference that brought you cinderella stories from George Mason and (ugh…) Virginia Commonwealth, will broadcast its annual media day on ESPN3 next Tuesday. Go Monarchs.

• CAA Basketball Media Day Live to be Broadcast on ESPN3 (@CAASports.com)

Image courtesy of AMC

Sitting in a stranger’s living room for an hour before a show is as awkward as you can imagine, especially if you are one of the first to arrive. The host was very friendly though. Once more guests began to show, I was able to grab a comfortable seat in the kitchen. Bazan arrived right on time with an acoustic guitar and improvised lighting in tow. On this night, he lived up to his billing as not only a great songwriter, but a master of stage banter. I don’t know of many artists that invite questions from the audience. He has a great wit and truly embraces open communication with his fan base.

Sidebar: How much will we miss Steve Jobs? Bazan tuned his guitar in-between songs with an iPhone app. Rest in peace, Steve.

The evolution of a songwriter is not something that every musician is willing to expose in a live setting. This is no problem with Bazan, as he dusted off several Pedro The Lion tracks and even a selection from 2005′s Headphones album. They fit nicely alongside songs from his two solo albums, including this year’s excellent Strange Negotiations. New songs such as “Wolves At The Door” and “Virginia” were simply stunning in their stripped-down form. “Cold Beer and Cigarettes” from 2007′s Fewer Moving Parts EP was also a revelation. Bazan was able to effortlessly breathe life into songs he has been playing for years and his voice was in top form on this evening. He revealed to the audience that he is hard at work on his next album and hopes to have it out by the spring. After the show, I walked up to him, thanked him for a wonderful show and shook his hand. He gave me one of the best nights of music I’d seen in a long time.

David is on tour this fall with his full band, otherwise known as Bazan Band. Nearby stops include Baltimore, Charlottesville, and Norfolk. Strange Negotiations is available now.