TRAVIS

This New Year dawns with much ass-dragging -- on both my part and the part of the music blogosphere as a whole. Post-holiday(s) hangover(s), I presume. Literally and/or figuratively.

Today, to help fill the void, three bonus tracks from the UK collective TRAVIS. These boys are almost absurdly prolific when it comes to their b-sides. In my opinion, the three below pass muster....

(FYI: The band will be heading back into the studio in late February to begin work on their next LP. As a precursor to that, they'll be hashing/hammering out new material during a handful of intimate gigs [see below].)

TRAVIS on MySPACE.

TRAVIS hashing/hammering out new material >>>

07 February/Brighton, Concorde 2
08 February/Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
10 February/Cambridge, Junction
11 February/Bristol, Trinity
12 February/Nottingham, Rescue Rooms

[MP3] "River" [JONI MITCHELL cover]

[MP3] "Village Man"

[MP3] "Just the Faces Change"

BREAD

Now, I'm not necessarily suggesting that '90s/'00s pastoral Britpoppers TRAVIS have organized their career around becoming the modern-day incarnation of '70s American soft rockers BREAD, but, I mean, come on.... have you listened to THE MAN WHO lately? Such sweet, pretty, peaceful cheese (and -- other than vegans and the lactose-intolerant -- who doesn't love a nice piece of cheese every now and again?).

[MP3] "Make It With You" [1970]

[MP3] "If" [1971]

[MP3] "Sweet Surrender" [1972]

[MP3] "Diary" [1972]