In the meantime, though, there's a really cool app we've discovered that will let you listen RIGHT NOW,   And it will only set you back six bucks!

  The application is called WUNDER RADIO, and you can get it HERE in iTunes, or just go to the App Store via your iPhone and search WUNDER RADIO. 

  Once you buy the app on your phone or iPod Touch, or buy in in iTunes and then synch your portable, it's pretty eash from there.  Here's what you do:

• Launch the application,
• Click on the "Stations" button in the lower left hand corner. 
• Type "RADIO FREE CRUZE" into the search bar and we will come up.  (Yes, that's us--the one that says "Radio Free Cruze, Emeryville, CA."  We're not located there, but that's where our server is, so I guess WUNDER RADIO thinks that's where we are.)
• Simply click on our name to launch the station. 
• Once it's playing, click the "+" button on the top bar to add us to your favorites, and then we'll be there every time you open the app without having to search again.

  The WUNDER RADIO app (which was developed by the Weather Underground website (yes, the weather guys) is really good...the sound quality is better than some other apps I've heard, and I really like its ease of use.  If you don't feel like waiting for the free app, this one is definitely worth the six dollars. 

--Cruze, RFC

>>>BACK TO RADIO FREE CRUZE HOME<<<

  We'll be playing a lot of cool tracks from the FOO FIGHTERS all day for FEATURE ARTIST THURSDAY...their big hits, as well as deeper tracks, B-sides, and even some live cuts all worked into our normal mix of New Rock, Indie, and Alternative!

  The FOOS will have a new album later this year, so we'll whet your appetite for that just a little with some of the best of their tracks (including a cool cover of ARCADE FIRE'S Keep The Car Running where Dave "improvises" (ie, messes up) some of the lyrics.  It's quite cool, actually!

  Be sure to listen Thursday 3/19, and help us spread the word!

  Thanks again for listening...

--Cruze, RFC

>>BACK TO RADIO FREE CRUZE HOME<<

  But that said, I've seen plenty of shows in my concert-going lifetime.  Some good, some REALLY GOOD, a few GREAT, and some just ok.  I remember seeing SMASHING PUMPKINS in Chicago before SIAMESE DREAM came out and they blew my mind.  I came out of that show knowing in my soul that this was going to be a really important band, and certainly they became that.  (I also saw them in Houston in 1997 and they bored me to tears, but that's another story.)

  Anyway...I had that feeling again.  Last night.  At the BLACK CAT in DC, when I got to see THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT live for the first time.  I'm now convinced that this is one of the most important bands of the last several years.  (Last time I felt this way:  ARCADE FIRE).

  Alright, disclaimer time.  I picked these guys as my favorite band of 2008 based only on their self-titled debut album.  And we've certainly played plenty of tracks from TATE (for short) on RADIO FREE CRUZE.  Unless they were really awful, chances are pretty good that I was going to enjoy the show.

  But it was more than that--at least for me.  From the moment they took the stage (opening with WISHING WELL, a perfect track to start the show), to the rave-up performance of GASOLINE, to a couple of new songs (ECHO PARK was particularly good), to a "bring-the-house-down" rendition of their biggest song, SOMETIME AROUND MIDNIGHT, I was certain that this band is "important."

  I went on the web to see what others thought, and predictably found a few blog posts blasting them as "posers..."  Wondering how anyone could like this band, and how they weren't authentic.

  Perfect!  Now I'm CONVINCED that I love them.  Most of my favorite bands, actually, are the ones that indie snobs seem driven to insult and dismiss...so I know I'm right on track with this one.  (And to the haters...why not spend your energy telling me about a band you DO like?  Such a better use of your time.)

  Bottom line...maybe I'm overreacting, but the debut album from THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT is one of the best albums I've heard in the last few years.  And the live show is enthralling.  If you have the chance...don't miss them!

--Cruze, RFC

>>BACK TO RADIO FREE CRUZE<<

Although they've got a great catalog of music from the '80's and '90's, they continue to release relevant, interesting music even in 2009.

And why not?  The indie/alt world is full of bands that have obviously been influenced by DEPECHE MODE.  And let's face it, their style (which has continued to update and evolve through the years, but is still very much rooted in synth-pop) is even more "in fashion" than it has been for years!

The new album will be called SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE, and is scheduled for release internationally on April 20, and April 21 in the US.  We have several new tracks from it here at RADIO FREE CRUZE, and they're VERY GOOD!

So...it only makes sense to feature DEPECHE MODE as our spotlight for this week's FEATURE ARTIST THURSDAY (3/5) on the RFC!  We'll cram in as many Depeche tracks into the mix as the Digital Millenium Copyright law will allow us to.  You can look for us to feature the band's big hits, as well as album tracks, B-sides, remixies, and maybe even a few live tracks just for good measure.  And OF COURSE, you'll hear the new tracks from SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE that I mentioned!!

So I hope you'll spend a big chunk of the day with us!

Thanks...Cruze, RFC

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE RADIO FREE CRUZE HOMEPAGE!

British rockers MUSE are working steadily on their next album, the follow-up to 2006's BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS, and frontman MATT BELLAMY told BBCRadio 6 that ""A symphonic album has turned up here--like a full collaboration with an orchestra!"

"There's definitely a few things on the album which are segueing into each other and it's all very orchestral," BELLAMY says.  "That could take over the album, so it could actually be kind of classical act basically, and move away from rock all together."

Original statements from the band had led us to expect something more electronic from MUSE this time around, but it sounds as if a different direction altogether has developed as the recording has progressed.

While no release date has been set for the as-yet-untitled disc, BELLAMY says the album is about "halfway done," and he expects it to be out by the fall.  He says that oce it is released, MUSE will go back on the road to support the disc.

No word as to whether they plan to travel with a symphony orchestra!

More from NME here...

Cruze, RFC

  Either the stories about how badly they get along are exaggerated, or they've found a way to set differences aside, because BLINK 182 have announced that they are officially "back together!"

  According to a note on their website, the band members are "picking up where we left off, and then some.  In the studio writing and recording a new album.  Preparing to tour the world yet again.  Friendships reformed.  17 years deep in our legacy."

  I saw these guys on their final tour as a band, and they were still a great, if somewhat loose, live show.  I have no doubt that they will be able to jump right back in where they left off, and we ar Radio Free Cruze are pretty damned excited about new Blink music!

  Here's a great interview with MARK HOPPUS at Alternative Press that sheds a little light on how the reunion came about.

  No word on the future of +44 or ANGELS AND AIRWAVES.  We'll keep you posted.

--Cruze, RFC

Las Vegas band THE KILLERS top the RADIO FREE CRUZE Most-Played list for this week with their bizarrely catchy song about alien abduction!

LILY ALLEN debuts in the Top 11, and so does the aweseome Scottish band GLASVEGAS!  (This album is GOOD, you guys!)

Here's how the list looks:

1. THE KILLERS/Spaceman (Day And Age)
2. BECK/Walls (Modern Guilt)
3. LILY ALLEN/The Fear (It's Not Me, It's You)
4. THE BOGMEN/Ocean's Apart (single)
5. FRANZ FERDINAND/Ulysses (Tonight: Franz Ferdinand)
6. PENDULUM/Propane Nightmares (In Silico)
7. COLDPLAY/Lovers In Japan (Viva La Vida)
8. GLASVEGAS/Geraldine (Glasvegas)
9. ANGELS & AIRWAVES/Call To Arms (I-Empire)
10. THE NATIONAL/Mistaken For Strangers (Boxer)
11. THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT/Gasoline (The Airborne Toxic Event)

Thanks again for listening...you guys rock!!

--cruze

Anyway, the good news is that today (1/29) is another exciting Feature Artist Thursday, and we're featuring the music of MUSE mixed in to our normal recipie of New Rock, Indie, and Alternative.

I really love this band.  They are truly amazing live, and every album they've released has been progressively better than the last one.

Enjoy the tunes...MUSE is awesome!!

BTW...send me your suggestions for artists for Feature Artist Thursday!!  cruze@radiofreecruze.com

  Hey,..just a little advance notice for you BLUE OCTOBER fans out there...this week's Feature Artist Thursday on RADIO FREE CRUZE will focus on this awesome band from Texas.

  BLLE OCTOBER has a great new song called DIRT ROOM, and will play that one, all the big hits, and plenty of cool extras, live tracks, etc. on Thursday the 15th. 

  I hope you have a chance to listen!

--Cruze. Vully Bully Ranch

  There is really no musician recording today that is quite like BECK.  He's been described as a modern-day Dylan, but his style and range are much broader than that.  He's loved by fans of rock, folk, hip-hop, and eclective indie pop.  He's had huge radio hits, but still calls all of his own shots and does everything his own way, in a true indie fashion.

  His break-through hit, LOSER, was one of the handful of songs that launched the "Grunge Movement," and yet BECK is anything but a grunge artist. His latest album, MODERN GUILT, has been largely ignored by Corporate Radio, but that should't surprise anyone.  It's a tasty, well-crafted effort that gives us a perfect glimpse of an artist that's at the top of his game.

  BECK is our feature artist today for RADIO FREE CRUZE's "Feature Artist Thursday."  Listen for BECK tracks in the mix all day today, weaved in to our usual musical recipie of New Rock, Indie, and Alternative.  Let a friend know, and enjoy the music!

  Just in time for Christmas, I've got a little holiday list for you!

  This is totally subjective, and just for fun.  That said, here's my list of the TOP 11 New Rock/Indie/Alternative Holiday songs up to and including this year.  Ready?

#11)  FALL OUT BOY/Yule Shoot Your Eye Out

  Honestly, kind of hard not to like this one.  It sounds very "Fall-Out-Boy" and very "Christmasy" all at the same time.  And I've mentioned on RFC before about how I don't share some alt fans' disgust with this band.  I think they make great pop-rock songs.  Who cares about Pete's internet photos or Patrick's hairline?  Bottom line...this is a great song!

#10)  ANOTHER MAN DOWN/The Dreidel Song

  THere aren't as many good rock Chanukah songs as there are Christmas ones.  That said, the genius of this rocked-out version of the classic "Dreidel Song" is when they lapse into an homage to Brian Adams' SUMMER OF '69 about two-thirds of the way in.  Makes spinning a dreidel actually sound fun!

#9)  JIMMY EAT WORLD/Last Christmas

  Yes, I know that this a cover of "Wham."  Yes, I know I'm biased towards anything that Jimmy Eat World ever does.  I don't care.  This is #9.  (And I kind of liked "Wham" anyway.  There.  I said it.)

#8)  PEARL JAM/Let Me Sleep (It's Christmastime)

   Ok, Pearl Jam fans...don't hate me, but this is actually one of my very favorite Pearl Jam songs.  There's just something about the "offhand" way that Eddie handles the vocals, and how casual this is.  And, oh yeah...it has a "big melody."  IMHO, Pearl Jam could use a few more of those in the last couple of albums.  Anyway, the perfect Gen-X Christmas song.  I love it.

#7)  THE KILLERS/Great Big Sled

  Brandon and the boys are the only act with two songs on my Top 11, but I just couldn't leave either one of them out.  This was the first of the two released, and it's the more "normal" of the two.  It could earn its spot on this list based on the strength of the first lyric line alone:  "The snowman is shaping up to be an eight...but not out of ten..."  Brilliant.

#6)  THE POGUES f. KIRSTY MacCOLL/Fairytale Of New York

  We just played this song on RADIO FREE CRUZE as I was writing this, and I must say that I was struck by both how dated it is beginning to sound, and how incredibly brilliant it still is.  There is no black and white with The Pogues--you either love them or you hate them.  I'm in the former category.  This song probably does a better job of portraying the lonliness and despair that so many feel at the holidays than any other one that I can think of.  And Kirsty MacColl was so cool...she is totally missed!

#5)  LINKIN PARK/My December

  While not TECHNICALLY a Christmas song, it's at least December-specific, and coming after LP's first studio album, this track was one of the first real clues we got to the band's depth.  If nothing else, it said clearly that they were much more than just another rap-metal band.  I love its inherent darkness, which probably says something about my twisted holiday point of view.  Great stuff! 

 #4)  THE WAITRESSES/Christmas Wrapping

  One of the most enduring of the "modern-day" holiday songs, and during the season it seems to fit on just about any format.  It sounds surprisingly more current that any of the Waitresses' "non-holiday" music, and will probably still be played at Christmas 20 years from now!

#3)  SOMETHING CORPORATE/Forget December

  This is one of my personal favorites, and was the song that actually clued me in to what an amazing songwriter Andrew MacMahon, formerly of Something Corporate and now of Jack's Mannequin, truly is.  I'm not sure if this is commercially available, but if it's not, Andrew should make it available for download at the Jack's Mannequin site, or do something to let people get their hands on it.  Bit Torrent, anyone?

#2)  THE KILLERS/Don't Shoot Me Santa

  Easily the most bizarre of the holiday tracks we play at RADIO FREE CRUZE, and it had to beat out a couple of pretty odd ones to win that crown.  But despite how weird it is, I think that The Killers have actually crafted a little holiday masterpiece here.  The "Sweet Mojave Rain" chorus seems to come out of nowhere, both musically and lyrically.  Brilliant...

#1)  BLINK 182/I Won't Be Home For Christmas

  This one has been around for about ten years or so, but is perhaps the best example of a modern band putting out a holiday track that is not only perfect for the season, but also a perfect representation of what THEY are about, too.  My favorite lines:   "Oh God, I hate these Satan's helpers..." and "You people scare me...please stay away from my home..."

   All of these are on RFC over the holidays, of course.  To you and yours--a perfect, and happy holiday season!  Ho Ho Ho...

--Cruze

  Brandon Flowers and company have shot to the Top Spot on the RADIO FREE CRUZE Most-Played List, as THE KILLERS new track SPACEMAN has had the most play in the last week!

  The new KILLERS disc is DAY AND AGE, and the band has steered toward musical territory that seems somewhere in between the alt sound of HOT FUSS and the more arena-friendly vibe of SAM'S TOWN. 

  Other notable items on the chart:  TONY LUCCA's version of DEVIL TOWN, from the FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS soundtrack, and the Top 11 debut of INNERPARTYSYSTEM.  Some really great music on the chart this week!

1. THE KILLERS/Spaceman  (Day And Age)
2. ANGELS & AIRWAVES/Call To Arms  (I-Empire)
3. RISE AGAINST/Audience Of One  (Appeal To Reason)
4. INNERPARTYSYSTEM/Don't Stop  (Innerpartysystem)
5. BLOC PARTY/Talons  (Intimacy)
6. TONY LUCCA/Devil Town (Friday Night Lights Soundtrack)
7. CHAIRLIFT/Bruises  (Does You Inspire You)
8. FRIGHTENED RABBIT/The Modern Leper  (The Midnight Organ Fight)
9. PARAMORE/Decode  (Twiilight Original Soundtrack)
10. BECK/Gamma Ray  (Modern Guilt)
11. DEAR & THE HEADLIGHTS/I'm Not Crying, You're Not Crying, Are You?  (Drunk Like Bible Times)

  Thanks again for listening...and don't miss Feature Artist Thursday this week with JACK'S MANNEQUIN!!!

  Newcomers DEAR AND THE HEADLIGHTS grab the top spot on the RFC Top 11 this week!  This indie band from the Phoenix, Arizona area released their second album, DRUNK LIKE BIBLE TIMES in September, and this track has been slowly gaining more and more airplay on RADIO FREE CRUZE since it came out.  Yet another thing you'd never see happen at Corporate Radio...if they had the foresight to actually play a song like this just because it was good, they would have certainly dropped it by now. 

  At RFC we're proud to be able to showcase artists like this and give you a chance to get to know them.  Once you do, at least in the case of DEAR AND THE HEADLIGHTS, you let us KNOW that you like them, so we keep it up! 

  Here's the full list of the Top 11:

1. DEAR AND THE HEADLIGHTS/I'm Not Crying, You're Not Crying, Are You?  (Drunk Like Bible Times)
2. THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT/Sometime Around Midnight  (The Airborne Toxic Event)
3. BLOC PARTY/Talons  (Intimacy)
4. SNOW PATROL/Take Back The City  (A Hundred Million Suns)
5. KINGS OF LEON/Sex On Fire  (Only By The Night)
6. THE SUBMARINES/You, Me, And The Bourgeoisie  (Honeysuckle Weeks)
7. PHANTOM PLANET/Do The Panic  (Raise The Dead)
8. PARAMORE/Decode  (Twilight Original Soundtrack)
9. THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART/Young Adult Friction (The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart)
10. BECK/Gamma Ray  (Modern Guilt)
11. MY MORNING JACKET/Evil Urges  (Evil Urges)

  Thanks again for making us one of the fastest-growing stations on the web!  Have a great week!

  We've got a new #1 Most-Played song this week at RADIO FREE CRUZE, and it's from the Aussie drum and bass act that has relocated to the UK and evolved into a full-fledged live indie band!  They're called PENDULUM, and their sophomore album, IN SILICO, contains our most-played song this week, PROPANE NIGHTMARES!

  Here's how the Top 11 looks:

1. PENDULUM/Propane Nightmares  (In Silico)
2. DEAR & THE HEADLIGHTS/I'm Not Crying, You're Not Crying, Are You?  (Drunk Like Bible Times)
3. KINGS OF LEON/Sex On Fire  (Only By The Night)
4. THE BLACK KEYS/Strange Times  (Attack And Release)
5. THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT/Sometime Around Midnight  (The Airborne Toxic Event)
6. MY MORNING JACKET/Evil Urges  (Evil Urges)
7. COLDPLAY/Lost!  (Viva La Vida)
8. RAINE MAIDA/Careful What You Wish For  (The Hunter's Lullabye)
9. PHANTOM PLANET/Do The Panic  (Raise The Dead)
10. BLOC PARTY/Talons  (Intimacy)
11. THE KILLERS/Spaceman  (Day & Age)

  Have a great week, and thanks for making us one of the fastest-growing stations on the web!!