You know sometimes I like to cover more established acts aside the emerging ones. This always happens when Texan indie/alternative heroes Blue October deliver a new album.

Home is their eight studio album, co-produced and mixed by the band's long time collaborator and music legend Tim Palmer (David Bowie, Robert Plant, Pearl Jam, U2, Ozzy Osbourne, Tears For Fears, Goo Goo Dolls just to name a few of the acts he worked with).

Home was released a few hours ago and immediately hit the #1 spot on the iTunes Alternative Albums chart. Needless to say it's much deserved, as this is yet another exceptional record by Justin Furstenfeld & Co.

This is what Justin wrote to his friends on Facebook on the eve of the album's release: "I'm more than moved by all of the support you've given us. I believe that we've all gone on a tremendous journey together. A journey where hopefully we've learned that winning means that we've found that joy is reachable, that peace is a breath away, and we don't have to join every fight we are asked to attend. If someone were to tell me four years ago that I would be writing an album with my boys @harvard_of_the_south @tufstrings @orbstudiosatx and @timpalmermixer how to live our life to the fullest I would've laughed in your face. The fact that we were able to put all of our focus on such positivity and strength and dismiss everything else still puts me in awe."

If you still haven't, watch the video for the title-track and leading single of the album Home and, of course, go buy this magic album. By the way, the cover image is a painting created by artist Rhys Bright depicting Jeremy and Justin Furstenfeld's parents' first kiss.

A few days ago I presented on these columns Harvard Of The South, an Alternative band from Austin/San Marcos, TX and Brooklyn, featuring Steve Schlitz (of Hurricane Bells and Longwave), Jeremy and Justin Furstenfeld and Matt Noveskey (of Blue October).

Today Harvard Of The South premiered the video for "All Our Ashes," the first single from their upcoming debut EP "Miracle", to be released next week on April 7. Check it now clicking on the image on the left.

Harvard Of The South is a band from Austin/San Marcos, TX and Brooklyn. It includes Steve Schlitz (of Hurricane Bells and Longwave), Jeremy and Justin Furstenfeld and Matt Noveskey (of Blue October).

"Miracle" is the title of the first EP of the band, to be released next April 7. HOTS have just revealed the first track from the EP, "All Our Ashes," on Yahoo! Hear It First. Click on the image and enjoy some really alternative and original stuff.

Great news for all the Blue October fans out there: frontman Justin Furstenfeld will release his first solo album "Songs From An Open Book" on September 2.

The album will feature songs as they were originally written, with only a Guild acoustic guitar and a single vocal track. Justin is promoting the album with a nationwide U.S. tour, as well as dates in Germany and England. The shows will consist of spoken word, a question-and-answer session, and an acoustic set of intimate versions of fan-favorite Blue October songs.
The evening will focus on breaking down the walls between artist and audience, and will provide fans with the most access to Justin ever available.

Many of the songs included in "Songs From An Open Book" have appeared on previous releases by Blue October and The Last Wish (the first band of Justin), however seven of the tracks are new or previously unreleased songs. The previously unreleased songs are "Can And Cannot Say", "A Funny Thing", "The Birthday Present", "The Apology", "The Sarah Story" and "Up There". "Consent To Treatment" is the name of Blue October's second album but the song itself is a new track.

In related news, Blue October will film their two shows at the House Of Blues in Dallas at the end of November for the band's first live DVD in over 10 years. Be there if you can.

This is the most important week of the year for Blue October: tomorrow they will release their much anticipated seventh studio album "Sway" (Up/Down Records), while today the Texan band premieres the video for the first single off the new record, "Bleed Out".
The video was filmed in Dallas, Texas on June 15 with director Norry Niven and you can watch it now clicking on the image on the left.

"Sway" was produced by Justin Furstenfeld and David Castell (who also produced the band's "History For Sale" and co-produced "Foiled"), and was recorded at the Fire Station Studios in San Marcos, TX in February and March 2013, while additional recording sessions for strings and vocal overdubs took place at Test Tube Audio in Austin, TX in April 2013. Tim Palmer, who produced "Any Man In America" and mixed "History For Sale", mixed "Sway" at Studio 62 in Austin in May 2013.

You can preview "Sway" thanks to 97X radio following this link.

Time for a Blue October update. As you should know by now, the magic Texans will release their seventh studio album "Sway" next August 20 on Up/Down Records.

The record was produced by Justin Furstenfeld and David Castell (who also produced the band's "History For Sale" and co-produced "Foiled"), and was recorded at the Fire Station Studios in San Marcos, TX in February and March 2013, while additional recording sessions for strings and vocal overdubs took place at Test Tube Audio in Austin, TX in April 2013.
Tim Palmer, who produced "Any Man In America" and mixed "History For Sale", mixed "Sway" at Studio 62 in Austin in May 2013.

The first single off the new album is "Bleed Out": the song impacted radio on June 6 and became available for sale at digital outlets on June 25. The band has just released a lyric video for "Bleed Out": watch it now clicking on the image above.
Also, a music video for the single was filmed in Dallas, Texas on June 15 with director Norry Niven and will premiere soon. Stay tuned!