Bonus tracks and new beginnings

Welcome to Duran Duran and Beyond!

I will try to keep the backstory to a minimum, but I parted ways with Examiner.com last month, and this move provided me with a great opportunity to start my own music blog, without all the restrictions I was operating under previously. My new husband and I go to a lot of concerts, so we'll be sharing photos and reviews of those. The main focus, as it should be, will be Duran Duran, but there are a lot of great bands we see that go beyond Duran Duran, so we'll be sharing those, too! All of my best work with Examiner also is archived here on the site.

My last article for Examiner was a review of the fantastic new album "Paper Gods." Thanks to Warner Bros, I got to hear and write about the 12 album tracks more than a month before the release date. But, of course, I was planning on buying the album in multiple formats when it came out. The vinyl is on its way from Amazon, and I picked up not one but two copies Friday as I traveled across the Midwest.

In Minnesota, I stopped by Target for the peachy exclusive version on sale there. I was hoping to snag the deluxe there as well, but there weren't any available, so I bought one of two copies left of the Target exclusive. For fans of the physical album like myself, it's sad how there are so few CDs available at brick and mortar stores now. The Target version boasts two bonus tracks, the very electronic "On Evil Beach" and "Cinderella Ride."

But the standout bonus tracks in the vein of modern-day classics such as "Virus" and "Cry Baby Cry" can be found on the deluxe version of "Paper Gods." I picked up my copy at a Best Buy in Iowa, where it was lumped together with several copies of the 12-track version of the album in a display of new releases at the front of the store.

"Planet Roaring" is an intense track with guitar by Sex Pistol and Duran cohort Steve Jones. "Valentine Stones" is a funky and lyrically cheeky song that fits the "Paper Gods" mold. "Northern Lights" is another song featuring ex-Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante. The trio tops some album tracks that made the cut, notably for me, "Dancephobia" and even "Last Night In the City," whose appearance by Keszia could have been utilized instead on "Planet Roaring," a much stronger song.

The release of "Paper Gods" makes me even more excited for the start of the U.S. mini tour. I'll be at Red Rocks on Sept. 20. Here's hoping the boys play "What Are The Chances?" or any of the new tracks, for that matter!