Waldo from Nancies.org ::

At a private release party in Charlottesville this evening, Dave Matthews Band made known a number of details about the forthcoming album, now known to be titled Stand Up.

The album, due in May, marks a return to the band's past style, lost somewhat in the shift to the rock stylings of Everyday and the more jazz-based Busted Stuff. Stand Up is laced with a funky beat that's reminiscent of the sound of the band's earliest days in Trax and Floodzone, and has the same upbeat, happy feel that made Under the Table and Dreaming ("What Would You Say," "Ants Marching") and Crash ("So Much To Say," "Two Step") so popular. In the realm of music on the whole, the album represents no huge departure from Dave Matthews Band's sound, but to those who follow the band closely (which is to say, you), Stand Up represents a major evolutionary step in the band's sound. In stark contrast to the process of creating Everyday (which relegated the rest of the band to the role of "the band," rather than members on equal footing with Dave), the process for Stand Up is being described as entirely collaborative, with all members contributing to song writing.

The design of the album cover is now known, too. It will be, simply, the firedancer symbol, rendered in silver rather than flame, on a black background. It's the result of an artistic collaboration between long-time DMB designer Thane Kerner and Stefan Lessard.

The first single -- "American Baby" -- is slated for release in less than two weeks, and should hit the airwaves on Friday the 25th. The song was written the day after Election Day, though the content is quite a bit more cheerful than could have been produced by a band that is known for their strong support of Democratic values.

Finally, all members of the band sing on the album, and one track even features Dave on piano, and has no guitar. DMB is said to be very happy with their collaboration with Mark Batson, having selected him over candidates like The Neptunes and Dr. Dre, and intend to continue to work with him.

Noel from Amidreaming.org ::

Hey folks, just got into the hotel after a long night of DMB and mingling. There were a lot of fine folks there this evening, most notably Boyd Tinsley, Mr. Capshaw, Bruce Flohr, and Chris Kress (lead recording engineer). Also on hand were Matt Yette of ants, Waldo of Nancies, and various other Music Today and Red Light employees.

Now to the good stuff:

American Baby
The listening party started off with what is arguably the most DMB-like song on the album. This tune captures a combo of Hip Hop percussion with an intricate Boyd violin-picking riff, and takes a leap into the ranks of Best of What's Around. Although this song boasts the new DMB sound an image, it captures the feeling of "Togetherness" that has been a part of the DMB community for many years... and as Dave beckons us to "Stay American Baby", a roaring chorus and a two-track-dubbed Leroi solo rockets the song into DMB bliss. With a huge jam-finish, the first single will undoubtedly leave fans drooling for more. This song will hit radio stations friday.

Dream Girl
As the second single from their new album, Dream Girl hurls fans towards a new musical direction. After an African-style vocal intro, Dave's twangy guitar work creeps into a Fugees-esq love song. This song explores a hip-hop percussion set, with a guitar riff comparable to one you might find in the R&B/Reggae genre. Be prepared, this is not your typical "Eat Drink And Be Merry".

Everybody Wake Up
This song introduces itself with a 50's style mandolin/violin intro, and quickly hurries itself into a Rock/Pop/Rap format. While this may scare fans, I can honestly tell you not to worry. This song boasts a heavy Police influence in the chorus, and includes backup vocals by Boyd, and a short megaphone verse by dave. Distorted vocals and an interesting percussion beat may leave fans of Before These Crowded Streets a bit unsatisfied, but those of you with the ability to grow with the band will appreciate and enjoy the new blend of style.

Steady As We Go
What the hell? Dave plays piano! So does Carter! Yes, you are reading this correctly... Dave and Carter have a hand in what is definitely the most soul-touching song on the album. While many fans consider Crush to be the ultimate love song, Steady As We Go explores a new piano-driven direction that only Dave can take us. For the first two minutes, Dave pours his heart out with a touch of "Light Lift Me Up" and "JTR" lyrics, and sings a soft ballot over an intricate piano progression. Then, just when you're thinking "What the hell, Dave singing alone over a piano?", the rest of the band dives into the song and offers a true orgasm for the ear.

Some notes about this album:
- Due out May 10th.
- Fonz Plays Guitar
- All band members sing.
- BT wrote the violin riff for American Baby
- BT Plays the mandolin
- Dave and Carter play piano.
- No friction came about during the development of the album.
- This album is considered to be the band's gift to itself. Their hope is that you, the fan, can enjoy this album and view it as the language in which the band communicates with each other. Everybody Wake Up defines the manner in which previous albums were developed, and how different this album was in the studio.

I hope this brings as much joy to you as it did to me. I can only hope you will enjoy the album as much as I did tonight, and I hope this helps generate positive discussion within the community.

Time for this boy to get to sleep. Night all!

PS... Dr Dre and Jay-Z were considered to produce, but were not asked to come down to the studio. Just an FYI for all the nay-sayers who doubted our post a few months ago.