Song of the Day: Stone Gossard - I Need Something Different

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Every Friday, we feature a song by a Northwestern artis. Today’s song, featured on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is “I Need Something Different” by Seattle's Stone Gossard from the 2013 album Moonlander on Monkeywrench.

Stone Gossard - I Need Something Different (MP3)

For longtime Seattle music fans, Stone Gossard is a man who needs no introduction. As the guitar player in four influential Seattle bands - Brad, Green River, Mother Love Bone, and Pearl Jam (plus the short-lived Temple of the Dog) - Gossard has undeniably left his mark on Seattle and remains an active local presence while still holding down his role in Brad and Pearl Jam. (He even played one of KEXP's Concerts at the Mural last year!) Like the other members of Pearl Jam, Gossard has used the band's recent era of sporadic activity to pursue other outlets, including a second solo album. Starting last month, Gossard is releasing a new track each week (complete with his own artwork) via Pearl Jam's website, culminating with the June 25th release of Moonlander, the followup to his 2001 solo debut, Bayleaf. Centered around a dirty, punk blues guitar sound, "I Need Something Different" finds Gossard walking down new musical paths while lyrically commenting on his new pursuits. In between verses about making a change in his life ("Right now I'm feeling bold/I wanna move I wanna dance, yeah/I stopped trying to control it/I gotta groove gotta shake my ass"), Gossard peppers the song with slick leads and staccato keyboards while one-time bandmate Matt Chamberlain keeps time with an explosive beat. By the time the song ends with a buzzy synthesizer pattern, it's clear that Gossard is expanding his musical horizons (synths have never been a huge part of any of his other work), while still retaining his signature tasteful guitar sound.

Although Gossard expressed that he would like to play some solo dates in this terrific ArtistDirect interview, there aren't any concrete plans for any shows right now. Keep track of his projects at his Twitter page, and keep an eye on the Pearl Jam and Brad websites for any forthcoming dates from those groups. Watch Stone play the Moonlander track "Your Flames" below.