New Release Tuesday: Eels Extravaganza

I raised myself on a healthy dose of Eels through high school and college. Though I started off like everyone else in 1996 with "Novocaine For The Soul," it wasn't until 2002 that I had picked up where I left off and obtained my copy of their 1998 masterpiece, Electro-Shock Blues. That album now holds to me some of the most significant pieces of my life: "Dead Of Winter," to me, is the song that always gets me through the most painful times of life, just like that album did for E. Outside of their hit single and most amazing record, the band has released countless other records and have gained enough cultural significance for this week's release of Meet The Eels: Essential Eels 1996-2006. Though the majority of the 24 songs have been released, there is Jon Brion's remix of Blues' "Climbing To The Moon" and the Eels rendition of "Get Ur Freak On" from 2006's No Strings Attached Tour. It also features a DVD with every music video, complete with E commentary, and a book filled with photos and liner notes again penned by E.

For those hardcore fans like me, also released today is the 2-CD/1-DVD rarities comp Useless Trinkets: B Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2007. Featuring exactly what the long winded subtitle suggests, the DVD bundled with this one features selections from their performance at the 2006 edition of Lollapalooza. it also features a book full of liner notes and pictures.

And if that isn't enough Eels of your life, this week's see the UK publishing of Things The Grandchildren Should Know, E's memoirs/autobiography that chronicles E's childhood and all the tragedy that shaped him and fueled his storied output of music. The book will be published in America this fall.

Stream: Various Eels Songs [Here] // Buy Meet The Eels [Here] // Buy Useless Trinkets [Here]