Bonus MP3: Menkena -- "Red In The Morning (feat. Nikki Cage of True Widow)"

Speaking of records we've been waiting on, seems there's finally news out of Menkena camp on the release of its debut album, With You I'll Travel, which has been finished since, oh, about February and stuck on our personal most-anticipated local releases list ever since. Blame the delay on the label signing process -- or lack thereof -- says drummer Mike Simmons. The band had been in talks with labels local and otherwise about releasing the acoustic shoegaze album for most of 2010, only to decide to go the self-releasing route.

And self-release the album the band will -- on its own, freshly minted label called Jolly Roger Music -- and soon, too. As in, next month. On January 18, the band will release its song "Rocketships" as a single, along with a spiffy new music video for the track. Two days later, it will perform an in-store at Good Records, and, on January 22, it will host its official album release show at La Grange, a venue to which these players are no strangers.

The brainchild of New York City transplant Jimmy Menkena, formerly of the punk outfit INDK, Menkena's music features Menkena's soft vocals are deliberate acoustic guitar play bolstered by the lush contributions of bassist Nolan Thies and Simmons on drums. And, with guest appearances from Toby Pipes (Little Black Dress, Deep Blue Something), Nikki Cage (True Widow) and others, it all adds up to an alluring, intoxicating mix of immediately accessible, introspective shoegaze.

In anticipation of the disc's release, enjoy a free taste of that much after the jump, as the band's been kind enough to pass along a free download of its song "Red in the Morning," which features some choice backing vocals from Cage, for DC9 readers. It's been a favorite of ours here at DC9 HQ for some time already.