Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part 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. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Afternoon Show host Kevin Cole, is “Dominoes Fall” by Rancid from the 2009 album Let The Dominoes Fall on Hellcat Records

Rancid is a band with a long history. To a fledgling young punk rocker, these guys may be as close to “living legends” as they’ll likely ever get. In fact, not many bands have been doing it for as long as these guyshave . Fans of Rancid will probably remember that it all started with a great little ska band called Operation Ivy. When that band broke up after just two short years, Matt Freeman (bass/vocals) and Tim Armstrong (lead vocals/guitar) messed around with a few other bands before finally forming Rancid in 1991. During the mid 90’s, the band drew a tremendous amount of buzz that fortified into long term success. Now, those young punks are old punks but continue to make vital music. In addition to Rancid, the guys have managed to keep pretty busy throughout the years; both Matt and Tim have had solo albums and side projects that have kept them away at times, sometimes even for years (the band’s last album, Indestructible, was recorded in 2003), though bands like Social Distortion and The Transplants seem like good enough distractions. This year, in May, Rancid released their seventh studio album. The new music takes off right where Indestructible left and doesn’t miss a beat. Longtime fans are enjoying it and are those who have come to them after hearing Tim Armstrong’s fantastic solo LP from 2007, A Poet’s Life. Proving they still have appeal across subgenres and generations, Rancid even appeared recently on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. It’s interesting to note that another group of punk icons, Green Day, also released a new album this year; the argument is which band do you think is truer to form or does it even matter? It’s an interesting comparisons that seems to put punks at one camp or the other, but one thing most everyone can agree on is that Let the Dominoes Fall is not too bad for a bunch of punks from California.

Rancid is currently on tour, but I’m sorry to tell any West Coasters that they’ve already hit our side and are heading east, appearing in Arizona tonight and in Texas soon after. You can follow their tour on their MySpace page and website and hope it doesn’t take another six years for their next release. Until then, here’s “Last One to Die,” also from the new album:

Hombre Lobo, the seventh studio album from Eels, hits stores this week. While each album seems, to fans at least, a momentous event, the album subtitled “12 Songs of Desire,” is part of a prolific body of work from Mark Oliver Everett, including soundtracks, live albums, discs of rarities, live DVDs, an autobiography, and even a documentary about his own life. Other highlights include the latest from old time punkers New York Dolls and Iggy Pop, not quite as old but still pretty well established punkers Rancid, and veteran songwriter Elvis Costello, who’s countrified new album of mostly new songs is produced by T Bone Burnett, an man known to reinvigorate lots of other old timers. Perhaps the most exciting release for the grayhaired rockers and newer fans alike, though, is the first volume of the Neil Young Archives available in a variety of forms: 8 audio discs, 10 DVDs, or 10 Blu Ray discs, ranging from $100-$300. Notable posthumous releases are available from J Dilla and Jeff Buckley, whose masterwork Grace is reconstructed through live recordings from around the world. Also, out this week is Lee Fields‘ My World, from Stones Throw imprint Truthe & Soul. Fields, who has been “rediscovered” several times since he started recording funk records in the 70’s, is due for another fresh look from funk, blues, soul, and hip hop fans alike. Newer to the scene but well worth checking out are the new albums from Brasstronaut, Deastro and So Many Dynamos. Check out the rest on Largehearted Boy’s list and sample the songs below before heading out to your favorite music purveyor.