"After all, I'm not with you/And I know the trees go back below/High as we fly one more time/I'm not beneath the wind"
--Albert Hammond Jr.'s 'The Boss Americana,' from 2008's '¿Cómo Te Llama?'

Wait ... what? Ten bucks says he wrote this using those poetry refrigerator magnets.

Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. recently took home an award from British magazine 'NME' as Best Solo Artist for his 'Yours to Keep' solo debut. And the guitarist turned singer/songwriter tells Spinner he plans to keep the momentum going with a second solo effort, 'Como Te Llama,' ('What's Your Name?') due July 8.

Hammond, who says he plans to tour from July to January, is already thinking breaking out some new material live. "It's such a different record," he says. "There are songs called 'Rocket,' 'Victory at Monterey' and 'GFC. I really can't wait."

The songs should translate to the stage well as he wrote with the live show in mind. "I remember being on stage and wanting to have different kinds of songs," he says. "When you go and tour your first record you only have your 11 songs and a few covers, maybe. You're craving new songs. I write everyday. Slowly it starts to come out -- all the experiences you've had. At the end, you have this product that's from music influences, movie influences, life influence, playing live ... everything."

'Call an Ambulance,' Albert Hammond Jr.
From 2007's 'Yours to Keep'

New Yorkers enjoy unpleasantness. They rattle off daily nuisances to illustrate how their city is more real and thus cooler than yours.

Same with their music: Grittiness is often valued above all else. That Patti Smith spits onstage and Sonic Youth sometime make a Times Square sidewalk driller sound melodic is real cool. Then there are new millennial NYC rock poster boys the Strokes, gifted rock melodists who have too often chosen to pump up the noise instead of finishing their songs.

Albert Hammond, Jr.'s solo album sounds like it's going to be damn delightful. Three new tracks are up on the MySpace. Admittedly, they do all kind of sound the same, but they're pretty addictive (Hey! Kind of like Strokes songs!), and I'm excited to hear the remaining tracks. Albert and his aftro are releasing the record in the U.K. on October 9th, so save up your quid, mate! That was so not funny.