Joseph Arthur will release his new album, Days of Surrender, later this year.
For an artist, picking a favorite record is like a parent picking a favorite child but Graham Coxen of Blur has publicly come out to say that The Magic Whip is his favorite Blur album. Speaking to England's Metro, the guitarist said, "At the moment this is my favourite because it's poignant – a lot of what Damon [Albarn]'s saying with the lyrics would maybe resonate with someone who's my age, feeling dislocated by technology but also slightly enslaved by it, and worried about where it's all going to end up. I feel like he's saying the stuff that I feel."
Speaking of Blur, bassist Alex James told NME that the band have enough material from The Magic Whip sessions that they could release a new record. He also mentioned that he doesn't know if the band will record again saying, "Nobody knew the answer to the question 'Will Blur make a new album?' for 12 years, so it's incredible [that] everyone is asking again already. Whether any other stuff from [the Hong Kong sessions] will ever emerge, who knows? But coming up with new music has never been Blur's problem. If you get the four of us in the studio in the right frame of mind, we'll always make new music."
Is The Prodigy coming to an end? According to front man Keith Flint, it maybe so. He also spoke to NME and said, "I think that the band's gonna come to an end at some point, and it's got to be soon. It will end before we want it to because of the realities of age. There comes a point where you don't want to be Uncle Alan at the wedding reception."
Titus Andronicus will release their new album, The Most Lamentable Tragedy, in July. Take a look at the cover, below:
It has been over a decade since we last heard new Blur
material, but after years of on-again / off-again reunion concerts, the band
finally gave us new music. The happy accident that is The Magic Whip hears a
band that has no desire to repeat the past but only embrace the future and
whatever the future may hold for Blur, this combination of four British men is
something that we can always treasure and count on to give us something
special. No matter how long we have to wait.
FINAL GRADE: A
Alabama Shakes – Sound and Color
There is a lot riding on a band that had such a successful
debut, especially when that debut propelled you into the stratosphere as one of
the best new acts in the world. Now, after touring and soul searching, Alabama
Shakes found a way outdo themselves with their sophomore record, Sound and
Color. The record is a deeper exploration into blues and paired with Brittney
Howard’s incredible vocals and personal lyrics, they have proven they are not
just a buzz band but the real deal.
FINAL GRADE: A
The Mountain Goats – Beat the Champ
A concept record about wrestling by The Mountain Goats,
seriously, what is not to love?
FINAL GRADE: B+
Raekwon – Fly International Luxurious Art (F.I.L.A.)
For his sixth solo album, Wu-Tang’s Raekwon combines his
old-school tactics and a new school agenda with F.I.L.A. This much anticipated
record features Ghostface, Busta Rhymes, French Montana, A$AP Rocky, 2 Chainz,
Snoop Dogg, Estelle, among others to showcase his hunger for more and show off
what he already has.
FINAL GRADE: B+
The Very Best – Makes A King
The British / African connection returns with their sixth
album and The Very Best still find the perfect balance of taking us around the
world without leaving our speakers but also making us want to dance in place.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Built to Spill – Untehered Moon
The eighth record from Idaho’s finest rockers doesn’t hear
them shift gears too much but does hear them showing that they still got it.
FINAL GRADE: B
Wire
Still pissed off as ever, the British post-punk legends
return with their 14th album and while it is far from Pink Flag, the
fact that they are one of the few bands from their era that are still making
music and making it their way is impressive.
FINAL GRADE: B
The Wombats – Glitterbug
The Wombats have grown up and while their debut featured
clever lyrics and catchy tunes, they failed to capitalize on that with their
sophomore LP. Now, back for their third record, the band is finding ways to
figure out how to sustain the acclaim they had with their debut and learn from
the mistakes from their sophomore effort and move on. Glitterbug is a
dance-rock album that makes you think and makes you appreciate Matthew Murphy’s
wit and charm.
The L.A. folk heroes return with their sophomore album and
with it they bring their signature sound that fans have embraced since their
early days but with a polished atmosphere behind them.
FINAL GRADE: B
Rocky Votolato – Hospital Handshakes
Being a singer / songwriter everything you do and sing about
is going to be personal and intimate, for cult favorite Rocky Votolato, that
hasn’t changed but the fact he can get deeper within himself, now, that is an
accomplishment. Hospital Handshakes is a heartbreaking and brave album that
hears the Texas singer bare his soul and a bit more.
FINAL GRADE: B
Square Pusher – Damogen Furies
One of EDM’s pioneers returns with his 14th album
and brings his own technical fury of sound, speaker punishment and force with
him.
FINAL GRADE: B
Passion Pit – Kindred
The Massachusets synthpop giants return with their third
record and while nothing changes sonically they still manage to give us
something to dance about.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Crocodiles – Boys
The lo-fi / new wave favorites return with their fifth album
and while they still stick to their script, they still give us a taste of the
dirty New York that we are losing thanks to gentrification.
FINAL GRADE: B-
John Ashton –
Satellite Paradiso
Former Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton brings with
him an array of friends and musical icons from X-Ray Spex, Gang of Four, Killing
Joke, B-52’s, and many more for a record of sonically skillful rock and roll
and polished production.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Death – N.E.W.
The brand new album from proto-punk icons Death is the
Hackney fraternity sticking to the same script they created in the early 70’s
but updating it for 2015. N.E.W. is a record from the band since their initial
split nearly 40 years ago and without founding member, brother, and songwriter
David Hackney, who passed away 15 years ago. This album is his brothers doing it
alone for the first time and they do a descent job at it.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Toro Y Moi – What For?
The indie rock darling returns with his fifth record and it
is a bit uneven. It tries to be R&B it tries to be disco it also tries to
be shoegaze and lo-fi rock but never tries to be himself.
Watch Florence & The Machine play their fantastic new single, "Ship to Wreck" on Later...With Jools Holland. Also, note the cast on Ms. Florence's foot that she broke during her first weekend at Coachella.
At a recent concert, Nas confirmed that his new album will arrive this summer. No date and no other details were given.
In an interview with BBC, Deftones' Chino Moreno confirmed that his band's new album will arrive on September 25. No further details were given.
According to Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath will embark on their final tour and release their final album next year. Ozzy told Metal Hammer, "The plan is that next year we'll do the final Black Sabbath tour and album. I'm not stopping... my wife spends all my money so I can't."
Chic will release their first album in 23 years this summer and while details have been sparse, Billboard reports that Elton John and Janelle Monae will appear on the LP.
In an interview with VLADTV De La Soul spoke about why they did a Kickstarter campaign to fund their upcoming album. Dave said, "We’re not gonna be on [an independent label like] Koch or a major. We don’t want to do that anymore. That’s slavery. So in order to get this completed – partly we funded ourselves, and we have a team, a group of people, a following, and a fan base who believe in what we do. And don’t want nothing in return except the music.”
Gin Wigmore will release her new album, Blood to Bone, in June. Take a look at the cover, below:
As Blur will release, The Magic Whip, their first album in over a decade, tomorrow, we celebrate the influential Britpop icons return with VINTAGE CLIPS of the band playing Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Show with David Letterman through the years.
In 2012, Swedish hardcore icons Refused reunited for a series of concerts around North America and Europe, when the year closed it seemed so did the band. Then, earlier this year it was confirmed that Refused are not fucking dead and were recording new music.
Now, for the first time in 17 years, the world will get a new Refused album. The record is called Freedom and will arrive in July.
Take a look at the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below, and watch their new video for the first single, "Elektra."
01 Elektra
02 Old Friends / New War
03 Dawkins Christ
04 Françafrique
05 Thought Is Blood
06 War on the Palaces
07 Destroy the Man
08 366
09 Servants of Death
10 Useless Europeans
British garage rockers Frankie & The Heartstrings will release their third album, Decency, in July.
Take a look at the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below, and hear the first single "Save it For Tonight."
'Peterborough Dogs'
'Decency'
'Think Yourself Lucky'
'Save It For Tonight'
'Money'
'Hate Me Like You Used To'
'Berlin Calls'
'Balconette'
'Someday Anna'
'Just Not In Love'
'Not For Pleasure'
'Knife In My Back'
Two years ago, the hip-hop supergroup known as Czarface which features 7L, Esoteric and Wu-Tang's Inspectah Deck released their fantastic debut. Now, in June they will return with their comic book superhero inspired sophomore record called Every Hero Needs A Villain.
Take a look at the fantastic cover art, above, and the tracklisting as well as the album trailer, below:
1.) Don The Armor
2.) Czartacus
3.) Lumberjack Match
4.) Nightcrawler f. Method Man
5.) World Premier f. Large Professor
6.) The Great (Czar Guitar)
7.) Red Alert
8.) Junkyard Dogs f. Juju (of The Beatnuts)
9.) Sgt. Slaughter
10.) When Gods Go Mad f. GZA
11.) Ka-Bang! f. MF Doom
12.) Deadly Class f. Meyhem Lauren
13.) Escape From Czarkham Asylum
14.) Sinister
15.) Good Villains Go Last f. RA The Rugged Man
One of the most anticipated tours of the summer is Deftones / Incubus' co-headlining outing with Death from Above 1979. There is another duo on the bill that may be young but have proven to be worthy of touring with such modern rock icons. That band is California duo, The Bots, who released their debut, Pink Palms, last year and have been turning heads wherever they go. From Zane Lowe to The Guardian to Seth Meyers, to Walking Dead's Norman Reedus requesting to direct their latest video, The Bots are poised to be one of rocks next big acts. We spoke to the members, Anaiah and Mikaiah Lei about coming of age, their music and the buzz around them. Take a look at our interview below:
In recent years we have seen so many duos emerge, (bands
like The White Stripes, Black Keys, Death from Above 1979, Royal Blood) how do
you try to differ from the rest?
Mikaiah: I love The Whites Stripes before I even got into
Death From Above. They are two two-piece bands that sound nothing alike but
have a lot in common that's how I view what we are doing.
Anaiah: As they have all managed to differ from one another,
we're doing the same. We are doing what we wanna do, just like The White Stripes
did what they wanted to do. And I respect and acknowledge them for that.
You are living your rock and roll dreams at a young age. How
is it dealing with all of the new exposure?
M: I do feel like we are living our dreams but I don't allow
myself to feed into the press or media stuff. Ignorance is bliss.
A: We've worked very hard to get where we are and we still
have a long way to go. Very blessed to have the exposure that we do have. ♡
Who came up with the idea to call yourselves The Bots?
M: I did I high school with 2 other friends at the time.
Nothing else to it haha
Hailing from California, how much has the Golden State
influenced your work?
M: I've has influenced much of my work, I don't really think
about where I live I just love there. I influenced by life and other
experiences.
A: Well Los Angeles is home, you could always find
inspiration from home. Even if you don't believe so, it's possible to.
When you are not playing and recording, what do you do for
fun?
M: I live a very boring humdrum life, I wake up around 7:00
7:30 every morning stretch, meditate, exercise and I play music throughout the
day. It's my only hobby but I don't get bored because I play multiple instruments.
If I find myself tired of playing guitar I can play keys, after keys I move
onto drums, drums to the bass, bass to ukulele the list goes on.
A: I enjoy filming skateboarding. And making skateboard
edits. And making obscure instrumentals.
Do you still feel you are living normal teen lives?
M: I've been a young adult for a min now so it's hard to
answer that question, my teenage year were very different from others I went to
school with. I felt like an outcast although I had friends.
A: Well considering Mikaiah is 21 going on 22, and I'm sadly
exiting my teen years shortly. I feel like I'm just living a youthful life. I
get into shenanigans and all that. A normal teenage life that I'm aware of is
stuck in technology. Which I try not to be.
So many young bands have been coming through the ranks in
recent years as well (artists like Unlocking the Truth, Radkey, Jake Bugg).
What is it about the new class that inspires you to craft rock and roll?
M: I don't feel inspired by the new class, I try not to pay
to much attention to what's happening around me, although I am conscious of it
I just don't involve myself in the new music as much as I could. It's nothing
against new artist that are coming up, I just focus on myself and what I am
working at first.
A: There's finally a surge of bands coming up that aren't
starting in their late 20s. Age should never play a factor in the music. We
make music because we want to make music. It's our passion we thrive and excel
from it.
In an era when not many American bands are coming of age
like you guys, who are your biggest inspirations for wanting to do this?
M: I looked to Bob Marley, Nirvana, bunch of oldies groups.
Our parents have inspired us in a sense but I feel as if it's something I've
always wanted and I've been very lucky enough u work at it.
A: Well we've always wanted to do music, ever since we were
very young kids. The White Stripes was in fact a massive influence on us
though!
From Seth Meyers to The Guardian, you are being discussed
all over the world. What is it like?
A: It feels truly wonderful to be recognized as artists
around the world. It really is a strange feeling but just feels so good.
How did you end up landing Norman Reedus in your latest
music video? What was that experience like?
M: He wanted to make a music video for us and we went with
it. He was lovely, super funny and charming easy to work with. Nothing negative
to say about him.
A: He hit us up to do the video. It was awesome getting to
work with him. He was very spontaneous and knew almost exactly what he wanted!
After releasing Pink Palms last year, things became such a
whirlwind for you. What is next for the band?
M: Things feel the same but I've notice more people taking a
liking to us which is awesome. We will be playing more shows and tour the album
still. And in the future another album to come
A: We're writing a new album at the moment,
and we'll be touring more! Very excited about what the future.
DJ Premier will serve as Executive Producer and will craft the score for the upcoming VH1 film, The Breaks, which is based off the book The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop. The film will be set in hip-hop's glory days of the early 90's and will take a look into the music business and how the genre was marketed then. The series is being written, directed, and produced by The Wire writer Seith Mann. It will air on the network in the fall.
Billboard is reporting that The Replacements will return to the studio to work on new music once their summer tour ends. The magazine is also reporting that Rhino will release box sets of 1981's Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, 1982's Stink, 1983's Hootenanny, and 1984's Let It Be and their major label releases 1985's Tim, 1987's Pleased to Meet Me, 1989's Don't Tell a Soul and 1990's All Shook Down which will arrive later this year. A documentary on the band is also in the works.
Danny Brown recently did a Twitter Q&A and was asked if his new record was finished. Brown replied, "Almost, I took a break from it cause I'm so ahead of schedule with it knowing it ain't coming out no time soon."
Moby is set to open a vegan restaurant in LA called Little Pine this summer. The restaurant will initially serve dinner on weekdays and brunch on weekends.
Frank Ocean has legally changed his name to Frank Ocean. Ocean was born Christopher Edwin Breaux and altered it to his stage name with the approval of a California judge this week.
Watch Elvis Costello perform a medley of "When I Write the Book" and "Everyday I Write the Book" for his final appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.
The Chemical Brothers will release their first album in five years, Born in Echoes, in July.
Take a look at the cover, above, and the star-studded tracklisting below, and hear the first single "Sometimes I Feel So Deserted."
01 Sometimes I Feel So Deserted
02 Go [ft. Q-Tip]
03 Under Neon Lights [ft. St. Vincent]
04 EML Ritual [ft. Ali Love]
05 I’ll See You There
06 Just Bang
07 Reflexion
08 Taste Of Honey
09 Born In The Echoes [ft. Cate Le Bon]
10 Radiate
11 Wide Open [ft. Beck]
Faith No More are returning this summer with a new LP, Sol Invictus, in May. After that happens they will reissue their classic records 1989's The Real Thing and 1992's Angel Dust as remastered vinyl albums and CD's with bonus cuts. Each release comes out in June.
Carl Barat has told NME that his latest band, The Jackals is on hold until The Libertines finish their new album. The band released their debut, Let It Reign, earlier this year. Barat said, "It's dawned on the band that we're at the sunset of this [album] cycle now. We've been in the trenches together, but now they're going to knuckle down and figure out what it is they've got to say and what I can bring to it. As much as I prize this thing with The Jackals, and doing the hard work touring on a shoestring, with The Libertines we've done all that and more. It's been a tumultuous ride. When I'm back in a room with those boys, that's all that exists. We have history, and songs that we can just lie back and fall into. If I lie back in this band I'll just fall into the drumkit."
Elbow frontman Guy Garvy has launched a new record label called Snug Platters.
Also speaking to NME was Samuel Fryer of Palma Violets who spoke about the lyrics on the band's upcoming album, Danger in the Club. He said that the lyrics are, "kind of about paranoia and getting old, and watching other people". Explaining the lyric "Don't destruct my menopause" from 'Gout! Gang! Go!', which was written "in the dressing room in Amsterdam", co-frontman Chilli Jesson jokingly claimed that it "relates to our mothers' menopauses", adding "I'm sure lots of people can relate to it... I wouldn't read too much into [that]. But you know what? [It is] probably the most profound lyrics we've ever written."
All of John Lennon's solo album will be released as a vinyl box set this June. Each album will be remastered and will come with digital files and postcards.
Before they were Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Green Day had humble roots like most bands before they were rock stars. Footage of the band playing Pinole Valley High School in 1990, the school Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt attended, has surfaced online. The footage was loaded in 2013, but only now has been circulating. At the time, the band only had 39/Smooth out on Lookout! Records. Take a look at the performance!
In 1972, Jimmy Cliff graced the silver screen in The Harder They Come. Just as important as his role in the film was the movie's soundtrack and how it helped bring reggae music to the United States that was outside of Bob Marley. Marley and The Wailers had helped put reggae music in the world's ear but the soundtrack to The Harder They Come helped sustain it. The film not only made a star out of Cliff as an actor, it also put him on the musical map.
Featuring original songs from Cliff, Scotty, The Slickers, The Maytals, Desmond Dekker, and The Melodians, The Harder They Come showed that Jamaica was an island of talented artists and musicians. While this is a soundtrack, it served as a compilation of what they world was missing.
We have all been to that one gig that has changed their lives. Whether that gig was in a small club or stadium, it had an impact on us in attendance. But, what if there was one gig that changed the course of music forever? On Friday June 4, 1976, The Sex Pistols played Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England. The punk band's set was so blistering and inspiring that those in attendance started bands. Those in the crowd were the likes The Fall's Mark E. Smith; Joy Division's Peter Hook, Bernie Sumner, and Ian Curtis; Morrissey; Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley of The Buzzcocks. In the wake of that gig, the friends who entered that show left forming bands or looked to join a band.
In 2006, author David Nolan wrote about the impact of that concert and how it changed the music world forever with I Swear I Was There. In essence, that concert ushered in the post-punk movement which was spearheaded by The Smiths and Joy Division. The book chronicles the back story of how the show was put on and it's lasting impact and why it remains the most important concert of all time.
Saul Williams will release his new album, MartyrLoserKing in July.
Vampire Weekend's Chris Baio will release his debut album this summer under the name Baio. In a press release he says it is "Bowie and Ferry-influenced pop songs and dumbsmart arena techno."
Teenage Time Killers, the super group featuring Dave Grohl, Slipknot's Corey Taylor, former Queens of the Stone Age member Nick Oliveri, and Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio and currently Blink-182 will release their debut album, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 in July. The album will also feature Pat Smear, Jello Biafra from The Dead Kennedys, Randy Blythe from Lamb of God, Tommy Victor from Prong and Danzig, Lee Ving from Fear and Mike 'IX' Williams from Eyehategod.
After over a decade, Blackalicious will return in August with Imani, Vol. 1. Take a look at the cover, below:
The Orb have been doing great collaboration work in recent years with Lee "Scratch" Perry but now the DJ / producing duo are going back to their roots with Moonbuilding 2730 AD, which will arrive this summer.
The album features four songs and the vinyl deluxe will feature seven, including a J Dilla tribute. Take a look at the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below:
On Friday, Twin Shadow was involved in a bus crash in Colorado that has left the driver and drummer Andy Bauer in the hospital with critical injuries. Twin Shadow himself, George Lewis, needs reconstructive hand surgery that he will undergo this week. At this point, all dates have been cancelled and an investigation into the crash in currently underway. We wish them a speedy and full recovery.
For the first time since 1982, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman will release a solo album. The record, Back to Basics, will come later this year. Take a look at the tracklisting below:
'What & If & When & Why'
'I Lost My Ring'
'Love, Love, Love'
'Stuff (Can't Get Enough)'
'Running Back To You'
'She's Wonderful'
'Seventeen'
'I'll Pull You Through'
'November'
'Just A Friend Of Mine'
'It's A Lovely Day'
'I Got Time'
‘Exciting'
Sad news to report, Surfer Blood guitarist Thom Fekete has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. The band posted on Facebook: "Thomas has been playing guitar in Surfer Blood for nearly 6 years, but
since December has been sidelined by treatment for cancer. We miss him
everyday on the road but we know he is incredibly strong and we have
faith in him, and in his doctors. We hope you can help with a donation
of any size, and help spread the word by sharing on social media. Thank
you so much for the support!" To help Thom, please visit the GoFundMe Page HERE!
The Daily Mirror reported over the weekend that Liam and Noel Gallagher have reached a "gentleman's agreement" to reform Oasis. NME has reached out to Liam for comment and was met with a "no comment" response. The Mirror reported, "It's early days in terms of the details, but Noel and Liam are back on good terms and ready to give things another go. Nothing is signed but it's what you might call a gentlemen's agreement between them. Ultimately they’re family and whatever has gone on before can be sorted out – they're very close beneath all the bluster."Noel has denied he would reform the band over recent months, no new comment has been made about the rumors.
This was a big week for our 2014 Best New Artist - Royal Blood. The band performed "Figure It Out" on Conan and the night before Metallica's Lars Ulrich joined the band to play "Out of the Black." Watch Conan above, and their San Fransisco gig with Ulrich, below:
Earlier this year, Italian Disco pioneer and producing icon Giorgio Moroder announced he was going to put out a new LP this year. Then, as songs arrived and the possible album title, 74 is the New 24, came out, it all was coming together.
Today, Moroder confirmed that the record will arrive in June and is called Deja-Vu. Take a look at the cover, above, and the star-studded tracklisting, below:
Band of Horses' Ben Bridwell is teaming up with Iron & Wine for a covers album called Sing Into My Mouth. The duo made their TV debut together on Letterman last night and performed Unicorn's "No Way Out Of Here."
Last year, British shoegazers Ride announced they they were reforming and hitting the road. Earlier this month, the band performed their first concert in 20 years in Oxford, England, and then went to play at Coachella this past weekend. Their Coachella performance would mark the first time the band has been to the U.S. in over 20 years and they received the acclaim they would be hoping for when they returned to the stage. The band, who are lead by Andy Bell, who would later go on to play in Oasis and Beady Eye, spoke to us about Ride's reunion, his time with the Gallagher brothers and their bands. Before the band returns to Indio for Coachella weekend No.2, take a look at our interview below:
Late last year, you and the members of Ride shocked the music world with
the announcement of your reunion. What prompted everyone coming back together?
Good timing! ...and the fact we wanted to play together
again.
Is a new Ride album in the works?
No. We are just concentrating on the tour for now.
How have the rehearsals been?
Rehearsals have been getting better and better. The magic of
the band has not gone away in these 20 years. The gigs are going to be great.
What is the mood in the band now, are you nervous to hit the stage
again?
We are all starting to get excited for the shows, the first
ones are just around the corner now
You left a massive impression with Oasis fans with your
songwriting and bass lines. What is your fondest memory of being in that band?
I loved every minute of being in Oasis. I count myself very
lucky and had the greatest time, both in Oasis and Beady Eye.
Aside from working with bands, you also DJ. What is it
about DJing that excites you?
I just like playing music I like really loud over a good
system.
As a
songwriter, musician, and producer, have you ever flirted with the idea of
releasing your own solo record?
Yes and this will happen in the next 5 years.
It has been
revealed that you suffer from deafness in your left ear. Does that ever hinder
your work or like Beethoven, you just keep crafting with what you feel?
I just have some damage to the top end in the left side. At
the moment it's fine but when I get older it will cause me to go deaf sooner.
Following
the Ride tour, what is next for you?
Alongside the Ride tour I am also working on music as
Psychedelic Machine (on soundcloud) and also I score music for TV / Films.
Will
Hurricane #1 ever get back together?
Hurricane #1 have reunited already, Alex has put a new line
up together with my blessing. They are playing shows this week I think. I wish
them the best of luck.
With your busy schedule and projects, what is the one
thing you would still love to get around to do that you haven’t had a chance
to?
I would love to travel all the places in the world that
bands never go to.
While MONA has been quiet for sometime, singer Nick Brown has now started another band called Talker. No word on a release of a record but apparently the band are working on tunes and it also features Brown's brother, Adam Mark Brown.
Florence & The Machine have been forced to alter tour plans after Florence broke her foot at this weekend's Coachella performance. She posted on Facebook: "Hi everyone, I'm so sorry to say, that after what was one of my favourite shows ever at Coachella, I have discovered I have broken my foot from leaping off the stage. Unfortunately while this heals, my performances will have to be somewhat stripped back. I'm so sorry, I'm pretty devastated, but I still want to do the shows. I understand this is not what you were expecting, but I hope its just as enjoyable. I'm going to try and make it super special for you. By the time Glastonbury rolls around I should be back on my feet. This album was so much about making something from what was broken, so lets see what we can do with this. All my love, Florence."
Speaking to Noisy, Julian Casablancas has confirmed that The Strokes are working on new material. He said, "It’s the first time we’ve been exclusively writing since 'Comedown Machine.' We’re planning on recording stuff. I still think we could do cool things and I’ll do that."
Anthony Ranieri of Bayside has confirmed that he will release a solo album in June.
On the same day Brand New released their new song, "Mene," YouTube user Ira Brian Miller uploaded a great quality video of the band doing the song at Coachella. Take a look!
This June, Beach Boy Brian Wilson's story will come to life via Paul Dano and John Cusack who will play the legend in Love and Mercy. The film also stars Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti, who is in another music biopic this summer about another influential California band, NWA, in Straight Outta Compton. Take a look at the trailer.
John Legend has launched an attempt to end mass incarceration called Free America. On Thursday, the Oscar winning singer will perform inside an Austin correctional facility and take part in a press conference with Texas legislators to discuss the state's justice system. Speaking to the Associated Press, Legend said, "We have a serious problem with incarceration in this country. It's destroying families, it's destroying communities and we're the most incarcerated country in the world, and when you look deeper and look at the reasons we got to this place, we as a society made some choices politically and legislatively, culturally to deal with poverty, deal with mental illness in a certain way and that way usually involves using incarceration."
According to Britain's Official Charts Company, Arctic MonkeysAM has been named as the best selling vinyl album of the decade. It was also revealed that Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds' latest, Chasing Yesterday, is the best selling vinyl of the year thus far.
Taking to Twitter, Kid Cudi announced that his new album will be called Speedin' Bullet to Heaven. No release has been set, but it is reported that Travis Barker is involved on the album.
Patti Smith will release her sequel to her best selling Just Kids, called M Train in October. The book chronicles the iconic singer's life in modern New York and her muses. Take a look at the cover below:
Tyler, The Creator's new surprise album, Cherry Bomb, is now streaming on Spotify and is on iTunes. A physical release will be set on April 28 and comes in five different covers. Take a look:
Watch Tyler, The Creator's full Coachella performance where he debuted new songs from his upcoming LP, Cherry Bomb. Before he took the stage, he released the tracklisting to the album that is arriving on Tuesday. Take a look at the list, below, and the set, above.
01 Deathcamp 02 Buffalo 03 Pilot 04 Run 05 Find Your Wings 06 Cherry Bomb 07 Blowmyload 08 2Seater 09 The Brownstains 10 Fucking Young 11 Smuckers 12 Keep Da O's 13 Okaga, CA
Drake will headline Coachella for the first time on Sunday, but last night Lykke Li covered the Toronto rapper / singer's massive hit "Hold On, We Are Going Home," during her set at the festival. YouTube user KUYAxZEE loaded the footage. Take a look!
Last week, director John Singleton announced that his Tupac biopic was put on hold. Now, the studio is going forth with a different director and Singleton has left the film, but plans to make his own picture. He told Stereogum, "To Pac's real fans just know I am still planning a movie on Tupac … It doesn't matter what they do mines [sic] will be better… Tupac was much more than a hip hop artist … He was a black man guided by his passions… Of most importance was his love of black people and culture … Something the people involved in this movie know nothing about… Real talk! How you gonna make a movie about a man when you suing his mother to get the rights to tell his story?! They have no true love 4 Pac so this movie will not be made with love! And that’s why my ass isn't involved ! If Tupac knew what was going on he’d ride on all these fools and take it to the streets… But I won't do that… I’ll just make my own project. What Yall think about that?!!"
Idris Elba has confirmed that he is planning on making an album based on his TV series character, Luther. Idris, who released Mi Mandela, last year, a record he made inspired by his work as Nelson Mandela in the great South African leader's biopic, will do something similar with Luther. In an interview with NME last year, Elba also teased the idea of releasing a Stinger Bell concept record, an album based on his character from The Wire.
Black Sabbath have officially cancelled what was supposed to be their last concert later this year in Japan. No reason has been given for the cancellation.
Odd Future leader Tyler, The Creator will release his new album, Cherry Bomb, next week. Take a look at the cover, below:
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has declared tomorrow, April 9, Riot Grrrl Day. Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna will speak at the city tomorrow and will be presented with a proclamation that reads: The riot grrrl philosophy has never felt more relevant, with misogyny still rampant in many cultural spaces... Riot grrrls redefine the language used against them and continue to fight the newest incarnations of patriarchy. In doing so, they ironically confirm one ex-congressman’s accidental wisdom: 'the female body has ways to try to shut that down.' It sure does: women's voices telling their stories can shut that down."
Graham Coxon of Blur spoke to NME about the band's upcoming album, The Magic Whip, where he said, "We didn't have our full arsenal in the studio – I had a Stratocaster I was playing that had just been built for me, so my guitar sounds on this album are very, very different. [Recording engineer] Steve Sedgwick was mic-ing the drums up pretty well, but we were quite casual about the sound. We purposefully put ourselves in quite a tight corner so we could hear each other; so we could shout over, 'Play this chord,' or 'Play that chord,' or just 'Do what you like!' We wanted to work quickly, intensely, with no technological failings holding us up."
Also speaking to NME, was the director of the upcoming Kurt Cobain documentary, Montage of Heck. Director Brett Morgan discussed his research on Cobain and said, "I found his actual suicide letter, which was unexpected. I just opened up this heart shaped box and there it was. And I was like 'Based on everything I've witnessed, this makes no sense.' Kurt didn't have a problem with quitting music; he talked about it openly. If he wanted to stop performing, he would just stop. Nothing was leading up to that suicide letter. It was ultimately about his search for family," Morgan continued. "He didn't feel like he had a family, but he desperately wanted one. So the second that Nirvana broke he asked Courtney to have a child. You're 25 years old, you're the biggest rock star in the world – having a baby isn't a very common reaction, you know?"
Also speaking about Montage of Heck is one of the Executive Producers of the film, Cobain's daughter Francis Bean, who spoke to Rolling Stone for the first time about her dad and Nirvana. She admitted, "I don't really like Nirvana that much. Sorry, promotional people, Universal. I'm more into Mercury Rev, Oasis, Brian Jonestown Massacre. The grunge scene is not what I'm interested in." She then said that the Nirvana track, "'Territorial Pissings' is a fucking great song." Francis did also discuss one time when the remaining members of Nirvana paid her a visit. She said, "Dave [Grohl], Krist [Novoselic] and Pat [Smear] came over to a house where I was living. It was the first time [they] had been together in a long time. And they had what I call the 'K C Jeebies,' which is when they see me, they see Kurt. They look at me, and you can see they're looking at a ghost. They were all getting the K C Jeebies hardcore. Dave said, "She is so much like Kurt."... But I was glad they came over. It was a cool experience, like having a Nirvana reunion minus one. Except for his spawn."
On To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar name checked Killer Mike on the track "Hood Politics," and said, "Critics want to mention that they miss when hip hop was rappin’/Motherfucker, if you did, then Killer Mike’d be platinum.” Now, Killer Mike is responding to it in an interview with MTV. He said, "I felt like when a professional ball player compliments another professional ball player. That is a compliment no one can truly understand how dope that is, unless you’re a ball player. For me, it was an honor. I didn’t know he listened to me. I suspected maybe he did. I’m glad it was confirmed in such a huge way. I just want to thank him. I just like what they’re doing. I just like him.”
In June, Florence & The Machine will release their third album, How Big How Blue How Beautiful. Take a look at the cover, below:
This fall, PBS and BBC Arena will present a four-part documentary series called American Epic, which will be produced by Jack White, Robert Redford & T Bone Burnett. The series, directed by Bernard MacMahon, follows early A&R reps from labels as they scout out talent from the 1920's on and record musicians crafting demos to what would become gospel, rock, R&B, blues and folk.
The series also features Beck, Nas, Alabama Shakes, Merle Haggard, Elton John, Taj Mahal, Willie
Nelson, Raphael Saadiq, the Avett Brothers, Los Lobos, Bettye LaVette,
Steve Martin & Edie Brickell, and of course, Jack White, as they will perform the songs that were recorded.
Pop sensation MIKA will release his fourth album, No Place in Heaven via Republic Records in June.
Take a look at the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below:
1 Talk About You
2 All She Wants
3 Last Party
4 Good Guys
5 Oh Girl, you’re the devil
6 No Place In Heaven
7 Staring At The Sun
8 Hurts
9 Good Wife
10 Rio
11 Ordinary Man
Frank Ocean has confirmed that his new album, Boys Don't Cry, will be out sometime in July.
Speaking to Interview magazine, Mark Ronson has confirmed that he is a producer on Lana Del Rey's third album. While no other details were given about the LP, Ronson said, "I'm going to do some recording with Lana Del Rey today and tomorrow. I found this cool old studio out here [in Los Angeles]." She has some songs and I said I had some demo ideas, and if they are any good, then maybe she'll like them and we'll go from there."
Czarface, the hip-hop collective featuring 7L, Esoteric & Inspectah Deck will release their sophomore album, Every Hero Needs a Villain, this summer.
They say a rolling stone gathers no moss, it seems to be true for the legend that is Mick Jagger as he tells Rolling Stone that he has no intention of retiring. The Rolling Stones frontman said, ""Nah, not in the moment. I'm thinking about what the next tour is. I'm not thinking about retirement. I'm planning the next set of tours, so the answer is really, 'No, not really.'"
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin will release their new album, The High Country, on June 2.
Also speaking to Rolling Stone, Jamie xx opened up about going solo with his solo debut, In Colour. The xx member and producer said, "Before the first xx record, I pretty much exclusively listened to electronica. Now, I listen to anything. I think the most inspiring thing is just learning more about more and more different kinds of music and becoming a fan of so many different types and so many different genres." Jamie, who has also worked with the late Gil Scott-Heron before his death, said that there is a tremendous amount of pressure on his shoulders releasing this solo album. He said, "I've never released something where I have all the weight on my shoulders."
The Antlers will release a live album, The Antlers Live in London, in June.
