Best New Tracks
- Cymbals Eat Guitars: "Tunguska"
- Polvo: "Beggar's Bowl"
- Ganglians: "Valiant Brave"
- Discovery: "So Insane"
- Tiny Vipers: "Dreamer"
- Das Racist: "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell (Wallpaper. Remix)"
- DJ Kaos: "Love the Nite Away (Tiedye Mix)"
- YACHT: "Psychic City (Voodoo City)"
- Jay Reatard: "It Ain't Gonna Save Me"
- Mastodon: "Divinations"
Friday, June 26
Reznor Reveals Rejected Timbaland Remix
Calls Tim's "Hand That Feeds" mix "laughably terrible"
Trent Reznor hasn't been shy about declaring his disdain for Chris Cornell's recent Timbaland-produced dance-pop experiment Scream. But in a new interview with Sound Opinions, the radio show/podcast from Chicago-based rock writers Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot, Reznor went a little deeper.
Stars' Amy Millan Preps Second Solo LP
Features Feist guest appearance, Death Cab cover
Back in 2006, Stars singer Amy Millan released Honey From the Tombs, an album of statuesque Emmylou Harris-like alt-country that felt a million miles removed from the epic new wave of her other band.
On September 8, Arts & Crafts will release Masters of the Burial, Millan's second solo album. Millan recorded the album in rural Ontario with Broken Social Scene producer/sound engineer Martin Davis Kinack and features guest appearances from Feist, Evan Cranley of Stars, and others.
The tracklist contains a cover of Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into the Dark". Millan previously covered "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" on a 2007 KCRW EP; however, it has been re-recorded for the album.
We've got the tracklist and album cover below.
On July 25, Millan will play a free show at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre, and she'll tour this fall.
Blur Reunion Live Album on the Way
The Blur reunion tour is set to bring all the hits to London's Hyde Park July 2 and 3. And now you'll have a little more than some YouTube video to remember those shows.
The band is set to professionally record both gigs and sell the results via limited edition double CD and MP3. (Everyone who orders the CD will also get the download.) So if you scream really loudly during, say, "Tender", you could be immortalized in Blur history for eternity. The CDs will also come with photos from the show.
The release will only be available online, and you can pre-order it now.
Posted by Ryan Dombal on June 26, 2009 at 2:15 p.m.
New Release: The Postmarks: Memoirs at the End of the World
Artist: The Postmarks
Album: Memoirs at the End of the World
Release Date: August 25
Label: Unfiltered
MGMT to Open for Paul McCartney
Talking to the UK blogger Zoe Griffin earlier this month, Sir Paul McCartney had some nice things to say about Brooklyn synth-hippies MGMT: "I like MGMT. I'd like to work on some more dancey stuff with MGMT. But it has to happen organically ... We need to talk about it. I can't call them. If they called me, I'd say, 'How did you get my number?' But I'd do it."
Well, there's still no word on the McCartney/MGMT duet we all want to hear. ("The Shroom Is Mine"? "Neon Facepaint and Ivory"?) But MGMT won't necessarily need McCartney's phone number to talk to him. They can just holler at him backstage when they open for the man in Boston.
That's right: MGMT will open two shows for Macca, August 5-6 at Boston's Fenway Park.
Guess McCartney really does like those crazy kids, huh?
Posted by Tom Breihan on June 26, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.
Tags: Collaboration, MGMT, Paul McCartney
Echo Chamber: Black Francis
"The band needs to work with a film director, Quentin Tarantino or someone like that. It'd be like, 'Make some music for our film; you guys be the sound of the film'. Spread the word about the idea 'cos I think it's gonna work."
-- Black Francis wants the Pixies to be the new RZA. (via NME)
Posted by Tom Breihan on June 26, 2009 at 1:20 p.m.
Tags: Black Francis, Echo Chamber, Pixies
Download a New Fleet Foxes Song
Robin Pecknold takes to the BBC airwaves to perform new track "Blue Spotted Tail".
Homepage photo by Kathryn Yu
Fleet Foxes played Glastonbury's famed Pyramid Stage today, but before that, lead singer Robin Pecknold played a solo acoustic version of new song "Blue Spotted Tail" for the BBC. It's a haunting, Neil Young-style track that shouldn't disappoint fans of the year-end kings. Download here:
MP3:> Fleet Foxes: "Blue Spotted Tail" (Live on BBC 6 Music)
Posted by Ryan Dombal on June 26, 2009 at 1:15 p.m.
Tags: Audio, Fleet Foxes
Michael Jackson News and Reactions
Updates, remembrances, and more.
Michael Jackson's death continues to dominate the headlines, as the world struggles to come to terms with the loss of the King of Pop. Yesterday evening, we collected some thoughts from the artistic community. This morning, our managing editor Mark Richardson offered a tribute to Jackson's incomparable life and legacy. We've also compiled a selection of Jackson music and video highlights.
Here's a roundup of more notable news and reactions from around the web:
Islands' Nick Diamonds Spills About Vapours, His New Album
New album, new lineup, new sound.
Photo by Aliya Naumoff
Indie rock exhibitionist and Islands mastermind Nick Thorburn (aka Nick Diamonds) is a restless fellow. From the Unicorns to Th' Corn Gangg to Human Highway to Islands, the 27-year-old singer has cycled through bands, band mates, and styles like an ADD-addled whiz kid over the last decade. And the upheaval continues with the third Islands album, Vapours, due out September 22 on Anti-.
Recorded in New York City and produced by Diamonds and Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Trail of Dead), Vapours finds Diamonds reinventing Islands as a synth-y four-piece featuring original member (and fellow former Unicorn) Jamie Thompson, who was M.I.A. on the group's last album, the blown-out Arm's Way.
On a recent rainy Friday, Diamonds called us from his current Brooklyn neighborhood to talk about the record. "I'm actually right across the street from where Biggie grew up in Clinton Hill," he said. "He did not grow up in Bed-Stuy, despite popular belief." More fun facts-- and lots of details about the future of Islands-- after the jump:
Surprise Spoon EP Out Next Week
Stereogum is reporting a nice surprise from Merge: A brand new Spoon EP, coming out this Tuesday! Nice! Three brand new songs from one of the slickest, savviest indie bands working.
There's an Amazon page up for the EP, which seems to be titled Got Nuffin and will be out on CD and download formats. That's the cover above, and the tracklist, per Amazon, is below.
Merge isn't offering any more info at this time.
UPDATE: It's been confirmed.
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