Alternative Rock
Top 25 Albums of 2020 (So Far)
Welcome to our Mid-Year Report. All week long we’ll be sharing the music, movies, and television that have helped us survive a strange and confusing six months. We start today with our Top 25 Albums of 2020 (So Far). It’d be fatuous to pretend that the first six months of 2020 have been like any other. All of us are facing difficult realities: the pain of injustice, the loss of a loved one, or even just the despair of looking out the window and not knowing what tomorrow will bring or when it will come. For the purposes of this list, then, maybe it’s equally foolish to think music impacted us the same way it always does. Then again, perhaps that’s what makes music so integral to our lives: that no matter what the world or our individual lives look like, music has the magical knack of provid...
Bully Announce New Album Sugaregg, Share Chumbawamba-Inspired “Where to Start”: Stream
Last month, Bully released quarantine-style covers of Nirvana and Orville Peck, as well as teased that a forthcoming album was on the way. Today, the CoSigned rock outfit has formally announced their new record: Sugaregg is due out August 21st through Sub Pop. The new LP is Bully’s third overall and follow-up to Losing from 2017. It was mixed with studio veteran John Congleton (St. Vincent, Cloud Nothings) and represents a shift in approach for leader Alicia Bognanno. “There was a change that needed to happen and it happened on this record,” she told Rolling Stone. “Derailing my ego and insecurities allowed me to give these songs the attention they deserved.” Compared to its predecessor, Sugaregg features “more songs about erratic, dysfunctional love in an upbeat way, like, ‘I’m going down...
Deftones Complete Work on New Album, Eye September Release
Deftones have completed work on their highly anticipated new album. Drummer Abe Cunningham says the LP is currently being mastered, with hopes for a September release. Back in February, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Deftones revealed that the album was being produced by Terry Date, who helmed Deftones’ first four LPs, including Around the Fur and White Pony. And in April, Cunningham briefly teased a guitar riff from the new album. While mixing had commenced, singer Chino Moreno said last month that the process was going slowly due to the social distancing between band members and Date. He added that the band had originally planned to release the album this summer, but they would “have to figure out” a new release date. Now, in a new interview with Download TV’s Kylie Olsson, as part...
Ocean Alley on How Eric Andre Inspired “Hot Chicken”
Kyle Meredith With… Ocean Alley Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Ocean Alley guitarist Mitch Galbraith speaks with Kyle Meredith about the Australian band’s new album, Lonely Diamond. The record comes on the heels of their single “Confidence” topping the Triple J Hottest 100, which put some pressure on the group going into this new set. Galbraith discusses the record’s themes of exploration, escapism, and creating a dreamworld, especially using landscapes to paint the lyrical picture. The guitarist also talks about the space cowboy, surf rock vibe they were going for and how Eric Andre inspired the single “Hot Chicken”. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith ...
Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba Gets into Motorcycle Accident, Supports BLM from Hospital Bed
Never doubt the conviction of Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba. On Thursday evening, the singer-songwriter shared a message on Twitter, reporting that he’s recovering from a nasty motorcycle accident earlier this month, complete with a photo from the hospital room. However, that did not stop him from showing his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. “Hi friends on June 6th I was in a motorcycle accident,” Carrabba wrote. “My injuries were severe, but not life threatening. I owe the amazing doctors, nurses and medical team treating me my endless gratitude. I am determined to make a full recovery, but I have surgeries and months of rehab to come.” From there, Carabba pivoted away from himself and to the world at large, adding, “I have not lost sight of the social issues at hand...
R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe Officially Releases “No Time for Love Like Now”: Stream
Back in March, former R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe shared a demo of a new song titled “No Time For Love Like Now”. Made in collaboration with Big Red Machine — aka The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon — the studio version of the song has now been released, complete with a stylish music video. This time around, Stipe is fully immersed in Dessner and Vernon’s soundscapes, giving his vocals a more ethereal quality. There’s depth to the sound now, which isn’t too surprising given that Stipe was literally singing over their recording in the OG demo. While Aaron produced the track, his brother and National bandmate, Bryce Dessner, actually orchestrated it. As for Vernon’s part, he supplied electric guitar, clearly channeling his inner Peter Buck. In an interview w...
Car Seat Headrest on Alternate Personas and Class Divide
Kyle Meredith With… Car Seat Headrest Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Car Seat Headrest mastermind Will Toledo calls in to Kyle Meredith to talk about Making A Door Less Open. Together, they discuss the need to find a style and sound, working with existing samples to create something new, and customizing the vinyl, CD, and streaming editions to be their own unique listening experience. Toledo also discusses the invention of an alternate persona named Trait, how theatrics in rock music has become a lost art form, and the ways new single “Hollywood” speaks to class divide and being an outsider. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a...
New Music Friday: 4 Albums to Stream
Sonic Boom (photo by Ian Witchell), Hinds (photo by Andrea Savall), and Muzz’s Paul Banks (photo by Ben Kaye) Every Friday, Consequence of Sound rounds up some of the week’s noteworthy new album releases into one nifty streaming post. Today, June 5th, brings fresh records from folks like Sonic Boom, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Paul Banks’ indie supergroup Muzz, and Hinds. Sonic Boom – All Things Being Equal <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1023694" data-attachment-id="1023694" data-permalink="https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/04/stream-sonic-boom-the-way-that-you-live-song-video/sonic-boom-the-way-you-live-new-song-stream/" data-orig-file="https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/sonic-boom-the-way-you-live-new-so...
Brandi Carlile and Members of Soundgarden Team Up for Record Store Day 7-Inch
For this year’s Record Store Day, Brandi Carlile has teamed up with remaining Soundgarden members Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, and Matt Cameron to record new versions of “Black Hole Sun” and “Searching with My Good Eye Closed”. This tribute to Soundgarden will be released as a 12-inch on September 26th, which is the second of three separate Record Store Drops this year. In addition to Thayil, Shepherd, and Cameron, Brandi Carlile worked with her frequent collaborators, twins Phil and Tim Hanseroth. The songs were recorded at Seattle’s London Bridge Studio, a legendary place that hosted both Soundgarden and Brandi Carlile early in their careers. As 2020’s official Record Store Ambassador, Carlile has kept up a steady stream of social media posts about the event and her own contribution. Appare...
Fiona Apple Joins Black Lives Matter Protest in Santa Monica
Like thousands across America and even overseas, Fiona Apple took to the streets this past weekend to rail against racism and the murder of unarmed black man George Floyd. On Sunday, Apple figuratively fetched the bolt cutters during a protest in Santa Monica, as SPIN points out. The musician not only yelled out “Black Lives Matter!” alongside fellow demonstrators, but also held up a sign that read, “COPS: DON’T BE WHITE CHAUVINISTS ARREST THE OTHER THREE!!!”. The handwritten message refers to the three Minneapolis police officers also involved in Floyd’s death last week — Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane — who have yet to be arrested and charged. As of right now, only Derek Chauvin, the officer who held his knee down on the throat of a non-resisting Floyd for eight minutes, h...
Switchfoot Cover Frank Ocean, Vampire Weekend, Harry Styles, and More on New EP
In addition to writing new music, artists have been spending plenty of their quarantine time covering songs they hold dear. We’ve seen James Blake take on Joni Mitchell, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo put his spin on Nirvana, and Incubus’ Brandon Boyd take a crack at Beach House. Switchfoot, the alt-rock outfit best known for that one 2004 Christian chart-topper, are also following suit with a new covers EP, though it features some very unexpected selections. Simply titled Covers, the upcoming effort sees Switchfoot branching out beyond their religious rock to reimagine originals by Frank Ocean (“Swim Good”), Vampire Weekend (“Harmony Hall”), and Harry Styles (“Lights Up”). There are also renditions of “Lucky Man” by The Verve and “Sick Boy” by The Chainsmokers. In a statement about the EP’s v...
The Sounds on the Influence of Blade Runner
Kyle Meredith With… The Sounds Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Jesper Anderberg of The Sounds speaks with Kyle Meredith about the band’s first album in seven years, Things We Do For Love. Anderberg discusses the importance of taking a few years off to keep the band going, contending with fans’ expectations, and nursing their legacy. The guitarist/keyboardist also talks about how vibe plays a big part in their songwriting, citing the Blade Runner soundtrack as a favorite, and using darkness as a writing tool. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Meredith digs deep in...
