Indie Rock
Jeff Tweedy Announces New Album, Covers Neil Young’s “The Old Country Waltz”: Stream
Jeff Tweedy has announced a deluxe edition of his 2020 album Love Is the King, featuring a new collection of live versions of its songs titled Live Is the King. Due out December 10th via dBpm Records, it comes with a new cover of Neil Young’s “The Old Country Waltz,” which is out today. Live is the King sees the Wilco frontman accompanied by a band consisting of his sons Sammy and Spencer Tweedy, as well as Liam Kazar, James Elkington, and Ohmme’s Sima Cunningham. The live versions were recorded at Wilco’s Chicago studio the Loft, as well as the Chicago venues Constellation and The Hideout. You can pre-order Love Is the King/Live Is the King now. Watch Jeff Tweedy and the aforementioned band’s performance of Neil Young’s “The Old Country Waltz” below, followed by the deluxe editi...
Julien Baker Joins Phoebe Bridgers as Surprise Guest at Berkeley Concert: Watch
Phoebe Bridgers had a special treat up her sleeve at her concert in Berkeley, California on Saturday night: a surprise appearance by Julien Baker. Performing at the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, Bridgers’ boygenius bandmate wowed fans as the unannounced opener for the evening, running through an eight-song set that included “Blacktop,” “Funeral Pyre,” and “Happy to Be Here.” For her final number, Baker was joined by Bridgers for a cover of “One Man Guy,” a song originally written by Loudon Wainwright III and later covered by his son Rufus on 2001’s Poses. But that was far from the last that attendees saw of the two pals — who last appeared together supporting Lucy Dacus (a.k.a. the final third of boygenius) on her 2021 album Home Video — onstage. At the end of her headlining set, ...
Snail Mail Shares New Single “Ben Franklin”: Stream
As Lindsey Jordan readies her next Snail Mail album, the 22-year-old indie rocker has offered up a new single, titled “Ben Franklin.” Check out the lovelorn track via its Josh Coll-directed video below. Driven by a head-nodding bassline and bright synths, “Ben Franklin” details a lingering heartbreak that seemingly will never end. “You’re gonna leave a stain,” sings Jordan. “Like a relapse does when you really try/ Damn, this time I really tried.” “I wanted to sonically and lyrically get out of my comfort zone with ‘Ben Franklin,’” explained Jordan in a statement. “It felt only right that the visual accompaniment should include dancing in front of a camera and holding a 10-foot snake close to my face.” Advertisement Related Video In the aforementioned music video, Jordan does indeed ...
Courtney Barnett Drops Harriet the Spy Theme Song “Smile Real Nice”: Stream
I spy with my little eye…a new Courtney Barnett single! Today, the indie rock singer unveiled “Smile Real Nice,” the theme song for Apple TV+’s new animated adaptation of Harriet the Spy. On the defiant track, Barnett croons, “I don’t wanna be/ You don’t wanna be/ We don’t wanna be/ Told what to do/ No, I won’t cut my hair/ And I’ll wear whatever I like/ It when I get to be myself” over raucous drums and dueling electric guitars. As mentioned, “Smile Real Nice” serves as the opening theme for Harriet the Spy, which is set to premiere on Apple’s streaming service on November 19th. An illustrated update on the 1964 children’s novel by Louise Fitzhugh, the series stars Beanie Feldstein as the voice of the titular spy alongside Jane Lynch as Ole Golly and Lacey Chabert as Marion Hawthorne.&nbs...
Speedy Ortiz Announces New Compilation The Death of Speedy Ortiz & Cop Kicker…Forever
Sadie Dupuis has spent the last decade writing and recording playful indie rock as Speedy Ortiz. Now, the musician is commemorating her 10th year under the moniker with a 2xLP compilation called The Death of Speedy Ortiz & Cop Kicker…Forever, featuring some of the band’s earliest work. The expansive reissue is due out November 12th via Carpark, and as a preview, Dupuis has also shared the new self-directed video for “Cutco.” The Death of Speedy Ortiz & Cop Kicker…Forever will include the contents of 2011’s Cop Kicker EP and The Death of Speedy Ortiz LP, all now remastered by Dupuis, who’s since become a go-to producer in her own right. You’ll also get to enjoy a handful of previously unreleased tracks, reflective liner notes written by Dupuis, and a collection of photos f...
Sunflower Bean Share New Single “Baby Don’t Cry,” Announce US Tour Dates
Following their 2018 breakthrough album Twentytwo in Blue, Sunflower Bean are gearing up for a comeback. Today, the New York City trio — and former Artist of the Month — have returned with “Baby Don’t Cry.” Additionally, Sunflower Bean have unveiled a handful of tour dates beginning in December and going into 2022. “Baby Don’t Cry” aims to uplift, though Sunflower Bean deliver their sentiments with the knowledge that it can be hard to fight back tears: “TV makes me so mad/ NPR is always telling me something bad,” vocalist Julia Cumming sings over a sauntering instrumental that melds the band’s grungy roots with a ’60s girl group flair. “So many things in our lives are disposable,” the band writes in a statement. “Content and news is consumed and discarded leaving us unfulfilled. ‘Baby Don’...
St. Vincent’s Daddy’s Home Finds Its True Place at New York’s Radio City Music Hall: Review
A St. Vincent tour always carries with it a sense of the theatrical. Everything is delivered with considered planning and plotting, from the lighting cues to the set design to the dance moves. It’s not surprising the “Daddy’s Home Tour” once again brings a carefully crafted presentation to the rock gig, but it’s interesting how deeply it leans into it. Fans aren’t coming out to a St. Vincent concert this time around; they’re catching the Daddy’s Home touring production. That’s what rolled into New York City’s iconic Radio City Music Hall on Tuesday, October 12th. Some moments are pure Broadway, like the trio of backing singers milling about with drinks in their hands “peas and carroting” in the background during “…At the Holiday Party.” Instead of the typical, “How you doing tonight, New Y...
Michael Kiwanuka Returns with New Single “Beautiful Life”: Stream
Michael Kiwanuka is back with “Beautiful Life,” his first new music in two years. Stream the track below. Serving as the title music for the new Netflix documentary Convergence: Courage in a Crisis, “Beautiful Life” was recorded in London with producer St Francis Hotel. Kiwanuka’s rich voice is enough to shake listeners out of their doldrums as he belts lyrics like, “I was caught in a nightmare/ Now we’re breathing the same air/ I live my life in a daydream/ All the colors are so clean.” “In this song I wanted to focus on the feeling that there’s a real strength in the human spirit when you try to look for beauty even in difficult situations,” explained the Mercury Prize winner in a statement. “Of course, in some situations that becomes more and more difficult. But I just wanted to ponder ...
Shamir Unveils His “Gay Agenda” on New Industrial Single: Stream
Leave it to Shamir to flip a fear-mongering term into a positive slice of art-pop. On his new single, “Gay Agenda” the Philadelphia-based musician leans into distortion for an anthem about taking pride in who you are and the way you live your life. Stream it below. Recorded with producer Hollow Comet of Strange Ranger, “Gay Agenda” sees Shamir embracing a new-to-him sound that’s more expansive and brooding than anything else he’s released prior. He leans into industrial synths, clanging drum machines, and sobering guitar for the track while letting his unmistakable voice scale to new heights. Truth be told, it feels more like an Arca deep cut than anything off his self-titled record, which was one of the best albums of 2020 — yet it still sounds totally like Shamir. In a press release, Sha...
Hamilton Leithauser and Kevin Morby Share New Song “Virginia Beach”: Stream
Hamilton Leithauser and Kevin Morby have joined forces for a new collaborative single called “Virginia Beach.” Stream it alongside a lyric video below. Unsurprisingly, “Virginia Beach” combines the best of both artists and will win over longtime fans and recent listeners alike. After opening with a finger-picked guitar part, it makes way for Leithauser and Morby trading verses and some blustery, stripped-down percussion. With equal parts acoustic guitar charm and dusty country flair, “Virginia Beach” is the type of song you could imagine both soundtracking a feel-good movie about discovering yourself on a road trip and playing over the speakers at a local dive bar. In a press release, Hamilton explained he wanted to create a modern take on a “dark country song” that utilized a dance groove...
Hamilton Leithauser and Kevin Morby Share New Song “Virginia Beach”: Stream
Hamilton Leithauser and Kevin Morby have joined forces for a new collaborative single called “Virginia Beach.” Stream it alongside a lyric video below. Unsurprisingly, “Virginia Beach” combines the best of both artists and will win over longtime fans and recent listeners alike. After opening with a finger-picked guitar part, it makes way for Leithauser and Morby trading verses and some blustery, stripped-down percussion. With equal parts acoustic guitar charm and dusty country flair, “Virginia Beach” is the type of song you could imagine both soundtracking a feel-good movie about discovering yourself on a road trip and playing over the speakers at a local dive bar. In a press release, Hamilton explained he wanted to create a modern take on a “dark country song” that utilized a dance groove...
Jeff Tweedy Shares “C’mon America” and “UR-60 Unsent” for Sub Pop Singles Club: Stream
Jeff Tweedy has shared a pair of solo tracks for Sub Pop Singles Club. “C’mon America” and “UR-60 Unsent” make up the latest 7-inch released from the subscription-only series. “C’mon America,” the A-side, is described in a press release as from an “unreleased group of songs with mostly sci-fi lyrics,” while “UR-60 Unsent,” the B-side, is billed as “a pitiful tale of an unsent lovesick mixtape, taken from a separate batch of unreleased songs with mostly pitiful lyrics.” On the twangy and sarcastic “C’mon America,” Tweedy asks, “what you gonna do now that the world is turned against you”? In contrast, “UR-60 Unsent” is a melancholy ballad full of heartsick lyrics about rejection. Stream both tracks below. Advertisement Related Video Also included in today’s drop is TV Priest’s “All Thing,” t...
