Indie Rock
Clairo’s Sling Is a Luminous, Devastatingly Intimate Portrait of Domesticity
Just four years ago, Claire Cottrill was creating lo-fi bedroom pop on a simple keyboard. Then her now-certified-platinum song “Pretty Girl” went viral on YouTube, and the unexpectedly biting track cascaded into a breadth of opportunities for the young artist, who performs as Clairo. After dozens of festival shows, collaborations, and an EP, she released her excellent debut album Immunity in 2019 to widespread acclaim. Although many doubted Clairo’s ability to showcase a strong musical identity due to her age, background, and her viral moments, Immunity was an impressive and personal foray into her unique brand of indie pop. (It also sparked her first Billboard hit in “Sofia,” which enjoyed TikTok attention in the autumn of 2020.) Now, two years later, Clairo returns with Sling, an organic...
Brittany Howard Joins Nate Smith for New Song “Fly (For Mike)”: Stream
Brittany Howard has lent her voice to jazz drummer Nate Smith’s new song “Fly (For Mike).” If you’ve heard Howard, you’ve likely heard Smith, as he brought his ear for percussion to her 2019 album Jaime. But he’s been a well-respected sideman for years, and has previously sat in with modern jazz greats like Dave Holland, Chris Potter, and Robin Eubanks, as well as hitting the kit for Paul Simon on 2018’s In the Blue Light. “Fly (For Mike)” is a single off Smith’s upcoming album Kinfolk 2: See the Birds, out September 17th. The song is soft and cold, like snow falling at dusk. The track comes with a special dedication. “Every time I fly, I think of my late father, to whom this song is dedicated,” Smith said in a statement. “When I wrote it, I wanted the music to evoke a ...
Yves Tumor Surprise Releases New EP The Asymptotical World: Stream
Yves Tumor has surprise released the new EP The Asymptotical World. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. This is the groundbreaking artist’s first studio set since 2020’s Heaven to a Tortured Mind, which was one of the best albums of the year. The Asymptotical World was co-produced and engineered by longtime collaborator Yves Rothman. It features six tracks, including the deliriously delightful single “Jackie,” as well as “Tuck” which boasts guest work from NAKED. Starting in September you can catch Yves Tumor on tour. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or on the secondary market here. Advertisement Related Video The Asymptotical World EP Tracklist: Advertisement The Asymptotical World EP Tracklist:01. Jackie02. Crushed Velvet03. Secrecy Is...
Gang of Youths Share New Surprise EP total serene: Stream
Today, Gang of Youths surprise released their new EP, total serene. Stream it via Apple Music or Spotify below. The three-track collection marks the Australian band’s first project since 2017’s Go Farther In Lightness and was recorded in their London studio space. Its title references the “universal human desire” frontman David Le’aupepe has “craved for his entire life.” total serene includes “the angel of 8th ave,” which marked the return of Gang of Youths when they released it in June. When previously asked about the group’s next full-length, Le’aupepe told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that it will be “ready when it’s ready. I’m not gonna rush it.” Advertisement Related Video In August and September, the band will be embarking on a UK headlining tour which will make stops in London,...
Protomartyr Announce US Tour Dates with The Breeders’ Kelley Deal
Last year, Protomartyr was one of countless bands whose tour was cut short due to the pandemic. Now, they’re finally ready to get back on the road. Better yet, on their upcoming US tour they’ll be joined by none other than Kelley Deal of The Breeders on guitar. The 13-date trek will see Protomartyr performing live in the Midwest and East Coast. They kick things off on November 8th in Chicago with a two-night set at the Empty Bottle before they drive to Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and a few other cities. Protomartyr and Kelley Deal will then conclude the tour on November 21st in Pittsburgh at Club Cafe. View the full list of tour dates below. Expect to hear plenty of songs from Protomartyr’s invigorating 2020 album Ultimate Success Today, likely bolste...
Eels Announce Spring 2022 Tour Dates
Eels have detailed a 2022 spring tour in support of their latest album, Earth to Dora, which dropped in October 2020. The European and US trek will take place from March through May. After kicking off the tour on March 11th in Belfast, the veteran indie rockers will travail across Europe while making stops in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, and more. The US leg starts on May 8th in San Diego and includes cities like Chicago, New York City, and Boston. “We’ve got a lot of pent-up energy from all the time spent cooped-up and unable to rock,” said Eels mastermind Mark Oliver Everett about the tour. “It’s going to be an extra-special treat this time. We always have the greatest time playing live, but this is gonna get crazy. Attendees will want to keep their cameras rolling, becau...
Wye Oak Announce Civilian 10th Anniversary Reissue, Share “Electricity”: Stream
Wye Oak have announced a deluxe reissue of their third studio album, Civilian, in celebration of its 10th anniversary. Due out on October 22nd via Merge Records, the 2xLP features Cut All the Wires: 2009–2011, a previously lost collection of unreleased tracks and demos. Cut All the Wires contains 12 songs rediscovered by Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner while Stack was digging through some old hard drives. According to a press release, Wasner originally wrote the tracks while “deep in the throes of heartbreak and suffering,” lending a “raw, emotive quality to these songs.” “I found a treasure trove of material which we had both forgotten ever existed — original demos, live versions of the songs, and, most exciting, a bunch of fully realized studio recordings from this era which never saw the lig...
Song of the Week: Courtney Barnett Returns With the Graceful and Grounded “Rae Street”
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Courtney Barnett sheds light on the special details in everyday experiences. Courtney Barnett sings like she’s talking to an old friend. This doesn’t just apply to her rambling, folksy delivery that recalls Bob Dylan, but to her lyrics, too, telling stories that feel familiar despite the inclusion of specific details. Five years ago, Barnett was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys, and in those years since, she’s continued to develop her authentic repertoire, with “Rae Street” as the latest addition. Ahead of her recently...
The xx’s Romy Combines Two Covers with “You’re Not Alone in the Rhythm of the Night”: Stream
The xx broke out with indie rock so sparse it sounded black and white, but their last album I See You (2017) introduced bright neon techniques cribbed from hip-hop and EDM. Now, co-founder Romy has combined the approaches with “You’re Not Alone in the Rhythm of the Night,” a simple acoustic performance that remixes two songs together. Built from parts of Olive’s “You’re Not Alone” and Corona’s “The Rhythm of the Night,” Romy’s new cover is a stirring statement to those feeling lost and afraid. She recorded the track for Apple Music’s Home Session for Pride, and in a press release she said she chose these tunes because they remind her of “when I was about 17 and started going to Gay bars in London.” She explained, “I’ve combined two songs into this cover, Olive – ‘You’re Not Alone...
Thurston Moore’s New Memoir Sonic Life Set for Publication
With touring and most typical forms of recording shut down during the pandemic, many musicians found new ways to channel their artistic urges. Thurston Moore threw himself into writing, resulting in a new memoir called Sonic Life, which has just been picked up for publication. The Sonic Youth co-founder first mentioned work on the book while speaking with Vulture late last year. “This downtime period allowed me to do this,” he said at the time, “so I have this manuscript called Sonic Life that I probably will publish at some point in 2021.” Though publication rights for the memoir were indeed secured, Moore’s timeline was a little off — by two years. According to industry website The Book Seller, Doubleday bought the rights to Sonic Life at auction and set it for a 2023 rele...
Courtney Barnett Announces New Album Things Take Time, Take Time, Shares “Rae Street”: Stream
Courtney Barnett is back with the announcement of her next album, Things Take Time, Take Time. The follow-up to 2018’s Tell Me How You Really Feel is due out November 12th via Mom+Pop. Along with the news, the Aussie singer-songwriter has shared the music video for her twangy new single “Rae Street.” Things Take Time, Take Time is Barnett’s third proper full-length. Written over the course of two years, she then recorded the album in late 2020 and early 2021 with producer Stella Mozgawa, known for work with Warpaint, Cate le Bon, and Kurt Vile. If “Rae Street” is any indication, the album will see Barnett lean into her more relaxed, country-fied mode, though with the same sense of acerbic wit that’s made her an indie rock star: “Time is money, and money is no man’s friend,” she croons on t...
Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine Announce Collaborative Album A Beginner’s Mind
Sufjan Stevens has announced a new collaborative album with Asthmatic Kitty label mate Angelo De Augustine. Entitled A Beginner’s Mind, it’s due for release on August 24th. As a preview, the duo has shared two songs: “Reach Out” and “Olympus”. A Beginner’s Mind came about after Stevens and De Augustine decamped to a friend’s cabin in upstate New York for a monthlong songwriting sabbatical. “Watching a movie to unwind after each day’s work, they soon found their songs reflecting the films and began investigating this connection in earnest.” A press release goes on to explain: “The resulting album is 14 songs (loosely) based on (mostly) popular films—highbrow, lowbrow and everything in between. They wrote in tandem—one person writing a verse, the other a chorus, churning out c...
