Indie
Deb Never Surprise Releases New Benefit EP Intermission: Stream
It’s the era of the quarantine album, and Deb Never has added her voice to the chorus. The Spokane native has shared a surprise new benefit EP, Intermission, recorded entirely during isolation. The eight-track effort features sparse instrumentations — largely just Never herself on guitar — though production assistance from Michael Percy, Shlohmo, Nedarb, Hoskins, D33J, and Clayjay give the songs a rich bedroom feel. Lyrically, the collection captures much of the milieu of these strange times, touching on “solitude, post-apocalyptic metaphors, and an overall longing for simplicity.” Available for purchase via Bandcamp, proceeds from Intermission will go to Direct Relief, an organization providing PPE and other essential supplies to workers on the frontlines of the pandemic. The choice of ch...
Elliott Smith’s Self-Titled Sophomore Album Gets 25th Anniversary Reissue
This July marks the 25th anniversary of Elliott Smith’s sophomore self-titled album. To celebrate the occasion, Kill Rock Stars has announced a deluxe reissue of the LP, set for release on August 28th. Official Smith family archivist Larry Crane pulled the closest possible recordings to the original Elliott Smith mix downs from scores of reels, cassettes, files, and DAT tapes to give the album a fresh remaster. The special edition comes housed in a 52-page coffee table book featuring handwritten lyrics, stories from Smith’s friends and collaborators about the era, and two dozen previously unreleased images from photographer JJ Gonson. One of those new photographs is the original image that became the album’s cover art. What’s more, the collection includes the previously unreleased Liv...
Local Natives Team with Sylvan Esso for New Version of “Dark Days”: Stream
Local Natives (photo by Jonathan Chu) and Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath (photo by Shervin Lainez) Way back in March — when bands were still able to perform for live audiences — Local Natives debuted a new version of their song “Dark Days” featuring Sylvan Esso’s Amealia Meath on Kimmel. Today, they’ve shared the studio version of the indie collaboration. The update of the track from 2016’s Sunlit Youth finds Meath adding a brand new verse that, as Local Natives puts it, “taps into the nostalgia and the longing we all feel for a different time.” The new take was mixed by Spike Stent, known for his work with Madonna and Björk. “It was a joy to dip into summertime with Local Natives,” Meath said of working with the band. “‘Dark Days’ is a beautiful illustration of being youn...
Capone Director Josh Trank Discusses the Making of a Monster on COVID-EODROME
COVID-EODROME, our new weekly movie review series on our Twitch channel, will eschew the reviews this week for a series of interviews. Hosts Clint Worthington and Scout Tafoya will speak to the talent behind Capone and Fourteen. Starting at 2:30 p.m. EST / 11:30 a.m. PST, Clint and Scout will speak to Fourteen filmmaker Dan Sallitt and stars Tallie Medel and Norma Kuhling. The story follows a mentally ill woman’s decline over the course of a decade, all from the perspective of her longtime best friend. The film had its premiere at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won over critics worldwide, and hits VOD via Grasshopper Films on Friday, May 15th. Shortly after, Clint and Scout will speak to director Josh Trank, who returned this week with Capone. Together, they’ll ...
St. Vincent Performs “New York” Acoustic at BAM Virtual Gala: Watch
St. Vincent The annual Brooklyn Academy of Music’s annual gala went virtual on Wednesday as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While it wasn’t the usual red-carpeted banquet affair, the stars still came out to celebrate and raise money for the BAM community. The evening saw a number of special guest performers, but they saved the best for last. To conclude the fundraiser, St. Vincent hopped on video chat to play an acoustic version of her 2017 single “New York” with dark, moody visuals. The BAM Virtual Gala was a tribute to this year’s honorees: actress Cate Blanchett, writer Zadie Smith, and philanthropist Jeanne Donovan Fisher. After presenting special at-home versions of the previously scheduled choir, dance, and art performances, the hour-long event closed with Annie Clark’s in...
Dirty Projectors Announce EP Series, Share New Song “Lose Your Love”: Stream
Felicia Douglass and Dave Longstreth of Dirty Projectors, photo by Jason Frank Rothenberg Dirty Projectors have announced a new EP called Flight Tower that’s due out June 26th via Domino. As it turns out, it’s the second installment in a five-EP series that the band will roll out over the course of 2020. To celebrate the reveal, they’ve released a new single called “Lose Your Love” and an accompanying music video. For the series, each EP will feature a different band member on lead vocals. Windows Open, which came out in March, saw Maia Friedman leading the way. The upcoming Flight Tower follows keyboardist-percussionist Felicia Douglass through four new songs. The next two installments will see Kristin Slipp and frontman Dave Longstreth each taking the reigns individually, with the fifth ...
