The Flaming Lips continue to inch closer to the release of American Head, their 21st (!) studio album. To preview the effort, Wayne Coyne & co. have already shared a pair of singles in “Flowers of Neptune 6” featuring Kacey Musgraves and “My Religion Is You”. A third teaser comes today in the form of “Dinosaurs on the Mountain”. Soft psychedelia coats this ode to the giant reptiles that once ruled the earth. “I wish the dinosaurs were still here now/ It’d be fun to see them playing on the mountains,” ponders Coyne. The single also has a tinge of sorrow about the plight of the T. Rex and others and their tragic helplessness — one that sadly seems relevant to us humans during this very moment in time. “Up on the mountain they’d all be alone/ You can’t just leave them on the side of the r...
Los Angeles “tenderpunks” Illuminati Hotties will release a new mixtape on July 17th. It’s titled Free I.H.: This Is Not The One You’ve Been Waiting For and follows their acclaimed 2018 debut album, Kiss Yr Frenemies. This forthcoming effort was written after a major fallout with their indie label, Tiny Engines, which was allegedly involved in shady royalty payment practices. As a result, the new material sees lead songwriter Sarah Tudzin & co. working through the aggression and hurt that came with their ensuing contract-related legal battles. (Hence, the Free: I.H. title.) That assertive bite bares its teeth on the mixtape’s latest single, the lengthily and bluntly named “will i get cancelled if i write a song called, ‘if you were a man, you’d probably be cancelled’”. It’s ...
Last month, rapper Tyla Yaweh released a track called “Tommy Lee”, featuring Post Malone. Now, the pair have teamed up with the Mötley Crüe drummer himself on a remix of the song. Tommy Lee initially spoke of his involvement prior to the release of the original track, which caused some confusion as to whether he appeared on that version. However, it was obvious upon first listen that Lee’s drumming wasn’t on the original song. Now, the remix comes along with a music video that features Lee and Yaweh performing the song in the Mötley Crüe drummer’s studio. Along with Lee’s drumming, Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 was called in to add guitar and bass, turning the laid-back hip-hop original into a heavy banger. “I was humbled that Tyla and Post chose to name a song after me,” says Lee in a press...
Synthpop heroes Future Islands are back with their first new song in three years. The track is called “For Sure” and it sees the Baltimore band teaming up with Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak, a pairing that sounds seamless in practice. A press release states this is Future Island’s first new music since releasing their 2017 album The Far Field. Technically, though, the band released a standalone single called “Calliope” back in 2018 for Adult Swim’s Singles Series. Regardless, “For Sure” marks a welcome return for the band, especially because there could potentially be more new music on the way. “For Sure” is a soaring number that feels like you’re being filled with hope — something we could certainly use a little more of this year. Armed with their usual blend of synthpop, nonstop drums, and big ...
Sufjan Stevens announced a new album titled The Ascension earlier this week. Today, he’s revealed additional details about the release and shared its lead single, “America”. The forthcoming follow-up to 2015’s Carrie & Lowell was written and recorded almost entirely by Stevens himself over the course of two years. According to a statement, the album was created using just his computer, “working mostly with a drum machine and handful of synthesizers.” In terms of subject matter, The Ascension channels a deep sense of curiosity and reflection. “My objective for this album was simple,” the beloved indie songwriter explained. “Interrogate the world around you. Question anything that doesn’t hold water. Exterminate all bullshit. Be part of the solution or get out of the way. Keep ...
The Front Bottoms have announced a new album called In Sickness & In Flames. It’s due out August 21st via Fueled By Ramen. To celebrate the news, they’ve shared lead single “Montgomery Forever” alongside its own music video. In Sickness & In Flames is the duo’s seventh album overall and follows their 2017 LP Going Grey. Perhaps most notably, it was produced by Mike Sapone. Over the course of 12 songs — one of which is the previously released single “Camouflage” — The Front Bottoms use this new album to celebrate life, purge angst, and push forward with “positive and creative energy,” according to a press release. “Montgomery Forever” sounds like a grown-up version of The Front Bottoms. The acoustic pop-punk sound they found a cult following with is still here, but it sounds more po...
Sad13, the indie project led by Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis, has announced a new album. Haunted Painting is officially due for release on September 25th through Wax Nine, a Carpark Records imprint overseen by Dupuis. The long-awaited Slugger follow-up is comprised of 11 songs and boasts guest contributions from Roberto Lange of Helado Negro, Deerhoof member Satomi Matsuzaki, tUnE-yArDs mastermind Merrill Garbus, and Rick Maguire of Pile. It was written at different studios all over the US, including the Elliott Smith-built New Monkey Studio in Van Nuys, California, and was purposefully recorded with only women engineers. “I worked on Haunted Painting throughout 2019, writing, arranging and recording from home, then finishing the songs in studios around the country in be...