music
Four Tet Surprise Releases New EP Under Indecipherable Wingdings Moniker: Stream
Kieran Hebden, the electronic artist best known as Four Tet, has surprise released a new EP. However, there’s a twist. The four-track record was released under the secret name ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ, notes Stereogum, which he rarely uses. The title of the new EP is impossible to read or even spell for that matter — that is, unless you speak wingdings like an alien. All four songs on the release have similarly indecipherable names. Unsurprisingly, fans have already leaned into the absurdity of these titles, with one listener writing, “Ah yeah, another four tracks that neither your computer nor you can read, brilliant, mate.” Hebden has always been pretty flippant when naming his songs, though, which is precisely the point — they don’t matter much, if at all, in comparison to the music it...
Colin Stetson Releases “Awake You Sleepy Hearts” Featuring Actor David “Professor Lupin” Thewlis: Stream
Colin Stetson and David Thewlis in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Warner Bros.) Saxophonist Colin Stetson has written the score for the new National Geographic series Barkskins. Known for such soundtracks as Hereditary and Color Out of Space, the composer has today shared a new song from his latest project, “Awake You Sleepy Hearts”. The track happens to feature a familiar voice in David Thewlis, best known as Professor R.J. Lupin from the Harry Potter franchise and star of Barkskins. Based on the 2016 novel by Annie Proulx (“Brokeback Mountain”), Barkskins takes place over 300 years, following a series of related characters amidst the deforestation of North America. Thewlis’ plays Claude Trepagny, a land speculator with some poetical words in Stetson’s new song: “Awak...
Faith No More and Korn Co-Headlining US Tour Officially Canceled Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Faith No More and Korn have officially canceled their co-headlining U.S. tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The outing would have marked Faith No More’s first US tour in five years. The late-summer tour was scheduled to kick off August 7th in Denver, and run through a September 17th show in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Daron Malakian’s Scars on Broadway, Helmet, Spotlights, and ’68 were set to support various dates. The tour is being outright canceled, and will not be postponed or rescheduled. A statement from Faith No More’s Facebook reads, “The Faith No More & Korn Summer Tour will unfortunately no longer be taking place. It is with heavy hearts that we came to this decision out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our fans, crew, and fellow artists.” The statement conti...
Crowdfunding Campaign Launched to Save Boston Venue Great Scott
Last month, Boston music venue Great Scott announced it was closing due to disagreements with the landlord. Because it’s a local institution, the public reaction was huge, with people working on multiple petitions and fundraising efforts to benefit the staff. Now, a community investment campaign has been launched by Great Scott’s booking agent, Carl Lavin, to save the beloved venue. Earlier this week, Lavin announced he’s partnering with Mainvest — an investment crowdfunding platform focused on helping local businesses — to raise money to re-open Great Scott for good, reports Vanyaland. Frank Strenk, the venue’s longtime owner, came to an agreement with Lavin to transfer the venue’s intellectual property, its liquor license, and the ability to negotiate a lease with Oak Hill Properties — t...
Fiona Apple, Cyndi Lauper, Aimee Mann Wrote Songs for Apple TV’s Central Park
Today brings the debut of Apple TV’s Central Park, the new animated series from Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith’s (Bob’s Burgers). With the first two episodes now streaming, their accompanying soundtracks have also been released. In fact, the songwriting credits for the entire first season has been revealed, and there are some big names attached. Fiona Apple, Cyndi Lauper, Aimee Mann, Sara Bareilles, and Meghan Trainor have all contributed music to the series. Other songwriters include Anthony Hamilton, Darren Criss, activist Rafael Casal, and actor-rapper Utkarsh Ambudkar. That’s in addition to songs from the show’s core writing team (Kate Anderson, Elyssa Samsel, and Brent Knopf), as well as composers for TV, film, and theater such as Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. Unfortunately, ...
Cardi B, Charli Puth, And Lil Nas X Are Vibing To Lady Gaga’s Chromatica
A grand, orchestral composition welcomes you on “Chromatica I,” the opener to Lady Gaga‘s sixth studio album, Chromatica. The song begins with a low rumbling that quickly gives way to a flurry of crying strings, scrambling to a crescendo before leveling out in a soaring, trumpeted melody. Like the theme to a sci-fi flick, it evokes the feeling of flying, of a long and sprawling journey, as the prelude to some dancehall epic. And then it drops, and with a seamless flow into “Alice,” things really get moving. That sonic journey feels almost symbolic for the bumpy road to the album’s release itself, one that was paved by delays and leaks — as well as joyful, pop-futurist music videos and visuals sealed by a sine insignia. ...
Taylor Swift Eviscerates Trump for “Stoking the Fires of White Supremacy and Racism”
Last year, Taylor Swift vowed to be more politically active, especially during the 2020 Election cycle. Keeping her promise, the pop megastar has just eviscerated Donald Trump in her very first public tweet to mention him by name. “After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?” she wrote on Twitter on Friday. “‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? “We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump” After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump — Taylor Swift (@taylorswi...
Dance Music Festival in Kansas City Receives Approval to Take Place in 2020
Despite the coronavirus crisis, at least one major music festival still plans to take place this summer. The electronic music and camping festival Dancefestopia has received approval from Kansas state officials to take place September 10th-13th. Many health care experts had warned that live music wouldn’t be feasible until the development of a vaccine, which is why we heard predictions that concerts wouldn’t return until fall 2021. But in a Facebook post, organizers said they’d gotten the green light from state and county officials. They wrote, “BREAKING NEWS!! State and County guidance enables a #FULLSEND to Dancefestopia 2020. The situation could change; however, as of yesterday, county and state officials approved Dancefestopia 2020. We will continue to work with health and go...
Fleetwood Mac’s Neil Finn, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie Team Up on New Single “Find Your Way Back Home”: Stream
New Zealand native Neil Finn has invited his fellow Fleetwood Mac members Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie to join him on a new charity single. Titled “Find Your Way Back Home”, the release benefits Auckland City Mission, a nonprofit that provides support to the local homeless population. Speaking to the New Zealand Herald (via Pitchfork), Finn said the track was partially inspired by an encounter he’d had at Auckland City Mission as a child. “There are all these people in all of our lives, I think, that we drift away from,” he recalled, adding, “I didn’t know them but there was a story there, that was a connection that I made. It just puts it in your backyard.” “I live in a pretty fortunate situation and I move in circles that are not in daily contact with homeless people. So it’s good to...
The Raconteurs Release New EP and Documentary, Live at Electric Lady: Stream
The Raconteurs have shared a new EP and concert documentary, both called Live at Electric Lady. Stream them below via Spotify and YouTube. As the title implies, this Spotify exclusive was recorded at the iconic Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Built by Jimi Hendrix and legendary acoustician John Storyk in 1970, the studio has hosted some of the most celebrated acts of the last fifty years, including one of Jack White’s other bands, The White Stripes. This release is the first in a Spotify-sponsored series that celebrates Electric Lady’s 50th anniversary. Recorded in September of last year, the nine-track EP leans heavily on The Raconteurs’ 2019 album Help Us Stranger, including “Bored and Razed”, “Help Me Stranger”, “Only Child”, and “Sunday Driver”. The rockers also play a pai...
Iron Maiden, KISS, and System of a Down Headline Virtual Download Festival
Iron Maiden and KISS (photos by Kevin RC Wilson) / System of a Down (photo by Raymond Ahner) Iron Maiden, KISS, and System of a Down will headline the virtual Download TV festival, which will stream on YouTube and social media June 12-14th. All three bands were set to headline this year’s Download Festival, a massive annual UK heavy music gathering that was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The virtual fest promises footage from prior Download appearances, socially distant performances, interviews, and exclusive content from the bands that were initially slated for this year’s lineup. The weekend schedule will be divided into day and evening programming. The day content “celebrates the spirit of Download Festival” and the evening will feature two to three hours of “tailor-made prog...
R.I.P. Bob Kulick, Lou Reed Guitarist and SpongeBob Songwriter Dies at 70
Bob Kulick, a veteran session guitarist known for his work with Lou Reed, Meat Loaf, and KISS, has died at the age of 70. News of Bob’s death was revealed by his older brother, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick. “I am heartbroken to have to share the news of the passing of my brother Bob Kulick,” Bruce wrote in a post to Facebook. “His love of music, and his talent as a musician and producer should always be celebrated. I know he is at peace now, with my parents, playing his guitar as loud as possible. Please respect the Kulick Family’s privacy during this very sad time.” Bob himself actually auditioned for KISS in 1972, but was beaten out for the job by Ace Frehley. Nevertheless, he was an active contributor to the band in an uncredited capacity, playing on albums including Alive II, Unm...
