New Music
Birttany Howard Gets Remixed by Bon Iver and EARTHGANG: Stream
Bon Iver (photo by Graham Tolbert & Eric Carlson), Brittany Howard (photo by Bobbi Rich), and EARTHGANG (photo by Grizz) It’s been nearly a year since Brittany Howard delivered her debut solo album, Jamie. To celebrate its impending anniversary, the Alabama Shakes frontwoman has announced a new remix collection featuring a number of artists putting their own spins her music. Though a due date for the ATO Records release has yet to be revealed, two sample remixes have been shared as an early preview. The first comes from Atlanta rap duo (and former Artists of the Month) EARTHGANG. The pair add their own verses to Howard’s tale of growing up in the South, “Goat Head”, turning the song “into a bold anthem for 2020’s social justice movement,” as a press release puts it. “Songs like these h...
Steve Earle & The Dukes Announce Covers Album of Justin Townes Earle Songs
Last month, beloved singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle was taken from the world suddenly when he passed away at the young age of 38. The news was shocking and unexpected, causing a wave of grief to settle over the Americana music community. Now that a few weeks have passed, his father, Steve Earle, has announced he will honor his son’s life by recording a covers album of Justin Townes Earle originals. In a press release, it was revealed that Steve Earle & The Dukes already have a plan in the works to cover songs written by Justin Townes Earle. While no specific songs have been mentioned just yet, the band did state that 100% of the artist advances and royalties will go to a trust for Justin’s daughter, Etta St. James Earle. The as-yet-unnamed album will be recorded in a studio next ...
Action Bronson Reveals Funky New Single “Mongolia”: Stream
In just a little over a week, Action Bronson will serve up his marine-friendly new album, Only for Dolphins. Already we’ve heard two early offerings in “Golden Eye” and “Latin Grammys”. Now, the Queens-born rapper is unboxing a third preview with “Mongolia”. A collaboration with fellow hip-hop acts Meyhem Lauren and hologram, the track stands apart from its predecessors thanks to its rubbery funk riff and Bam Bam’s revolving door of unexpected references. In seemingly one breath, Bronson slips in mentions of The Mets, yogurt chain 16 Handles, and actor David Caruso — and that’s all after a quick-fire sample from The Wire. The MC also name-checks his own Lamb Over Rice EP from 2019. For their parts, Meyhem Lauren flaunts his glossy medallions, and hologram proudly eats African mushroom...
People Club Share New Song “Lay Down Your Weapons”: Stream
German indie outfit People Club have shared the stunning new song “Lay Down Your Weapons”. The Berlin quintet first began to attract international attention last year with the soul-inflected EP Kil Scott. But “Lay Down Your Weapons” finds the band exploring a more muscular rock and roll sound. That may have to do with the subject matter; as People Club explained in a statement, the new track is inspired by police brutality towards marginalized groups. They wrote, ”Lay Down Your Weapons’ is about issues that weigh heavy on our hearts. It was originally written in 2017 about issues of police brutality and the police militarization that black and brown folks have disproportionately faced, and unfortunately we are still fighting these issues today. We are so proud of all the people on the...
Jeff Rosenstock Releases New Demos EP 2020 DUMP: Stream
Jeff Rosenstock made the first leg of quarantine a lot more bearable by surprise releasing NO DREAM, his fifth solo full-length and one of the best albums of 2020 so far. Now, he’s back to lift our spirits once more with a new EP of demos called 2020 DUMP. Stream it below via Bandcamp. 2020 DUMP follows the aforementioned NO DREAM, the 2019 collaborative Neil Young covers EPStill Young, and his stellar 2018 record POST-. In total, this new demos collection includes four songs: “DEPT OF FINANCE”, “COLLAPSE!”, “ACAB”, and “DONE DONE DONE”. Rosenstock recorded the whole thing at home during the pandemic, but that didn’t stop him from tapping a few longtime friends to contribute as well; Jeremy Hunter plays on “COLLAPSE!” and “ACAB”, and Laura Stevenson sings on every track except “ACAB”. The ...
Thou Unleash Crushing Cover of Alice in Chains’ “Them Bones”: Stream
Alice in Chains classic 1992 album Dirt is the latest entry in Magnetic Eye Records’ ongoing Redux series, which re-imagines classic heavy album with cover versions by underground bands. With the September 18th release of Dirt [Redux] approaching, Louisiana doom outfit Thou have shared their cover of the iconic opening track, “Them Bones”. The original song’s verses are built around Jerry Cantrell’s chugging riff — one of his best. That central riff is well suited for Thou, whose southern sludge transforms the song into a crushing piece of extreme doom. “It seemed inevitable that we’d do another Alice in Chains song since their music was such a big part of [guitarist] Matthew [Thudium]’s and my formative years,” singer Bryan Funck said in a press release. “We had covered ‘No Exc...
Angel Olsen and Composer Emile Mosseri Share Cover of “Mr. Lonely”: Stream
Back in July, Focus Features shared the trailer for writer/director Miranda July’s new film, Kajillionaire. The preview promised some quirky cons — and a new cover of the Bobby Vinton classic “Mr. Lonely” from Angel Olsen and composer Emile Mosseri. Today, a standalone stream of the pair’s rendition has been revealed. It’s a soft and haunting version, sounding like it could have come from Olsen’s Whole New Mess sessions. Add in the distant organ, and there are definitely some David Lynch vibes. In a press statement, Olsen recalled receiving the first text message from July asking her to work on the song with Mosseri. “So I met with them both, and we talked about cadence and we talked about life and we talked about the film,” Olsen said. “And Miranda directed me to sing the cover in the way...
Faye Webster Shares New Song “Better Distractions”: Stream
Faye Webster has returned with a new song called “Better Distractions”. Additionally, our former Artist of the Month has announced her first full-band livestream performance of 2020. “Better Distractions” follows the excellent one-off single “In A Good Way” from April, and marks the second offering since her 2019 LP Atlanta Millionaires Club. As with its predecessor, today’s track continues to push Webster’s sound in a gorgeously singular direction. It finds harmony between smooth R&B and minimalist indie rock, with the added bonus of a weepy slide guitar lead and a meandering jam in the vein of Kurt Vile or Courtney Barnett. In a statement, Webster revealed that the song flowed out of her with very little intention or purpose. “It’s a kind of free association, just thoughts running st...
Will Butler Gets Ready to Feast in ‘Bethlehem’ Video
With Generations releasing next week, Will Butler has released his third single, “Bethlehem.” Co-directed by Butler and Adrienne Anderson, the visual looks like a frenetic preparation of a feast, which the artist referred to as “a nightmare of a Flemish still life.” From meats hanging above a fire to a table that starts to overflow with food, there’s a lot going on in the clip. [embedded content] Butler explained the origin of the track in a statement below: “This song partly springs from “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats: “what rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?” Like a lot of folks, I woke up after the election in 2016 mad and sad and scared and exhausted. This song is born of that emotion. My bandmates Jenny Shore, Julie Shore, ...
slowthai Unveils New Song “Feel Away” Featuring James Blake and Mount Kimboe: Stream
slowthai (photo by Edwardx via WikiCommons) and James Blake (photo via Instagram) British rapper slowthai has unveiled the new song “Feel Away” to mark the anniversary of his little brother’s passing. The emotional track features James Blake and Mount Kimbie. The artist born Tyron Frampton has spoken many times about the impact of losing Michael Frampton at the age of one due to muscular dystrophy. slowthai was 8 at the time, and during an interview with The Guardian last year, he spoke about going into a tailspin of rage, seeking help in anger management classes, and finding solace in an old VHS copy of Eminem’s 8 Mile. In an Instagram post yesterday, slowthai announced “Feel Away” and wrote a tribute to his brother. He said, “today is the anniversary of my baby brothers p...
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Drop New Song “Straws in the Wind”: Stream
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard showcase a sitar and a sense of humor on their new song and music video for “Straws in the Wind”. Listening to a fresh cut from the prolific Aussie rockers is like cracking open a Gumpian box of chocolate — it really does seem like anything is possible. For this song, led by bandmember Ambrose Kenny-Smith, King Gizz dips a toe into Beatles-esque psychedelia. Over discursive acoustic guitars and driving drums, Kenny-Smith sings out apocalyptic lyrics in a sweet tenor voice: “Straws in the wind. Is it all ending?” He adds. “Like a blunder brewing full to the brim. I can hear hells kitchen and they’re singing hymns.” Cook Craig cracks out the sitar, and Stu Mackenzie joins in with otherworldly flutes. The accompanying music video is a celebration of green sc...
Brandi Carlile’s Cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” Sums Up 2020: Watch
“I find it hard to tell you, `cause I find it hard to take/ When people run in circles, it’s a very very/ Mad world.” Yup, that sounds like 2020 alright, though it’s actually part of the enduring hook from Tears for Fears’ 1983 track “Mad World”. Turning the new wave classic into a stirring piano ballad is nothing new, but when Brandi Carlile delivered her rendition during a recent livestream, it felt more devastatingly relatable than ever. Carlile has often pulled out the song during concerts, but gave it a special weightiness during this latest virtual performance. She tucked it into the end of a full-album performance of her 2009 LP Give Up the Ghost on Sunday night. Accompanied by cellist Josh Neumann, Carlile played the haunting piano hymn and sang almost every note with an achingly d...
