New Music
Bill & Ted Face the Music Soundtrack Released with New Mastodon and Lamb of God Songs: Stream
Mastodon (photo by Carlo Cavaluzzi), Bill & Ted (Orion Pictures), Lamb of God (Amy Harris) Not only has the highly anticipated movie Bill & Ted Face the Music arrived in theaters and on VOD, but its jam-packed soundtrack is out, as well. Among the highlights are brand-new songs from metal heavyweights Mastodon and Lamb of God, along with new cuts from Weezer, Cold War Kids, FIDLAR, Big Black Delta, and more. Mastodon’s song “Rufus Lives” is a particular highlight, with the title an ode to the late George Carlin’s character from the first two Bill & Ted movies. It’s a fast-paced track powered by some hard-hitting drumming by Brann Dailor. After releasing a stellar new album earlier in the year, Lamb of God add another new song to their 2020 canon with “The Death of Us”, a relent...
Neil Young Details The Times EP, Shares “The Times They Are A-Changin’” Cover: Stream
Earlier in the month, Neil Young quietly announced a new EP called The Times. Today, he’s further detailed the release, which will come exclusively to Amazon Music HD on September 18th. As predicated, The Times EP captures July’s “Porch Episode” of Young’s Fireside Sessions series. The performance featured his updated “Lookin’ for a Leader 2020”, which contains revised lyrics to match the current state of political affairs in 2020. Also included are renditions of “Ohio”, “Alabama”, “Southern Man”, “Campaigner”, and the Homegrown cut “Little Wing”. Rounding out the collection — and giving it its name — is a cover of Bob Dylan’s enduring “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. Young has released the recording via his Neil Young Archives, and you can also stream it on Amazon Music or via ...
The National’s Bryan Devendorf Drops Surprise Debut Solo Album Royal Green: Stream
It’s been over a year since we last received a proper album from indie rockers The National. But it’s not as though the band’s members haven’t kept busy. Both brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner recently worked on Taylor Swift’s new folklore LP, while frontman Matt Berninger is gearing up to drop his first-ever solo record this fall. Now, drummer Bryan Devendorf is joining in on the fun, as he’s just surprise-released his debut solo album, Royal Green. Per a statement from the percussionist, this new effort was co-produced in Brooklyn with Nate Martinez. National bandmate Aaron Dessner contributed to the record, as did frequent National producer and arranger Josh Kaufman. Royal Green also looks to be Devendorf’s official solo moniker, as that’s the artist name credited across all streaming pl...
Sevendust Unleash “Blood from a Stone”, First Original Song from Upcoming Album: Stream
Sevendust are gearing up to release a new album called Blood & Stone, and the Atlanta-based metal act has unleashed the first original song from the upcoming set. The band previously released a cover of Soundgarden’s “The Day I Tried to Live” as the first single from Blood & Stone, but “Blood from a Stone” marks Sevendust’s first original tune since their acclaimed 2018 album All I See Is War. The track has a vintage Sevendust vibe, with thick, moving riffs from Clint Lowery and John Connolly; heavy rhythms from bassist Vince Hornsby and drummer Morgan Rose; and powerful, soaring vocals from Lajon Witherspoon. “’Blood from a Stone’ was inspired by the endurance and threshold of our band, the wins and the losses, the good and bad years. That we have more to give, more to say an...
Elliott Smith’s Self-Titled Album Receives 25th Anniversary Reissue: Stream
Elliott Smith’s sophomore self-titled album turned 25 years old last month, and Kill Rock Stars is celebrating the anniversary by releasing a new deluxe reissue of the LP. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. This deluxe edition features a fresh remaster of all of the album’s tracks, thanks to the official Smith family archivist Larry Crane pulling the from reels, cassettes, files, and DAT tapes to get recordings as close to the original Elliott Smith mix as possible. In addition to the original tracklist, the reissue includes the previously unreleased Live at Umbra Penumbra, capturing a September 17th, 1994 performance at Portland, Oregon’s Umbra Penumbra that’s the earliest known recording of Smith playing a solo acoustic show. “There are fan-traded MP3s out there of this sh...
Andrew Bird Reunites with Squirrel Nut Zippers on New Song “Train on Fire”: Stream
Prior to finding solo success, Andrew Bird played in a number of different groups. One of those was the jazz and swing band the Squirrel Nut Zippers, with whom he recorded three albums, the most recent being 1998’s Perennial Favorites. Today, Bird reunites with SNZ on a new single called “Train on Fire”. Taken from a new SNZ album, it’s a twangy and noticeably eerie listen, and one that welcomes Bird’s talents (namely violin and backup vocals) back into the fold. According to a press statement, upcoming record Lost Songs of Doc Souchon (September 25th) promises plenty more unsettling SNZ tunes. “This new album was inspired by all of the mysterious characters from the history of New Orleans jazz music,” commented the band. “It speaks to the hidden roots of where our aesthetic, interests and...
India Shawn and Anderson .Paak Are “Movin’ On” with New Single and Video: Stream
One of the smoothest voices in Los Angeles has linked up with one of the smokiest: India Shawn has shared her new song “Movin’ On” featuring Anderson .Paak. It comes with a wacky music video that marks .Paak’s directorial debut. A former member of the Full Circle songwriting team, Shawn is a veteran ghostwriter with cuts for Akon (“Take It Down Low”), Monica (“Without You”), Diddy & Dirty Money (“Your Love”), Chris Brown (“Trumpet Lights”), Keri Hilson (“Way You Love Me”), and more. Now, she’s focusing on her solo career. “Movin’ On’” features production from D’Mile and a beat made up of staccato bursts of horns. Lyrically, the song is a self pep talk. “I’m in my bag, sometimes it’s like that,” Shawn begins, “Get yourself out of the blues.” For his part, .Paak contributes jazzy r...
Bizzy Banks Is Stylish and “Extra Sturdy” on New Single: Stream
Bizzy Banks is the latest up-and-comer in Brooklyn’s drill scene, and it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t deserve the praise he’s been getting. Just in case there was any doubt, though, Banks has dropped a brand new single called “Extra Sturdy” where he proves his weight in words and flair. This is the latest track Banks has shared from his upcoming mixtape, G.M.T.O. (Get Money Take Over) Vol. 1, which comes out on September 4th via Atlantic. The 21-year-old rapper previously dropped the single “Movies” earlier this summer as well as the song “Don’t Start Pt. 2”. Editors’ Picks In the music video for “Extra Sturdy”, Banks can be seen rapping along to the track in a series of different locations. There’s a lot of great shots, but arguably the best ones feature Banks in a slew of stando...
Extreme Metal Stalwarts Enslaved, Kataklysm, and Ihsahn All Release New Singles: Stream
Renowned extreme-metal acts Enslaved, Kataklysm, and Ihsahn all released new singles with accompanying music videos on Friday (August 28th), delivering a thunderous dose of new music to metalheads everywhere. Norwegian metal veterans Enslaved have unleashed “Urjotun” as the third single from their upcoming album Utgard, due October 2nd via Nuclear Blast. “The lyrical idea for ‘Urjotun’ had been spinning around in the chaos in the back of my head for quite a while, when Ivar sent me the riff-demo last autumn,” stated Enslaved singer Grutle Kjellson of the song. “I knew instantly that this was it, the very soundtrack of the rise of the primeval giant, the Urjotun! Our mutual love and fascination for that early krautrock scene and for bands like Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, finally fully as...
Elvis Costello Shares New Song “Phonographic Memory”: Stream
Elvis Costello has shared a new song called “Phonographic Memory”. It’s the B-side to previously-released single “We Are All Cowards Now”. “Phonographic Memory” is unusual within Costello’s discography, and perhaps even unprecedented. Over an open-tuned guitar, the veteran songwriter recites a short story in which someone called “President Swift” conducts a ceremony while the voice of Orson Welles (played by Costello, of course) is heard on an archive recording. The prose is knotty and poetical, full of observations like, “After the peace was negotiated and the internet switched off, knowledge returned to its medieval cloister, in this and that illuminated volume, the jealous possession of the pious and the superstitious, who might once again wield ignorance like a scythe.” Check out “Phon...
Rick Astley Turns Post Malone’s “Better Now” into an Acoustic Banger: Watch
Rick Astley has gone from RickRolling to rollin’ with his brothers like it’s Jonas. The 54-year-old British musician has shared a cover of Post Malone’s “Better Now”, and dare we say it might be better now. “There are a lot of words in this song. It’s not my song, I don’t really know it properly,” Astley says in the YouTube video capturing the performance. “But I love it, so I’m gonna give it ago. Here we go, let’s see what happens.” What happens is perhaps a more impactful version of the Beerbongs & Bentleys hit. By turning the track into an acoustic banger instead of the trap-y pop of the original, Astley highlights the blues nature in the lyrics. He gives the words a bit of a country twang and growls out the chorus, really bringing the song’s melancholy to the forefront. Honest...
Evanescence Urge Fans to Speak Up in ‘Use My Voice’ Video
A couple weeks after the release of the inspiring anthem “Use My Voice,” Evanescence has shared a new visual for it. Directed by Eric Howell, who directed Voice From The Stone, the video follows Amy Lee, her bandmates and a variety of other activists armed with flags, flares and signs in protest. And opening the video with an image of the White House, it’s pretty clear that the band is aiming this message toward the Trump administration. “This is an era of awakening, and full of powerful beauty,” Amy Lee said in a statement. “I hope to inspire others to seek truth, find their own voices and use them as I step up to use mine. Don’t let anybody speak for you. Only you can do that.” The track has enlisted a powerhouse of talent, including The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen, Halestorm’s Lzzy H...
