Prolific rockers Oh Sees will continue to stay prolific this summer — just under yet another different name. As revealed last month, the group has recorded a new album credited to the moniker Osees. This forthcoming effort, titled Protean Threat, is due out next month and is being previewed now with “If I Had My Way”. While previous lead single “Dreary Nonsense” was an aggressive and punchy punk listen, today’s offering leans more into the laid-back, hazy energy of the season. There are bold, punctuating guitars here and there, but overall the track rolls along at a steady, garage rock pace as frontman John Dwyer barks out a list of existential questions: “Everybody look up!Are you in love?Are you free?Are you alive?Are you evil?Are you all alone?Are you testing it out?Are you flying solo?...
Orville Peck has finally dropped his new Show Pony EP. The effort was originally due out earlier this year, but Peck postponed the release so as not to distract from the Black Lives Matter protests. The six-track project is highlighted by a so-called “dream come true” duet with country legend Shania Twain, aptly titled “Legends Never Die”. There’s also a cover of the Bobbie Gentry classic “Fancy”, as well as early original singles “Summertime” and “No Glory in the West”. Show Pony is Peck’s second-ever project following last year’s Pony debut album, which earned the masked alt-country star widespread critical acclaim. It also comes a month after his cover of Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy”, released in honor of Pride month. Editors’ Picks Stream Show Pony below via Apple Music an...
When a movie’s called Bill & Ted Face the Music, you have to imagine its soundtrack is going to have some most excellent tunes. Today brings the official announcement of the Bill & Ted 3 OST, heralded by Weezer’s contribution, “Beginning of the End (Wyld Stallyns Edit)”. With the film now due in theaters and on video-on-demand on August 28th, the companion album is set to land the same day. In addition to Weezer, the collection features new music from Mastodon (who contribute a song called “Rufus Lives”), FIDLAR, Cold War Kids, Lamb of God, Big Black Delta, and Culture Wars. There are also two tracks from Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted’s (Keanu Reeves) very non-heinous band Wyld Stallyns. They perform the title track with Animals as Leaders and Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, ...
This October marks the arrival of Shiver, the new solo album from Jónsi. His first such effort in 10 years, the album been teased thus far with the songs “Exhale” and “Swill”. Now, a third single, “Cannibal”, is being shared by the Sigur Rós frontman. A collaboration with Liz Fraser of the Cocteau Twins, the track unfurls like an airy, almost dreamlike spell. The Icelandic artist’s otherworldly vocals move in tandem with Fraser’s like swirling smoke, before eventually floating off into the ether. While the ambient moments here recall Jónsi’s work with Sigur Rós, there are also plenty of new sounds welcomed into the fold — namely bright and striking synths courtesy of futurist pop producer and PC Music founder A. G. Cook. “When Sigur Rós was starting, we were always compared ...
Legendary UK gothic punk act The Damned have announced a new EP, The Rockfield Files. In advance of the release, the band has unveiled a video for the single “Keep ‘Em Alive”. For the new effort, The Damned returned to Rockfield studios, where they recorded their early 1980s LPs The Black Album and Strawberries, as well as the Friday 13th EP. The Rockfield Files will arrive on October 16th, containing four new songs, including “Keep ‘Em Alive.” The lineup on the EP, which was recorded in 2019, includes classic members David Vanian, Captain Sensible, and Paul Gray, as well as Monty Oxymoron on keyboards and Andrew “Pinch” Pinching on drums. Pinch has since left the band, having played his final gig with The Damned on Halloween of last year. The songs were produced by Tom Dalgety, who w...
Anderson .Paak’s prolific summer continues today with “Cut Em In”, a new collaborative single with Rick Ross. Produced by veteran beatmaker Hit-Boy, the track is about paying back the buddies who supported you when you were at your lowest. “Sometimes you need a friend/ Not the ones that just show up and don’t put nothin’ in/ You know the ones that lend a hand and wanna see you win/ When you come up on a lick, make sure you cut ’em in,” .Paak advises while at the mic. The R&B artist also later drops a shout-out to mentor Dr. Dre, who helped launch his some career years ago. A number of bars throughout “Cut Em In” also emphasize the importance of knowing your own worth, such as this one from Ricky Rozay: “Distinctive destinations, all I wanna see/ Oceans from residences, it’s three ...
Tomorrow, August 15th, would have been Nipsey Hussle‘s 35th birthday. In honor of that day, Snoop Dogg has released a moving tribute song to the fallen rapper, “Nipsey Blue”. Before he was killed on March 31st, 2019, Nipsey built his reputation off of scorching g-funk mixtapes, community activism, a sharp entrepreneurial spirit, and one excellent album: 2018’s Victory Lap. Throughout his career, Snoop didn’t just co-sign Nipsey, he took the younger rapper under his wing. In a 2010 interview with Complex, Nipsey spoke about the profound influence of the Doggfather. “Snoop didn’t ask me to sign to him, ask for no percentage, ask for no cut, and he more or less just took his visibility and his celebrity and co-signed and spoke real highly of me as opposed to being like “Oh, fuck this you...
Some of the biggest names in indie rock got together virtually on Friday night to perform at Vote Ready, a Concert for Voter Registration, which was exactly what it sounded like. Arguably the most exciting set came from Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, because he debuted a new song called “Featherweight” that’s four minutes of pure bliss. Pecknold started off the livestream by thanking viewers for registering to vote before introducing drummer Joshua Jaeger (Angel Olsen) and Holy Hive singer Paul Spring. At the midpoint of their three-song set came the new song, “Featherweight”. A dark and skeptical folk number, it almost sounds like a stripped-down Fleet Foxes covering A Moon Shaped Pool. The new track was sandwiched between a pair of covers. First came a spirited, uptempo cover of Arthu...
On Friday night, everyone from Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold to The War on Drugs participated in the Vote Ready, a Concert for Voter Registration livestream. While most of the sets were filled with comforting covers and stripped-down renditions of classics, a few artists used the opportunity to debut new material, including Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles singer-guitarist Daniel Rossen. Rossen played two tracks in total, opening with the nameless new song. The six-minute-long number saw the virtuoso churning out gorgeous, acoustic, classical guitar melodies that change pace and mood throughout. Afterwards, he immediately turned to the piano to play his 2012 ballad “Saint Nothing”. Watch the full set below. Last year, Rossen published an essay on his website explaining his slow retreat ...
Last night, a number of big-name indie rock artists shared original, self-recorded performances as part of Vote Ready Live — a livestream event encouraging voter registration. Waxahatchee, Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear, and TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone and Jaleel Bunton all participated in the online concert, and so did Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, who debuted a new song called “Featherweight.” He also covered Arthur Russell’s “I Never Get Lonesome” and the Roches’ “Hammond Song.” Watch Pecknold’s full performance below. The War on Drugs were also part of the lineup and performed “In Reverse,” as well as a cover of Warren Zevon’s “Accidentally a Martyr.” Kevin Morby, Hand Habits, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Cigg...
Seven long years after its initial release, The Weeknd’s Kiss Land reached the top of the charts this week. In honor of the surprise achievement, the R&B singer has now dug up “a few songs and ideas that didn’t” end up making the final tracklist of that 2013 album. Abel Tesfaye shared these previously unreleased songs and outtakes during episode 9 of his “Memento Mori” radio show on Apple Music on Friday. He called the reveal a “special thank you episode to the fans for showing so much love to kiss land this week.” Amongst the demos and alternate versions is a remix of Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence cut “Money Power Glory”, as well as a demo of “One of Those Nights”, a track which appeared on a deluxe edition of Juicy J’s 2013 album Stay Trippy. Other demos include “Angel Face”, “For You...