New Music
Bloc Party’s Kele Questions British Stereotypes in New Song “Melanin”: Stream
Bloc Party founder Kele Okereke has shared a new single called “Melanin”. It was originally supposed to be released on his solo album 2042 last year, but he removed it from the tracklist when he couldn’t get the sample cleared in time. Under his first-name-only moniker Kele, he dives into the idea of race and education in Britain — or, more specifically, how those subjects are barely taught at all. “I believe that if we truly want to dismantle the racial division in this country, then it starts with the education system,” said Kele in a statement. As such, “Melanin” seeks to right this wrong, namely by calling for a more accurate syllabus that tells the truth about the country’s colonial past. “I’m glad that we get to share the track now, at a time that it seems more pertinent than ever,” ...
Sufjan Stevens Rails Against “America” on Sprawling New Song: Stream
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 Announce New Album In Sickness & In Flames, Share “Montgomery Forever”: Stream
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...
John Carpenter Returns With New Single “Skeleton” b/w “Unclean Soul”: Stream
John Carpenter is back with his first non-soundtrack music since Lost Themes II. This morning, the Master of Horror announced a new 12″ single in “Skeleton” b/w “Unclean Soul” that’s due out August 28th via Sacred Bones Records. Once again, Carpenter is backed by his son Cody Carpenter and his godson Daniel Davies, who give the composer some wings. “Skeleton” is a jet rocket set for a dystopian night sky, while “Unclean Soul” digs deep into the bowels of hell. Carpenter offered a statement on the two tracks: “It was refreshing to be able to write music that didn’t have to fit to any sort of locked image. We also had a specific focus and direction we wanted to follow when working on Halloween, both in terms of mindset and instruments, and being able to return to working without that narrow ...
Willie Nelson Releases New Album First Rose of Spring: Stream
Willie Nelson has officially released his new album, First Rose of Spring. After a slight delay due to the ongoing pandemic, the album is available to stream below via Apple Music and Spotify. First Rose of Spring is Nelson’s 70th album to date (!) and follows his Grammy-winning record Ride Me Back Home from 2019. Out of the 11 songs on his new album, three are reinterpretations of tracks originally written by Chris Stapleton (“Our Song”), Toby Keith (“Don’t Let the Old Man In”), and Billy Joe Shaver (“We Are The Cowboys”). Since pushing back the release of his new record, Nelson has been busying performing at livestream benefit concerts, penning a collaborative memoir with his sibling Bobbie Nelson, blazing it on 4/20 with “Come and Toke It”, and celebrating his 87th birthday safely at ho...
Pop Smoke’s Posthumous Album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon is Here: Stream
The posthumous debut album from Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, has been released. Stream it in full below via Apple Music and Spotify. The 19-track collection is the first Pop Smoke release since the Brooklyn-bred rapper was shot dead earlier this year in his Hollywood Hills home at the age of 20. It follows his 2019 breakout, Meet the Woo, and his Meet the Woo 2 mixtape, which dropped just seven days before his passing. Shoot for the Stars features many of hip-hop’s biggest names, such as DaBaby, Future, Quavo of Migos, Lil Baby, 50 Cent, Roddy Ricch, and more. Production was handled by DJ Mustard (YG), WondaGurl (SZA), and Buddah Bless (Travis Scott), among others. Editors’ Picks The cover artwork for Shoot for the Stars was initially done by ...
David Gilmour Admits “Yes, I Have Ghosts” on First New Song in Five Years: Stream
David Gilmour has shared a new single called “Yes, I Have Ghosts”. It’s his first new song in over five years and, unsurprisingly, it doesn’t disappoint. The former Pink Floyd member first revealed the song last month in the the audiobook for A Theatre for Dreamers, a new novel by Gilmour’s wife and longtime collaborator, Polly Samson. “Yes, I Have Ghosts” was exclusive to Samson’s novel, though, and as such wasn’t released as a standalone track until today, a week after the initial publication of the audiobook. “Polly’s vivid and poetic writing, coupled with her very natural narration voice, made joining forces to produce the audio version of A Theatre for Dreamers a fantastic and fulfilling experience,” Gilmour said in a statement. “The audiobook format has so much untapped potential, an...
Failure Share New Cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence”: Stream
Failure have released a newly recorded version of the Depeche Mode classic “Enjoy the Silence” more than 20 years after originally covering the song for a tribute album. Back in 1998, Failure contributed a cover of the song to the Depeche Mode tribute compilation For the Masses. However, with the LP long out of print, the Los Angeles rockers decided to record an updated version of the track, which originally appeared on Depeche Mode’s landmark album Violator. As Failure frontman Ken Andrews explained, “We originally recorded a cover of ‘Enjoy the Silence’ for the 1998 Depeche Mode tribute, For the Masses. That album has all but disappeared, no longer in print and not available via streaming platforms but we as a band are proud of our take on that song and had wanted to re-record it for som...
Josh Klinghoffer Reunites with Flea on New Pluralone Single “Nowhere I Am”: Stream
Josh Klinghoffer was let go by the Red Hot Chili Peppers last year in order to make room for the return of John Frusciante. Despite the sudden lineup change, Klinghoffer later described the situation as “pretty simple” and without any “animosity.” Proving that there’s indeed no bad blood between the two acts, he’s released a new single called “Nowhere I Am” featuring current RHCP bassist Flea and former founding drummer Jack Irons. Officially credited to Pluralone, Klinghoffer’s solo project, the track is painted with swirling, almost psychedelic, strokes, making for a dreamy and blissed-out listening experience. “‘Nowhere I Am’ is one of those songs I feel has a universal message that everyone can understand, then I remember how abstruse I can write sometimes,” Klinghoffer told SPIN. “I s...
Zakk Wylde Recreates Black Sabbath’s Debut LP on Upcoming Zakk Sabbath Album Vertigo
Zakk Wylde is taking his love of all things Black Sabbath to the extreme by recreating the iconic metal act’s debut album with his tribute act Zakk Sabbath. The LP, titled Vertigo, is set to arrive September 4th. In anticipation, Zakk Sabbath have shared their version of the song “Black Sabbath”. Named after Black Sabbath’s old record label, Vertigo features the exact tracklist of Sabbath’s 1970 debut, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In addition to Wylde, Zakk Sabbath features bassist Blasko (who plays with Wylde in Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band) and drummer Joey Castillo (Queens of the Stone Age, Danzig). “We recorded a live EP and were wondering what we could do next as a cover band, so the 50th album anniversary came just at the right time”, explained Blasko of Zak...
Cloud Nothings Surprise Releasing New Album The Black Hole Understands
Surprise! Cloud Nothings have announced a new album called The Black Hole Understands, and they’re releasing it in full tomorrow via Bandcamp. The Black Hole Understands is a 10-song full-length that was written and recorded remotely while self-isolating during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, reports Pitchfork. A 25% cut of the proceeds will be donated to Play on Philly in Philadelphia and Rainey Institute in Cleveland, both of which provide music and arts education to communities that don’t have easy access to such in their respective local areas. “It’s a quarantine album, so like… not actually recorded live,” frontperson Dylan Baldi tweeted. “I’m playing instruments and singing, Jayson is playing drums. It’s poppy and also kind of sad, which is more or less my state of mind....
boygenius Releasing Early Demos For Bandcamp Day
In 2018, boygenius dropped one of the best releases of the year with their self-titled debut EP. Now, the indie supergroup is offering fans a glimpse at the origins of that stellar project by sharing a collection of demos. Early “voice memo” versions of EP tracks “Bite the Hand”, “Me & My Dog”, and “Stay Down” will be made available to stream exclusively on Bandcamp on Friday, July 3rd. According to a statement, these rough recordings were taped in rehearsal on June 5th, 2018 — the day before boygenius would enter the studio to officially work their magic. The three demos will remain on Bandcamp for just 24 hours, to coincide with the streaming platform’s waiver of revenue share. All proceeds will be divided evenly between three local organizations specifically chosen by each band...
