Genres

Jack White to Release Solo Album

By Kevin Miao ⋅ January 30, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Jack White, former front-man of The White Stripes, always seems to be working on a music project. He has just announced a new solo LP that will be released April 24. The album is titled Blunderbluss. Listen to the first single, “Love Interruption”, below. You can also purchase the single here at 9 PM PST later today.

Below is extra information and what Jack White had to say about the album from a press release:

Produced by White and recorded at his own Third Man Studio in Nashville, Blunderbuss has been described by White as “an album I couldn’t have released until now. I’ve put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name. These songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas.”

Crystal Castles Prepare New Album

By Tait Gu ⋅ January 30, 2012 ⋅ One comment

According to a recent print edition of NME, electronic duo Crystal Castles will be recording their new album in Warsaw and plan to release it sometime this summer. The new album will be a followup to their great sophomore release, Crystal Castles (II), and like all their other albums, it will be self-produced by Ethan Kath.

Regarding the bands sound, Kath states: “every song we write feels bleak to me. I don’t get it when people think it’s beautiful. I think it [bleakness] is the only emotion we do. We don’t want to do anything else.”

Stay tuned for more information on the album.

via BPM

Lana Del Rey to Re-Release ‘Lizzy Grant’ Album

By Frank Wu ⋅ January 28, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Controversial songstress Lana Del Rey‘s new album Born to Die hasn’t even hit stores yet and she’s already looking forward a new-ish release. In an interview with BBC, Lana states that she purchased the rights to her 2010 debut album, Lizzy Grant aka Lana Del Rey, with plans to re-release the record “maybe in late summer.”

That album, released under the singer’s real name, appeared online for about two months in 2010 before being pulled off. As Lana Del Rey has gained popularity and hype recently, many have begun to question the backstory behind this mysterious first record. She explained to BBC, “I had signed to an independent label but they couldn’t fund the release of it. People act like it’s so shrouded in mystery, the ‘forgotten terrible album.’ But if you look on YouTube, all 13 tracks are available with millions of views, so it’s not like no-one’s heard them. We were all proud of it. It’s pretty good.”

This goes against David Kahn’s, the album’s producer, earlier claims that the album was pulled in order to “to stifle future opportunities to distribute it,” end traces of her career as Lizzy Grant, and reinvent herself as Lana Del Rey, according to Billboard.

We’ll never really know what Lana’s team intended to do, but for now at least, we now they aren’t hiding anything by rerelasing the lost record back to retailers. Lizzy Grant’s first record as Lana Del Rey will be released on January 31 via Interscope Records.

Listen: Plants and Animals – “Lightshow”

By Erik Barns ⋅ January 27, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

This past week, Plants and Animals released a single for their upcoming album, The End of That, out on February 28th. One thing that makes me become obsessed with this band time and time again is the wide variety of songs they have. Throughout both of their albums La La Land and Parc Avenue, there is just such a variety in content. They can create such intensity through the most delicate melodies like in their song “Game Shows” or they can bring a spirit of rock revival like on “Jeans Jeans Jeans”. They produce such smooth and fluid music.

Their new single “Lightshow” reminded me a bit of Robin Pecknold from Fleet Foxes but with a more electric feel. You can listen or download below.

Interview: Vegas Is North

By Keith Yeo ⋅ January 26, 2012 ⋅ One comment

Recently, it has become increasingly common for the younger generation of musicians to make a name for themselves before they even break the age of 20. About a week ago, I had a chance to talk to Chris of Vegas Is North, who “started the band back in [his] junior year of high school,” and has kept it going ever since, even adding two seventeen year olds to the fold as well.

Can you tell me how long you guys have played music for?

I (Chris) have been playing guitar ever since I was in the sixth grade. I’m nineteen right now. I started the band back in my junior year of high school.

Does being in a band at such a young age affect your career in any way?

It absolutely does, luckily were learning the rights and wrongs at a younger age rather then us being older with more burdens. Our bassist and drummer are both seventeen.

With the many pop-punk bands that currently exist in the scene, how does Vegas Is North stand out?

We are pushing our genre out a little bit more now. We’ve been in the pop-punk scene for awhile now we are expanding our horizons to see where this will take us.

You recently released your new EP I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead. What makes it different from your previously released self-titled EP?

I believe it has a huge difference. Lyrical and musically. I feel I started to learn to write better lyrics and just be a better musician all around.

What was the writing process like for the new EP?

It was me in my room just pouring my heart on to these songs.

Are there any artists that were a big influence on the music in I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead?

I was listening to a lot of earlier 2000 pop-punk bands, like New Found Glory and Blink-182 at the time. They played a huge influence on this EP.

“Parking Lot Kings” has some great lines, what inspired the lyrics on that song?

Honestly just being stuck in a point in your life where you feel like your not going anywhere. Where you just feel stuck.

You guys recently put-out a music video for “Parking Lot Kings”, is this your first music video? If so, what was the experience like?

Yes we did! Which you can watch on Youtube right now! It was awesome and we feel a lot more legit as a band. We’re moving fast, so expect to see a lot of us in the future.

Are you planning to go on any tours to support the new EP?

We are currently working on a tour right now you can stay updated with us on our social websites.

You guys recently announced that you were releasing your single “Savior” on the 17th. What can your fans expect from the new song?

A new us.

Other than “Savior”, can we expect to hear any new material in the near future?

We have been writing non stop, so there will be tons of new music in the future! Stay tuned with us on our Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube!

Watch: Evidence – “Falling Down”

By Frank Wu ⋅ January 26, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Evidence‘s Cats & Dogs was perhaps one of the most criminally underlooked records of 2011, alongside personal favorite Phonte‘s Charity Starts At Home. I guess I’m not incredibly surprised as the steadfast Rhymesayer’s rapper is usually fairly reserved in terms of getting his music out there to his loyal and extremely tightly-knit fanbase. The hip-hop purist/producer/MC recently unleashed a new set of respectfully dark, brooding visuals for “Falling Down” directed by Todd Angkasuwan. You can check it out below.

Listen: Ricky Eat Acid – “so i will not fall deep into the earth”

By Harri Gibson ⋅ January 26, 2012 ⋅ One comment

Sam Ray under the moniker of Ricky Eat Acid produces breathtaking ambient experimental tunes. His most recent release called “so i will not fall deep into the earth” is part of a genre titled “space punk.”

In his own words he describes the genre as “there is no point to spacepunk. it’s anti-trendy. there are no driving electronic rhythms – it lacks any post-rave, post-internet, future-pop beats. there’s nothing really. that’s it. there’s nothing. it’s music that evokes the feeling of floating endlessly and eternally through darkness. it’s inspired as much by the romanticized and unscientific idea of space as it is by sleep, heavy opiate use, and the feeling of being alone in bed, half awake on a rainy day. it’s a very sad feeling. it’s not nostalgic, but it still makes me miss everything. it’s nothing, really. you could characterize it as drone, sometimes, or ambient. i’m not really sure. it’s fun, but it’s not. it’s not post-internet, it’s post-life.”

The nine minute track gives you the feeling of floating endlessly in time and space. If you are a fan of ambient, drone or experimental music, pick up the track for free on his Bandcamp.

Listen: Echotape – “Came Into My Blood”

By Harri Gibson ⋅ January 26, 2012 ⋅ One comment

Echotape, a band that came together under a shared disillusionment that the vast majority of artists that presented themselves as “alternative” were, in fact, devoid of any discernible purpose or ambition beyond commercial or egotistic self-nourishment, have a four track EP scheduled for release later this year. Their first released track is called “Came Into My Blood” and it combines dream-like melodies, an upbeat rhythm similar to the Horrors, and passionate vocals. For their debut album, they have worked with legendary producer Youth (of Killing Joke fame) who has previously worked with the likes of The Verve, The Orb, and The Futureheads. They believe passionately in a more considered and coherent aesthetic mission, and so the band isolated themselves and wrote songs that reflected their convictions. I definitely recommend you check out Echotape, as they are on track to producing awe-inspiring music.

Watch: Sleigh Bells – “Comeback Kid”

By Tait Gu ⋅ January 24, 2012 ⋅ One comment

Check out Sleigh Bell‘s new video for their recently released song “Comeback Kid” below. The video features noise pop duo Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller and their signature shades, leather, and letterman jackets with an 80s overtone and a fitting Judd Nelson-esque fist bump ending. The song and video are in support of the band’s new album, Reign of Terror, which is set to be released February 21st. Sleigh Bells will also be touring to support their sophomore outing, and you can check out the dates below.

Sleigh Bells 2012 Tour
02-03 Gainesville, FL – Florida Theater *#
02-04 Tampa, FL – The Ritz *#
02-06 Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall *#
02-07 Tallahassee, FL – The Moon *#
02-09 Jacksonville, FL – Freebird Live *#
02-10 Orlando, FL – Firestone *#
02-11 Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution *#
02-14 Miami, FL – Grand Central *#
02-16 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club ^
02-17 New York, NY – Terminal 5 ^
02-18 Toronto, Ontario – Phoenix ^
02-21 Los Angeles, CA – The Mayan ^
02-23 San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom ^
02-24 Seattle, WA – Showbox at the Market ^

* with Diplo
# with Liturgy
^ with Black Bananas

Listen: Andrew Bird – “Eyeoneye”

By Frank Wu ⋅ January 23, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

“Eyeoneye” is our very first look at the extremely talented whistler/singer-songwriter Andrew Bird‘s upcoming new album, Break It Yourself. Although the album won’t make its official release until March 6, the new song will be available for immediate download with a pre-order of the limited edition box set of the album from his website here. In terms of style, “Eyeoneye” has a sound that reminds me of “Masterfade” or “Fake Palindromes” from The Mysterious Production of Eggs so perhaps Bird is taking a pre-Noble Beast type direction to the album. Either way, I’m incredibly excited.

Break It Yourself Tracklisting:
01. Desperation Breeds…
02. Polynation
03. Danse Caribe
04. Give it Away
05. Eyeoneye
06. Lazy Projector
07. Near Death Experience Experience
08. Behind the Barn
09. Lusitania
10. Orpheo Looks Back
11. Sifters
12. Fatal Shore
13. Hole in the Ocean Floor
14. Belles

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