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The Tallest Man on Earth Announces New Concert and EP.

Thomas Keidan — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 11:38:46 +0000

Swedish folk singer Kristian Matsson, who performs as The Tallest Man on Earth, has announced a new collaborative EP with New York classical ensemble yMusic. It features new arrangements of Matsson’s extensive catalogue by yMusic’s CJ Camerieri and Rob Moose and will be supported by a one off concert date at Brooklyn’s Pioneer Works on September 21^st (Both Camerieri and Moose have played with The National and Sufjan Stevens, and Moose is a former member of Bon Iver.) Tickets are due to go on sale today and can be purchased here. The EP will be available digitally and as a limited edition 10” vinyl pressing which is scheduled for release this Friday. Details for where the album can be ordered as well as a tracklist of the project have yet to be released by the artist.

In a post on Instagram, Matsson revealed his inspiration for the project as well as upcoming details regarding the concert and release of the record:

“In the summer of 2015 I had the incredible experience of playing some of my songs with [yMusic] at Eaux Claire festival. It was thrilling. It turns out that they’re amazing people just as they are musicians, and we’ve continued to be excited by playing together. We’ve done some recording of new arrangements of my songs by CJ Camerieri and Rob Moose, and we’ve decided to release an EP. It will be available digitally and as a limited vinyl 10” beginning this Friday, July 21st. We’re also going to play a live show together which we can’t wait to do! This September 21st, we’ll be playing a special engagement at [Pioneer Works] in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Tickets go on sale this Wednesday, July 19th at noon eastern time and will be available at the link in my bio.”

It is worth noting that Matsson has a history of performances with yMusic dating back to his first performance at Bryce Dessner and Justin Vernon’s Eaux Claires music festival. The festival attempts to spotlight musicians of all genres through collaborative performances as well as crossovers between artists of different mediums. Additionally, a 2016 Pitchfork performance of Matsson’s unreleased single “Rivers”, which features the ensemble, can be viewed below:

This article will be updated when more information becomes available regarding the EP release, so stay tuned for more!

TORRES Announces New Album, ‘Three Futures’.

Thomas Keidan — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 13:04:20 +0000

Mackenzie Scott has announced a new album under her TORRES moniker titled Three Futures; the follow-up album to critic’s favourite Sprinter is scheduled for release on September 29^th via 4AD records. In a press release, Scott said that the new project “is entirely about using the body that each of us has been given as a mechanism of joy.” Recorded in Somerset with fellow composer P.J Harvey and producer David Tolomei, the album marks Scott’s first release with 4AD following her highly successful breakthrough on Partisan Records. The full tracklist for the project which includes the previously released “Skim”, as well as cover artwork, can be viewed below:

Three Futures:

Tongue Slap Your Brains Out
Skim
Three Futures
Righteous Woman
Greener Stretch
Helen in the Woods
Bad Baby Pie
Marble Focus
Concrete Ganesha
To Be Given a Body

Ahead of the album’s release, Scott has shared a new music video for the title track, which heavily focuses on a broken relationship through restless guitar melodies and intensely personal lyrics; the video, directed by collaborator Ashley Connor, features visuals which directly link to the previously released “Skim” clip as well as the Three Futures album art. Check out the clip here:

In support of the project, Scott has announced a full North American and European tour scheduled to begin this month. The full dates, which include autumn dates at Brighton’s The Haunt as well as the Botanique Rotonde in Brussels, can be viewed below:

11/7 – Manchester, UK – Soup Kitchen

11/8 – London, UK – Tufnell Park Dome

11/9 – Brighton, UK – The Haunt

11/10 – Paris, France – Le Point Ephemere

11/11 – Amsterdam, Holland – Bitterzoet

11/13 – Cologne, Germany – Gebaude 9

11/14 – Hamburg, Germany – Waagenbau

11/15 – Berlin, Germany – Kantine am Berghain

11/16 – Munich, Germany – Ampere

11/18 – Brussels, Belgium – Botanique Rotonde

Pre-orders of the project, including a limited-edition gold vinyl press, can be purchased here.

Waxahatchee Shares New Album, ‘Out in the Storm’.

Thomas Keidan — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 18:46:07 +0000

Singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield, also known as Waxahatchee, is gearing up to release a new album called Out in the Storm via Merge Records on July 14^th; in anticipation, it’s streaming in full over on NPR. The follow-up to 2015’s Ivy Tripp recounts her personal story of a volatile professional and romantic relationship; speaking to Lenny Letter, Crutchfield stated that:

“I don’t want to call it a break-up record, but it was a romantic and professional relationship that fell apart. I had to end it, and it rippled throughout every little corner of my life. Getting on the other side of that and reflecting on the whole spectrum of sadness and anger and resentment, I came out of it and I was a lot closer to myself, which I think is common too.”

Crutchfield also provided insight into the lead singles of the project which she described as “the foundation” of the LP in managing to capture the anger and vulnerability which informed the rest of the album. The newly released music video for “Silver” can be viewed below:

Initial reviews for the project have been overwhelmingly positive with Pop Matters describing the album as a “poignant, wistful and emotional” effort which captures the breakdown of a relationship through more accessible 90s alt-rock tones as well as lighter pop melodies. Additionally, DIY Magazine heralded Crutchfield’s penchant for stark and honest songwriting which has set the album up as one of the “pinnacles of the year”.

In support of the project, Waxahatchee has announced a full set of European and North American tour dates scheduled for summer and autumn. The full European schedule, including a stop at the Deaf Institute in Manchester and the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, can be viewed below:

09/03 – North Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival

09/04 – London, UK @ The Garage

09/05 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute

09/06 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club

09/07 – Brighton, UK @ Komedia

09/08 – Heer, BE @ Deep in the Woods

09/11 – Paris, FR @ Le Batofar

09/12 – Lyon, FR @ Le Periscope

09/13 – Düdingen, CH @ Bad Bonn

09/14 – Zürich, CH @ Rote Fabrik

09/15 – Capri, IT @ Mattatoio

09/16 – Milano, IT @ Biko

09/17 – Munich, DE @ Milla

09/18 – Ljubljana, SI @ Gala Hala

09/19 – Vienna, AT @ Arena

09/20 – Prague, CZ @ Klub 007

09/22 – Schorndorf, DE @ Manufaktur

09/23 – Hamburg, DE @ Reeperbahn Festival

09/24 – Lund, SE @ Mejerit

09/25 – Göteborg, SE @ Pustervik

09/26 – Stockholm, SE @ Obaren

09/27 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega

09/28 – Berlin, DE @ Musik & Frieden

09/29 – Groningen, NL @ Vera

10/01 – Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet

Pre orders of the project, including a deluxe double LP version as well as a LP+CD bundle, can be pre-ordered from the Merge Records website here.

Arcade Fire unveil new single, “Signs of Life”.

Thomas Keidan — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 13:48:45 +0000

Earlier this month, Arcade Fire debuted a new song titled Signs of Life during a performance in London. The band has now unveiled a full studio version of the synth-laden track. The track marks their third from the band’s upcoming fifth studio album, Everything Now. Speaking to BBC Radio 1, multi-instrumentalist Will Butler discussed his inspiration for the project, stating that: “There’s sort of an everything-nowness to life. I feel like almost every event and everything that happens surrounds you on all sides. It’s trying to capture some of the experiences of being alive now in all its flaws and all its glory.” Check out the video, which sees a pair of special agents embark on a mysterious mission, below:

The album, co-produced by Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter, is due for release on July 28^th through Columbia Records. The album has been subject to a series of hints from the band from as early as 2015; In a September 2015 interview with NME, Will Butler appeared to confirm that the record was in its early stages:

“We’re all itching to play music together and start recording things,” he said. “We’re basically in the demo and play together phase, and historically that’s led to realizing that, surprisingly, we’re 30 per cent into a record, so we’ll see if that happens.”

The project has been the subject of multiple teasers from the band, which has included hiding boxes of cereal throughout Dublin, offering fans who tracked down the boxes admittance to an afterparty following their performance at Dublin’s Malahide Castle. The track-list for the album was officially released yesterday following a series of anagram hints on Twitter and can be viewed below:

Everything Now:

01 Everything_Now (continued)

02 Everything Now

03 Signs of Life

04 Creature Comfort

05 Peter Pan

06 Chemistry

07 Infinite Content

08 Infinite_Content

09 Electric Blue

10 Good God Damn

11 Put Your Money on Me

12 We Don’t Deserve Love

13 Everything Now (continued)

In support of the new album, the Canadian indie-rockers have also announced a full European and North American tour with The Kooks slated for the summer and autumn season. A full itinerary of European dates can be viewed below:

07/01 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival

07/02 – Berlin, DE @ Wuhlheide

07/04 – London, UK @ York Hall

07/05 – London, UK @ York Hall

07/06 – Manchester, UK @ Castlefield Bowl

07/09 – Belfort, FR @ Eurockéennes Festival

07/11 – Linz, AT @ Ahoi! The Full Hit of Summer

07/15 – Carhaix-Plouguer, FR @ Vieilles Charreus

07/17 – Milan, IT @ City Season Festival

07/18 – Florence, IT @ City Season Festival

07/19 – Nyon, CH @ Paleo Festival

Pre-orders of the album, featuring a limited edition ‘Day Version’ LP with bonus tracks as well as a ‘Night Version’ on coloured vinyl and alternative packaging, can be purchased here.

The National Unveil New Single, ‘Guilty Party’.

Thomas Keidan — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 14:49:05 +0000

Last week, The National debuted several new songs from their upcoming album, Sleep Well Beast, during a concert in Paris. The concert included a performance of Guilty Party, which the Brooklyn based indie-rockers have now released as a second single from the record, alongside an accompanying music video which can be viewed below:

In an official statement, director Casey Reas provided insight into the conceptual nature of the psychedelic and distant music video which he described as:

“A dream about memory and the degradation of memory. It’s about distance in time and space. Time moves forward, but then backward as memory. The image of the two-faced Roman god Janus, who can look into the past and future, is the core visual language.”

In celebration of their new album, The National will be hosting a live-music event in New York on July 14th and 15th. The collaborative concert will be performed in the round and will feature various collaborative performances with the likes of Buke & Gase and Nadia Sirota. 700 tickets will be made available for each night, with a percentage of sales benefiting the venue of the event. Each guest will receive a limited edition Guilty Party 7-inch double split. Tickets can be purchased here.

The LP, due for release on September 8th, consists of 12 tracks and was produced in New York by Aaron Dessner with co-production from band-mates Bryce Dessner and Matt Berninger. Initial single releases for the project, including the political anthem The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, have been met with critical acclaim with NPR stating that “Sleep Well Beast, is shaping up to be the best album the band has done”. The album will mark the band’s first full-release in four years with an accompanying European and North American tour scheduled to begin in September. Full European dates for the tour can be viewed below:

08/12 – Copenhagen, DK @ HAVEN Festival

09/16 – Cork, IE @ Cork Opera House/Sounds From a Safe Harbour

09/17 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street

09/18 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street

09/20 – Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall

09/21 – Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall

09/22 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo

09/23 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo

09/25 – London, UK @ Eventim Hammersmith Apollo

09/26 – London, UK @ Eventim Hammersmith Apollo

09/27 – London, UK @ Eventim Hammersmith Apollo

09/28 – London, UK @ Eventim Hammersmith Apollo

10/14 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre

10/21 – Hamburg, DE @ Elphilharmonie

10/23 – Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom

10/24 – Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom

10/25 – Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live

10/28 – Lisbon, PT @ Coliseum

10/30 – Brussels, BE @ Bozar

10/31 – Brussels, BE @ Bozar

11/02 – Paris, FR @ Pitchfork Music Festival Paris

11/04 – Stockholm, SE @ Annexet

11/05 – Stockholm, SE @ Annexet

11/06 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene

11/07 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene

Pre-orders of the album, including a limited indie exclusive 2xLP blue vinyl, can be pre-ordered from 4AD here.

Ed Sheeran Forced to Defend Against Accusations of Miming During Glastonbury Set

Thomas Keidan — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 14:09:41 +0000

Pop star Ed Sheeran headlined Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage on Sunday night, just six years after his debut at one of the festival’s smallest stages; in 2011, the musician played the Croissant Neuf stage, playing to around 500 audience members. In a departure from previously grandiose headline performances, Sheeran was praised for his captivating performance with just an acoustic guitar and loop pedal to layer his vocal and guitar lines; the only break from this was during his performance of ‘Galway Girl’ when he introduced a quartet of traditional Irish musicians to provide backing vocals.

Fans and critics alike were delighted with his performance and setlist – which included ‘Castle on the Hill,’ ‘A Team,’ ‘Lego House’ and the record-breaking ‘Shape of You’. Initial reviews from British press including The Guardian and The Telegraph praised Sheeran for defying his critics and instead delivering a ‘thrillingly raw’ performance to close the festival. BBC News praised Sheeran’s ability to “build up or break down a song at will, a skill honed by years of relentless gigging in his teens.”

However, immediately following the performance, critics on Twitter subsequently accused the singer-songwriter of lip-syncing due to the backing vocals created from the singer’s loop pedal. Despite Sheeran clearly tapping his loop pedal with his foot throughout his performance, individuals were quick to accuse the star of deceptively faking his vocals throughout. Fans of the musician as well as Sheeran himself took to Twitter this morning to defend his set, whilst expressing surprise that viewers would be unaware of the presence of such technology during his performance:

Never thought I'd have to explain it, but everything I do in my live show is live, it's a loop station, not a backing track. Please google x

— Ed Sheeran (@edsheeran) June 26, 2017

Other highlights from the weekend included a surprise set from The Killers who vowed to never return to the event following a disastrous set in 2007 which was marred by sound problems. Additionally, performances from Stormzy and the Foo Fighters were fan-favourite performances which capped the warmest Glastonbury Festival on record.

British DJ Goldie Fuels Speculation Regarding Identity of Banksy

Thomas Keidan — Sat, 24 Jun 2017 13:38:39 +0000

British DJ Goldie has fuelled speculation concerning one of modern art’s biggest mysteries; in a Distraction Pieces podcast discussing the commodification of graffiti, the musician appeared to refer to infamous street artist Banksy as ‘Robert’, appearing to confirm speculation that the artist is Goldie’s friend and Massive Attack member Robert Del Naja:

“For something like graffiti, which has inspired the world with font or anything to do with anyone wearing a baseball cap and sneakers, at its centre it is still misunderstood.

“But give me a bubble letter and put it on a T-shirt and write Banksy on it and we’re sorted… We can sell it now.

“No disrespect to Rob, I think he is a brilliant artist. I think he has flipped the world of art over.”

It is worth noting that Del Naja, one of the founding members of the group, is himself an acclaimed graffiti artist with his work having featured on all of Massive Attack’s record sleeves. Throughout the 1980s, Del Naja was credited for pioneering the British stencil graffiti movement as well as bringing hip hop and graffiti culture from the USA to Bristol during this period. Goldie and Del Naja are friends, and took part in the largest British graffiti art battle together in the 1980s.

The identity of Banksy is a topic which has long been the subject of intense scrutiny; Del Naja is the latest a long line of people to be unmasked as the world famous artist. An investigative journalist claimed last year that Del Naja was Banksy due to the fact that artworks kept appearing close to Massive Attack gigs around the world. Del Naja himself has previously denied such claims, instead stating that “He’s been to some of the gigs. It’s purely a matter of logistics and coincidence, nothing more than that.”

Previously, wide held speculation linked Bristol-born artist Robert Gunningham to the identity of Banksy; in 2016, scientists at Queen Mary University in London claimed to have ‘tagged’ Banksy through geographic profiling which suggested Gunningham to be the artist after a pattern emerged between the locations of Banksy’s graffiti and addresses with a close association to Gunningham.

In other news, Goldie recently released his newest studio album The Journey Man via his own record label Metalheadz. The 16-track project includes contributions from vocalists Natalie Duncan, Terri Walker, José James and Goldie’s wife Mika Wassenaar Price. It follows his release of The Alchemist: The Best of Goldie 1992-2012, which marked the producer’s 20th anniversary in music. The lead single from the project, I Adore You, can be viewed below:

Jeff Tweedy Releases New Solo Album, Together At Last

Thomas Keidan — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 16:56:43 +0000

Jeff Tweedy has released his new album, Together at Last, via dBpm records; the new project features solo acoustic versions of songs that Tweedy has previously performed with Wilco and side projects Loose Fur and Golden Smog. The album, recorded at Tweedy’s Loft Studios in Chicago, marks the first released in a series of reflective material titled Loft Acoustic Sessions.

Initial reviews for the project have been overwhelmingly positive, with critics praising the sparse production of the album which moves away from the experimentalism of Tweedy’s catalogue. The Guardian were quick to praise Tweedy’s ‘delicate guitar playing’ and vivid imagery, with Paste Magazine highlighting the diverse track-selection of the project which spans Tweedy’s entire career and combines Wilco hits with lesser-known ‘deeper album cuts’. The lead single from the project, Laminated Cat, can be viewed below:

Wilco are currently on tour in support of their latest release, 2016’s Schmilco. The tour includes sold out sets at their Solid Sound Festival. The Massachusetts based festival will feature three days of music, comedy, art and family fun. Wilco performs two headlining shows, and in keeping with tradition of making a performance exclusive to its festival audience, the band will perform its 1996 album Being There in its entirety, as selected by fans in an online poll. Find their full itinerary below:

06-23 North Adams – Solid Sound Festival

06-24 North Adams – Solid Sound Festival

06-25 North Adams – Solid Sound Festival

07-08 Madrid, Spain – Mad Cool Festival

07-13 Pori, Finland – Pori Jazz Festival

07-28 Camden – XPoNential Music Festival

07-30 Portland – Thompson’s Point

08-11 Denver – Velorama Festival

In other news, Tweedy appeared on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” as a musical guest; he performed “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart”, from Wilco’s breakout album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which reappears on Together at Last. The full appearance can be viewed below:

DJ Khaled Claims He Was ‘Sabotaged’ After Electric Daisy Carnival Set

Thomas Keidan — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 13:18:26 +0000

DJ Khaled was booed off stage last night after a disastrous Electric Daisy Carnival Set which he has since blamed on the festival organisers. Fans allegedly got angry after DJ Khaled turned up late to his set and appeared to cut all his songs short; video footage from twitter shows the self-proclaimed ‘snapchat king’ attempting to encourage the crowd amidst calls for him to leave the stage:

THIS HAPPENED pic.twitter.com/YYcT6GYWHf

— Veronica. (@cvrpio_) June 19, 2017

Responding to the event, Khaled issued a statement in two separate Instagram posts claiming that:

“They cut my time short and they had me back stage for a hour and half and the sound kept breaking… Then I heard my fans and I said I’m go out even if the sound cuts off and even if they cut my time short. I’m here for my fans even if the sound man and promoter don’t have there stuff together I forgive them”

Khaled appeared to attract further criticism after posting a second Instagram video of the evening where he can be heard shouting “they want to cut my s–t, but this is California,”; observers were quick to note that the Electric Daisy Carnival is held in Nevada.

Meanwhile, DJ Khaled is preparing to release his latest album ‘Grateful’ on June 23, which features collaborations with Jay Z, Beyonce, Drake, Justin Bieber and Chance the Rapper.

Jay Z Announces New Album ‘4:44’

Thomas Keidan — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 13:11:17 +0000

Jay Z has announced his next studio album, 4:44. The rapper shared a visual clip of new track ‘Adnis’ last night in a new trailer for the ambiguous film of the same name; the clip shows Mahershala Ali playing a boxer and Danny Glover as his coach and can be viewed below:

Here's the 4:44 ad pic.twitter.com/Jv0DBX6FoR

— Wig:WigWig (@BergsRB5) June 8, 2017

The album and film are both slated for release on June 30 exclusively to Tidal customers as well as prepaid members of US telecoms network Sprint. It’s currently not fully clear if 4:44 will be a visual album, or if the film is merely a companion piece for the project (it is worth noting that the inconclusive ending of the video suggests more visual material is to follow).

Fans of Jay Z have long speculated whether a new LP might be on the way following his announcement of a string of summer festival dates which include Made in America, Austin City Limits and Meadows festivals. Currently, Jay Z has one UK appearance scheduled this summer at V-Festival in Chelmsford but it is yet unclear if more dates will be announced alongside the project.

In other news, multiple reports last nights have suggested that Jay Z’s wife Beyoncé has welcomed twins; Matthew Knowles, Beyoncé’s grandfather has seemingly confirmed such reports with a Father’s Day post reading “They’re here!” and “Happy Birthday to the twins!”.

They're here!#beyonce #twins #jayz #happybirthday pic.twitter.com/woFRKoL7eO

— Mathew Knowles (@MathewKnowles) June 18, 2017

The twins would join sister, Blue Ivy, who was spotted at a Los Angeles hospital with her father, according to E! News. It is as yet unknown when the signer gave birth, but Jay Z was notably absent from his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, instead penning a series of tweets thanking those who have inspired him including former president Barack Obama.

And the greatest rapper of all time OBAMA . Thank you 44 https://t.co/CueS0BynCj

— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) June 16, 2017