On Monday, Ben Folds and his reunited Five (who are actually a trio in total) dropped an un-mixed sneak peek into their first album in 13 years. “Do It Anyway” is a quirky sendup to taking risks and reaching new highs, delivered in Folds’ trademark casual piano pop style. Some things never change, and for this fan, that’s a wonderful, wonderful thing.
As I’ve mentioned previously, Passion Pit are set to release their sophomore album Gossamer on July 24th, and today the group has gifted the first leaked track, “Take a Walk.” Similar to the infectious debut Manners, the track is catchy, falsetto-laden electro pop. So basically, if you like Passion Pit, you’ll probably like this new one. If not, then move along, nothing to see here.
Today we’ve lost one of the greats. I’m incredibly devastated at the death of MCA today. I’ve been a Beastie Boys fan since I was ten years old. My love for hip-hop spawned from listening to Ill Communication and Hello Nasty. Paul’s Boutique is one of my favorites of all time. And Adam Yauch was without a doubt my favorite Beastie Boy. His raspy, laid-back delivery shined alongside the more frenetic, high-pitched sidekicks Ad-Rock and Mike D. He was a profoundly gifted lyricist, a dedicated Buddhist, a devoted human rights activist, and a legendary artist and musician.
Naturally, watching YouTube videos of Beastie Boys performances only strengthens my sadness. Knowing that with the loss of Yauch means the loss of the world’s greatest rap group, and knowing I’ll never get the chance to finally see my favorite hip-hop trio perform live puts a significant mark on today’s news. With the untimely death of MCA, the Beastie Boys are no more. All we have now is the music and the legacy they leave behind, which will undoubtedly influence millions for years to come.
Twin Shadow is back! George Lewis Jr. has announced his follow-up to 2010’s brilliant Forget. It’s called Confess and it’s out on July 10th.
Stream/download the first new track from the upcoming album, “Five Seconds,” below. It’s packed with everything we all love from Twin Shadow, passionate vocal work, echoey guitars, and Molly Ringwald 80’s beats!
Tenacious D’s epic comeback album doesn’t drop until May 15th, but you, my dear friend, don’t have to wait. The mighty D has delivered this collection of tasty new tunes for your streaming pleasure. It’s rocking, it’s loud, it’s brash, it’s hilarious, and it’s oh so epically NSFW. Face melting will ensue. You’ve been warned.
Psych Fest has been at a different location every year. From Mohawk to Seaholm to its new location at Beauty Ballroom/Emo’s East, the surreal atmosphere and excellent lineup has made for some legit party times, and this year looks to be no different. The shindig kicks off tonight and lasts through Sunday, so you can bet all that homework I need to do probably will have to wait. Here are some of my picks for must-see bands this weekend. You can find the full schedule here.
Lotus Plaza
Ringo Deathstarr
Psychic Ills
The Black Angels
Peaking Lights
Mind Spiders
Pink Mountaintops
Black Lips
Dead Confederate
Thee Oh Sees
Meat Puppets
Brian Jonestown Massacre
After much anticipation and a slew of previews on various live performances over the past year, Passion PIt have announced their sophomore release, titled Gossamer. The album drops on July 24th, and in the meantime they continue to tour, stopping in Dallas in June and playing with Justice at Red Rocks in August. Check out the dates at Consequence of Sound.
It’s been several months, actually probably a year, but atmospheric pop up-and-comers Purity Ring are ready to unleash their first full-length of spooky, Fever Ray-influenced electronic soundscapes. The album’s called Shrines, and that’s the cover above. The album drops July 24th via 4AD and Last Gang. Along with this fantastic news, they’ve given us the tracklist, some tour dates, and a new excellent song called “Obedear.” Check all of it out at Pitchfork.
Fiona Apple played her first official show in seven years at Stubb’s during SXSW, and I’m proud to say I was there and she was just amazing. She played this new track, “Every Single Night” at that show, and I remember it very well; the song will be a part of her highly anticipated new album The Idler Wheel, which hits stores brick-and-mortar and digital on June 19th. Listen below.
