Looks like that $1 million dollar deal with Sony finally paid off, because Lauryn Hill is back and ready to pay off the taxman yo!! This is the first of five new songs Hill is supposed to release as per her deal with Sony, and although the song sounds rushed and forced, if it helps feed the grandchildren of Bob Marley then I’m game. And no, the irony of the song title is not lost on me.
MS MR – “Hurricane” (CHVRCHES remix) {Synthpop}
Let’s see here…We love MS MR and we love CHVRCHES, so it makes sense that the CHVRCHES remix of the hot new MS MR single is a double dose of awesome. And just in case you didn’t already know, MS MR’s brand spankin’ new full-length Secondhand Rapture was released on May 14th, and you can purchase it via iTunes here.
The Weeknd – “Kiss Land” {R&B}
After weeks of teasing fans about a mysterious debut LP which will be released later this year, Toronto’s Abel Tesfaye surprised everyone by posting his forthcoming album’s title track online yesterday. And in classic Weeknd style, the topic of the song is about (you guessed it) sex, sex and more sex!
Black Flag – “Down in the Dirt” {Punk/Hardcore}
Not to be confused with FLAG (consisting of the Black Flag leftovers Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, and Bill Stevenson) the newly membered punk legends have officially unveiled their first single in what seems like a gazillion years. No word yet as to when their new album is going to be released, but if you dig the song you can download it here.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – “Retreat!” {Funk/Soul}
Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings have finally given fans a taste of what to expect from their forthcoming album. The 11-piece (yes, there is 11 of them) won’t be releasing their new album Give The People What They Want until August 6th, but if you pre-order the release here you will get an immediate download of “Retreat!” sent directly to your Inbox.
Say Lou Lou – “Fool Of Me” ft. Chet Faker {Dream/Electropop}
Everyone’s been talking about this new track from the twinsies (Eleketra and Miranda Kilbey), who are based out of both Australia and Sweden. The track features the mega Melbourne-based electronic artist Chet Faker, and you can watch the music video for the single here.
Camera Obscura – “Fifth in Line to the Throne” {Pop/Rock}
With all the big releases slated for 2013, we almost forgot that Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura are releasing a new album in June, which is bound to generate a lot of buzz in the music blogosphere. The release is titled Desire Lines, and will be out June 3rd (in Europe) and June 4th (in the U.S.).
Queens of the Stone Age – “I Appear Missing” {Alternative Rock}
My only complaint about this new Queens of the Stone Age video is that it’s deprived me of drooling over Josh Homme’s gingery sexyness, but a creepy, one-eyed floating corpse-man will have to do for now. And in case you were wondering about the song’s thunder-like drumwork, Dave Grohl played drums on the track as well.
The Flaming Lips – “You Lust” (NSFW) {Experimental Pop}
The Flaming Lips keep the awesome music videos coming, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s yet another NSFW video. And by NSFW I mean a close-up of some dude rubbing his balls and everything. Oh Wayne, shock me, shock me, shock me with your deviant behaviour!
Janelle Monáe – “Q.U.E.E.N.” ft. Erykah Badu {Pop/Funk}
With all that Flaming Lips drama, I was surprised to see that Erykah Badu untwisted her bitch panties to star in someone else’s video without telling them to kiss her glittery ass again. Her entrance is pretty cool and all, but don’t hold your breath waiting for her glittery behind to make an appearance.
Grimes – “Venus in Fleurs” {Experimental}
If you’ve ever wanted to know what stalking a giant Red-Headed Sandhill Crane felt like, all you have to do is watch this video (which was shot at a Reifel bird sanctuary in British Columbia). Don’t ask me why that huge, adorable bird terrifies me, it just does.
Kurt Vile – “Never Run Away” {Rock}
Kurt Vile is so awesome all he has to do is sit on a bus, spray a fire extinguisher, and give me the sexy side eye and I’ll still consider the video mindblowing. On the real though, watching his long, luscious locks blow in the wind is pretty mesmerizing.
Austra – “Home” {Electro/Pop}
While we patiently await for Austra’s new album (one more month people!) the band released what is hopefully the first of many videos/singles to come for the rest of 2013. The video is classic minimalism at its finest, minus the blue scrunchies and impressive braiding skills, of course.
Editors – “A Ton Of Love” {Rock}
It looks like this new Editors album is actually happening despite the band’s constant bickering and the departure of the band’s co-founder and former lead guitarist Chris Urbanowicz. This video marks the first official introduction to the new band members Justin Lockey and Elliott Williams. Exciting stuff.
With all the fake Daft Punk tracks floating around the web, can you really blaming us for thinking that this is some sick, belated April Fool’s joke taking advantage of us Daft Punk/Transformers fans? Apparently this is the first single off the duo’s highly-anticipated new album Random Access Memories – big day in the music world, folks!
Walla – “Never Give Up” {Instrumental}
We didn’t realize that Death Cab for Cutie’s guitarist has been releasing solo material for years now (don’t judge), so we were pretty shocked when we first heard this new instrumental single of his. This is actually one of two new Walla singles; to listen to his surprisingly Death Cab-ish collaborative track with Sombear (“Incredibly Still”) click here.
Black Lips – “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” {Country}
We were just as shocked as the next Black Lips fan that the unpredictable psych rockers decided to cover Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings and release the track as a single, but that’s the Black Lips for you. The song is off their new joint release with Icky Blossoms (a 7″ titled Cowboy Knights) which is out April 20th, and you can listen to the track via Soundcloud here.
!!! – “One Girl/One Boy” {Electropop/Funk}
!!! has always been pretty funkalicious, but this new track of theirs is the most funked up !!! we’ve ever heard. This is the second single off their forthcoming album THR!!!LER (which is being released at the end of the month); to listen to the album’s first single “Slyd” click here.
Oberhofer – “Earplugs” {Pop/Rock}
Brooklyn’s Oberhofer are back with a brand new five-track EP NOTALGIA, and we’re counting down the days until its release on April 23rd. Apparently the group’s mainman (Brad Oberhofer) wrote this tune as a tribute to a friend he lost to drug addiction. Touching stuff.
We included Mesita’s awesome self-released album The Coyote in our Top Albums of 2012 list late last year, so we were pretty stoked to see that James Cooley has some new music in the works. There’s still no official release date for his upcoming album Future Proof, but you can stay up to date on any Mesita-related news by checking out his Tumblr.
CocoRosie – “After the Afterlife” {Electropop}
If you haven’t heard of CocoRosie before and/or you’re a fan of Metric then you should definitely be giving this tune a listen. The track is off the Parisian sisters’ new album Tales of a Grass Widow, which is being released May 27th (in Europe) and May 28th (North America).
Bad albums by great artists are a very difficult thing to swallow. Musical visionaries eventually run dry creatively and don’t know when or how to take a break to recharge. At best, the albums produced are laughably bad and/or the artist rebounds later. In the worst case scenario, these black sheep albums can signify the beginning of the end for an artist.
Lulu {Metallica and Lou Reed}
While neither artist has a pristine track record, this is a record so bad that fans of both artists and music in general wondered if the whole thing was an elaborate prank. Primarily featuring spoken word from Reed with Metallica as his backing band, the album is based on a pair of works by German playwright Frank Wedekind, not that anyone would be able to notice. The fact of the matter is that there is no musical synergy at play here. Reed’s rambling and Metallica’s mostly limp arrangements never line up and it makes for an incredibly long, exhausting listen after nearly 90 minutes.
Van Halen III {Van Halen}
This is another obvious entry in this list. Picking Gary Cherone, former vocalist for the band Extreme, to replace Sammy Hagar was just the first of many questionable choices for Van Halen during the ’90s. The songs on this record were mostly longer and more experimental than the band’s previous material, which would be fine if the songs weren’t already suffering from the worst problems of the Hagar era. Everything is lifeless and immediately forgotten after listening, with even Eddie Van Halen clearly having no idea what he wants to do with the material.
Never Let Me Down {David Bowie}
Every list like this needs a “washed up, lazy ’80s record” entry. The lowest point in a self-proclaimed five-year malaise, Bowie has a few decent songs on here but the production is so uninspired and heavy that they completely go to waste. It sounds like David Bowie is trying to be creative without having any actual inspiration. Some people find this record interesting but they’re clearly just trying too hard.
Universal James {James Brown}
This album’s effort to update his sound in the ’90s almost seems to miss the point of James Brown. His music is timeless, vital and bounding with energy. This record is sterile, contrived and a blatant attempt to cash in on his popularity. Instead of sounding like a James Brown record incorporating hip-hop, it sounds like a generic ’90s hip-hop record that got out of hand with sampling James Brown. Between the album’s sound and its record cover, it’s a fitting companion piece to the soundtrack to “Space Jam.”
Jason Kane is a vinyl record collector and avid music blogger. Jason collects his vinyl from SoundStage Direct, an online vinyl record distributor.
Voltage Funk – “Inside Your Head” {Electropop/Funk} + Free download
Known for their dynamic live performances and a sound that combines “funky bass, sparkling guitar and fuzzy synthesizers,” it was love at first listen as soon as we heard this Danish duo, (but really they had us at “fuzzy synthesizers”). This track also features the famed Danish producer Thor Guldager on vocals.
This is Water – “Apollo Rolled So Low” {Indie Rock}
The new three-track EP from This is Water (AKA the pseudonym for the Ontario-based musician Andy Friesen) is so awesome it was impossible to pick just one song off of it, so if you have some time make sure you listen to the rest of his new tracks here. You can also purchase his EP as a name-your-price download at his Bandcamp page.
The Understudies – “No Higher!” {Rap/Hip Hop}
The Understudies are an alternative hip hop group based out of Berkeley, California, and this track is featured on the group’s 5th anniversary album One Night Only (released via Study Music Group). You can purchase One Night Only as a name-your-price download or each individual track for as little as $1 here.
Krystale – “Machine” {Pop/Jazz}
This Montreal/Dominican songstress is only 22-years-old, and she already has two successfully-released EPs under her belt (2011′s Reboot and 2012′s The Good Fight) as well as a self-titled debut album on the way. If you dig the track you can purchase it for $1 here.
Emergency Door Release – “Mad For It” {Alternative Rock}
Channeling their fellow Brit rock champions (Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths, etc.) this Newcastle-based group formed in late 2011, and they are currently prepping for the release of their new album (Chester Zoo) which is out March 15th. If you dig their sound make sure you vote to see them at Evolution Emerging Here; (and don’t forget to give them some props for writing a song about a girl who has a gay boyfriend).
Eugene’s been a huge thing in the UK for quite some time now, but this past year fans watched him transform right before their very eyes as he debuted a more slicked back and mature look. The song was hands-down our “numero uno” favourite of the year because it’s a perfect representation of the London music scene at the moment; down to the style, the wit, and even the retro vibes. Oh Eugene, where have you been all my life?
IO Echo – “When the Lillies Die” {Alternative Rock/Industrial}
If you’re an art fart and/or into the gothic/new wave movement then be prepared to get your mind blown. IO Echo’s sound has been described as everything from grunge-goth to “New Oriental,” which isn’t surprising given that they’re known for using Japanese koto harps/Chinese violins and wearing kimonos during their performances.
The Presets – “Youth in Trouble” {Electronic}
Sure 2012 was a great year for many mega-electronic acts like Grimes and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, but let’s not let them overshadow the talented rave-rock group that is The Presets. They’ve been making tunes for almost a decade now, and “Youth in Trouble” proves that they still got what it takes. Plus the song is intense and the video is equally overwhelming. You’ve been forewarned.
The Whigs – “Waiting” {Rock}
Right when we were starting to believe the rumours that rock was dead, The Whigs go and release one of the best true-blue rock & roll songs we’ve heard in a long, long time. They’ve toured with everyone from The Black Keys, Kings of Leon and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and have even shared the stage with The Killers and Franz Ferdinand. Oh, and their album cover has a hot dog on it too.
Chris Baio – “Sunburn Modern” {World Music}
We were just as surprised as the next person when we heard that Vampire Weekend’s Chris Baio was going solo, so we were a little skeptical before we even gave this track a chance. But being the Vampire Weekender that he is, Baio has proven himself as a talented musician and songwriter, and his solo album is a must-listen regardless of whether you’re a Vampire Weekend fan or not.
We were caught off guard as soon as we heard this tune by the one-woman band known as Melody’s Echo Chamber (led by Parisian Melody Prochet), but we were even more shocked to find out that her latest album was produced by none other than Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. And just when we thought the song couldn’t get more awesome, Unknown Mortal Orchestra goes and covers it; (you can listen to their version here).
CSLSX – “Aeromancer” ft. Mountain Man {Dream Pop}
The angelic vocals of Amelia Meath, Alex Sauser-Monnig and Molly Sarle from the folk trio group Mountain Man take center stage in this mesmerizing track, which features tinges of electro, new wave, psych rock and even a little bit of Enya. Plus the spacey music video does the track justice, so if you have a spare moment we highly recommend that you give this one a watch.
Shintaro Sakamoto - ”You Just Decided” {Pop/Folk}
As soon as this song debuted this past summer it was stuck in our head for weeks. Who cares if you can’t understand any of the lyrics and/or you don’t like poppy folk, because let’s face it: This music video is the fucking bomb; (and was also directed and animated by Sakamoto himself).
Divine Fits – “Would That Not Be Nice” {Pop/Rock}
With Dandy Warhol beats and poppy melodies, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that this catchy tune eventually caught the attention of the famed rap producer RJD2, who ended up remixed the track into a surprising synthpop extravaganza; (you can listen to his version of the song here).
Bat for Lashes – “All Your Gold” {Alternative Pop}
From beachy Brighton, Bat for Lashes (AKA Natasha Khan) has been talked about a lot this past year, and after listening to this track we now understand why. The single is off her highly-acclaimed album The Haunted Man, (you know, the one where she’s dressed up in her birthday suit and holding a naked man over her shoulders?)
The Killers are clearly trying to disguise the fact that their music has gone to shit by not only getting Tim Burton to direct their new music video, but getting Wynona Ryder to wear a creepy blonde wig in it too. The video is said to be inspired by the 1935 film Mad Love, and supposedly Burton came up with the idea when he saw The Killers perform the song at a concert in Blackpool; (read more about it here).
The Invisible Hand – “Psychic Cat” {Garage Rock}
I wish this Virginia band’s “psychic cat” would have pre-warned my delicate eyeballs about the mini-skirt-wearing, hula-hooping granny who stars in this music video. But what do you expect from a band that was “born amongst wolves”?
Wavves – “Sail to the Sun” {Pop/Surf Punk}
The latest music video from Wavves stars a preacher (played by Steven Barlett) who goes on a wild bender filled with drugs, hookers, you know…the usual rock & roll stuff. The video was directed by BLACK // DOCTOR and the track is off the group’s highly anticipated forthcoming album which is due out next spring.
How to Dress Well – “& It Was You” {R&B/Experimental Pop}
The group’s frontman Tom Krell stated that the storyline is about a “very special character of the human soul in its unassailable tendency towards magic and inspiration,” but all we saw was a group of jiggling, overweight dancers worshiping a dude riding around on a Segway.
Jessie Ware – “Sweet Talk” {Soul}
Here’s a little video packed full of the warm fuzzies for the holidays. The latest video from Adele’s replacement the rising British soul superstar stars a child-version of the singer who performs for a child-producer, and later on in the video puts on her own little childlike performance. How cute.
The Ruby Suns – “Kingfisher Call Me” {Alternative Pop}
This creepy as fuck music video is about a cross-eyed mountain man who evokes some kind of earth demon in the deep dark woods. The track is the first single off The Ruby Suns’ forthcoming LP Christopher, which is out January 29th via Sub Pop.
MNDR – “Feed Me Diamonds” {Electropop}
Hey look! It’s Raven from RuPaul’s Drag Race! And she’s coming back in full force in this brand new music video, which shows her prepping for a concert in a sparkling gold outfit and stuffing a ton of junk in her trunk, Kim Kardashian style.
Toro Y Moi – “So Many Details” {Alternative Pop/Funk}
Normally we’re not a fan of the turtleneck, but Mr. Moi is looking mighty fine in his new music video. The track is the lead single from his upcoming album Anything in Return which is being released next month.
RIYL: The Kinks, Big John Bates, T. Rex, Sam Roberts
This bearded beast of a man with a high pitched voice came out of nowhere for us, but his self-titled album is hands-down one of our favourites of the year. From the poppy “Keep on Movin’” to the folky “Break the Rules” or the rockabilly-ish “Stranger,” no genre goes uncovered on this epic release.
It was love at first sight soon as we saw Orlando Higginbottom sporting a giant feathery costume in the “Tapes & Money” music video, but after listening to his album it’s evident that this dude is a force to be reckoned with. He is a son of an Oxford professor and only 26 years old, but he’s been a prominent member of the English electronic scene for some time now thanks to his impressive producing/DJing skills.
Chairlift - Something{Electropop}
RIYL: Yeasayer, Secret Machines
All you bloggers out there who have been leaving this album out of your year-end lists should be ashamed of yourselves. The album is packed full of all sorts of gems (like “Sidewalk Safari,” “Wrong Opinion” and “Frigid Spring,” just to name a few) but the duo has easily become one of the most talked about groups of the year thanks to the release of the interactive music video for “Met Before,” and a Japanese version of their track “I Belong in Your Arms.”
This sisterly duo is living proof that the Swedes can pull off a better Americana than most American musicians. The duo first caught our attention with the almighty “Sailor Song” but their latest album (which was produced by Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes) proves that there should be a lot more to come from the young Swedish sisters.
Passion Pit - Gossamer{Electropop/Experimental}
RIYL: Cut Copy, Hot Chip, Queen
It’s clear that the group’s primary songwriter (Michael Angelakos) has channeled his bipolar condition into one epic album, because Gossamer is pretty much one big theatrical performance. The album is pretty much a 2012 version of Tommy because all of the tracks could easily be made into a Broadway musical.
The Babies - Our House on the Hill{Rock}
RIYL: Pixies, Tapes ‘n Tapes
Deliciously raw around the edges (because that’s how we like it here at RMD), The Babies quickly became one of our favs this past year thanks to this release. With hints of surf/garage rock and hit tracks like “Moonlight Mile,” “On My Team” and “Get Lost” (plus the Meg White-ish “See the Country”), this album is easily one of the best (and underrated) rock albums of 2012.
Liars - WIXIW{Experimental Rock/Electronic}
RIYL: The Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails
Even though we’re not a huge fan of the entire album, no 2012 list would be complete without a mention of WIXIW (which is somehow pronounced as “Wish You”). With constant electronic drones and heavy vocals, the album is complex, fascinating, unique and strange. Plus we’re a sucker for the mullet.
Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city {Hip Hop/Rap}
RIYL: Schoolboy Q, Danny Brown
We haven’t come across many hip hop fans who aren’t a fan of Kendrick Lamar’s latest release. And even though he’s been releasing music independently for the majority of his career, good kid, m.A.A.d city was the first to be picked up by not one, but three different labels (Top Dawg, Aftermath and Interscope).
Animal Collective – Centipede Hz {Psych Rock}
RIYL: The Flaming Lips, Ween, Panda Bear
We’re not going to lie, a lot of the tracks off this album are nearly un-listenable, but the Ween lover in us can’t help but drink the delicious Animal Collective kool-aid. Not only do they know how to mix up a crapton of genres, they also know how to test musical boundaries and explore new sounds. Plus the songs that are good are really fucking good, like the experimental “Wide Eyed” or the mind-blowing single “Today’s Supernatural.”
The Dandy Warhols – This Machine {Alternative Rock}
RIYL: Brian Jonestown Massacre
Realistically This Machine is no different than any of the group’s previous releases, which means that if you’re a hardcore Dandy Warhol fan like we are you’re probably going to like the album from start to finish. But of course with any release that is nearly identical to the previous one you’re going to see some bad reviews from critics. Doesn’t mean we have to listen to them though.
Deftones - Koi No Yokan {Grunge/Rock}
RIYL: Alice in Chains, Tool, Black Sabbath
Is anyone as shocked as we are that the Deftones are still making awesome music? They’ve been around since 1988, and despite the fact that a lot of rocker fans are claiming that grunge is an “aged” music genre, Deftones are living proof that grunge can still be cool even if Kurt Cobain is dead and plaid shirts went out of style ten years ago.
Frankie Rose - Interstellar{New Wave}
RIYL: Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast
Frankie rises from the Vivian/Dum Dum Girls ashes and proves herself as a solo artist with this brand new release. The leading track off the album (“Know Me”) should be familiar to a lot of you music nerds out there, but other awesome tracks off the album include the 60s style “Candy” as well as our personal favourite “Night Swim.” The only thing missing is her epic cover of The Strokes’ “Soma” (as heard on the Stroked covers album).
Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory {Punk/Garage Rock}
RIYL: Ramones, The Strokes
Cloud Nothings have proven themselves as one of the hottest punk bands in the music scene today. Songs like “Cut You” and “Fall In” really show off the band’s songwriting talents, but other favourites include the Bleach-ish “No Sentiment,” the instrumental “Separation,” and let’s not forget the hit single “Stay Useless” (which also comes with an epic music video). To stream Attack on Memory via Soundcloud click here.
David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant {Experimental Funk}
RIYL: Talking Heads
Pitchfork joked that David Byrne would collaborate with anyone for a bag of Doritos, and even though he’s already worked with the likes of Brian Eno, Arcade Fire and Paul Simon, his collaboration album with St. Vincent proves that this is some of his best collaborative work yet. You have to give credit to two completely different sounding artist who can sit down and write an entire album together, but if it wasn’t for the fact that they are both big stars this album may have slipped under the radar.
Grizzly Bear – Shields {Alternative Rock}
RIYL: Deerhoof, Caribou
Easily one of the most talked about albums of 2012, Shields has been ranted and raved about left and right in the music blogosphere. After receiving lukewarm reviews for their previous releases (Horn of Plenty, Yellow House and Veckatimest), it’s nice to see that the band is finally getting the credit they rightfully deserve.
Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE {R&B/Soul}
RIYL: Drake, Kid Cudi, Pharrell Williams
2012 has been a big year for Frank Ocean. Not only has his debut album received rave reviews in the press, he also recently admitted on his Tumblr blog that he had fallen in love with another man when he was 19 years old, making him one of the first big African-American hip hop artists to come out as being bisexual.
Sharon Van Etten – Tramp {Soul/Baroque Pop}
RIYL: Cat Power, Fiona Apple
Bordering on the baroque pop, folk, and soul genres, Sharon Van Etten’s latest release has caused a massive stir in the music community. Although many of the songs are a little too mellow for our tastes, Van Etten’s voice takes center stage and proves that she should be considered one of the best female vocalists of our generation.
Tame Impala – Lonerism {Alternative/Psych Rock}
RIYL: The Beatles, Pink Floyd
Everyone got their panties in a bunch when NME listed Lonerism as #1 for their year-end top album list. But we’re going to let you in on a little secret: The reason why is because, and only because of the legendary track “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards,” which could easily be one of the best tracks we’ve ever heard in our lifetime.
Beat Connection – The Palace Garden{Tropical Pop/Rock}
RIYL: Vampire Weekend, LCD Soundsystem
Perhaps we’re a little biased because their band name references an LCD Soundsystem track, or maybe it’s because we got into this album while lounging on the beach, but Beat Connection is truly one of the most underrated bands of 2012. The album showcases tropical pop at its finest, which makes it even harder to believe that the band is based out of wet and dreary Pacific Northwest.
Grimes - Visions{Electronic/Experimental}
RIYL: Björk, Austra, The Knife
Everyone knows that leaving Visions out of any end-of-year list would be a true crime. Originally from Vancouver (but now based in Montreal), Claire Boucher came out of nowhere for a lot of people in 2012, and there’s no denying the impact she’s had on the electronica music scene this past year.
The latest music video from Brooklyn’s Here We Go Magic documents the trials and tribulations of three men as they get trapped in an elevator for a billion years (true story). There’s some urination, unfortunate body hair, and some of the rudest elevator manners I have ever seen. Talk about the elevator ride from hell.
David Byrne and St. Vincent – “Who” {Experimental/Funk}
It’s “Once in a Lifetime,” version 2012! As if hearing the first single of the latest collaboration project between The Talking Heads’ David Byrne and multi-instrumentalist St. Vincent wasn’t shockingly awesome enough, now there’s a music video too. Plus the duo pulls off some sweet robotic dance moves in unison. Why can’t all collaborations be like this?
Deerhoof – “Fête D’Adieu” {Experimental Pop}
According to this music video, you can solve a lot of life’s problems just by dancing like a crackhead zombie. Apparently the video’s storyline is about a group of friends as they deal with saying goodbye to one another by interpretive dancing in Brooklyn’s McGolrick Park.
Holograms – “Fever” {Synthpunk}
It’s time to get those synth caps on, because you’re going to get a week’s worth of synth in t-minus four minutes. The latest music video from Sweden’s Holograms is a clusterfuck of random images (like Muhammed Ali, the first computer, pillow fights, etc. etc.) and is not for the fainthearted.
Tori Amos – “Flavor” {Classical Pop}
Back when Katy Perry was still in diapers, Tori Amos was known as the pastor’s daughter-turned-superstar in the music industry. Now the ginger songstress is back with a brand new album Gold Dust, which is set to be released on October 2nd via Deutsche Grammophon.
The Luyas – “Fifty Fifty” {Alternative Rock}
This music video stars a bunch of slap-happy, creepy wig-wearing folk who start blowing bubbles in their drink through a straw, and then poop the bubbles out of the bottom of the glass before consuming them. Yeah we don’t get it either.
Don Diablo – “Lights Out Hit” ft. Angela Hunte {Electronic/Rap}
The famed Dutch DJ Don Diablo just debuted a brand new video for a single featuring Angela Hunte AKA one of the writers of Jay-Z/Alicia Keys’ smash hit “Empire State of Mind.” The video is said to be inspired by Diablo’s love for animals and black magic, and was directed by Tom Geradts.
Ultraista – “Bad Insect” {Electronic/Pop}
The main man behind this new band is none other than Radiohead’s longtime producer Nigel Godrich, (who is also in the midst of a collaboration project called Atoms for Peace with Flea and Thom Yorke). The track is off the group’s self-titled debut LP, which is out October 2nd.
Chairlift – “I Belong in Your Arms” {Synthpop}
Yes this is actually happening: Brookyn’s Chairlift has decided to release one of their singles in Japanese to celebrate the fact that their sophomore LP Something is now availabe in Japan; (vocalist Caroline Polachek spent some time there when she was a child). Who knew air drumming and armpit hair were big in Japan?
Boom Bip – “All Hands” ft. Bon Iver’s Mike Noyce {Electronic/Experimental} (NSFW)
This video was directed by Ian & Cooper, and is supposedly about “anthropomorphic sperm on his journey to life.” The video stars Sander Pick and Nadya Panchenko, while the single features Bon Iver’s Mike Noyce.
Beat Connection – “Further Out” {Electropop}
Thought-provoking lyrics overlapping a murder of crows, it doesn’t get much deeper than this. This track is the latest single off the Seattle band’s debut LP The Palace Garden, which was released via Tender Age/Moshi Moshi.
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “Time to be Clear” {Folk}
Turns out the miserable Scottish weather is affecting bunny rabbits too, because this music video is about as depressing as it gets; (you’ve been forewarned). The video was created by Mike Ayers, Dustin Glick and Nicklaus Deyring, and the track is off his 2011 album Wolfroy Goes to Town.
Teen Daze – “Union” ft. Frankie Rose {Electronic/Dream Pop}
British Columbia’s Teen Daze has joined forces with none other than Frankie Rose (of Vivian Girls/Dum Dum Girls) for this track, which is the second single off The Inner Mansions. The LP is set to be released November 6th via Lefse.
FIDLAR – “Cheap Beer” {Rock/Punk}
This brand new track from L.A.’s hottest punk band is off their forthcoming debut LP which is expected to be released in 2013 via Mom + Pop. The band is currently touring with The Hives, so if you’re lucky enough to live in the California area you best be checking out their upcoming shows here. For more info on FIDLAR click here.
Atoms for Peace – “Default” {Electronic/Experimental}
Atoms for Peace (otherwise known as the supergroup consisting of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, RHCP’s Flea, and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich), have just revealed a brand new tune which was released as a single on iTunes on September 10th. The other day Yorke announced on Radiohead’s website that an Atoms for Peace album is currently in the works, but it won’t be released until sometime next year.
Fear of Men – “Mosaic” {Surf Rock}
London/Brighton’s Fear of Men have become one of the most talked about bands of the year, and their debut EP Early Fragments isn’t even out until 2013. If you dig the track keep an eye out for the limited-edition blue vinyl 7″ of the single, which is out October 15th.
Band of Horses – “Slow Cruel Hands of Time” {Folk/Rock}
This is the second single off Band of Horses’ new album Mirage Rock, which will finally be released this month; (along with a slew of other awesome releases). In case you haven’t already seen the video for the first single off the album (“Knock Knock”) click here.
Taken by Trees – “Large” {Indie Pop}
Sweden’s Taken by Trees AKA the former Concretes vocalist Victoria Bergsman just debuted the second single off her forthcoming album Other Worlds, which is set to be released October 2nd via Secretly Canadian. The album was produced by Henning Fürst from the Tough Alliance, and was inspired by Bergsman’s recent trip to Hawaii.
The Joy Formidable – “Cholla” {Rock}
Here’s yet another single off the Welsh trio’s upcoming second album Wolf’s Law, which is expected to be released in January of next year. The group just debuted the official music video for the track yesterday; to check it out click here.
How to Dress Well – “& It Was U” {R&B/Soul} + Free download
Total Loss, the new album from Brooklyn’s How to Dress Well is out September 17th, so frontman Tom Krell wasted no time in debuting its first single. If you dig the track make sure you snag its free download.
Feed Me & Crystal Fighters – “Love is All I Got” {Electronic/Rap}
This collaborative track between the UK-based folk/pop band Crystal Fighters and Feed Me first premiered on BBC 1′s Radio with Zane Lowe; although there’s still no word as to whether it will be included on an upcoming release from either group.
Matt and Kim – “Now” {Electropop} + Free download
This is the second single off Matt and Kim’s upcoming full length album Lightning (which is out October 2nd), and you can download the track for free if you give the duo some “Like” love on Facebook. To check out the dribble-tastic video for the album’s first single “Let’s Go” click here.
The Zolas – “Knot in My Heart” {Alternative Rock}
This track is off the Vancouver-based band’s forthcoming second album Ancient Mars which is set to be released on October 2nd via Light Organ Records. The album was produced by Chuck Brody, who has previously worked with the likes of Phantogram and Wu-Tang.
Our favourite Belfast band is back with a brand new album Freak Waves, which was released on September 3rd via Belfast’s own CF/Recs. This is the third album from the group, which consists of the members of another popular Belfast-based band Girls Names. For more info on Sea Pinks click here.
Hot Chip – “How Do You Do” (Todd Terje Remix) {Electronic/Disco}
We don’t usually dig remixes, but with Todd Terje remixing Hot Chip, you can’t really go wrong. The original track is off Hot Chip’s latest album In Our Heads which was released this past June;to check out the video for one of the album’s singles (“Night & Day”) click here.
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