Snoop Lion – “Ashtrays and Heartbreaks” ft. Miley Cyrus {Pop}
Listening to this track for the first time felt more like having a front row seat at a circus performance, but what do you expect from the spawn of Billy Ray Cyrus? The track is off Snoopy boy’s new reggae album Reincarnated (because you know, he’s a reincarnation of Bob Marley now).
Queens of the Stone Age – “My God is the Sun” {Alternative Rock}
While we patiently wait for the new QOTSA album to drop, mainman Josh Homme posted the album’s first single yesterday…and it’s AWESOME. The track sounds very “Songs for the Deaf”-ish; perhaps this new album will be better than Era Vulgaris? A QOTSA fan can only hope…
Bass Drum of Death – ”Shattered Me” {Garage Rock}
Mississippi’s garage rockers Bass Drum of Death are back with this brand new tune, which definitely has some mean Ramones vibes going on. This is the first official single off the group’s forthcoming self-titled album which is being released on June 25th.
Deerhunter – “Monomania” {Psych Rock}
Deerhunter have a knack for rocking people’s socks off (and if you haven’t heard their tunes before I highly suggest you start here). Drenched in feedback and lo-fi vocals, “Monomania” is the first official single off their new album of the same title, which is being released on May 6th.
Joey Bada$$ – “Day in the Life” {Rap/Hip Hop} + Free download
Produced by none other than the famed hip hop producer Harry Fraud, this track is off the Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg’s new mixtape New York Renaissance, which also features a ton of New York City’s hottest underground MCs and producers like Action Bronson and World Fair.
Beady Eye – “Flick of the Finger” {Alternative Rock}
It’s kind of strange that Beady Eye debuted this new tune when they haven’t even named their forthcoming album, but we’ll take whatever we can get at this point. The album was produced by TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek, and is set to be released sometime this year.
Ireland’s been busting at the seams with some pretty wicked up-and-coming electronic groups, and Cove is no exception. The trio only just formed in the past few months, and they’ve already released their debut five-track EP (which you can purchase as a name-your-price download here).
I always find it hilarious whenever rock stars try acting like “normal” people in their music videos as if they could walk around the streets of Manhattan without being recognized. I would probably shit in my little girl panties if I saw Cat Power riding the subway and jamming with street performers, but that’s just me.
Wavves – “Afraid of Heights” {Pop/Rock}
Two dudes get wasted in a bar (a dive bar nonetheless), get swooned by a couple of guys dressed in drag, then shit gets really, really weird. Like…cheesy B-grade horror movie weird.
Lana Del Rey – “Chelsea Hotel No. 2″ {Pop/Folk}
It’s really nothing special (just a few short shots of a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and some long, boring shots of Ms. Del Rey), but any Leonard Cohen cover is a good Leonard Cohen cover just because his songs are really adaptable like that. At least all of the Lana Del Rey hipsters will stop thinking “Hallelujah” is the only good Cohen song now.
James Blake – “Voyeur” {Electronic/R&B}
Remember watching those old-school maze screensavers and thinking that they were the most mesmerizing special effects you’d ever seen in your life? Well this music video will bring you back to those good ol’ days before iPhones and iPads came along. You can get off my lawn now.
Passion Pit – “Cry Like a Ghost” {Electropop}
Tapping into the song’s boozy lyrics, this video documents a day/night in the life of that town drama queen drunk we’ve all seen at the local clubs/nearest McDonalds passed out in front of a Big Mac. It’s a pretty sad state of affairs, but at least this one spends her days taking lessons from Thom Yorke in the interpretive dancing department…
Depeche Mode – “Soothe My Soul” {Industrial/Rock}
This video got a lot of tongues wagging because of its NSFW nature, but at least Depeche Mode ditched the redundant heaven/angel symbolism this time around (lame lame lame), because this music video kicks “Heaven”‘s ass (not to mention that the song is a hell of a lot better too).
Primal Scream’s new politically vintage music video focuses on all sorts of topics like drugs, race, and even the damned economy. I hate to be the grammar police but…don’t they teach kids how to use apostrophes in Glasgow? Tsk tsk.
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).
BADASSKATOON – “Stompin’ Tom Connors” {Country} + Free downloads
There are so many crude gems on BADASSKATOON’s latest release we don’t even know where to start; (“Beauty is Only a Light Switch Away”…need we say more?). You can download the duo’s new album (appropriately titled The Greatest Album Anywhere. Ever) for free here, but make sure you click on Johnny’s boner first.
Mumblr – “Monkey and the “Mu$hroom” {Rock/Grunge}
If you’re one of those true-blue Nirvana fans (you know, the Bleach type – not the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” type) then you’ll definitely appreciate this “fuzz punk” group. This track is off their debut EP WHITE JESUS which you can purchase as a name-your-price download at their Bandcamp page.
Crystal Coast – “Glitter” {Dream Pop/Electronic}
This dream-poppy duo (consisting of Tesha Blair and Reggie Whitehead) formed via the almighty Internet in 2012, and have been creating “music for dreams” ever since. The duo just released their brand new album Be Natural on March 20th, and you can purchase it as a name-your-price download here.
Beach Girls and the Monster – “I Go Surfing” {Surf Rock}
Just because Vienna is miles away from the ocean doesn’t mean that the Austrians can’t create some wicked surf music. This track is off their debut four-track EP I Go Surfing which was just released on February 27th, and you can purchase it for as little as €4 (or each track for €1) here.
Kartel Moe – “Icarus (God Flow)” {Rap/Hip Hop}
This 17-year-old rapper has been writing poetry since he was ten, and is now prepping for the release of his brand new mixtape Just Getting Started 2 (which he produced himself). The mixtape won’t be released until June, but in the mean time you can like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
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.
This tune is weird as fuck but it will eventually grow on you if you give it a couple of listens. (Plus the dude likes to dress up as a kitty-cat, what’s not to love?) The track is off his new album Ships which is being released on April 22nd.
Dinosaur Jr. – “Entertainment” (Phoenix cover) {Rock} + Free download
Phoenix’s “Entertainment” has been one of the most talked about songs of 2013 thus far, so it was only a matter of time before someone gave it some cover love. And although not everyone seems to be a fan of the cover we’re actually starting to like it more than its original….(please don’t hurt us now).
The-Dream – “TRON” {Electronic/Rap}
Everyone’s been buzzing about this new track (because you know, the word “TRON” and electronic beats go so well together). The track is off his new album IV Play which is out May 7th via Def Jam.
The Leisure Society – “Fight For Everyone” {Pop/Rock}
If you’re still suffering from the pre-spring sads then you can certainly count on this summery track to help raise your spirits. This song is off the Londoners’ third album Alone Aboard The Ark, which is being released on April 1st.
Die Eternias – “King Youngstar” {Alternative Rock} + Free download
We wrote about Die Eternias’ awesome alt-countryish single “Ice Princess” last November, so we were pretty stoked to see that another new track from the Viennese was drifting around the interwebs. This song will be featured on their forthcoming vinyl split 7″ record which is being released next month.
It’s been a great week for us Vampire Weekenders as the group revealed not one, but two new singles off their new and highly anticipated album Modern Vampires Of The City. While “Step” sounds oddly similar to 2008′s “Campus,” “Diane Young” is slightly more rockish but the baroque piano chords help give it some primo Vampire Weekend edge.
Casual Sex – “Soft School” {Garage Pop}
Glasgow’s Casual Sex have just revealed a brand new poppy tune which is actually a B-side to their debut single “Stroh 80” (released earlier this month). Their limited edition 7″ vinyl/download will be released via the Moshi Moshi Singles Club on April 1st.
Blackpaw Society was the first band to break RMD’s prog pop cherry, so forgive us for picking favourites. Self-described as “short quick songs à la Pixies crashing into Beach Boys (if they didn’t sing about cars and surfing crap),” the band’s new album (hilariously titled Rolling Around in Dead Things to Hide the Scent) was just released last month, and you can stream it in full for free here.
SONEN – “Two of You” {Electropop}
Atlanta may be known for its hip hop and garage rock music scenes (and when we say “garage rock” we really mean the almighty Black Lips), but SONEN is proof that there is a ton of other great music to be discovered in the Peach State’s capital. This single is off the trio’s brand new LP which is out April 9th.
This Other Kingdom – “I’m Still Here” {Alternative Rock}
There must be something in the Ireland’s water system, because every Irish submission we’ve received over the past few months has been pretty damn epic; (I’m looking at you Heritage Centre). This track is off their brand new debut EP Sunlight (which will drop April 13th), but in the mean time you can stream a couple of their new tracks at their Soundcloud page.
Murder Dove – “Man Up” {Trip Hop/Jazz}
Murder Dove’s leading lady Lanie Klipp has been fronting various metal and hardcore bands during the course of her musical career, but only recently decided to collaborate with producer Christopher Arruda for her new trip hop collaboration project. To purchase Murder Dove’s new demo Love and Carnage as a name-your-price download click here.
Just Jun MC – “Hard Times” {Rap/Hip Hop} + Free downloads
Sampling the classic 1971 Baby Huey hit, this track was released independently by Vancouver’s very own Changster DJ (real name Ko Chun Yui) who has been making a name for himself in the Vancity music scene thanks to his impressive DJing and turntabling skills. To download some of his other tunes for free check out his Bandcamp page.
Mimicking the sound of their fellow Aussie psych rock giants Tame Impala (which isn’t surprising given that the group is Tame Impala’s “side project”), this track is off Pond’s forthcoming album Hobo Rocket which is due out this spring via Modular People. And in case you didn’t already know, each of the members will also be releasing their own solo albums/side projects on the same day; (read more about it here).
Mikal Cronin – “Shout it Out” {Pop/Rock}
Mikal Cronin is perhaps known best for his work with Ty Segall (as well as for wearing this pimp tie-dye t-shirt), but his forthcoming album MCII is bound to get a lot of people talking once it’s released. The album is out May 7th (in the US) and May 13th (in Europe) via Merge Records.
CHVRCHES – “Recover” {Electropop}
It’s not too often we hear a lot of awesome synth come out of Scotland, so we were pretty stoked when we first stumbled upon this Glasgow-based group a few months back. This is the third single off their debut Recover EP which is being released March 26th on Glassnote Records.
TEEN – “Ambient” {Instrumental/Experimental} + Free download
Apparently this track missed the cut on TEEN’s 2012 album, so the band decided to surprise fans by releasing it as individual single last week. Plus they’ve posted the song as a free download as well, so make sure you snag that shit.
Unravel – “Am I a Love Addict?” {R&B/Hip Hop} + Free download
The “mysterious” Budapest-based producer known as Unravel debuted this track a few days ago simply describing the track as “belt lights and lost melodies from Budapest.” To check out more of Unravel’s tracks on Soundcloud click here.
Shout Out Louds – “Illusions” {Pop/Rock}
Even though their new album (Optica) isn’t out until February 26th, the group have already released not one, but three singles off their new album. You can listen to the other two singles (“Walking in Your Footsteps” and “Blue Ice”) by clicking here and here.
James Blake – “Retrograde” {Electronic/R&B}
Right on the heels of the announcement that James Blake will be releasing his sophomore album this April, Zane Lowe’s BBC 1 show surprised everyone yesterday by premiering the first official single off his new album. Outgrown will be released on April 8th; listen to the preview of its first single below:
The Black Angels – “Don’t Play with Guns” {Tribal Rock}
The almighty Black Angels have finally revealed the first single (written about the 2012 Aurora theatre shooting) off their forthcoming album Indigo Meadow which is due out April 1st; to purchase the song for $0.99 via iTunes here.
We’ve already written about this Toronto-based, self-managed group, but this track is so awesome we just had to mention it again. The song is off their new EP Say it Again, which you can purchase as a name-your-price download here.
Jonas Schwartz ft. Rebel Rebel – “Lover” {Synthpop}
Some people cringe when they hear cheesy synthpop tunes, but luckily for you we’re not one of those people. The track is off the Swede’s recent 7″ Lover, but if you dig the tune then check out his 2012 album release Six, which is available for $9.10 at Klicktrack.com.
If you’re as much of a sucker for the lo-fi as we are then be sure to check this track out. The band is based out of Baltimore (although the song was mastered by Alex Somers in Iceland), and is available to purchase for as little as $1 here.
Éléphant – “Rien” {Alternative Pop}
Here’s something a little different from a duo based out of France, (and no, we can’t understand a word of the lyrics and yes, we do realize we are from a bilingual country and probably should have paid more attention in French class). The song is off the duo’s EP of the same name, and you can purchase the single for as little as $0.99 here.
If you like sharks and/or partying (who doesn’t?) then be sure to check this synthy tune out. The bilingual six-piece is based out of Vancouver, and being the true-blue B.C. hippies that they are they even inserted tomato seeds into every single sleeve of their 2008 album Heirloom. If you like the song then be sure to snag its free download here.
Explorers – “Ticket Home” {Electropop}
This is the first we’ve heard of the Explorers, but if their forthcoming EP sounds anything like this track, then 2013 is bound to be a very successful year for the self-managed duo. With a sound mirroring Cut Copy, MGMT and Hot Chip, this song is off the group’s debut, self-released EP Souvenirs which you can purchase for £5.53 via iTunes here.
New Animal – “They Won’t Let Me Go” {Psych Pop}
This DIY Atlanta-based duo has caught the attention of a lot of indie kids and music bloggers over the past few years, and they have achieved a cult-like following thanks to their trancey, raw tunes. This track is actually a B-side to their single “Falling Up,” and you can purchase the tape single (yes, a tape single) for $4 here.
Diamond Bones – “Garden” {Electropop}
Perhaps we’re a little biased because we’ve always been a sucker for the Montreal music scene, but with a track as awesome as this one this trio deserves all the credit they can get. The song is off their Chandeliers EP which is available for $5 here.
Goodman – “Rachel K” {Pop/Rock}
Michael Goodman is a multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter based out of Providence, and even though his Soundcloud account is packed full of all sorts of surprisingly good songs, it was his Julian Casablancas-ish vocals that eventually won us over. This track is off one of his two 2012 releases (Goodman) which you can purchase for $3 here.
It’s hard to believe it’s been six long years since we’ve heard new material from QOTSA, but in between forming new bands, talking about food with Anthony Bourdain, and procreating with Brody Dalle (Tim Armstrong’s ex-wife), it’s safe to say that Josh Homme has been a pretty busy guy. The forthcoming album (due out in the first half of 2013) is rumoured to feature Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters, Trent Reznor, Songs for the Deaf drummer Dave Grohl, and possibly former bassist Nick Oliveri (guess Homme forgave him for beating up his girlfriend?) Given the disappointment that is Era Vulgaris, we don’t really have high expectations, but we’re still curious nonetheless.
9. Daft Punk – TBA
Last summer some daft punk (heh) thought it would be really funny to spread a rumour that this was the first single off Daft Punk’s forthcoming album (turns out it was all just a sick joke), but if anything it just created an even bigger buzz for the Frenchies. The album is supposedly due out on March 13th, and apparently Panda Bear, Chilly Gonzales, Paul Williams and Nile Rodgers will also be featured on the release. It is also being said that the duo has been working on it for three years now, so it’s bound to be good.
8. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – II
UMO have been a breath of fresh air for the psych rock genre ever since they released their highly-acclaimed self-titled album back in 2011. And although they’ve been flying under the radar these past couple of years we have high hopes for the group in 2013. They’ve already debuted the album’s lead single “Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark),” and the album is set to be released on February 5th via Jagjaguwar. And in classic UMO style, the album cover is slightly NSFW (check it out here).
7. The Knife - Shaking the Habitual
We were shocked to hear that the Swedish brother-and-sister duo would be releasing another album this year considering that Karin Dreijer Andersson released a solo album (Fever Ray) back in 2009. But the duo’s first album in nearly seven years is bound to get a lot of attention this year, regardless of whether it’s good or not. It’s expected for an April 8th/9th release and is said to feature Shannon Funchess of Light Asylum, and they also released a teaser for the album which you can check out here.
6. Arcade Fire – TBA
Not only is our beloved Arcade Fire releasing their fourth album this year, they’re also collaborating with none other than James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem; (and if that is fucking awesome then I don’t know what is). The Montrealers have been keeping busy performing “low-key” concerts in Haiti (where band member Régine Chassagne is originally from), and they were also performing as Les Indetiks in around Montreal last year, so we were half expecting their new album to be released under their alias. The album isn’t due out until “late” 2013, so we still have a long time to wait yet.
5. Vampire Weekend – TBA
Despite the solo efforts the boys are back and prepping for a (hopeful) spring release of their third album, and luckily for us frontman Ezra Koenig has been spilling a ton of beans about its release (he describes it as being “darker” and “grittier” than Contra, and also influenced by jazz, Bob Dylan and The Clash). We may not know the album title yet, but apparently some of the song titles include “Hudson,” “Don’t Lie” and “Unbeliever;” (which the group played on Jimmy Kimmel’s show last year).
4. Black Lips – TBA
It may not even come until early 2014, but we can only hope and pray that the Texas psych rockers can somehow pull it together by the end of 2013. Word on the street is that they may possibly be working with famed Brit producer Mark Ronson (who previously worked with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Lil’Wayne, Kaiser Chiefs and countless others), which isn’t too far-fetched considering he produced their 2011 release Arabia Mountain. The group also release a live album this year via Jack White’s Third Man Records label (not that we needed Jack White’s stamp approval to like them in the first place), so at least we have a little somethin’-somethin’ to keep us entertained until its release.
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – TBA
All I can say about the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album is that “it’s about goddamn time Karen O.” The group recently announced on their Instagram (yes, their Instagram), that the album will be due out this spring, which happens to be the 10-year anniversary of Fever To Tell, and they’ve also lined up some concerts in Australia for January as well; (you lucky bastards). There are some rumours that James Murphy will also be producing this album, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
2. FIDLAR – FIDLAR
If you’ve been reading this blog regularly you’ve probably experienced us shoving FIDLAR down your throat at some point or another. But we wouldn’t be doing our job if we weren’t peer pressuring you to listen to their tunes, so if you haven’t already done so check out this, this and this. The group has been creating such a huge buzz that it almost seems hard to believe that this album will be their first official full-length, and they’ve already debuted the first single “Cheap Beer;” (watch its video below).
1. Death From Above 1979 – TBA
OK so technically DFA 1979 isn’t really releasing another album (they will be debuting new material during their upcoming Canadian tour in October), but we have a sneaking suspicion that it won’t take long for them to include the new tunes on a release. They only have one album to their name (2004′s You’re a Woman I’m a Machine), because soon after its release the duo started bickering and announced that they were breaking up, and even though Jesse F. Keeler and his moustache formed MSTRKRFT and Sebastien Grainger did his own thing with Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains, the two have apparently kissed and made up. It’s a good thing that the world didn’t end on December 28th, because if I didn’t live to hear their new material I would have been PISSED.
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