Gorillaz/Blur frontman Damon Albarn has written an opera called Dr. Dee that will be performed at the Manchester International Festival in early July. Damon stopped by BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show an performed a pretty offering called “Apple Carts” that will be included in the opera. Check it out below via Pitchfork:
Archive for June, 2011
I’m pretty sure Noah Lennox’s vocals would sound good over anything. But they sound exceptionally perfect featured on Zomby’s “Things Fall Apart”, a track taken from the mysterious producer’s upcoming album, Dedication.
You can download the track below:
[mp3]: Zomby – Things Fall Apart (Feat. Panda Bear)
Dedication will be released on July 12th via 4AD.
Thanks to WAWSTSF reader Anthony Delconte for delighting my inbox with Warm Weather’s wonderful Dances EP. If your a fan of colorful Beach Boys harmonies mixed with the experimentation of Grizzly Bear, this EP is going to be your best friend during this warm summer months.
Lead off track “The Dance” is a perfect indication of what this EP is all about. The Beach Boys influence is certainly there. That’s not to say that these guys don’t know how to put their own modern branding on vocal heavy indie pop. For instance take “So Far/Vertigo” which takes a tropical excursion that would make the likes of Vampire Weekend/Paul Simon quite giddy.There’s so much to like here, I can’t imagine someone not being able to play this entire EP over and over.
You can stream the whole thing below and download it for free right here. This is truly one of the nicer finds of 2011.
Indian Rebound played at Brooklyn’s Union Pool as a part of the annual Northside Festival. They took the opportunity to debut a few new songs – all of which impressed me a great deal. The songs are heavier in more ways than one, proving that these guys aren’t afraid to experiment – a telling sign of what we can expect from the band.
The songs taken from their debut EP sound even stronger than last time, due in part to the fact that the band has grown tighter as a collective unit. They may be young but this band is growing up with every performance, and it’s only a matter of time until they hit things in full stride. I hope that your a believer in Indian Rebound because things are about to get pretty serious in their court.
Check out some more photos after the jump. The band will be playing at Cake Shop on July 1st. You better be there.
Alex Turner stopped by French radio station OuiFM and covered his good friend Miles Kane’s “Colour Of The Trap”. It’s a mellow acoustic cover that is perfect for your mid-afternoon father’s day.
[mp3]: Arctic Monkeys – Colour Of The Trap (Miles Kane Cover)
Thanks to AMUS for sharing.
Things start out real nicely for “The Saboteur”, the new single from The Kooks. It’s no bullshit guitar riffs blaring loud with a catchy crunch. But somewhere along the middle the band slows it down and that’s where it lost me. The Kooks are at their best when they deliver catchy power riffs backed with a catchy chorus. They keep a nice pace at certain points of this new single but things get lost in the process.
For a band like The Kooks I think less is more. This single is alright but I think it would have done them better just to expand on the vibe that the beginning of the song flirted with.
[mp3]: The Kooks – The Saboteur
What do you think?
“The Saboteur” is taken from the bands upcoming new album, Junk Of The Heart, which drops on September 13th via Virgin Records.
The Kooks stopped by FlyTV to debut three songs from the new album, along with “Jackie Big Tits”. Watch all three after the jump:
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We first heard a radio rip of Jamie xx’s first single “Far Nearer” last September. The single has been officially released and you can stream the full version in proper length and quality. The song is a winner either way, but good quality certainly helps us take in all those fine details.
You can stream it below along with b-side “Beat For” which we’ve also heard before.
Far Nearer:
Jamie xx – Far Nearer (limited vinyl & download out now – http://farnearer.com) by Numbers
Beat For:
Jamie xx – Beat For (limited vinyl & download out now – http://farnearer.com) by Numbers
Kanye released an official version of the ferocious standout track “Monster”. It certainly doesn’t hold back on creepiness. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Nicki Minaj all make appearances. I was really looking forward to seeing Justin Vernon, but maybe next time.
Check it out below:
Kanye West – Monster (feat. Jay-Z & Nicki Minaj) – Official Music Video Vidéo MrMusic sélectionnée dans Musique
[Day Three]
I truly don’t get Mumford & Sons. My friend wanted to see their set so I gave them a shot. They have an alright sound, their two big singles are pretty enjoyable overall, but everything else in their set sounding the same. I just feel like theirs something I’m missing. Their not awful, but I don’t get why they are so big. They’re absolutely massive in the U.K. and it seems like that success is carrying over here. I don’t get it. Let’s see where these guys are in two years. I’m honestly interested to see if they fade, or if their success is the real deal.
The Black Keys along with Arcade Fire, are probably two of the best success stories over recent years. They’ve practically taken the throne as two of modern rock & roll’s biggest bands, and I don’t know why anyone would be upset about that. The Black Keys played a no bullshit set that lasted an hour and a half, and they made every second count. It was a display of the bands finest songs in a catalog that one can obsess over for countless hours. Songs after song was delicious blues inspired rock and roll that hit your soul right where it hurts, in the best way possible. The only direction for The Black Keys is up, up, up. These guys are only going to get bigger – and more importantly – better.
I stuck around for some of Eminem’s set and maybe it was just me but it seemed like a lot of it was lip synced, but I could be wrong. The set started out slow but soon he brought out all the classics. I grew up with his early catalog so it was cool to hear all the old stuff, no matter how bland his new material is. Although we heard the end of his set from our campsite, I was glad to hear that he stuck to mostly older songs, which is definitely the way to go.
For Day Four, hit “read more”:
The elements aren’t your friends at Bonnaroo. You’re rudely woken up at 8/9 a.m. by the intense heat after your tent becomes an unbearable oven, and you become covered in what seems like gallons of sweat. You gotta hydrate well and keep under the shade, or else it’s going to be a long day. I learned this lesson fast, but it still didn’t stop me from making the most out of day two at Bonnaroo.
We started the day with Atmosphere, another artist who I’ve been meaning to check out. I was really tired and dehydrated, but Atmosphere pulled through with an entertaining set that did it’s job. I’m definitely interested in checking out some of his material now.
Florence + The Machine was next, and she lived way past my expectations. We all know that she has the voice of an angel, but even I wasn’t prepared for the fantastic live show that she brings. Florance gives it her all, and doesn’t take anything for granted. After playing “Dog Days Are Over” the crowd went absolutely berserk. The genuine smile and shock of awe that Florance showed made me realize that Florence deserves every ounce of success that she achieves. She deserves it.
My Morning Jacket were one of my most anticipated sets of Bonnaroo. They’ve always had the reputation of being on of the best live bands out there, so I’ve always been striving to see them. I finally got my chance and I’m still amazed at how great they were. I missed the beginning of their set, but what I saw was enough for me to agree with all the hype. These guys really bring it live. The oldies sounded great, dripping with sweat and devotion creating an energy that not many can replicate. What really impressed me was “Highly Suspicious” and “Holdin On To Black Metal” – songs that I wasn’t too crazy about before the show, but they turned out to be a real delight live. Now I can’t stop playing them. Next time My Morning Jacket run through town, you can bet I’ll be in attendance.
Arcade Fire were next, and we all know that they’re a band that you can count on to bring it live. The band put on arguably the greatest live show I’ve ever seen last August, so naturally, my expectations were sky high for this set. The songs from The Suburbs have somehow found a way to grow on me even more, proving to be even more monumental at Bonnaroo . But as usual, the real highlights were the old familiars: “Neighborhood #2 (Laika)”, “Wake Up”, “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)”, “Keep The Car Running” “Intervention” etc… The band was in top form, still showcasing tons of energy (especially) for a band that has been touring nonstop for a good year. From the riveting opening of “Ready To Start” to the galloping finish of “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” (a track that has become one of Arcade Fire’s finest), the band never lost stream at any point of their set. The best part of seeing Arcade Fire are the little moments that one can treasure as their own. Surely hearing Win add “Driving to a field in Tennessee with your friends” to “The Suburbs” and throwing your arms triumphantly in the air during “Wake Up” is something that I will remember forever.
From that point on I was here and there. I heard Lil Wayne from a far while eating fried fried plantains, saw a bit of Big Boi’s set, which featured tons of my favorites Outkast cuts (B.O.B., Ms. Jackson, The Way You Move). By 2:30 a.m. I was pretty beat, but we hung around and watched Ratatat’s set which was a perfect way to send off day two.
