UNKLE will return this year with their fourth album ‘Where Did The Night Fall’ – released through Surrender All on May 10th. It again sees the band joined by a variety of guest vocalists including former Screaming Trees frontman and Queens Of The Stone Age collaborator Mark Lanegan, The Black Angels, Sleepy Sun & Katrina Ford of Celebration.
The band are giving away a new track from the album as a download on their website. ‘Natural Selection’ is a storming slice of melodic kraut-rock that proves a promising taster for the new album - for a preview click on the stream link below. The full tracklist for the album is:
1. Nowhere 2. Follow Me Down (Feat. Sleepy Sun) 3. Natural Selection (Feat. The Black Angels) 4. Joy Factory (Feat.Autolux) 5. The Answer (Feat. Big In Japan (Baltimore)) 6. On A Wire (Feat. ELLE J) 7. Falling Stars (Feat. Gavin Clark) 8. Heavy Drug 9. Caged Bird (Feat. Katrina Ford) 10. Ablivion 11. The Runaway (Feat. ELLE J) 12. Ever Rest (Feat. Joel Cadbury) 13. The Healing (Feat. Gavin Clark) 14. Another Night Out (Feat. Mark Lanegan)
The Danish chamber-pop collective Efterklang –the name means reverberation in their mother tongue- has become the most recent addition to 4AD’s illustrious roaster.
‘Magic Chairs’- their third full length and follow-up to the critically acclaimed ‘Parades’- is released next week and can be streamed in full at MySpace.
Efterklang are also about to embark on a world tour. Their unique orchestral experiments will be hitting British shores in April. Full tour dates after the jump… Read more…
After winning a Grammy with their startlingly good album, ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’, French hipsters Phoenix have announced a series of tour dates for both the UK and USA. With singles ‘1901’ and ‘Lisztomania’ both crossing over to US radio in a big way it looks like the gigs could well be one of the more in-demand indie shows of the summer season. The highlight of the band’s itinerary looks to be a slot at the legendary Coachella Festival in California, where the band are set to play alongside the likes of Jay-Z, Vampire Weekend, Gorillaz, Thom Yorke, LCD Soundsystem and Gil Scott-Heron among many others. Added to this, Phoenix have also just been announced as the headliners at London festival Field Day – where other confirmed acts are set to include Caribou, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and Memory Tapes.
It certainly looks like Phoenix are in for one heck of a busy summer!
Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst (April 17) Indio, CA Coachella (April 18) Denver, CO Ogden Theatre (April 20) Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre (April 21) Louisville, KY Louisville Palace (April 22) Nashville, TN Vanderbilt (April 23) Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle (April 24) Washington, DC Constitution Hall (April 26) Norfolk, VA The Norva (April 27) Austin, TX Stubb’s (April 29) Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theatre (April 30) Cary, NC Koka Booth Amphitheatre (June 11) Charlotte, NC The Uptown Amphitheatre (June 12) Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Festival (June 13) Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Festival (June 13) London, UK, Field Day Festival (July 31st)
Last week we checked out hotly tipped newcomers Chapel Club at their NME Shockwaves Award Show in Dalston, London. The quintet are starting to create quite the buzz and their intense live performance certainly backed up any hype. Lead singer Lewis Bowman fills the role of enigmatic lead singer, rarely moving throughout the bands performance – while the rest of the band creat a cacophony of noise that gives nods to Morrisey, Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine. Recent single ‘O Maybe I’ – released through East City Records – proves a strong introduction to their sound but doesn’t quite prepare the listener for their live show. The band have recently completed a short tour around the UK and will undoubtedly be ones to keep your eye on throughout 2010.
Rihanna’s obsession with outlandish fashion and OTT stage wear have always meant that her videos are visually impressive affairs; but it looks like the Barbadian singer may well have outdone herself with the video to her latest single, ‘Rude Boy’. Directed by Melina Matsoukas - a woman who’s been putting a striking visual stamp on trails for the likes of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Lilly Allen - the video utilizes a shed load of effects and visual trickery to create one of the most striking music promos that have been released so far this year. One minute the screen fills with lurid comic book style graphics and animated boom boxes, then flips to moody monochrome for a break down. The whole treatment is quite similar to the one that was used for M.I.A.’s video for ‘Boyz’, but it’s certainly one that works. As standard, Rihanna sports a series of racy outfits throughout – the most insane of which would have to be an all in one gold lame body suit coupled with a leopard skin train-driver’s cap. Rhianna even rides a lion in the video!
The single is out now in the USA and out next week in the UK.. To purchase from iTunes click here.
Hendrick Weber has been releasing under monikers such as Glühen 4 and Panthel through the influential German electronic label Dial for some time; but it’s as Pantha Du Prince he’s gained most recognition. The DJ and producer’s mix of minimal techno with elements of British shoegaze and Detroit house create very personal electronic soundscapes and have won him much critical acclaim. His third album, ‘Black Noise’ – released by British indie label Rough Trade – is earning Pantha Du Prince unanimous praise for both staying faithful to his roots and expanding in ways that may appeal to a wider audience. Highlights include collaborations with LCD Soundsystem and !!!’sTyler Pope ‘The Splendour’; and with Noah Lennox – AKA Animal Collective’s Panda Bear - who adds a touch of psychedelic colour to the ethereal beauty of ‘Stick To My Side’.
‘Stick To My Side’ and the whole ‘Black Noise’ album are available now via Itunes.
To celebrate Shazam’s arrival to Twitter we’re giving you the chance to win a goody bag packed with heaps of great new music.
Following tweets from Shazam HQ is the best way to stay up to date with all of the latest news from the Shazam Blog and interact with the Shazam team. Whether it’s the news on the latest music releases, info on hot gigs or even what’s receiving heavy rotation on the Shazam office stereo; Shazam’s Twitter feed is a great resource for music fans worldwide.
If you love new music you’ll love the prize bundle we’ve put together. Featuring a wildly eclectic mix of styles and artists, the bundle includes a mixture of releases which have been receiving plenty of play in the Shazam office. Whether you’re a lover of Hip Hop, Indie, Metal, Dubstep, Techno, R&B or just about anything in between, this is the ideal prize for people looking to discover new and exciting music.
To win all you have to do is find @shazamid on Twitter and send us an @ reply with the answer to the following question:
Now in its seventh year, Rob Da Bank’s Bestival continues to stand out among the wealth of festivals that take place over the summer. After 2009’s crowd were wowed by German electro pioneers Kraftwerk, expectations were certainly high for this year. Thankfully the Radio 1 DJ has pulled yet another stroke of organisational genius and has come back with a veritable feast of musical goodness. This year’s event takes place on the Isle Of Wight on the 9th to 12th September. Headlining the opening day will be East London’s own Prince of Grime, Dizzee Rascal. Stepping up to the headline slot will surely be no problem for the rapper and no surprise for anyone who witnessed the reaction ‘Bonkers’ received during his Glastonbury set last summer. Also playing will be psychedelic pop masters The Flaming Lips, whose enchanting stage show will no doubt fit in perfectly with the festivals trippy aesthetics.
Making their fifth festival outing at this year’s event will be Hot Chip, whose appearance comes hot on the heels of fourth album, ‘One Life Stand’. If that wasn’t enough, LCD Soundsystem will also be showcasing tracks from their highly anticipated third – and rumoured to be final – album.
As always with Bestival, the headliners are just a small portion of what you will witness over the weekend; with many other bands and DJ’s equally vying for your attention amongst the masses of fancy dressed revellers and unexpected sideshow attractions. The list of acts is already jaw dropping and as the event isn’t until September – it’s only going to get better. For the full line up and ticket info, head to the Bestival website.
French electro imprint Ed Banger returns to London next month in celebration of its 7th birthday. The label that’s home to the likes of Justice, DJ Mehdi , SebastiAn and Uffie are known for throwing raucous parties and this, on the strength of the lineup, should be no different. Taking to the decks will be label head honcho and former Daft Punk manager Busy P, the aforementioned SebastiAn and So Me – the man behind the labels artwork and videos. Also joining the Ed Banger gang will be Fake Blood and Riton, both known for their addictive command over dance floors across the globe.
The night takes place on Friday 5th March at The Coronet Theatre, London SE1 6TJ, for ticket information head here. Meanwhile to get you in the mood, enjoy this free exclusive download of ‘Oh Super!’ by Riton.
Egyptian Hip Hop are initially quite a confusing proposition. They don’t come from Egypt or play Hip Hop; they come from Manchester and play sprightly indie music. They’re also obscenely young, with none of the band’s members a day over 18. However, despite their youth the group have already been touted by many as one of the potential breakthrough acts of 2010.
Sounding like a cross between MGMT and an ethereal New Order, Egyptian Hip Hop have already won plaudits from the likes of Radio 1’s Nick Grimshaw and Late Of The Pier’s Sam Eastgate – who even produced the groups new single, ‘Wild Young Child’. The NME seems to be enraptured by the northern group and currently has ‘Wild Young Things’ as its number one track on rotation on their office stereo.
‘Heavenly’, the B side to ‘Wild Young Things’, is a dreamy slice of electronic pop mixing a twinkling synth melody with sweetly fragile vocals. Limited to a run of 300 vinyl copies, the single is sure to be a winner with hip young things the world over.
