N*E*R*D, the recording project formed by popular production team The Neptunes, are back into the studio giving shape to their fourth album, ‘Nothing’, whose release date is expected for early September.
The funk-loaded ‘Hot ‘N’ Fun’ is the chosen first single and features Canadian star Nelly Furtado, who’s also due for a new English speaking album after her latest fling with the Spanish language.
The video sees Pharrell, Hugo and Haley throwing a wild party somewhere in the desert, perfectly capturing the vibe of a summer that’s nearly here.
Philadelphia’s most notorious hip-hop collective, The Roots, have their ninth studio album ready. Titled ‘How I Got Over’, the long awaited follow-up of ‘Rising Down’ has endured several delays but will finally see the light of day on June 22nd.
As it is custom with Black Thought, ?uestlove and co, the album’s lyrics are expected to be politically charged, heavily focused on the developments of both Bush and Obama’s presidencies; but it’s the music department what brings some unexpected surprises as the band gets closer to current blog rock musicians, featuring members of Dirty Projectors and Monsters Of Rock. One of the tracks even contains a sample taken from new folk star Joanna Newsom’s first album; all of which adds further diversity to their original palette of jazz and soul influences.
We already listened to the melancholy-tinged first single ‘Dear God 2.0.’ and now The Roots are giving away another track as a free download, ‘Doin’ it Again’.
Get the freebie as well as one minute sampler preview of every track in the record through the widget below.
Following the electro tinged single ‘Bad Boy’ UK hip-hop star Skepta returns with his latest single ‘Rescue Me’. The track is a slightly more introspective affair then his recent dancefloor centric works, returning to the bass driven grimier sound of his past. The accompanying video takes its cue from the 1975 film ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’, with the Boy Better Know rapper paying homage to Jack Nicholson’s timeless portrayal of Randal P. McMurphy.
‘Rescue Me’ is yet another chapter in what has already been an outstanding year for Skepta. The track has already been playlisted by Radio 1 and is currently sitting pretty at number ten in our UK Pre Release Chart. It’s likely to be hugely popular with the increasing number of fans he’s picked up after supporting the likes of 50 Cent, N-Dubz and Chipmunk on tour.
The track is released June 27th and is available for pre order on iTunes.
Last week we headed to a cramped pub in Kentish Town pub to see Harlem. Hailing, surprisingly, from Austin Texas, Harlem specialise in gloriously catchy lo-fi pop punk ditties. Their recent album ‘Hippies’, released through Matador, has been one of our more enjoyable discoveries of the year. Their short set consisted of a number of the albums finer moments; The Spector meets grunge pairing of ‘Someday Soon’ proved a highlight among the more vocal members of the crowd. ‘Gay Human Bones’ also stood out, recalling the Pixies if they’d had the slacker attitude of an extra from a Kevin Smith film.
Playing a set full of ramshackle charm, the band calmly chatted between songs and swapped instruments throughout – giving the show a feel of a house party, rather than a gig. The band are currently completing a UK tour before heading back to the US for a run of dates with Jack White’s latest side project The Dead Weather. ‘Hippies’ is now available on iTunes; we fully recommend you check it out.
There are few Scottish bands currently active who can claim to have been a major influence in the music of a rock icon of the stature of the late Kurt Cobain, who often chose ‘Molly’s Lips’ and ‘Son Of A Gun’ as a regular inclusion of Nirvana’s live sets.
When they first appeared in the early eighties, The Vaselines never enjoyed a huge popularity. But the boost that Cobain’s predilection for their songs gave them a decade after has kept their flame alive long after they disbanded.
In 2008 they reunited for a tour and shortly afterwards Sub Pop reissued a deluxe edition of their anthology record, ‘Enter The Vaselines’, which let a new generation discover their sound. And now the band announces the release of their second studio album ‘Sex with An X’next September, a twenty year hiatus from their first one, ‘Dum-Dum’. Read more…
This week Nicki Minaj – who came number two in our ‘Sound Of 2010′ poll – is number one in the US New Release Chart, with her latest single ‘Your Love’.
To check the full chart click read more (You may have to turn ‘Mobile Theme’ off to view this chart correctly in Shazam’s apps). Read more…
This week sees the release of the third album from New Jersey rock band The Gaslight Anthem. ‘American Slang’ follows on from the bands breakthrough album ‘The ’59 Sound’ which received great critical acclaim and saw the band play to huge crowds in various festivals across the globe. Their status was helped in part by the patronage of one Bruce Springsteen, who picked the band to support him at his Hyde Park Calling show. If this accolade wasn’t enough, The Boss pulled up lead singer Brian Fallon to join the legendary singer for a joint rendition of ‘No Surrender’ – something that was repeated during Springsteen’s jaw dropping Glastonbury set last summer.
Their blend of Jersey Shore rock combined with punk sensibilities has certainly struck a chord with their burgeoning fanbase. A fact that was confirmed by a dramatic increase in venue size for their forthcoming London show – such was the demand for tickets. ‘American Slang’ once again showcases the bands ability to be anthemic without being overly pompous – proof that songs can unite the masses without being overly sentimental.
We managed to speak to guitarist Alex Rosamilia about the new album and his love of the classic English breakfast.
Our look at the music that’s popular in different corners of the globe makes a brief stopover in China, where the Top 10 has a distinctive rap flavour. The highest entry of the week is ‘Rap Along Song’ by Hong Kong duo Fama, taken from their new and also very successful album ‘O’Fama’. The track deceitfully begins as an acoustic ballad, but shortly changes into the rap that’s mention in its title, to finally morph again into a powerful guitar anthem. All in less than four minutes!
‘O’Fama’ contains vocal collaborations from other popular Asian artists such as Andy Hui, Edison, DJ Tommy; etc. and it has been produced by Eason Chan - currently considered the king of Cantonese-Pop who’s also topping the charts with a ballad taken from his more recent opus ‘Time Flies’. (Below)
If there’s one party that encapsulates what Ibiza’s about more than any other it’s ‘We Love…’ at Space. After a decade providing every conceivable form of dance music to loved up international crowds, ‘We Love…’ have well and truly made Sunday’s their own on The White Isle.
With its huge outdoor terrace and 14 hour running time, ‘We Love…’ feels more like a mini festival than a club arena. The talent the club attracts also feels about hundred times more epic than most clubs can ever dream of offering. Just a glance at this year’s roster should get club heads week at the knees: 2Many DJ’s, Basement Jaxx Carl Craig, Aphex Twin, Groove Armada, Jeff Mills, Dimitri From Paris, Simian Mobile Disco and Hot Chip all feature among many others.
If you’re already flying to Ibiza, we’ve got the prize for you – free passes to the club on Sunday.
All you have to do to stand a chance of winning is answer this simple question:
Which of these is a traditional Ibiza drink?
A) Hierbas
B) Um Bongo
C) Irn Bru
Simply email your answer to competition@shazamteam.com stating which date you would like entry to the club.
Terms and conditions of competition: 1.Closing date for the competition is 24/06/2010. All entries after this point will be void. 2. All winners will be notified by email on 24/06/2010. 3. All correct answers will enter a prize draw and the winners selected at random. 4. There will be three winners who will each get a guestlist spot at Space on the week of their choice. 5. Guestlist spots are only available for the 2010 Space season. 6. Dates are not transferable. 7. Shazam will not pay for transport or accommodation in Ibiza. 8. There’s no cash alternative to the prize. 6. The decision of Shazam Entertainment is final. 7. Employees of Shazam Entertainment are not eligible to enter this competition
