Chilly Gonzales has announced a new album, The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales,which will be the world's first orchestral rap album. A follow up to his last album Ivory Tower, which yielded piano-driven rap hits "The Grudge" and "Crying" the new release is a creative progression of sorts.
Arranged by Hollywood film composer Christopher Beck and influenced by Prokofiev, Morricone and Phillip Glass, The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales features plenty of old-school Hollywood swells, tympani rolls and French horns, as revealed by "The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales Medley." Take a listen to the track HERE.
The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales will be released digitally on June 7.
Modern pop masters Architecture In Helsinki's new album Moment Bends drops today. Recorded over two years at the band's Buckingham Palace, bandmember Cameron Bird says "Moment Bends was all about being at one with our ideas, obsessed with popular music and falling in love with our hometown. We wanted to build a record to get lost in. A record that always feels exactly what you are feeling."
To celebrate the new album, the band is sharing a remix of the track "Conact High." Reworked by Brooklyn-based cratediggers Javelin, the song becomes a sleek, lush piece of pop perfect for sunny, summertime drives. Architecture in Helsinki will be kicking off a U.S. tour in Los Angeles at the Henry Fonda Theater on June 1st. Listen to and download the "Contact High" remix and view the band's tour dates below.
06/01: Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater
06/02: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
06/03: San Francisco, CA @ Slims
06/04: Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
06/05: Vancouver, BC @ Venur
06/06: Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
06/09: Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
06/10: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
06/11: Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
06/12: Montreal, QC @ Le Tulipe
06/13: Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
06/15: Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
06/16: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
06/17: Washington, DC @ Black Cat
06/18: Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
Canadian avant garde folk/blues artist Clara Engel combines sparse instrumentation and biting, deeply personal lyrics about love, fear, loss and betrayal to create songs that are the equivalent of an emotional tsunami.
On "Lick My Fins," she channels early PJ Harvey with vocals that are both vulnerable and erotically charged. Starting off with a slow build up of drums and strings, the track fleshes out into a seductive groove, punctuated by tense stab of horns and ghostly harmonies. Engel spins a twisted web of desire with lines like "I want to crawl back to the ocean for you/Lose my limbs and my lungs/My agility of tongue/For you."
"Trembling Dust" takes a less sensual, but no less haunting approach, with Engel bending and twisting certain words to wring all the feeling she can out of them. Singing with a tender, quiet resolve, she tells her lover to "eat the dream from my eye/Eat the kisses from a mouth ravaged/By bitterness and lying." "Accompanied By Dreams" finds her sifting through the ruins of broken promises and abandonment. You said that we would reap/A brilliant harvest from this grief, she sings over a guitar and somber cello. "But it never rained/It's autumn in our veins."
Engel's Madagascar EP is currently out on vinyl. You can download "Lick My Fins" for free below, but other tracks are pay for download. You can hear more at Clara's bandcamp page.
Giving new meaning to the phrase "in record time" Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman and Damien Kulash set out to write and record eight songs in eight hours Monday at Berklee College Of Music and release them 10 hours later during the Rethink Music program in Boston.
The marathon collaboration was broadcast live from the recording studio at rethink-music.com. The group gave a presenation later that morning, followed by a private concert for conference registrants at the Berklee Performance Center.
The 8in8 album, appropriately titled Night Night, is currently available on Bandcamp.com. All proceeds from the first week of downloads will benefit Berklee City Music, which provides free music education to underprivileged teens. Listen to and download 8in8 track "One Tiny Thing" below.
After a string of successful dates with Tokyo Police Club and opening up for Broken Social Scene at the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, indie pop band Dinosaur will be soldiering on, continuing their road trek with a new summer dates in support of their latest release My Divider. The tour begins May 2 at The Aquarium in Fargo, ND and wraps up July 9 in Toronto, ON at Edgefest 2011.
My Divider, a follow to last year's EP The Birthright, displays the band's knack for crafting complex melodies and guitar-driven rockers like "Highwire Act" and "Point of Pride." Listen to and download CFCF's remix of the album track "Birthright" HERE, and view the list of tour dates below.
5/02: Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
5/03: Chicago, Il @ Memories
5/05: Detroit, MI @ PJ's Lager House
6/01: Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
6/02: New Paltz, NY @ Snugg Harbour
6/03: Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands
6/04: New York, NY @ Pianos
6/08: Columbus, OH @ The Summit
6/11: Chicago, Il @ Schubas
6/12: Rock Island @ Daytrotter
7/09: Toronto, ON @ Edgefest 2011
Phoenix-based noise pop band Lisa Savidge's new track "Fireexiting," from their upcoming sophomore release Lisa Savidge, couldn't come anywhere else but out of left field. Taking flight with booming drums and whooshing, distorted guitars that sound like twin choppers, the track ratchets up the tension before opening up with a burst of atmospheric keyboards sounds, creating an effect that is at once jarring and comforting.
Formed by vocalist/guitarist Dan Somers, a former government intelligence operative, Lisa Savidge includes violinist/lead guitarist Ellery Keller, guitarist/keyboardist Nick Gortari, bassist Patrick Lamaide and drummer James Krehbiel.
Having just finished up a string of U.S. tour dates on the aptly titled The Shit Robot Show, including several as the opening act for LCD Soundsystem, he has now released a new video for "Losing My Patience." Directed by Fergal Brennan, the clip features an animated version of Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor, who guests on the track, as well as stop-motion animation and other visual tricks.
Shit Robot, a.k.a Marcus Lambkin, has also given fans two free MP3s to savor, the quirky "I Found Love," with its off-kilter synths and distorted vocals, and "Tuff Enuff." Watch the video and listen to and download "I Found Love" below.
Marianne Faithful's 23rd album Horses And High Heels will be released on June 28th. The 12-song collection features eight cover songs ranging from Carol King's "Going Back" to Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan's "The Stations," as well as four new tunes. The new disc will also feature guest stars like Lou Reed and Dr. John and MC5's Wayne Kramer.
Recorded in New Orleans with producer Hal Willner, Horses and High Heels is the singer's first new release since 2009's Easy Come, Easy Go, also produced by Willner. The new album delves into a kaleidoscopic array of musical styles, ranging from soul, blues and country to jazz-pop and guitar-rock. Get a taste of the new album by listening to and downloading "Why Did We Have To Part?" below.
Fresh from a stint at the Coachella Festival, Cut Copy has a gift for fans in the form in the "Need You Now" (Carl Craig) remix. And although the band wraps up the U.S. leg of their tour this week, fear not. The Aussie trio will be returning the states for more gigs beginning June 5 in Houston, TX. View the tour dates and listen to the "Need You Now" remix below. You can get a glimpse of the band's Coachella performance in the video below.
6/5: Houston, TX @ Free Press Summer Fest - BUY TICKETS
7/5: Richmond, VA @ The National - BUY TICKETS
7/6: Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live! - BUY TICKETS
7/7: Pattersonville, NY @ Camp Bisco - BUY TICKETS
7/9: Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Hall - BUY TICKETS
7/11: Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Zoo - BUY TICKETS
7/17: Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park - BUY TICKETS
7/11: Brooklyn, NY @ Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park Band Shell - BUY TICKETS
8/12: Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee - BUY TICKETS
8/13: Orange County, CA @ Pacific Festival at Oak Canyon Park
Hamburg-based dance duo Digitalism, made up of Jens Moelle and Ismail "Isi" Tuefekci have released the first single from their upcoming album I Love You Dude, the follow up to 2007's Idealism. From the moment the bendy guitar kicks in, you know you're in a for a trippy ride. Combining lo-fi guitars, robotic bass, and melancholy synths, "2 Hears" sounds coldly detached while still conveying raw emotion. I Love You Dude drops on June 21st.
"Miss Me When I'm Gone," a song by The Beatings' front man Cameron Keiber's solo project Eldridge Rodriguez, is a minimalist piece of pop/rock, with acoustic guitars and simple but steady drum work. Joined by guest vocalist Sarah Borges, the track's lyrics ruefully tell an ex-lover/friend how much they'll lose by leaving.
Lines like "Like a face that needs a fist/Like a razor that needs a wrist," show how serious the duo are, while humorous ones like "I tried to clear my aching head/By running naked through the streets/They came and tied me to bed/I will admit this was a minor defeat" add a bit of levity.
"Miss Me When I'm Gone" is from Eldridge Rodriguez's album You Are Released, which was released back in March. Listen below.
Creep's take on Planningtorock's "Doorway" changes the tone of the track, pulling the original out of its dark, otherworldly realm into a place that almost sounds like an ancient Gregorian chant. Planningtorock's album W is out May 17th. Listen below.
Queens, NY duo The Shivers will release their latest album More on May 10th. Recorded over five fiendish days in an entirely analog studio Manchester, the band fleshed out tracks created at their homebase, a small church in Queens. To give fans a preview of what to expect, the band has released album track "Used To Be" for free download. Driven by a jangly, steady guitar and catchy synth line, the song celebrates letting go of old anxieties and resentments.
The rest of the album finds the band exploring sixties garage rock ("Irrational Love"), upbeat pop ("I Want You Back," "Used To Be") and heartsick love ballads ("Love Is In The Air"). The Shivers will also be hitting the road in May, beginning with a gig at San Francisco's Cafe Du Nord on May 4th. Listen and download "Use To Be" and view the list of tour dates below.
05/04: San Francisco, CA @ Café Du Nord
05/06: Ashland, OR @ Culture Works
05/07: Portland, OR @ Backspace
05/10: Moscow, ID @ John’s Alley
05/11: Hailey, ID @ Sun Valley Brew
05/12: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
5/15: Fullerton, CA @ Commonwealth Lounge
05/19: San Diego, CA @ Habit House
05/20: San Diego, CA @ Eleven
05/21: Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café
05/29: New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
06/15: New Haven, CT @ BAR
To celebrate the release of their sixth album Circuital, due out on may 31st, My Morning Jacket has been releasing a live track from their performances at Terminal from last October each week. Now the band has decided to give fans a taste of what to expect from the new album by dropping the title track and revealing the album art
You can download "Circuital" by going to the band's official website. The site is also offering pre-orders for the album, with a deluxe edition that includes an exclusive 30 minute documentary DVD and a high quality lithograph picture taken by Danny Cinch. And in a Willy Wonka-inspired move, 10 deluxe editions will come with a Golden Ticket. Those who get a ticket will receive an original print signed by Cinch and the band.
View My Morning Jacket's tour dates and the artwork for Circuital below.
04/17: Lexington, KY @ Memorial Coliseum
05/20: Gulf Shores, AL @ Hangout Festival
06/02-06/05: Ozark, AR @ Wakarusa Festival
06/05: Hunter, NY @ Mountain Jam
06/09-06/12: Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Festival
06/17: Chicago, IL @ Auditorium Theatre
06/22: Los Angeles, CA @ Pantages Theatre
06/24: Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
06/26: Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
06/28: Portland, OR @ Edgefield
06/29: Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum
06/30-07/03: Quincy, CA @ High Sierra Music Festival
07/11: Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
07/12: Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
07/16: Southwold @ Latitude Festival
07/17: London @ Somerset House
08/04: Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Darlings of the Miami avant-dance scene, duo Afrobeta--made up of Cuci Amador and Tony Smurphio--have been tearing up dance floors since 2006. "Nighttime" the first single from their forthcoming album Under The Sheets, a follow up to last year's Do You Party?, is the kind of sleek electro-pop befitting such a title. Full of loopy bottomless bass and seductive synths, the track is made for dark, sweaty strobe light-filled nights. Listen below:
They Might Be Giants have released a new track, "Can't Keep Johnny Down," the first offering from their new album Join Us, set for released on July 19th. To give fans a little preview, the band has decided to released advance copies of several tracks on iTunes' "Complete My Album" on April 26th.
Along with "Can't Keep Johnny Down," there's the electro-ballad "Never Knew Love" and the pure folk pop of "Old Pine Box," which features timeless hooky elements such as harmonies, handclaps and vocoder.
While the band's name may not immediately jog your memory, if you've been watching TV anytime for the past decade and a half you've heard their music. The group has composed themes for The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and Malcom In The Middle, the latter of which won them Grammy. Listen to and download "Can't Keep Johnny Down" below.
Poly Styrene's latest single "Thrash City," a hooky slice of pop punk premiered on Rolling Stone yesterday. The track is the first single from the singer's forthcoming album Generation Indigo, set for release on April 26th and produced by Youth, best known for his work with The Verve, Killing Joke, The Fireman and Edwyn Collins. Listen to and download "Thrash City" below.
In more new music news, Scattered Trees' latest album Sympathy is out as of today. To commemorate the album's release, AOL is currently streaming the entire disc online.
The band has also made their anthemic track "Four Days Straight" available for free download. In addition to that, the group has also created four videos for "Four Days Straight," with the help of four NYC film students, and is holding a contest on Consequence of Sound for fans to select their next video. Click here to view the videos and cast your vote.
As for the new album, Sympathy finds the band on introspective ground, with deeply personal lyrics that explore the perennial subjects of love and loss. Musically the band has incorporated lush multi-part harmonies, orchestral grooves and even a mandolin to create a sound that is by turns driving rock and slow-burning melancholy. Listen to and download "Four Days Straight," and look at the band's tour dates below.
04/09: KANSAS CITY, MO @ Middle of the Map Festival (The Union - 10:00pm)
04/30: CHICAGO, IL @ Schubas (Sympathy Album Release Show sponsored by Consequence of Sound)
05/13: DES MOINES, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
05/20: GRAND RAPIDS, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
07/31: CHICAGO, IL @ Taste of Lincoln Avenue
Chicago-based band Company Of Thieves have announced that their new album, Running From A Gamble, will drop on May 17th. To celebrate the new disc, the band has also released a free MP3 of the album track "Modern Waste."
A follow up to 2009's Ordinary Riches, Running From A Gamble was spearheaded by singer Genevieve Schatz and guitarist Marc Walloh, who wrote much of the new material. “The album is a coming of age adventure about the mysterious, passionate and painful transition from dependence and enchantment to autonomy and awareness,”Genevieve says. The album's first single, "Death of Communication," will be released to radio later this month.
Company of Thieves are currently on tour with The Whigs, and are set to play a gig with Hall and Oats at Highland Park for Illinois' Ravinia Festival on June 26th. Listen to and download "Modern Waste" and look at the list of tour dates below.
04/05 – Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger
04/06 – Norfolk, VA – The Jewish Mother Backstage
04/07 – Richmond, VA – Capital Ale House
04/13 – Charleston, SC – The Pour House
04/14 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theater
04/15 – Whitesburg, KY – Summit City Lounge
04/17 – Wilmington, NC – The Soapbox
04/25 – Memphis, TN – Hi Tone Café
04/26 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge
04/27 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway Nightclub
04/28 – Indianapolis, IN – Radio Radio
04/29 – Iowa City, IA – Blue Moose Tap House
04/30 – Kansas City, MO – The Riot Room
05/01 – Tulsa, OK – The Marquee
06/26 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Festival (w/ Daryl Hall, John Oates)
Crate-digging connoisseurs Javelin have returned with a new track, the appropriately title "Cowpoke," which premiered over at Stereogum. The song is a complete 180 from the duo's usual R&B-influenced dance funk fun, instead drawing on a sound so country that you almost expect a tumbleweed to roll by while listening to it.
Javelin's new album Canyon Candy will be released on April 16th, Record Store Day. The band is also taking the western theme a step further by creating a companion video detailing the saga of a lone survivor of a wagon train massacre. You can contribute to band's project over at Kickstarter. View the pitch video below.
Canyon Candy will also be released as a Playbutton, a new, nonrecordable, nontransferable and portable music format in the shape of a button pin, preloaded with the album of your choice. Find out more about Playbutton here.
The group will also begin a short tour in May. View the list of dates and listen to/download "Cowpoke" below.
