SKOPE NEWS FOR JANUARY 18, 2017

PRIME MINISTERS ANNOUNCE ‘ASYMMETRIC’ + SHARE “NEW BEGINNINGS”

Miami-based, by way of South America, rock quartet PRIME MINISTERS are pleased to announced Asymmetric, their most complete work to date. Available March 31, 2017, the eight-song collection blends a unique combination of genres reminiscent of the band’s eclectic rock influences and era’s. “You might not initially pinpoint our sound,” explains frontman Ernesto Estrada, “but we will definitely get you somehow.” Guitarist Shaggy chimes in “Ernesto’s lyrics are simple yet striking. Cynical and hedonistic, but always engaging.”

Black Sabbath The Ultimate Collection Available February 3 From Rhino

Black Sabbath are arguably the most influential heavy metal band of all time. The band helped to create the genre with ground breaking releases such as Paranoid, an album that Rolling Stone magazine said “changed music forever.” Time Magazine called Paranoid “the birthplace of heavy metal.”

In 2017, Black Sabbath remains one of the most prominent acts in music. Performing for over 45 years, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, they have received two Grammy® awards, and have sold over 75 million records worldwide.

THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION was curated by band members, resulting in a 31-track collection that features the band’s classic songs including “Paranoid,” “Iron Man,” “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.” and “The Wizard,” as well as choice cuts from their classic albums. The collection is the definitive accompaniment for all Sabbath fans as well as those with a love of hard rock.

Polarcode (Selena Gomez Keyboardist + The Voice Finalist) Premieres “Cut You Loose” via IMPOSE

Keyboardist/songwriter Eric Stang and drummer Mario Cerutti first met back in 2006 in the practice rooms of DePaul University’s Music School in Chicago where they studied jazz and classical percussion. Since the launch of Polarcode in 2010, the now Los Angeles based duo have played their unique brand of indie/alt pop across the country.

Every song is its own experience, featuring different vocalists over vibrant, intricate production. The 2016 minimalist, stunning black and white music video for “I Crave You (feat. Lauren Ruth Ward) has been grabbing people’s attention around the world.

IDINA MENZEL ANNOUNCES 2017 WORLD TOUR

After releasing her fifth solo studio album idina. last fall, Tony Award-winning superstar IDINA MENZEL announced today that she will head out on a 50+ city global spring & summer tour.

The tour will begin in Japan on March 29, 2017 and visit Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo before Idina begins the North American leg of the tour on April 7, 2017 with a hometown Long Island show in New York at the Nassau Coliseum. She will travel through major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Nashville and Las Vegas before the tour concludes on September 3, 2017 in Phoenix, AZ. European tour dates will be announced shortly.

David Douglas preps new LP

“Spectators Of The Universe” is the new album from Dutch producer/artist/video director David Douglas released via Atomnation Records. Following on from 2014’s “Moon Observations”, Douglas continues to perfect his interstellar sound, taking the listener on a polyrhythmic, technicolour journey through melodic, sun kissed disco and electronic music.

Video: wifisfuneral – “Antisocial Club”

In 2016, wifisfuneral grew from being a South Florida high school dropout into a rising young artist with millions of SoundCloud streams and a headlining tour under his belt. Now that he has some success, wifi has to figure out who he can trust. Losing himself in thought as he stands under a shower of roses, wifisfuneral gets introspective on “Antisocial Club,” the XXL-premiered video single from When Hell Falls, coming January 27th. A meditative head-nodder with ambient synth, droning bass, and twinkling piano buried deep in the background, “Antisocial Club” finds wifisfuneral rocking a breathless, steady flow for his quick, yet loquacious verse, before transitioning into a sing-song cadence for the nursery rhyme-referencing hook. “Antisocial Club” follows “Luv Me Never,” the first single from When Hell Falls, premiered by The FADER in December.

SPOON: ‘HOT THOUGHTS’ ALBUM OUT MARCH 17

Months of speculation come to an end today as details of the new Spoon album can be confirmed: Austin’s most esteemed rock ambassadors will release their ninth album, Hot Thoughts, March 17 on Matador Records.

Reuniting the band with the label that released their 1996 debut, Telephono, and following on Spoon’s streak of three consecutive Top 10 albums — Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007), Transference (2010) and They Want My Soul (2014) — Hot Thoughts is nothing short of an epic. With Hot Thoughts, co-produced by Spoon and Dave Fridmann, the quartet has created the bravest, most sonically inventive work of the catalogue that has made it the most critically acclaimed act of the first decade of the new millennium.

‘Feel You Now’ Music Video out today along with Diwon’s album

Diwon’s ‘New Game: Remixed’ album, a hot mix of remixes from his debut album by some of his favorite producers and DJs from around the globe hit stores today. Check out the bizarre music video for “Feel You Now” remixed by Bruzzer.

Lisa Mitchell Premieres “Warhol” Video on Brooklyn Vegan

Lisa Mitchell is pleased to unveil a new video for the track Warhol, taken from her forthcoming album Warriors – slated for a Spring release through Play It Again Sam.

Peter Asschenfeldt and the Colonels are fighting for the country and the whole free world!

Peter Asschenfeldt and The Colonels have established themselves as a very popular and often viewed act on YouTube. So far, the video has been watched more than 2 MILLION times and still counting. Their cartoon universe combined with their tongue in cheek approach have managed to reach and entertain a wide audience on the channel.

To support the impact on YouTube, the single ‘We are the Colonels’ is now distributed to radio, media and press in USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia.

Dawn Richard announces ‘Infrared’ (Deluxe)

LA’s Fade to Mind unveils the new deluxe edition of Infrared – a collaborative project from rising r&b star Dawn Richard and highly respected producer Kingdom. Alongside the EP’s original four tracks come ten new remixes from Fade to Mind regulars and extended family; Rizzla, Ikonika (Hyperdub), Helix (Night Slugs), Divoli S’vere and more – available on vinyl and CD for the first time.

DAVE MATTHEWS AND TIM REYNOLDS ANNOUNCE 2017 U.S. TOUR

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds will kick off a U.S. tour on May 3 at Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre in Tuscaloosa, AL. Since Dave Matthews Band is not touring this summer, the two musicians and longtime friends are instead taking the opportunity to play a rare series of stripped-down, acoustic dates together. The run will include two-night stands in Nashville, TN (May 6 & 7), Philadelphia, PA (June 2 & 3), Chicago, IL (June 10 & 11) and Saratoga Springs, NY (June 16 & 17). They will also perform at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY (June 6) and PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ (June 7).

VOWWS shares new single “Heartbreaker”

With their new single, “Heartbreaker,” VOWWS veer into the wrong lane – and smash backwards into Pop. The new single was released today, coinciding with their North American tour in support of British post-punk band White Lies.

A flash-grenade of musical justice, “Heartbreaker” opens with the layered ramblings of a mad man – before exploding into an urgent groove of cascading beats, vertical guitars and a guiding, screaming synth – a musical offering that pummels you over the head with a sick smile on its face.

Aimee Mann’s highly anticipated new album Mental Illness out March 31

Aimee Mann’s Mental Illness, her first album in five years, will be released on March 31 via her own SuperEgo Records. The record follows 2012’s Charmer, which Rolling Stone proclaimed “shows off the more pop-oriented side to her usual acoustic tendencies.” With this follow-up, she returns to a more musically soft-spoken but still lyrically barbed approach, as heard in the album’s lead single, “Goose Snow Cone,” which debuts today. Listen/share the track here: aimeemann.com.

MILKY CHANCE REVEAL DETAILS FOR UPCOMING SOPHOMORE ALBUM

Multiplatinum German duo MILKY CHANCE announce the details for their anxiously awaited second full-length album, Blossom [Republic Records], available in stores and at all digital retailers on Friday March 17, 2017. The online pre-order goes live today and immediately enables instant downloads of the lead single “Cocoon” and new track “Doing Good.”

PVT SPOTLIGHTS CULTURAL INTOLERANCE ON FORTHCOMING ALBUM

Sydney-based trio PVT return with their forthcoming album New Spirit, due Feb 17th via Felte. 2017 sees PVT members Dave Miller along with brothers Richard & Laurence Pike return home, with their fifth album ‘New Spirit’, due Feb 17th via Felte. Ask em why it was so long between drinks? They’ll tell it’s you none of your business. Ask what brought the three of them back together and they’ll say the same thing. One listen to their latest album suggests a compass-directed hometown reunion, in what has become — not unlike the US itself — a hotbed for political and cultural intolerance: The New Australia. Listen to the the future funk leaning album track “Another Life,” premiered by Tiny Mix Tapes.

The New Pornographers tour the US this spring

Critically acclaimed Vancouver-based group The New Pornographers are set to tour the U.S. this spring, kicking off the run of dates at Minneapolis’ storied First Avenue on April 18. The tour includes dates at The Metro in Chicago, New York’s Terminal 5 and Washington, DC’s 9:30 Club, wrapping up at Stubb’s in Austin on May 6.

Hear Joan of Arc’s first new album in 5 years via SPIN

Chicago, IL’s Joan of Arc debuted a full stream of their anticipated first new album in five years, ‘He’s Got The Whole This Land Is Your Land In His Hands,’ this morning via SPIN ahead of its January 20 release on Joyful Noise Recordings. Named a January highlight by Pitchfork and The AV Club, an early review from Maximum Ink praised the album’s “cunning puns” and “unpredictable art-punk missiles,” and SPIN raves it’s “packed with Kinsella’s more off-color thoughts, in full.”

New Music: Stream Joan of Arc’s He’s Got The Whole This Land Is Your Land In His Hands

Timber Timbre Announce New LP ‘Sincerely, Future Pollution’ Out 4/7/17

Timber Timbre – the Canadian trio of Taylor Kirk, Mathieu Charbonneau, and Simon Trottier, with drummer Olivier Fairfield – will release their fourth album Sincerely, Future Pollution on April 7, 2017 via City Slang. The video for first single “Sewer Blues” debuted this morning via NPR Music, which wrote that the song “…offers a dark take on the state of America with throbbing synths and swampy guitars”; watch now here.

52ND ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™ TO BE BROADCAST LIVE FROM T-MOBILE ARENA

The Academy of Country Music® announced today that the 52ND ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™, Country Music’s Party of the Year®, will broadcast LIVE from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 2, 2017 at 8:00 PM ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. This will mark the first time the show will broadcast from T-Mobile Arena. The 52nd ACM Awards, honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in country music, will feature exciting performances, unprecedented collaborations, surprising moments and more to be announced in the coming months.

Marco Benevento To Release Live Album ‘The Woodstock Sessions’

Marco Benevento has announced the release of a new live album, The Woodstock Sessions, due out on February 17. Recorded at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, NY in front of a sold out studio audience last summer in one single take, the collection marks Benevento’s inauguration into the acclaimed series, which already includes Bad Brains, Medeski Martin & Wood + Nels Cline and Joseph Arthur among others. A highlight of the evening was a version of “Coyote Hearing” from Benevento’s 2014 release, Swift, The track is available now to stream and feature, while the entire record can be pre-ordered via PledgeMusic.

BELL The Band Release “Love Before Me”

BELL The Band are excited to announce the release of their debut EP, BELL The Band, due out January 27th, 2017. The EP will feature five songs, including “Love Before Me,” a new song which premiered on Friday via Atwood Magazine, who chatted with the band about the song’s origins, listen and read here. To celebrate, BELL The Band recently announced a hometown release show at NYC’s Rockwood Music Hall on February 11th!

Exclusive Premiere: BELL The Band’s “Love Before Me” Dives into Heartache

ONI Unleashes New Music Video for “The Only Cure”

2016 was a breakout year for progressive metal band ONI, who proved their lasting prowess with the release of their debut album Ironshore, toured with heavy metal greats such as Max & Iggor Cavalera and Children Of Bodom, tore up the stage at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest with Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God – and last but not least – introduced the heavy metal world to the wonders of “Xylosynth”.

After capping the year with Top 10 “Album of the Year” nods from the likes of Metal Injection, Metal Insider and others, ONI is returning with a brand new music video for one of their most ferocious, groovy tracks, “The Only Cure”, featuring guest vocals from none other than Randy Blythe himself. The music video, directed and edited by Abraham Roofeh, doubles as a petrifying, serial killer-themed horror film – rapidly cutting to scenes of ONI and Blythe setting the soundtrack.

MARIAN HILL’S “DOWN” APPEARS IN THE NEW APPLE AirPods AD

“Down” from the Brooklyn based alternative electronic pop duo MARIAN HILL — Jeremy Lloyd [production/songwriting] and Samantha Gongol [vocals/songwriting] — was featured in the latest Apple AirPods campaign. The film features freestyle dancer, Lil’ Buck listening to “Down” by Marian Hill as he Memphis Jukes his way through the streets of Mexico City, dancing on buildings, the side of a car, and upside down on the marquee of a theater. Check if out the gravity defying via the link below:

DROPKICK MURPHYS’ ’11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory’ Out Now

The Dropkick Murphys’ 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory was the second-best selling current album last week according to Billboard. The band’s ninth album bowed in at #8 on the all-inclusive Billboard Top 200. Additionally the album — released through the band’s own Born & Bred Records — was the #1 Independently released album, #1 Rock Album, #1 Physical Release, #1 Vinyl, and #1 Internet. It falls only 5,000 units behind the #1 album, the soundtrack for La La Land, which won 7 Golden Globes last week.

After nine albums, Dropkick Murphys are attracting some of the best reviews in their illustrious career. Stereogum named 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory their album of the week, writing “The Dropkick Murphys are still capable of making me feel alive the way few bands do.” UK blog Drowned in Sound wrote, “11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory makes for a pleasingly valuable addition to their ever-increasing discography.” New York’s Newsday hailed the album as, “Its most potent album in years.”

Splash

The Wooden Sky announce new album ‘Swimming In Strange Waters’

Toronto alt-rock quartet The Wooden Sky will release their new album ‘Swimming in Strange Waters’ on April 7th via Nevado Music. Drawing its title from a line in Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel, Dune – “Survival is the ability to swim in strange water” – The Wooden Sky’s fifth full-length record finds frontman and multi-instrumentalist Gavin Gardiner struggling to come to terms with the trauma and unknowns haunting both his personal life and the world at large.

NPR, which premiered the title track from ‘Swimming in Strange Waters’, describes The Wooden Sky as a “band that handles delicate subjects with psychedelic swagger and a depth of lyrical intelligence that is never too on-the-nose, but always powerful.”

ETC!ETC! and Corporate Slackrs Unleash VIP of “Raise Up (feat. Petey Pablo)”

Ringing in the new year with a bang, ETC!ETC! and Corporate Slackrs unleash their trapped out VIP mix of “Raise Up (feat. Petey Pablo).” Premiered by ThisSongSlaps, the track cranks up the BPM even more to offer a fresh twist on a proven club hit.

[TSS Premiere] ETC!ETC! & Corporate Slackrs Unleash VIP Edit of “Raise Up” Featuring Petey Pablo

Nominee Unleash Powerful Music Video about Mental Illness, “White Water”

Sitting at the center of the post-hardcore revival Nominee, consisting of I Call Fives former member, Chris Mclelland, Thieves former member, Andrew Exchavarria, Cameron Kisel and Stephen Flynn drew influences from past hardships, personal stories, and triumphant battles to showcase their relentless ambition to create an alternative sound that is as dynamic, as infectious. With their passion to tell personal stories, the 4-piece developed a gritty, battered-and-worn style to their music that exudes energy, dedication, and triumph. After years of hard work the band are thrilled to be releasing Drag Me Out (due out January 26th), the band’s most personal record to date, a concept album that displays hardship and struggle with mental illness.

Tift Merritt premieres “Heartache Is an Uphill Climb” video on Rolling Stone Country

Grammy Award-nominated artist Tift Merritt premieres the video for her latest single, “Heartache Is an Uphill Climb,” on Rolling Stone Country. Merritt’s new album Stitch of the World will be released January 27 on Yep Roc Records. Preorder here. West Coast dates have been added to her upcoming North American tour, including stops at Bootleg Theater Front Room in Los Angeles on May 10 and Swedish American Hall in San Francisco on May 11.

Stereogum premieres cover of REM’s tribute to Kurt Cobain by Goon

Stereogum has premiered Goon’s beautiful new cover of R.E.M’s Monster track “Let Me In,” written in tribute to the late Kurt Cobain.

Singer-songwriter Kenny Becker tells Stereogum:

“I always thought this song was one of the more haunting and mournfully poetic tributes to Kurt Cobain. The tragedy of having lost a true friend is really apparent in R.E.M.’s version. I had always been very moved by that so I tried making my own jangly-acoustic version.”

Goon – “Let Me In” (R.E.M. Cover)

Adam Torres Announces ‘I Came To Sing The Song’ EP

Austin, TX’s Adam Torres will release a new EP, I Came To Sing The Song, on February 24, 2017 via Fat Possum. Adam premiered the title track first single this morning via Stereogum, which described it as “a gentle ballad featuring Torres’ peerless vocals backed by guitar and violin. Upon pressing play, your heart will be stirred…”.

Adam Torres – “I Came To Sing The Song”

New BoatHouse track (Closed Sessions)

Closed Sessions producer/dj signee BoatHouse just dropped his first new track of 2017. With production credits for Kweku Collins, Allan Kingdom, Lucki among others, BoatHouse is quickly becoming a producer to watch. Check it below:

GLOBAL SUPERSTAR ED SHEERAN MAKES CHART HISTORY

Global superstar ED SHEERAN has made history with his singles “Shape Of You” and “Castle On The Hill,” debuting at #1 and #6 respectively on Billboard’s Hot 100, becoming the first artist ever to debut two singles in the top 10 simultaneously in the chart’s 58-year history. The two tracks – released in tandem at the top of the new year – are the first singles from the multi-GRAMMY award winning singer-songwriter’s hugely anticipated third studio album “÷” (pronounced divide), which is available for pre-order here and arrives on March 3 via Atlantic Records.

“Shape Of You” is Sheeran’s first #1 on the Hot 100 as an artist, with his smash single “Thinking Out Loud” earning him his previous career-high on the chart, holding #2 for a record-setting, eight consecutive weeks. Sheeran co-wrote Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself” which held the #1 spot on the Hot 100 for two consecutive weeks last year and topped the 2016 year-end Hot 100. “Love Yourself” is up for “Song of the Year” at this year’s GRAMMY Awards, earning Sheeran his 11th GRAMMY nomination. Sheeran himself is very familiar with this category – which specifically recognizes and honors songwriters – having been previously nominated for this award twice before, winning last year for his 7x-Platinum hit “Thinking Out Loud.”

Eric Church Opening Night features 37 Song Setlist

With a few strums on his weathered Gibson guitar, Eric Church began his 2017 Holdin’ My Own Tour in Lincoln, Neb. Friday night, leading with “Mistress Named Music” from the CMA Album of the Year, Mr. Misunderstood.

Following the opening show at the Pinnacle Bank Arena, Church stopped in Grand Forks, N.D. at its Ralph Engelstad Arena on Saturday, Jan. 14 and Sioux Falls, S.D. at its Denny Sanford Premier Center on Sunday, Jan. 15, totaling 38,200 fans to whom the tenacious country rocker played.

Performing more than 90 songs and over nine hours in just one weekend, Church and his “superb” (Lincoln Journal Star) band played two complete sets of old and new favorites each night that brought, as the Lincoln Journal Star puts it, “a swinging ode to the power of ‘Jack Daniels’ complete with shots, small town stories à la ‘Homeboy’ and salutes to ‘Talladega’ that became a singalong, and a beer-glasses-held-high ‘Pledge Allegiance to The Hag.'”

ROZAMOV Issues Trailer For This Mortal Road Album Due In March

Boston-based ROZAMOV has issued the details and a brief trailer for their upcoming debut full-length, This Mortal Road, which is set for co-release through Battleground Records and Dullest Records in March.

With five monolithic passages consuming over forty minutes of textured, melody-laced doom metal, This Mortal Road presents a sonic catharsis featuring the longest, heaviest, and most progressive tracks ROZAMOV has ever created. The crushing production was recorded and mixed by Jon Taft at New Alliance Audio, and mastered by Nick Z at New Alliance East Mastering, the album finalized with photography by Andrew Weiss and layout by Matt Martinez. The cover art, track listing, and a brief trailer for This Mortal Road, featuring a clip of audio, have been issued.

smle Remixes Fergie’s “Life Goes On” – Out Now!

Released on Friday, their newest release captures the smle vibe perfectly through a euphoric interpretation of Fergie’s “Life Goes On.” The title says its all – “Life Goes On” is the second of a duo of tracks released as the songstress’ sophomore LP, with the aforementioned track being a sentimental number that tugs at the heartstrings. smle applies their signature electronic touch to the track, making it their own through a healthy dose of island vibes and you guessed it, smiles. Having already remixed the likes of pop artists including Ellie Goulding, Alicia Keys, Owl City to even crooner Michael Buble, the sky is the limit for this promising duo.

J Dodd “Chomp” Music Video

“Chomp” is J Dodd’s 2017 premiere release. Having stepped away from being “the artist” for a few years to pursue songwriting full time, J re-emerges with fun, funky, and fresh material showing off his unique character. “Chomp” is a playful song and fun video with romantic undertones focusing on food. The video for “Chomp” features cameos from Titus Makin Jr. of Pretty Little Liars, and American Idol finalist, Broadway star, Instagram and Vine phenomenon Loren Lott, who plays the lead girl in the video. Chomp is just the first of a series of videos that J Dodd is releasing in 2017.

The Best Fest Announces Neil Fest Texas: Celebrating the Music of Neil Young

In 1968, Neil Young went solo, and embarked on one of the greatest legacies in Rock & Roll. Fifty years later, at two legendary Texas theaters in Austin and Dallas, more than 25 acclaimed artists will converge to honor the rock legend. Ticket sale proceeds will benefit Refuge Foundation for the Arts, a non-profit organization supporting the creation of music and art. “We are going to throw two Texas-sized parties for our hero Neil Young,” says Best Fest founder Austin Scaggs. “All Neil, all night, with an incredible cast of musicians. The cherry on top is that we’ll raise money for Refuge Foundation, and everyone onstage and in the audience will help in supporting and nurturing a new wave of musicians and artists. That’s what really makes this all worthwhile.”

As always The Best Fest’s acclaimed house band, The Cabin Down Below Band, will host a prodigious cast of musicians, including Norah Jones, Shakey Graves*, Boz Scaggs, Erika Wennerstrom of Heartless Bastards, The Flatlanders** (Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Joe Ely) Featuring Terry Allen**, Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Charlie Sexton, Alex Maas of The Black Angels*, Nikki Lane, White Denim’s James Petralli, Danny Masterson & Adam Busch, Jonathan Tyler, Eric Pulido of Midlake, The Midnight Stroll, Robert Ellis, Cory Chisel, My Jerusalem’s Jeff Klein, Adriel Denae, Carson McHone, Matthew Logan Vasquez*, Paul Cauthen**, The Texas Gentlemen, The Candles and many many more surprises. Expect the unexpected.

Surfer Blood Shares “Frozen”

Surfer Blood’s fourth studio album, Snowdonia, comes out on February 3rd via Joyful Noise Recordings. A sonic departure for the band, it’s their first release since 2010’s Astro Coast that lead singer John Paul Pitts has written and mixed alone. It finds the band tackling heavy themes like mortality and aging through longer, more complex songs, while still incorporating plenty of their signature pop hooks.

XIBALBA To Issue EP Through Closed Casket Activities

Pomona, California’s XIBALBA will unleash their latest set of recordings in the form of Diablo, Con Amor… Adios, a new three-song EP set for release in February through Closed Casket Activities, with a new track now playing at Clrvynt.

One year since the release of their Southern Lord-released Tierra Y Libertad LP, XIBALBA returns with three monstrous new acts of vengeance on Diablo, Con Amor… Adios, the EP delivering the gritty, downtuned, metallic hardcore grooves the band’s followers have come to expect from the quintet over the past seven years. As with their prior titles, Diablo, Con Amor… Adios was recorded at The Pit Recording Studio with longtime cohort Taylor Young (Nails, Twitching Tongues, Disgrace) and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Integrity, Nails, Harm’s Way), XIBABLA also once again secured artwork from Dan Seagrave (Dismember, Entombed, Suffocation) to visually depict the wrath of these three relentless tracks.

Los Angeles’ CRANE Share “Fast Life”

For a long time, CRANE was just me recording songs in my room,” says the band’s frontman, Bobby Crane, “and it probably would have stayed that way if I hadn’t believed in what I was doing enough to leave my bedroom and get into the studio.”

CRANE had it’s genesis in early 2016 at The Abstract Recording Studios in Los Angeles, when Bobby Crane began recording his debut EP with the help of young producers Mark Einhorn (former member of Portugal. The Man) and Jesse Rhodes. The interpersonal and creative synergy between the three was undeniable, and they knew they were on to something worth pursuing. Shortly after, Crane recruited drummer Billy Parks, and the four got to work on their live performance.

NPR Music: “2017’s Best New Artist Might Just Be Phoebe Bridgers”

Phoebe Bridgers premiered the video for her new single “Smoke Signals” today via NPR Music, which wrote, “Like fellow rising stars Julien Baker (with whom she’s toured) and Julia Jacklin, Bridgers immediately presents as a formidable talent: She’s got a voice powerful enough to command any stage, but with intimate phrasing that cries out for late-night drives and walks under headphones.”

Tobin Sprout Shares “When I Was A Boy” Via A.V. Club

A.V. Club has premiered Tobin Sprout’s third single “When I Was A Boy” from his upcoming album ‘The Universe & Me’, out 1/27/2017 on Burger Records. Prior to this single, Sprout released the songs “Future Boy Today / Man Of Tomorrow” which you can listen to here, as well as “A Walk Across The Human Bridge” He also did an interview with CLRVYNT to accompany the second single.

Charlie Cunningham releases new single

With its latin rhythms, “Minimum” is an unlikely companion on a frosty English morning, but Charlie Cunningham lyrical surety is a welcome friend at the dawn of an uncertain year. “Minimum” is the new single taken from Charlie’s forthcoming debut album Lines released 27th January on Dumont Dumont and is available for pre-order.

The video for “Minimum” – performed and recorded at St John in Hackney – is online today on Youtube and on streaming services Spotify, Soundcloud and Itunes/Apple Music now.

WOE: Black Metal Unit To Unveil Hope Attrition Via Vendetta Records

US black metal legion WOE will release their long-awaited new full-length this March via their new label home of Vendetta Records. Titled Hope Attrition, the alarming seven-track offering, and first in four years, was penned throughout the end of 2015 and most of 2016.

Muuy Biien shares “Moral Compass” video via CLRVYNT

Athens, GA’s Muuy Biien released their debut LP for Autumn Tone, Age of Uncertainty, on Oct. 28, 2016. Today the band shares the first music video from it via CLRVYNT.

LOWLANDS Debut Album ‘Lovers Blessings’ Out Now

LOWLANDS is an American bi-coastal music group based in NYC & San Diego, CA. Formed in NYC in 2014 by guitarist T.C. Garcia (of Mrs Magician) and vocalist Gabriel Spatuzzi, LOWLANDS play slow, dark, minimalist ghost-punk that draws inspiration from the likes of Rowland S. Howard and Ennio Morricone.

Recorded in fits and starts on two different coasts throughout 2014-2015, their debut album ‘Lovers Blessings’ is characterized by sparse droning arrangements and wistful, mostly ad-libbed lyrics that touch on themes of loneliness, isolation, architecture, sexual frustration & all forms of doubt (religious, self, etc).

Clash premieres Dan Webb’s venomous single “Let Them Eat Cake”

Earlier this week, Australia-based prog pop maestro Dan Webb premiered his lead-off single “Let Them Eat Cake” on Clash who noted the track “…recalls Bowie’s Berlin period and refuses to pull its punches.”

VICELAND’s Noisey talks to Kesha about taking her voice back

Wanted to make sure you saw that VICELAND’s Noisey released a new interview with Kesha, in which the 29-year-old pop star talks about her new music, and the emotionally-draining legal battles around her unreleased music. Drawn from tonight’s Nashville episode of Noisey on VICELAND, host Zach Goldbaum talks to Kesha about the obstacles she’s faced, both legally and mentally, before a performance at the Ryman Auditorium.

Strange Lot Share “Born” Video Via Brooklyn Vegan

Today, Strange Lot premiere “Born,” the first single off their new effort ‘God & Clods’ (out March 3rd), via Brooklyn Vegan.

Strange Lot’s psychedelic sound channels the desert backdrop of their native Arizona. What began in the summer of 2014 as a bedroom solo project for Dominic Mena (guitar/vocals), evolved into a full band, fleshed out by Tim Lormor on drums and David Dennis on bass guitar. Last year, the band supported international acts The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Tijuana Panthers, Night Beats, and Kikagaku Moyo.

Keys N Krates Release Video for “Love Again”

Keys N Krates kick off 2017 with the release of the official music video for “Love Again (feat. Ouici),” off their critically acclaimed 2016 EP Midnite Mass. Released roughly a year ago, the 6-track EP quickly became a favorite amongst fans and critics, with Pitchfork praising single “Save Me (feat. Katy B)” as “Not just the upper echelon of Katy B tracks, but also the top-tier of Keys N Krates’ catalog to date,” before the track took home “Dance Recording of the Year” at the 2016 Juno Awards. Midnite Mass went on to hit #2 on the iTunes US Top Dance Album Charts and took the #1 spot in Canada, garnering worldwide support from Zane Lowe, A-Trak, and Mistajam on Beats1 and BBC Radio 1. Keys N Krates also took Midnite Mass on a coast-to-coast tour with support on various dates from Metro Boomin, Stooki Sound, Hermitude, Branchez, and KRANE, the latter who went on to collaborate with the trio on their forthcoming Dim Mak single “Right Here” – Out January 27th.

POWER TRIP Unveils New Single

POWER TRIP strikes again with the second single from their upcoming Nightmare Logic LP, “Executioner’s Tax (Swing Of The Axe),” as additional tour dates and preorders for the album are issued.

Former ERRA Bandmates Team Up For New Single

Tragic Hero Records is proud to welcome The Artificials to their roster. The band is former ERRA guitarist Alan Rigdon’s new project which features his wife, Sarah, on vocals. Rigdon is excited to be a part of the Tragic Hero family once again, stating: “The Artificials are definitely going to bring some variety to Tragic Hero. Being a fresh take on female fronted metal is scary but the risk is in the risk not taken. You won’t hear another band quite like us that’s for sure. We are thankful to be on the Tragic Hero roster!”

Los Angeles Artist Tuffet Bunnies Shares “Everything” Music Video

Tuffet Bunnies is the alias for Clem Darling’s musical whims. He’s from the American northeast, born in Boston, MA and grew up in Albany, NY. His father is a surgeon. His mother is a therapist. He played music in the northeast for awhile, from ages 10-18, mostly making music reminiscent of Unicorns and Pavement. Clem then moved to Los Angeles to attend film school. After graduating, he moved to Austin, TX and played a lot of live music in garage rock bands. Then, Clem moved back to Los Angeles because he fell in love with an acrobat and burlesque performer who inspired this debut album of love songs.

LIDO & SANTELL RELEASE THE ‘PASSION PROJECT II’

Norwegian producer Lido drops a surprise sequel to the Passion Project with Santell aptly titled the Passion Project II. Continuing their streak as an unstoppable duo, the new EP dives into their take on the future of R&B, building on the aesthetic of the previous collaboration while experimenting with new vibes and sounds for the this offering. Collective influences ranging from Ginuwine and N’Sync to Mary J. Blige and other pop and R&B greats discernibly shine through as the musing over such an influential musical era has helped fuel their own articulation of classic
baby-making music in 2017. This project follows Lido’s debut album Everything, released on October 7th, showcasing his ability to transcend genres. Check out Passion Project II and share.

Joe Meek “Can’t Make Everyone Happy”

The Brooklyn-based project started in 2016, when Stephanie and Andrew came together from rival bands and decided they were both better songwriters than the other person. They decided to join up and compete with each other to see who was right

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® Honors Country Music Artist Darius Rucker

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® honored GRAMMY Award-winning country music artist Darius Rucker at the 28th annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® Seminar on Saturday, Jan. 14 at The Peabody Memphis.

Rucker received the prestigious Randy Owen Angels Among Us Award, which recognizes individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through their unique commitment and humanitarian spirit. Rucker is a staunch supporter who has championed the lifesaving mission of St. Jude for several years – lending his talented voice and passionate heart to raise funds and awareness for the hospital.

In 2016, Rucker hosted the seventh consecutive, star-studded Darius Rucker and Friends benefit, a sold-out concert that featured performances by Charley Pride, Hunter Hayes, Drake White, Terri Clark, LOCASH and Scotty McCreery. The annual event has raised more than $800,000 for St. Jude, helping to ensure families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.

NYLON Premieres Video for Party Nail’s “Better”

Los Angeles is where stars go to shine, and Party Nails is the latest artist to light up the sky. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Elana Belle Carroll is behind the pop project, and it’s all about the details, from vocal delivery and catchy lyrics to tangible layers of instrumental arrangements. Today, we’re premiering the music video for “Better,” a song that taps into the dark side of obsession and is the visual collaboration between videographers Lindsey Byrnes and Davy Greenberg.

KHEMMIS Confirmed To Support Oathbreaker On Spring US Tour

Following a trio of sold-out headlining shows — one in their hometown of Denver, followed by one-off shows in Chicago and New York – KHEMMIS has been confirmed to provide direct support for Oathbreaker on their upcoming US Spring tour.

The newly-announced tour will see KHEMMIS delivering their epic, classic doom/metal to audiences across the western half of the country with Oathbreaker for twelve days. The first show takes place in Mesa on March 26th, the tour then winding through San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boise, Salt Lake City, Denver, Kansas, Chicago, and ends in Detroit on April 6th.