WIRE: YASMIN HAMDAN LP ON NPR
Yasmine Hamdan’s Ya Nass (Crammed Discs) is an elegant, borderless stream of electro folk pop, with acoustic guitars, vintage synths, and spellbinding atmospheres. While Yasmine’s vocals are definitely connected to traditions of Arabic music, the structures and arrangements of the songs are very remote from its codes.
The record is grounded in Yasmine’s evocative voice, which make these songs familiar, even as they are sung in various Arabic dialects. World music DJ Betto Arcos particularly took notice of this, and included Yasmine’s track “Beirut” in his recent ‘music encounters’ feature via NPR’s All Things Considered blog, which you can check out HERE.
http://www.npr.org/2014/03/15/276975692/eastern-sounds-go-west
WIRE: TRACK CHOSEN AS MAIN TITLE THEME FOR HIT HBO SHOW “TRUE DETECTIVE”
“Entertainment Weekly” has premiered the lyric video for The Handsome Family’s “Far From Any Road.” Of the song, Rennie says “How strange to have an almost forgotten song from years ago resurrected and so showered with love! People keep asking us how we managed to write such a perfect song to open True Detective. They compliment us on all the various connections to the storyline we’ve managed to include and how perfectly our song emotionally sets the pace for each episode. They think I’m lying when I say that the song was written long before the TV show was a spark of an idea. Maybe time really is a flat circle. Maybe you do need to see a lot of darkness before you can see a little light. We’ve spent 20 years as a band of outsiders searching for ears that could hear us. At last I think we’ve found our Carcosa–that glorious kingdom built with the bricks of our deepest dreams.” You can watch the video on Entertainment Weekly HERE
http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/03/14/true-detective-theme-song-handsome-family-video/
WIRE: BEFORE YOU EXIT NEW SINGLE VIA RADIO DISNEY
The pop trio, known as Before You Exit, will be premiering their new hit single, “Dangerous”, on Radio Disney today, March 18th at 6pm PST. “Dangerous,” was co-written by Connor and Riley McDonough and mixed by Serben Ghenea. It is now available for purchase on iTunes, here: http://bit.ly/1iWoylv.
The band will be heading out on a spring headlining tour with Plug In Stereo as direct support, along with Macy Kate and Spencer Sutherland. The tour, titled The Dangerous Tour kicks off next week in Raleigh, NC. Before You Exit released their new EP, I Like That, last February. The EP’s title track, peaked at #4 on Radio Disney Top 30 Countdown. When you combine the creative intuition of musical brothers with the wisdom and input of chart-topping songwriters, you get an album of finely crafted pop bursting with spirited authenticity. Though the three brothers in Before You Exit were just in their teens, they had the talent, sophistication, and confidence to find their distinct pop-rock aesthetic through writing with such songwriting heavyweights.
WIRE: NEW SINGLE BY TYNETHYS
Notorious for a considerable amount of cannabis consumption, Tynethys brings an intergalactic, innovative sound to his newest single, “Hiyah,” premiered by FACT Mag. Having previously released a collaborative project with the Main Attrakionz, this is the second single from the Sacramento artist’s anticipated solo album, Thyluxe. On the trippy new electro-hip-hop track, he explores different artistic approaches, like spacey synths and futuristic loops. Guided by a rumbling series of bass hits, he takes the listener on a bugged-out journey, which FACT Mag further describes as “a noisy, post-Yeezus approach to Tynethys’ cloud rap sound that grounds his kung fu and TV references in something industrial and glitched-out.”
Check out the Fact Mag premiere here: http://www.factmag.com/2014/03/17/main-attrakionz-collaborator-tynethys-gets-glitchy-on-hiyah/
NEW SINGLE BY SAUCE MCKINLEY
With Sauce Mckinley’s debut project “The Appetizer” on the brink of being released and having somewhat of an unprecedented trek on the blogoshere, appearing everywhere great music can be found as well as being cosigned by tastemakers throughout the country, Sauce returns with a track featuring fellow Brooklynite Dee Goodz. The melodic track “Like We Spose To” (prod. Matt Cody) will be featured on Sauces’ upcoming project “The Appetizer”, due March 24th.
https://soundcloud.com/sirsauce/like-we-spose-to-ft-dee-goodz
JOHN OATES NEW ALBUM + “STONE COLD LOVE”
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, John Oates, kicks off his much anticipated new solo album Good Road To Follow (PS Records / Elektra) today with the lead single “Stone Cold Love”, a collaboration with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder. The album started as a yearlong series of digital singles and has culminated in a three-disc set of genre-specific EPs aptly named Route 1, Route 2, and Route 3.
https://soundcloud.com/johnoates-1/stone-cold-love
WIRE: NEW BLACK LIPS VIDEO ON NOISEY
Black Lips have released a new video for “Justice After All” in honor of today’s release of their new album Underneath The Rainbow and their successful run of 10 shows in 4 days at SXSW. Shot on a mix of film, video tape, and digital the visuals evoke the many eras the band pulls influence from.
http://www.noisey.com/music-video-premieres/black-lips-justice-after-all
WIRE: EMMURE NEW SONG ON ALTPRESS.COM
EMMURE has partnered with Alternative Press to release a new song from their upcoming album, Eternal Enemies, titled “N.I.A. (News In Arizona)”. Available on April 15th, Eternal Enemies features 15 of EMMURE’s hardest-hitting, in-your-face tracks yet!
Check out “N.I.A. (News In Arizona)” at Alternative Press now:
http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/emmure_n.i.a._news_in_arizona_song_premiere
NEW ALBUM FROM TEST OF TIME COMING JULY 22, 2014
Boston, MA’s straight edge hardcore up-and-comers TEST OF TIME are excited to announce the release of their first proper full-length (and subsequential pre-release EP) this summer from Bridge Nine. Titled By Design, this album was recorded via a partnership between the band themselves for guitars and vocals and Q Division Studios for drums. Songwriting topics on By Design include similar themes to the band’s previous work: vegetarianism, perseverance, and one’s own personal growth and change. By Design is Test of Time’s landmark effort, and this album will be available July 22nd, 2014 on all formats from Bridge Nine Records. The vinyl pressing will include a special, limited variant with deluxe packaging – more info on that coming soon.
http://testoftime.bandcamp.com
WIRE: NEW VIDEO BY EX HEX
“Hot and Cold” b/w “Waterfall” and “Everywhere”, the limited-edition debut 7-inch from Ex Hex is in stores today. Directed by Lara Gallagher, the “Hot and Cold” video features a cameo by Ian Svenonius and will definitely make you hungry!
A power trio hailing from Washington, DC, Ex Hex is Mary Timony, Betsy Wright, and Laura Harris. The songs were recorded in Mary’s DC basement in July of 2013. Mary describes the process: “We worked quickly and over the course of two days, we recorded a handful of songs. Our friend Dennis Kane helped with the recording, and the songs were mixed by Brendan Canty.”
Watch the video for “Hot and Cold” now at Pitchfork:
http://pitchfork.com/news/54385-mary-timonys-band-ex-hex-share-hot-and-cold-video-starring-ian-svenonius/
VINCENT POAG TO RELEASE SECOND ALBUM
On April 8, singer/songwriter Vincent Poag returns with his sophomore album, For The Girls (Danal Music, LLC). For The Girls reflects Vincent Poag’s untethered artistic soul, traversing pop, jazz, country, balladry, world-music, and poetry. He creates a diverse tapestry of moods and styles on For The Girls, from love songs like “45 Mile An Hour Girl” and “Scarlett And Me,” to the sad lullaby of “Waiting For Me,” to the catchy bounce of “Only Love Is Magic,” to the Carribbean flavor of the title track. “Momma” is a heartwarming acoustic ode to his “favorite girl,” while the straight-from-Bourbon Street sound of “New Orleans” is steeped in big band swing and bright horn blasts. “Wings” rises with a gospel swell, backed with a choir, while “Wonder” wraps the album in a warm, folk-drenched ending, with a vocal assist from Diana Hope.
Poag, a well-versed songwriter with a unique delivery, rich lyrical content, and compositional flair, has produced another rich listening experience on For The Girls.
http://www.vincentpoag.com
WIRE: TOKYO POLICE CLUB’S ‘FORCEFIELD’ STREAMING
Forcefield, the forthcoming album from critically lauded Tokyo Police Club, is streaming now at The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/19UUpB1. The new record, due March 25 via Mom + Pop Music (and March 24 in Europe via Dine Alone/Memphis Industries.), is receiving early critical acclaim–Pitchfork notes, “Tokyo Police Club remain one of the few guitar-based indie rock bands that can pen danceable songs that pop without overtly and desperately trying to be ‘dance-pop,’” while SPIN describes the new music as “ebullient, über-polished,” and Stereogum adds they “they can still write straightforward rocks songs with significant pop chords.” To celebrate the release, the band will embark on a nationwide tour beginning this April, with support from Geographer and Said the Whale.
NEW SINGLE BY TWO TWINS “NO WINDOWS”
“No Windows” released on March 18th, 2014 is the second single by Brooklyn producer Cedar Apffel under the name Two Twins. The track sounds like a four-story building that’s gone for a jog. Soupy guitar loops swim around a lumbering cut-up beat, and seemingly ad-libbed vocals. The track ends with an ascending climb in to ambience with its hand held by a steamy sax solo. “No Windows” is the penultimate track on the forthcoming album Anonymous Unanimous, which is out via Bleek Records on April Fools Day 2014. (4.1.14).
Stream via (Soundcloud)
https://soundcloud.com/two-twins/no-windows-1
WIRE: PLAGUE VENDOR NEW SINGLE & VIDEO ON NOISEY
Epitaph is proud to announce that Plague Vendor will release their intrepid debut album Free To Eat on April 15. Plague Vendor’s gritty brand of rock was birthed by four friends with a predilection for dark tones and instinctual playing in their hometown of Whittier, California. The name was inspired by a Mexican folk tale that members Brandon Blaine (vocals), Michael Perez (bass) Luke Perine (drums), Jay Rogers (guitar) had read, with the first written songs recalling narrative elements of the story. Early shows were raucous and treacherous, making it clear that Plague Vendor was peddling something formidable.
Visit Noisey to hear the first track and watch the video for “Black Sap Scriptures” now:
http://noisey.vice.com/blog/plague-vendors-video-for-black-sap-scriptures-is-nothing-like-a-pro-wrestling-match.
SPLIT SCREENS’ 7″ SINGLE “THE SINNER”
San Francisco-based Split Screens, led by multi-instrumentalist Jesse Cafiero, crafts its singular brand of psychedelic folk on “The Sinner”, the band’s debut 7″ vinyl release is out now on Bay Area label Name Drop Swamp Records.
Produced by Jeremy Black of Pitchfork-acclaimed alt-rock outfit Apollo Sunshine, the title track and premiere single “The Sinner” possesses a kind of “cowboy on mescaline” imagery, Cafiero says. Pulsating with forward movement driven by session drummer Rory O’Connor (Tycho), its supremely upbeat and expansive soundscape serves as an interesting contrast to Cafiero’s chastising lyrics: “You’re just a sinner / Waiting for the saints to lie.”
https://soundcloud.com/splitscreens/the-sinner
NEW VIDEO BY HOWLER ON VEVO
Minneapolis four-piece Howler have premiered a video for their new single ‘Indictment’ via Vevo: http://youtu.be/hCGMoyF-a8M and the group which features Jordan Gatesmith (vocals/guitar) Ian Nygaard (guitar), Max Petrek (bass/keyboards) and newest addition Rory MacMurdo (drums) will bring their “harder-blasting, darkly fuzzed-up guitars and feistier rhythms” (Minneapolis Star Tribune) to North America starting April 24 in Vancouver following a slew of European dates!
Directed by Richard Semmer, the documentary-style video for ‘Indictment’ is set in Howler’s hometown of Minneapolis — here depicted as bleak, frozen and apocalyptic — where local kids find some comfort and a good time in a raucous Howler basement show.
https://www.facebook.com/howlerband
CODY SIMPSON RELEASES BRAND NEW SINGLE “SURFBOARD”
Cody Simpson released his brand new single “Surfboard,” that can be streamed on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/9JAK1VdV6so. In addition to the release of his latest single, Cody is currently a contestant on Dancing With The Stars that premiered last night on ABC. Cody and his partner Witney Carson are the youngest pairing in the show’s history and debuted a Cha Cha to “Timber” by Pitbull feat. Ke$ha on last night’s premiere, scoring in the top half with a 22 out of 30.
WIRE: SECRET COLOURS PREMIERE NEW SINGLE “HEAVY & STEADY”
Shortly after releasing Positive Distractions Part I, Chicago’s Secret Colours release the first single, “Heavy & Steady,” from Positive Distractions Part II. The bass-heavy single showcases the quintet’s maturing psych-pop sensibilities heard throughout both EPs. Positive Distractions Part II will be released digitally on April 29 as well as the merged physical cassette and vinyl incarnation of Positive Distractions (Part I & Part II) the week of Secret Colours’ performances at Austin Psych Fest 2014.
You can stream “Heavy & Steady” where it premiered with The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/03/05/secret-colours-get-lost-on-heavy-steady-song-premiere/
BRITISH SINGER ALFIE BOE ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF NEW ALBUM
Platinum-selling and Tony-Award winning British singer Alfie Boe will release a new album, entitled Trust, in the U.S. April 29, 2014 via Strange Cargo/Manhattan Records. The album debuted on the U.K. album chart at No. 8 upon its release in November, and to date Boe has sold over three million albums total worldwide.
Known for his traditional operatic and musicals repertoire, Boe takes a different approach on Trust, applying his extraordinary vocal gifts to a soulful set of country and blues, folk and gospel, standards and originals. He puts his own spin on such beloved tunes as Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend,” “Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young,” and Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers To Cross,” as well as such timeless classics as “Georgia On My Mind,” and “Danny Boy,” and “Glory, Glory Hallelujah.” He is also joined by Shawn Colvin on Richard Thompson’s “The Dimming of the Day.”
ROBERT FRANCIS & THE NIGHT TIDE TO RELEASE ‘HEAVEN’ ON JUNE 3
Robert Francis returns with his stunning fourth album Heaven, set for release on June 3rd on Aeronaut Records. Recorded with his new backing band The Night Tide, the album’s 13 songs were produced by Robert, mixed by Mark Rains (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Jeff Buckley, Nirvana). The first single and video will be “Love Is A Chemical”, expected to launch in April.
Following the release of the critically lauded third album Strangers In The First Place in 2012, Robert nearly abandoned his music career after a near nervous breakdown derailed his supporting tour of the album. Immersing himself in drugs and alcohol, he shaved his head and moved to Michigan with a girl he’d met on the road, unsure of his future. That is until his passion for music came calling again, allowing to him find new inspiration in these experiences and setting the path toward a new album.
KARMIN PREMIERE VIDEO FOR “PULSES” TODAY ON VEVO
Pop duo Karmin (Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan) premiere brand new video for “Pulses” today on VEVO: http://smarturl.it/PulsesVid. “Pulses” is the title track from Karmin’s hotly anticipated debut album being released next week. People Style Watch describes Pulses as “a great mix of party anthems and lush ballads.” The video for “Pulses” is the third video released from the album. It follows the gold certified summer jam “Acapella” and the current disco-tinged single “I Want It All” which is climbing up the Top 40 airplay charts.
“In this video, we used a new scientific instrument called the Cymascope to turn Nick’s voice into light patterns. What you’re seeing is what Nick’s voice actually looks like!” said Amy. “Vibrational patterns underpin, not only music and our voices, but the stars, planets, and people. The universe is one big musical symphony!! *brain explosion*”
WIRE: MR. VEGAS “PARTY TUN UP REMIX” VIDEO ON MTV
In continuance of the global Party Tun Up phenomenon, ace dancehall DJ Mr. Vegas has collaborated with Sean Paul and popular hip hop DJ FatMan Scoop to debut the Party Tun Up Remix video.
Directed by Ramzi Farris of West Wall Street LLC, the video features the additional vocals of Sean Paul and the prompting of FatMan scoop; both adding complementary elements to the already popular smash.
The Party Tun Up Remix video was choreographed by three-time MTV VMA-nominated choreographer Tanisha Scott who is best known for her work with Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Sean Paul and Beyonce and is noted for incorporating Jamaican dancehall moves into mainstream American music.
http://www.mtv.com/videos/mr-vegas/1011002/party-tun-up-dance-mix.jhtml
WIRE: DOLLY PARTON DEBUTS BLUE SMOKE LYRIC VIDEO ON ROLLINGSTONE.COM
Dolly Parton’s new album Blue Smoke is set to release on May 13, 2014 on Sony Music Masterworks and Dolly Records. Today Rollingstone.com debuts the brand new lyric video for the title track, “Blue Smoke.”
The Blue Smoke pre-order is now available for purchase today on iTunes at iTunes.com/DollyParton. Consumers who pre-order the album on iTunes will receive two tracks early! They will immediately receive a download of “Blue Smoke” followed by a download of “Home” on April 22nd.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/hear-dolly-parton-board-the-breakup-train-in-new-blue-smoke-20140318
NEW DEAL WITH SONY & SINGLE FROM KILMARA
Spanish heavy metallers KILMARA signed a publishing/distribution deal with Sony Music, the new 12 track album “Love Songs And Other Nightmares“, due out April 8th worldwide via Sony Music. The new single “The Break Up” out now, can be streamed here:https://soundcloud.com/sonymusicspain/the-break-up-kilmara/s-ZVE7Z
“If our preceding record was something like a tribute to bands like Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Scorpions or Helloween themselves, in this new album our references are Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet for my Valentine“, explains guitarist John Portillo. “We’ve created more solid sound bases, we’ve lowered tuning, we’ve got more forceful riffs and we’ve worked hard on guitar and vocal melodies“, he adds.
WIRE: ASTR RELEASES NEW TRACK ‘PART OF ME’
Just back from a successful inaugural SXSW experience, NYC-based duo ASTR dropped a brand-new studio track, ‘Part of Me,’ via British U.K DJ and international tastemaker Annie Mac. Created exclusively for Annie’s Free Music Monday North American Takeover campaign, ‘Part of Me’ is punctuated by ASTR’s signature blend of electronic pop and sultry R&B. The song is the group’s first new official studio recording since the release of their Varsity EP in January. Listen to ‘Part of Me’ here.
