ZOLA JESUS’ NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
2014 has been an incredible year for American artist Zola Jesus. She signed to legendary record label Mute, released her fifth studio album “TAIGA,” and received support across the airwaves from KROQ, KEXP, KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” NPR’s “All Songs Considered,” WNYC’s “Studio 360,” SIRIUS/XM, and critical acclaim from BILLBOARD Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, VOGUE, Pitchfork, Marie Claire, ELLE Magazine, GQ, The New York Times, SPIN, RELIX, and Under The Radar Magazine to name a few. “TAIGA” peaked at #4 on the iTunes Alternative New Album Charts, #9 on the Top New Artist Charts, and #7 on the CMJ Radio 200 Charts.
http://zolajesus.com/tour.html
SYRE & FRESKO NEW SINGLE
Syre & Fresko is quite an impressive duo, who create a brilliant combination of electro-indie, that will draw you in immediately. Along the likes of artists such as Chairlift meets Foster the People, the group who hail from Australia, provide us with a stunning EP titled Gonna See Miracles, which was released this week. Syre & Fresko have been having quite a big year already. Recently they were 1st place in the National/TripleJ Run competition, which allowed the band to represent Australia in the Annual Spring Gala for Chinese New Year in Beijing (with over 600 million viewers in over 70 countries!). Syre & Fresko’s intricate sounds are a vibrant burst of energy and heavy drums which come full circle which are noticeable on Gonna See Miracles. Give a listen below!
KIA RAP PRINCESS “YEEN GOTTA GET NAKED”
Kia describes “Yeen Gotta Get Naked” as “a record that was inspired by the everyday woman who is faced with the pressures of society that they have to bare all to be successful in a male-dominated world. I have been told I would have to ‘soften’ or ‘feminize’ my appearance if I want to appeal to the masses and sell records. This mentality has to change. We have to start appreciating the value of women and appreciate them for their uniqueness and true beauty in general. We need to send a new message to little girls all around the world that it is okay to be who they are (inside and out) and that they can still rise above and achieve great things without having to show their bodies or changing who they truly are inside. #NOLIMIT”
https://soundcloud.com/kiarapprincess/yeengottagetnaked
YO GOTTI GIVING BACK IN HIS HOOD
On Monday, December 22, artist and entrepreneur Yo Gotti and CMG Entertainment will spread the holiday cheer to underprivileged kids and families in his native Memphis with the 3rd Annual “Yo Gotti Christmas Carnival.” Set to take place at a secret location, the Christmas Carnival will bring an afternoon of fun for hundreds of kids, complete with all the carnival favorites: face painting, bouncing houses, merry-go-rounds, cotton candy and funnel cake. Yo Gotti and CMG has partnered up to bring joy over the holidays with Memphis native and NBA great, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis, who will be bringing 250-300 of their members to the event.
The Christmas Carnival is the third incarnation of the “Yo Gotti Christmas” initiative started by the rapper in 2012. In previous years, Gotti has personally delivered presents and necessities to families in need around the city. This year, he will once again partner with Hot 107.1 FM to grant specific wishes to a few of the station’s listeners. Beyond the radio contest, Yo Gotti will also give away coats and toys to children at the Christmas Carnival.
http://www.hot1071.com/gotti-christmas
GASPARILLA MUSIC FEST 2015
The Gasparilla Music Festival presented by SYKES (“GMF”), which kicks off the highly anticipated spring break and outdoor music festival season, has revealed its first round of musical performers. With more artists to be announced shortly, the growing line-up includes Gogol Bordello, Gaslight Anthem, Trampled by Turtles, The Budos Band, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Dumpstaphunk, Hiss Golden Messenger, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Hot 8 Brass Band, Margo & the Pricetags, and Packway Handle Band. Local favorites include The Hip Abduction, Miggs Band, Selwyn Birchwood, Thomas Wynn & the Believers, RedFeather, and Mt. Zion Baptist Gospel Choir. Now in its fourth year, the festival promises its most eclectic and impressive musical line-up to date and will be announcing other top acts and local favorites in the upcoming weeks.
In addition, the festival has announced that Early Bird discounted ticket pricing will continue until the full lineup is announced in January. GMF takes place March 7-8 in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Kiley Garden.
SH-K-BOOM RECORDS UNVEILS ‘THE LAST FIVE YEARS’ (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK)
Sh-K-Boom Records has announced the release of THE LAST FIVE YEARS (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK), the musical companion to the eagerly anticipated RADiUS-TWC film. THE LAST FIVE YEARS (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) will be available beginning Tuesday, February 10th; The Last Five Years arrives in theatres and VOD on Friday, February 13th.
THE LAST FIVE YEARS (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) stars Academy Award® nominee Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air, Pitch Perfect, Into The Woods) and Tony Award® nominee Jeremy Jordan (Newsies) in the eagerly anticipated film adaptation of 3x Tony Award® winner Jason Robert Brown’s acclaimed musical written for the screen and directed by Richard LaGravenese (The Fisher King, Behind The Candelabra). The 14 track collection features nine songs sung by Kendrick, who scored a 3x RIAA platinum certified, top 10 hit with 2013’s “Cups (Pitch Perfect’s When I’m Gone).” The “Cups” companion video also proved an undeniable online phenom with more than 168 million page views and counting. The album was produced by Kurt Deutsch, Lawrence Manchester and Richard LaGravenese, executive produced by Steve Norman, Lauren Versel and Janet Brenner, with new orchestrations by Jason Robert Brown.
http://www.sh-k-boom.com/last-five-years-soundtrack
DOM LA NENA ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM
Dom La Nena has drawn comparisons as varied as “a young Brian Wilson” (Wall Street Journal), “a burnished, bossa Joanna Newsom” (Time Out New York) and “the shadow of Lhasa” (Voir), yet her music and style remain distinctly her own. Her debut album, Ela – which NPR hailed as a “sonic masterpiece” – introduced Dom’s delicate vocals and sparse arrangements. With SOYO, out March 3 via Six Degrees Records, she builds upon that vocabulary, bringing her unmistakable voice and cello playing into new sonic territory.
Of her previous release, The New York Times wrote, “[Dom La Nena] joins the sorority of whisperers that includes singers like Juana Molina, Hope Sandoval and Jane Birkin.” Comparing her to these musical forebears makes sense, considering the intimate nature of her work. Co-produced by Dom and Brazilian songwriter Marcelo Camelo [formerly of the Brazilian band Los Hermanos] the album features long, wandering melodies that are ornamented by cellos, pianos and other chamber folk elements coming and going throughout.
TOMBOY “MOTHS”
Brooklyn’s Tomboy create infectious electro-pop built upon a complex, yet easy seeming, foundation of tribal percussions and lush rivers of synths.
Since the spring the duo have been teasing out tracks, each accompanied by a video, allowing for a deeper understanding of what Tomboy is. Yesterday Interview premiered their latest video, directed by Maria Burns, for “Moths”. The song is about the anxiety and desire to be normal and so Burns chose the black and white aesthetic, for “the message was easier to transmit via the interplay of darkness and light versus color”. Just a moth must find it’s way to the light, the video for “Moths” “is a story about becoming, about tapping into the dark and finding your way towards the light.”
http://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/exclusive-video-premiere-moths-tomboy/#_
BUSY LIVING NEW SINGLE
“The track continually builds upon itself with every additional layer, spinning in lush guitars and random noise, as Moonves cries foul over an old lover.” – Consequence of Sound
http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/12/busy-living-share-new-song-lie-better-listen/
BROILER RELEASES NEW SINGLE “WILD EYES”
This week, Norwegian electronic dance music phenomenon BROILER released their new single “Wild Eyes” feat. Ravvel on iTunes and all digital retailers via Casablanca Records. The original mix is available exclusively on Beatport as well. After achieving notoriety in Norway and beyond, this marks the group’s first official North American single.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wild-eyes-feat.-ravvel-single/id947911259?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM + ‘1%”
Funeral For A Friend have announced that their seventh studio album will be released in the US on January 27th via Distiller Records. The band recently released a music video for single ‘1%’ and have also released the track ‘You’ve Got A Bad Case of The Religions’ from the forthcoming album as a taste of what’s to come.
Check out the music video for ‘1%” here:
DIE SO FLUID NEW VIDEO
Los Angeles / London based gothic rock band Die So Fluid have released the official music video for their track “Violent Delights”, originally Premiered on Revolver Magazine, off of their The Opposites Of Light album, Out NOW. They will also be heading out on the Monsters of the Universe Tour with Wednesday 13 and Eyes Set To Kill in January, 2015.
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/die-so-fluid-premiere-new-music-video-violent-delights.html
‘THE RAP MONUMENT’ FULL
Noisey and Hennessy’s epic 42-minute posse cut The Rap Monument, produced by Hudson Mohawke, is finally out in full.
http://noisey.vice.com/en_au/read/watch-the-rap-monument-in-full
KRISTIN HOFFMANN “STARLIGHT”
Having shared stages with musical luminaries including The Wallflowers, Feist, and Brandi Carlile and with features in tastemaker outlets such as Yoga Teacher Magazine, Impose Magazine, and Common Ground, Hoffmann has built a reputation for her “nuanced, sometimes delicate, sometimes explosive vocals.” (New York Music Daily) From guttural, Earthly songs like the soundtrack opener “All is One” to the stratospheric wind synth sounds on “Elixir Field” and the ethereal male/female vocal duet on “Celestial Sight,” the Amazing Space soundtrack immerses listeners in the enormity and mystery of the universe while simultaneously making them feel intimately connected to it. Let me know if you can post the track or feature Kristin in any way.
https://soundcloud.com/kristinhoffmannmusic/starlight
DIM MAK PRESENTS STEVE AOKI’S NEON FUTURE EXPERIENCE
Heralded electronic music producer and DJ STEVE AOKI has announced he is returning to North America for his biggest tour yet this coming winter. Dim Mak Presents STEVE AOKI’S NEON FUTURE EXPERIENCE brought to you by Bud Light tour will launch February 13 in Austin. Joining AOKI on the tour are support acts Headhunterz and Caked Up, plus many more to be announced. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 19; for info visit:
http://www.steveaoki.com/nfetour
CAFEINE “LOVE DISEASE” VIDEO
Just in time for the holidays and to celebrate the American release of New Love (out Feb 17) by Montrealer Xavier Cafeine, comes this first sampling “Love Disease (Christmas in New York)”, now available as a free download via PopMatters. New Love is described as an anthemic celebration of the will to survive, a loud and reverberating affirmation that we can find something magical within our misery. Cafeine’s initial piece of evidence is “Love Disease (Christmas in New York),” a dark, yet triumphant, ode to the pain and isolation of one’s first Christmas without a lost love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hocF_Lumj1g
NABIHA SCORES FIRST U.S. #1 SINGLE ON BILLBOARD
With multiple #1 hits in the UK and Nordics under her belt, breakout pop-star Nabiha has scored her first #1 single in the U.S. with “Animals” jumping to the top of Billboard’s Dance Club Chart. The track, which is also #1 on UK’s Urban Chart, is described by Entertainment Weekly as, “A beast of a turn-up anthem with a sweeping, jumbo-sized melodic hook that probably has Rihanna biting her fist with envy.”
“Animals” on iTunes:
http://smarturl.it/Nabiha-Animals
AUSTRALIA’S GANG OF YOUTHS RELEASES NEW VIDEO FOR “BENEVOLENCE RIOTS”
Formed in 2012 by frontman David Leaupepe, Gang Of Youths started out in an inner city garage and fast became an entity on Sydney, Australia’s burgeoning live music scene earning a reputation as a ferocious band who played each show as if it were their last.
Early releases “Riverlands,” Jack Moffit (The Preatures) produced “Evangelists” and 2014 “Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition” third place getter “Poison Drum” sparked the attention of music lovers, industry and media alike culminating in a much-lauded showcase at CMJ Music Marathon and a slew of supports alongside world class acts such as Sky Ferreira, Smith Westerns, Vampire Weekend, Frightened Rabbit and Foster The People.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv-k0TvsuSg
GEORGE EZRA MAKES US TV DEBUT
Performs hit single “Budapest” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtGyRkPhJpE
KING ARTHUR ‘KIDS OF THE DARK’
With the launch of his brand-new side-project, Topher Jones has teamed up with The Voice finalist Ryan Still on King Arthur’s debut single, “Kids Of The Dark.” Building on top of the melodic down-tempo beats, Ryan effortlessly compliments Topher’s top-notch production by channeling his inner Justin Timberlake with his light and youthfully warm falsetto. LISTEN HERE.
https://soundcloud.com/kingarthurmusic/king-arthur-ft-ryan-sill-kids-of-the-dark-1
NEW FOUND GLORY “STUBBORN”
New Found Glory released a new music video for their track “Stubborn” on MTV today! Watch the video now here. It is also airing on mtvU all day long every hour on the hour!
“Stubborn” is off the band’s newest album Resurrection, which is available now! You can purchase a Best Buy exclusive Resurrection CD with limited edition art cards on sale for just $8.99 in stores or grab the album digitally on iTunes.
http://www.mtv.com/artists/new-found-glory/
BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND RIDE OUT TOUR ADDS NEW DATES
Just ahead of their sold out show tonight at Madison Square Garden, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band announced today new dates extending their 2014 / 2015 Ride Out Tour. New cities added are Indianapolis, Kansas City, Lincoln, Sioux Falls, Salt Lake City and their hometown, Deeeeetroit! On sale dates for the new shows will be announced soon.
Seger and his band hit the road last month in support of his new album, RIDE OUT. Seger’s album and shows have garnered praise from fans and critics alike. Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.
D.O.S. “TOO RAW” VIDEO
Today D.O.S. releases his latest video “Too Raw” off his album “Obey The Raw”.
Austin, Texas lyricist, D.O.S., has been flooding the streets with his brand of traditional raw hip hop since the early 00’s. His catalog is extensive and consists of several critically acclaimed projects that have featured several well established MC’s like Devin The Dude, Bavu Blakes, and Planet Asia, among others. His latest offering is titled Obey The Raw and was produced entirely by Texas based producer Ruler Why. The album is what D.O.S. refers to as a “throwback album” meaning it is sonically set up to sound like an album that would have released during the golden era of hip hop. At present, D.O.S. has released two visuals from Obey The Raw that can be found on various blog sites as well as his YouTube page. Obey The Raw is available now on iTunes, CD Baby, and can be streamed on Spotify.
NICKI MINAJ ON “THE REAL” TODAY
Grammy Award-winning recording artist Nicki Minaj joins the hosts of the #1 new daytime talk show, “The Real,” this Friday, December 19th, 2014 (check local listings).
Nicki and the ladies start off the segment by having a fan of Nicki’s from the audience “Spin the Heel.” During her interview, Nicki talks about spoofing Beyonce and Kim Kardashian on Saturday Night Live and wonders if Kim was offended or not.
When asked which of her collaborations on the album is her favorite, she mentions the ladies anthem “Feeling Myself,” featuring Beyonce, as well as “Get On Ur Knees,” featuring Ariana Grande, and states that Ariana brings out her “inner freak” on the song.
http://thereal.com/videos/0-wfkq58tx/
KID ROCK TO PERFORM AT DAYTONA 500
Multi-platinum award-winning, American rock star Kid Rock will perform the DAYTONA 500 Budweiser Pre-Race Show, the prelude to the 57th annual “Great American Race” on Sunday, Feb. 22 (1 p.m. – FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and SiriusXM Radio.)
Kid Rock will perform several of his hits, including his brand new single “First Kiss,” on pit road of the “World Center of Racing” prior to the start of the DAYTONA 500, the prestigious season-opening event of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. All race fans that purchase a Pre-Race/Sprint FANZONE access pass for the DAYTONA 500 can enjoy Kid Rock’s DAYTONA 500 Budweiser Pre-Race Show up close, along with driver introductions.
“We’re thrilled to have Kid Rock entertain the thousands of race fans in attendance and the millions more watching on FOX,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “Kid Rock is an avid NASCAR fan and will provide race fans with a spectacular performance leading up to the start of the much anticipated DAYTONA 500.
