News

The recent and current wildfires in California have been utterly devastating. Entire communities have been leveled and, tragically, the death toll keeps rising every day. Metallica call the Bay Area home, and Northern California has been hit particularly hard. Not only is the band helping out the cause through their charitable organization, they are urging fans to donate to two worthy foundations. Metallica are doing their part through their All Within My Hands Foundation, which has offered monetary help to both Northern and Southern California by donating $50,000 each to the North Valley Community Foundation and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. A Facebook post from the All Within My Hands Foundation reads, “Sadly once again communities in California are experiencing historically devastating wild fires in both the Northern and Southern parts of the state. All Within My Hands has made a $50,000 donation each to the North Valley Community Foundation and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation; both agencies provide service to victims at evacuation centers and other much needed relief. We would like to encourage you to join us in supporting those in need and our first responders in any way you can by donating money, non-perishable food, clothing and other supplies or by giving your time volunteering or providing temporary housing. Every little bit helps.” California is experiencing tragic wild fires. AWMH gave $50k to @NVCF & @LAFDFoundation. We encourage you to support those in need & first responders: donate money, non-perishable food, clothing, supplies or volunteer time/housing. https://t.co/uYVsXTCJ7c https://t.co/eGmUWrta7J pic.twitter.com/7MDJz4hY1G — All Within My Hands Foundation (@AWMHFoundation) November 16, 2018 Just two weeks ago, Metallica played a special acoustic show in San Francisco to raise funds for the All Within My Hands Foundation, whose general mission is to “create sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other local services.” Our photos, along with video from the show, can be seen here. Metallica’s Top 5 Songs Tool’s Top 5 Music Videos Behemoth's Top 5 Songs Alice in Chains' Top 5 Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” Annotated Video Source

Lorde is calling out Kanye West and Kid Cudi for allegedly stealing her stage design during their Camp Flog Gnaw performance over the weekend. In a post on her social media page, Lorde points out their use of a floating glass cage and compares it to an extremely similar setup she used when performing at Coachella 2017. “I’m proud of the work I do and it’s flattering when other artists feel inspired by it, to the extent that they choose to try it on themselves. But don’t steal — not from women or anyone else — not in 2018 or ever,” she writes. It’s true. It looks like Kids See Ghosts were directly inspired by Lorde’s stage design — and imitation is the best form of flattery, like she says, right? But, this could be deeper than just taste. The stage Lorde points to was created by a designer by the name of ES Devlin, who has also worked with Kanye West in the past. However, according to reports, Devlin wasn’t involved with the making of the stage for Kids See Ghosts, so that’s more of a coincidence. The owner of the newer set made by Trask House, John McGuire, says Lorde “wasn’t the first person to use a floating glass box, she won’t be the last. She doesn’t own it, her designer didn’t invent it.” Also true. What do you think? Is this stealing, or coincidence, or are Kanye and Cudi just borrowing inspiration? Kids See Ghosts 2018 Stage Design Lorde 2017 Stage Design H/T: Genius This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Lorde Accuses Kanye West & Kid Cudi Of Stealing Her Stage Design Source

Netflix relies on itself for all types of programming: original films, series, comedy specials, documentaries, talk shows and more. All that was missing was a talent competition show — until now. Rhythm + Flow is the forthcoming Netflix competition series, as Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, and T.I. search for the next hip hop star. They will each serve as judges in their respective hometowns of New York, Chicago, and Atlanta during auditions. The competition show is slated for 10 hour-long episodes and is set to premiere in fall 2019. With some of the hottest names in hip hop backing the production, it sounds like another sure hit for Netflix. To top it all off, the show is co-produced by John Legend and his film company. Think you have what it takes? Apply to be on Rhythm + Flow here. Source: Deadline | Photo credit: Maro Hagopian This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Netflix Launches Music Competition Series With Cardi B, Chance the Rapper & T.I. Source

It’s been two years since Haywyre last released music, his sophomore Monstercat album, Two Fold Pt. 2. (He’d released a number of albums independently before signing to the label and releasing its first album, Two Fold Pt. 1, in 2014.) Now, at the very end of 2018, he’s back with a new single and even bigger news. “Tell Me” is the first new song we’re hearing from Haywyre and his expansive 6-part Panorama series of EPs. In an interview with Billboard, he details what it’s all about: “After releasing my last album, Two Fold pt. 2, I began a strange journey that challenged me in many ways. All the obstacles seemed to be forcing learning lessons down my throat. I started considering that some of them may be valuable to others too, or might at least be good reminders. Panorama is my attempt at drawing from the essence of my recent experiences, good and bad, and embodying then in a way that connects with people.” Panorama will be composed of six smaller components: Discover, Form, Fragment, Control, Resolve and Fulfill. “Tell Me” is the first single from the first smaller EP, Discover. It’s a wildly fun and funky number with all of Haywyre’s typical idiosyncrasies – the jazzy piano, the talkbox, the slight hip hop influence, all of it. There’s no release date yet for Discover or any of the other pieces, but Haywyre says that there’s already music written for all of them. In the meantime, watch and listen to “Tell Me” below. Photo via Dani Goldstein, @picsbydani This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Haywyre Drops First Single In 2 Years, Reveals Expansive 6-Part Album Project Source

Have you even been listening to so much music from a band that you decided to name a song after them? Apparently that’s the story behind The Chainsmokers’ new song “Beach House,” which was inspired after listening to a lot of the band Beach House. The Chainsmokers also said they tried to “get back to our roots on this with that classic OG Chainsmoker feel,” but we fear their idea of roots may be misunderstood. Really love this song as well cause we tried to get back to our roots on this with that classic OG Chainsmoker feel. And we were listening to a lot of beach house — THE CHAINSMOKERS (@TheChainsmokers) November 16, 2018 Rather than their 2012-2014 roots, “Beach House” more closely resembles their 2016-2017 roots… which… are those even roots? First off, it’s definitely more of an electropop song than anything else they’ve released this year, with acoustic guitar bridges and Drew’s voice again on full display. The drop also features much of the same oddly mixed synths that were so prevalent on Memories… Do Not Open. Hardly “roots,” wouldn’t you say? Of all the songs The Chainsmokers have released in 2018, this is undoubtedly my least favorite. It’s not bad, but feels like more of a regression than a tribute to their roots. Listen to “Beach House” below. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: The Chainsmokers Claim “Classic OG Chainsmoker Feel” On New Single Source

Chuck D isn’t slowing down. The legendary rapper celebrated Public Enemy’s 30th anniversary last year with a new album, Nothing is Quick in the Desert, and somehow still found time to release a new Prophets of Rage album. Now, he’s back with yet another album, a solo release called Celebration Of Ignorance, as well as the promise of tour dates in 2019. Written and recorded last year, the album is, in Chuck D’s words, “a salute to independence,” not to mention a throwback to his ’80s work. In a press release, he adds, “I’m locked in a certain era. So what? It feels good. I over-stand that styles change but the sound remains. Although I support the entire journey of Hip Hop from 1973 up to this very minute, the breath of fresh air I enjoy is the freedom of creating songs with no time constraint.” Later, he adds that he “[digs] my lane: Boom Bap, Boom Style, Boom Voice.” In conjunction with the album’s release, Chuck D offered the below breakdown of Celebration Of Ignorance. In it, he touts his collaboration with Jahi of PE2.0 and reveals that a new version of Nothing is Quick in the Desert “with additions” will come out in 2019. I totally believe that as artists you should try to evolve, but there’s no greater testament to throwback than the first song, “Tiredof45 12.30.84 Dunk Mix”. That song salutes LeBron James and smacks Trump. Dueled up with Jahi, a main fixture on the SpitSlam Record Label Group who has crafted four spectacular albums for the label, his co-writing along with The C-DOC song mix takes us to the mid 80s for real. He continues to spit further into the album where the next song “BOT” is the current the battle of machines and human beings. “Cavemanic” totally can talk to the MeToo Movement where testosterone is truly a test. “MutterERT” speaks on world climate crime, “Blacknificent” on greatness, “freedBLACK” on independence. The visuals are soon to be seen alongside added voice and mind of these songs. “Ain’t No” is a skull to skull defying get down needed with the aggressive defense against these times. Put together by my co-Prophets of Rage partner I call the hardest groove Bassist in Rock, Timmy Commerford, and his Wakrat partners Mathias Wakrat & Laurent Grangeon, I’m honored to have this song on this record. It was a ball watching them overnight on the 2016 Make America Rage Again Tour. They are something to see. “sPEak On It!” was a redo-extension of the song “sPEak!” from the PE Album Nothing is Quick In The Desert which is to be released with additions in 2019. Listen to it via Apple Music and Spotify, plus check out its artwork and tracklist below. <iframe src=”https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/6Sl8zWNFXGr3YxkRsFvnLu&#8221; width=”700″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″ allowtransparency=”true” allow=”encrypted-media”> Celebration Of Ignorance Artwork: Celebration Of Ignorance Tracklist: 01. TiredOf45 (12.30.84) 02. BOT 03. Ain’t No (featuring Wakrat) 04. Cavemanic 05. MutterERT 06. sPEak On It! 07. freedBLACK 08. Blacknificent 09. Celebration of Ignorance 10. TiredOf45 (10.18.18) Source

What So Not isn’t the only Aussie who released a remix album today. Alison Wonderland also dropped a remix pack for her sophomore album Awake which came out earlier this year. Tapping a number of producers, many of whom are also Australian, Awake sees a breath of fresh air and lots of interesting styles interpreting her own unique style. Stand outs from the pack include QUIX & Enschway’s and Fracture’s remixes of “High”; KRANE’s remix of “Awake”; and Bleep Bloop’s remix of “Cry.” Wonderland says, “I have seen videos of Bleep Bloop playing his remix at his sets and it goes off. Can’t wait for more people to hear it! The Quix & Enschway remix of ‘High’ was originally a bootleg version which the guys sent to me and it was so good, we just had to make it official!” The remix album is available for purchase and streaming HERE via Astralwerks.  Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Alison Wonderland Drops Eclectic Remix Pack For Sophomore Album ‘Awake’ Source

It’s the age old question. Which Skrillex collaborative duo is better: Dog Blood or Jack Ü? They certainly both have their time and place, but most of the staff here at Your EDM will say Dog Blood. That’s why we’re always so quick to chomp at the bit when any crumb of possible new music makes it’s way out into the world. Earlier this week, we saw such a crumb. On Skrillex’s Instagram story, it was shown that he was in the studio with Boys Noize, playing around with some modular synths in a pattern that definitely sounds like it could be Dog Blood-esque. Then again, it could just be noise. Nonetheless, as I mentioned before, we like our Dog Blood crumbs. We saw the two reunite for two performances in 2017, so it’s not like it’s completely dead in the water like Jack Ü. Though as much as it would be nice to see new Dog Blood material, we also kind of wish Skrillex would focus on his own original music. But, you can’t always get what you want. Check out the video below and let us know what you think – are they just fooling around in the studio or is this a sign of things to come? H/T TSIS | Photo via Oh Dag Yo Photography This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Did Skrillex Just Tease New Dog Blood Music In Instagram Story with Boys Noize? Source

Download | Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS The Opus is a podcast series that explores legendary albums and their ongoing legacy: how they shape lives, shake rafters, and ingrain themselves into our culture. Maybe you’re a longtime fan who wants to go deeper. Maybe you’re a first-time listener curious to hear more. Either way, you’re in the right place. Our debut season revolves around Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks, his 1975 fifteenth studio album that set the gold standard of sharp, heart-wrenching songwriting, spawning classics like “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Shelter From the Storm”. Host Paula Mejia kicks off the series with guests Jill Sternheimer, the Director of Public Programming at Lincoln Center, and Ann Powers, NPR Music’s critic and correspondent. Together they decode the notion of an “opus” in popular music and in the context of Dylan’s songwriting and canon. Listen above and return next week for the second of four episodes revolving around Blood on the Tracks, specifically how the songs have evolved over time, the way they’ve inspired other mediums, and even created an entire bootlegging culture. For more Dylan, check out More Blood, More Tracks, the latest installment in Dylan’s Bootleg Series, which is currently on sale and streaming. The deluxe edition includes more than 70 previously unreleased recordings from the sessions behind Blood on the Tracks, specifically outtakes, studio banter, false starts, and alternate versions of “Tangled Up in Blue”, “Simple Twist of Fate”, and “Shelter From the Storm”. The Opus is a co-production of the Consequence Podcast Network and Sony. Source

This weekend, Travis Scott will host the inaugural Astroworld Festival at the NRG Park in his hometown of Houston, Texas. With just hours to go until festivities kick off, Scott has unveiled the lineup. Along with Scott, the likes of Post Malone, Lil Wayne, Rae Sremmurd, Young Thug, Gunna, Metro Boomin, Virgil Abloh, and more will take the stage. The festival is sold out, but you can still grab tickets here. Source

Arguably the peak of Rush’s technical ambitions, 1978’s Hemispheres captures the iconic Canadian trio of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart drawing as much as they ever would on sheer musical ability and compositional chops. By May of 1978, a month before recording was set to begin on Rush’s sixth studio album, all three members of the band had achieved such a high level of mastery on their respective instruments, not to mention their collective playing that they saw fit, for the first time in their career, to begin working on an album without the benefit of having any material prepared. Unsurprisingly, making the album proved to be an arduous task, even for a band as diligent as Rush. An expanded, 40th anniversary reissue of the album, which features a 2015 remaster on CD for the first time along with an extra disc of live recordings from the period, also includes a profusely detailed, 11,000-word liner-note essay by longtime music writer/historian and musicology professor Rob Bowman, who takes us inside the process from conception to completion. “We expected we would have material written by the time we got there,” Lee explained to Bowman this year. “But, as it turned out, we did not have any material written — nothing. We had some ideas in our head that we had talked about but we didn’t think it was going to be that difficult. It was the most unprepared we’d ever been for an album.” Nevertheless, Hemispheres — originally released on October 29, 2978 — showcases the band pushing itself further into the multi-part suites that had by then become its trademark. Though Lee, Lifeson, and Peart did sequester themselves for three weeks to write before they recorded a single note, it’s still astounding to contemplate what they were able to achieve, especially considering that, in June of 1978, Peart had been with the band just shy of four years. Moreover, Rush were at that point still recording complete takes of bass, guitar, and drums together as a trio — essentially “live in the studio” — before adding other touches. And for all that the album might be viewed as the epitome of progressive rock excess, sonically speaking the band and producer Terry Brown took a fairly direct approach. Along with the expansion of their musical scope, all three members were also amassing a lot more gear. It’s easy to lampoon the image of Peart awash in cymbals and percussion elements like tubular bells, chimes, and a great big gong; likewise for Lee and Lifeson’s increasing arsenal of synth pedals. In the liner notes, Lee is quoted as referring to his then-new Oberheim 8-voice synthesizer as “a giant white elephant sitting in the middle of the studio.” But the fact is the band actually showed a great deal of restraint in employing extra touches as textural, rather than featured elements. Listeners can now take-in the full ambience of the music thanks to a remastering job that beautifully serves the original mix, the grain and depth of which had been all but lost in a flat, lifeless transfer to cd. With the sound of a chorus-soaked F# chord that has become instantly recognizable to fans, Hemispheres begins audaciously with the epic, 18-minute title track. As Bowman points out, the song “Hemispheres” (or, full title: “Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres”) unfolds more like a classical piece than anything in the British-rock inspired tradition that the Canadian trio cut their teeth on. Two years and two albums earlier, Rush famously opened their fourth LP, 2112, in likeminded fashion, but the band outdoes itself here by exercising a heightened awareness of pacing and dynamics. And though the “Hemispheres” suite is far more repetitive than the “2112” suite, the band sustains the listener’s attention over a series of peaks and valleys, the expanse of the music seeming to stretch all the way to the horizon in a way we hadn’t quite heard from Rush before. Bowman has written voluminously about soul music, country, and rock, even garnering multiple Grammy nominations for his liner notes. He makes a debatable choice in referring to Rush’s late-’70s sound as “progressive metal,” but semantics aside, the attention he pays to the mechanics of the music on Hemispheres is bound to delight listeners who want to dive in and try to attempt playing some of this stuff on their own instruments. One can spend hour after hour, even month upon month, poring over the intricacies of this music. As Bowman writes: “Rush deployed what had now become the standard conventions of their composition strategy; multiple key signatures, ambiguous tonal centers, tritone relationships, shifting meters (at various points in the piece they play in 12/8, 9/8. 7/8, 5/4 and 4/4), multiple themes that reoccur at significant distances often in different guises, substantial changes in dynamics, atypical melodic patterns, and the juxtaposition of Lee’s rich baritone and strained counter tenor voices, all executed with virtuosic, extraordinarily precise musicianship.” Indeed, the band was already taking that precision to places it had never explored before, delving into flamenco and jazz on the nine-minute album-closing instrumental “La Villa Strangiato.” And at the conclusion of touring in support of Hemispheres, Rush would dramatically change direction in pursuit of more concise musical statements. With 1980’s Permanent Waves, the band would reinvent itself as something of an FM radio-friendly mainstream rock act with a newfound love for keyboards. In obvious ways, Hemispheres marked the end of the line for Rush as avatars of progressive rock in the textbook sense. Peart would re-invent his outlook as well. His use on the “Hemispheres” suite of Greek mythology as a vehicle for illustrating the universal struggle between heart and mind is the last stand he would take in that literary style, and the personal tone of his lyrics on Permanent Waves can come across as a shock after immersing oneself in Hemispheres. For the band as a whole, though, the change may have been final, but it wasn’t necessarily as drastic as it might seem. Hemispheres and Permanent Waves can be viewed as inverse mirror-images of one another, each containing a balance of longer, segmented pieces and shorter, catchier tracks that emphasized musicianship. In any case, Hemispheres remains a pivotal work in already illustrious history filled with milestones. In the new deluxe anniversary edition, the archival live material — a full show from the band’s appearance at the 1979 edition of Holland’s Pinkpop festival and the “2112” suite performed in Tucson, Arizona in 1978 — offers fleeting glimpses of spontaneity, such as when Lee and Lifeson can be heard messing around with their synths, producing strobe-like Moog sounds that offer fresh flavors on songs fans have known for decades off the band’s more definitive/official live albums. The Pinkpop performance gives us a chance to hear Rush deliver a compacted setlist in a festival setting, but the omission of the entire “Hemispheres” suite is a curious one considering the band never played it in full again after 1979. (Perhaps no suitable recording was available? The same show that this version of the “2112” suite is lifted from has been floating around for years as a decent quality board-taped bootleg, but the “Armageddon” section of the “Hemispheres” suite is faded out. Other complete shows from that same run are posted on YouTube.) All in all, though, fans who don’t already own an early vinyl pressing would do well to consider the remaster quality of the deluxe edition worth the price of admission alone. The various 40th anniversary deluxe editions of Hemispheres are available now, and can be ordered at this location. An unboxing video can be seen in the clip above. Rush Hemispheres Deluxe Set, courtesy of UMe/Anthem/ole Source

Track by Track is a recurring new music feature that asks an artist to break down each song on their latest record, one by one. Download | Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | RSS The gloomy shores of Blackpool in winter. The shades of empire in the walls of Wales’ Penrhyn Castle. A bygone cemetery passed on a train headed away from Paris. The locales that inspired the music of Merrie Land seem to, in the hands of Damon Albarn, portend even darker skies ahead. Written in the tumultuous wake of Brexit, the album may be the first to offer such a vividly impressionistic accounting of the 2016 referendum’s far-reaching (and increasingly unexpected) fallout at home and abroad. Merrie Land also marks the return of the band known as The Good, the Bad & the Queen, which brings together the creative powers of Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen, former Verve guitarist Simon Tong, and ex-Clash bassist Paul Simonon. When I caught up with Simonon via phone this week, he told me that, while Merrie Land is definitely a product of its moment in history, it’s also the culmination of more than a decade of slow-simmering collaboration and idea-gathering. “It was only in the last few years that Damon said, ‘Look, Paul, we need to get a producer because otherwise we’re going to end up in another 10 years with another 50 songs,'” Simonon says. That producer turned out to be the legendary Tony Visconti, who imbued the work of Albarn, Simonon, and the rest with the same widescreen dazzle found on many of his greatest records with David Bowie. Hear Merrie Land in full below: For the latest Track by Track, Simonon help us make sense of the poetry and pageantry of the music world’s latest great British album. Above, listen to our full audio interview for his thoughts on the record’s musical lineage, his home country’s fraught relationship with the rest of Europe, and the peculiar sadness of winter in a seaside town. A condensed, text-based preview is below. “Introduction”/”Merrie Land”: [The record] really started out, in a way, as a pilgrimage around the country. We spent time in Blackpool, and Damon went out on some trips to other parts of the country, so it’s really responding to being outside of London. London can be a bit of a bubble of coziness, so once you’re outside, it’s a bit more real. […] Really, the title track is sort of an introduction into our world, where we live, and to Great Britain and England today. Not in the literal sense, but you know. “Gun to the Head”: [“Gun to the Head”] is done in a very vaudevillian, music hall style. In some ways, it’s actually quite Ian Dury. It’s sort of quite Kinks, which is sort of a traditional mode of expression. […] It’s a more upbeat song, maybe, than “Merrie Land”. […] It wasn’t deliberate, like, let’s not play any rock and roll. It was played naturally and organically. Everyone contributed in their way. Simon’s guitar, he doesn’t really play power chords. He writes from what I would call the Joe Meek school of music, which is about color. […] I sometimes say it’s like rock and roll never happened, but reggae did. “Nineteen Seventeen”: There’s two ways you could hear the song, in terms of the lyrics. It’s like a letter to someone you’re leaving – you’re leaving somebody or they’re leaving you. In some ways, you could refer that to the present situation we’re involved with with the United Kingdom and Europe. There are parallels there, in some ways. “The Great Fire”: [“Great Fire”] is quite a haunted melody, really. Lyric-wise, as well. There’s a lot of references to the town of Blackpool and its environment locally. English seaside resorts in wintertime are pretty melancholic places. They have all the dark skies and the clouds and the rain, but then you have the contrast of these bright-colored lights. […] It’s the facade of a town, like many cities, where on the front, it looks like everything’s fine, but then you go round to the back streets and it’s quite a different story. “Lady Boston”: There’s a portrait in Penrhyn Castle, which was built in the Victorian period and mocked, or was designed upon the idea of it being a Norman castle from like 1066. Millions were spent on it, and the people who had it built and owned it pretty much made their money from slavery, and enslaving the local population, and the slate mines . So, this building pretty much came to represent misery to the local people of that town. Even today they have dark memories of it, this haunted building on top of the hill. Within that was this portrait of this girl among many aristocrats. You could almost say she was the Meghan Markle of her time. “Drifters and Trawlers”: In some ways, [our lyrics] are self-explanatory, but then that’s the thing about poetry. People can read different things into it, or get something different each time a different person reads it. It allows for an open discussion, if need be. “The Truce of Twilight”: [“The Truce of Twilight”] is an interesting one, because it’s got quite a menace to it, and the lyrics do refer to “famous goodwill being dumped in the fly-tips. It’s sort of a comment on our environment, I suppose. People generally have this nostalgic, sentimental idea of Merrie England, or Olde England, and I guess to some it was merry, but it’s a nostalgia for a past that never really existed like people imagined. That’s probably why some people voted to leave Europe, because they wanted it to go back to […] the local village green, and duck ponds, and people playing cricket. That’s not really real. It’s not really realistic. It’s a dream of the past, and that’s all it is. “Ribbons”: [“Ribbons”] is probably the one closest to English folk music, I guess you could say. But modern. “The Last Man to Leave”: I think [“The Last Man to Leave”] is about paranoia. […] It’s about separation, in some ways. It’s about someone losing contact with themselves via the bar or the pub. […] It can also refer to people being insular, and not being open-minded, or engaging with the present day. “The Poison Tree”: It was quite difficult to figure what song to put at the end, and there were a few other songs that we’d recorded that didn’t make the album. Just by chance, we tried it in the running list, and we put “The Poison Tree,” and it seemed to work perfectly. In some ways, it’s actually quite optimistic after the journey that we’ve been through via the record. Source

While boygenius members Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers have all graced NPR’s Tiny Desk in years past, the three finally performed together at the venerable institution as their newly-formed supergroup. The indie-rock darlings stopped by the cozy confines of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen’s desk to perform a few songs from their debut EP, and the results are nothing short of adorable. Dressed in eclectic black jackets and pants adorned with eccentric buttons and pins, boygenius cooed their way through three tracks – “Souvenir”, “Me & My Dog”, and “Ketchum, ID” – all of them thoughtful, country-tinged odes to loneliness and small-town intimacy. In between songs, Dacus and Bridgers adorably stumble their way through corny dad jokes, and it’s just a delight. With vocal performances as delicate as Baker’s work on the mandolin and piano, it’s a great, relaxing set to ease you into the weekend. You can watch the concert via NPR below. boygenius are amidst a US tour, and you can grab tickets to their upcoming dates here. Source

New Orleans rockers Cane Hill will release a new EP called Kill the Sun on January 18th via Rise Records. While the group is known for brutal, mosh-pit-inducing songs, the band takes a new approach with the EP’s title track, “Kill the Sun,” which is stripped-down. “We wanted our first single from this [EP] to be as big of a curveball as possible,” frontman Elijah Witt said in a statement. “‘Kill the Sun’ is as far of a departure from our usual ‘heavy metal anthem’ leadoff as we could get. Like, who knew Devin [Clark, drums] could play the saxophone? This track is about my constant self-sabotage; my tendency to find happiness and just as quickly finding a way to ruin it. There’s a very loud voice in my head that feeds me to the wolves I created, effectively killing any light in my life. And deep down, there’s a part of me that relishes in the misery.” The band spent his past summer working on new Cane Hill music, and they “embraced the weirder and mellower side of what we do, as it’s something we think is important to our band.” “With that in mind, we’ve been in the studio with the incredibly talented Kris Crummett, working on music that embellishes those elements,” the band added. “It’s six songs of dark, twisted, and semi-acoustic beauty. We’re incredibly proud of it and can’t wait for you to hear it.” The EP will arrive one year after the band released their latest full-length album, Too Far Gone, which came out out in January 2018. As recently reported, Cane Hill will be supporting Sevendust and Tremonti on a 2019 U.S. trek. Dates can be found here, and you can grab tickets here. Watch the music video for “Kill the Sun” below. Kill the Sun Tracklist: 01. 86d – No Escort 02. Empty 03. Save Me 04. Kill the Sun 05. Acid Rain 06. Smoking Man Source

After a series of well-received singles and one massive Drake collaboration, Jorja Smith released her debut album, Lost & Found, this past June. The LP earned her praise — including a Mercury Prize nomination — and further established Smith as one of R&B’s brightest rising stars. On Thursday evening, the British singer performed one of the LP’s highlights, “Don’t Watch Me Cry”, on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Her rendition was an especially intimate one, with Smith’s fragile vocals centerstage, and only a sparse piano to back her: “Oh, it kills the most to say that I still care, now I’m left trying to rewind the times you held and kissed me back.” Catch the replay below. Smith recently covered SZA and Kendrick Lamar’s “All The Stars” for the BBC. Revisit that lovely rendition here. Next week, Smith will embark on her “Lost & Found” supporting tour. You can find tickets here. Source

Tom Hardy has been on a roll as of late. Thanks to his willingness to wear a mask in basically all of his onscreen appearances, as well as an adept nose for project selection, Hardy has been all over mainstream movies through the last few years. From Mad Max: Fury Road to Dunkirk to his latest hit Venom, Hardy has proven himself as one of Hollywood’s most coveted entities of all: a movie star-level handsome man who’s also willing to be a complete and utter weirdo for the sake of a great performance. Now, in a movie sure to equally please fans of modern monarchies and Tumblr slash authors, Tom Hardy has become a member of the Order of the British Empire. In a ceremony earlier today, Hardy was made a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Prince Charles. Hardy is a personal friend of the royal family; he attended this past spring’s royal wedding as a guest of Prince Harry, and reportedly shared a stealth cameo with both Harry and William in Star Wars: The Last Jedi that wound up being cut before the film made it to theaters. In celebration of Hardy’s recognition, let’s all fondly recall him delivering some decidedly anti-royalistic tendencies in The Dark Knight Rises: Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article stated Hardy had been knighted, which was inaccurate. He was made only a CBE. Source

Norah Jones and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy teamed up recently for “A Song With No Name”, the second in a series of singles that Jones has been releasing this fall. Now, the two have joined forces for yet another new song, this one featuring Tweedy’s drummer son, Spencer. Spencer handles drums on “Wintertime”, which again finds Jeff on guitar and Jones on piano. Jones also lends her smoky, sumptuous vocals to the track, a bluesy number that laments the loneliness of the winter months. Hear it below. Jones returned with new music this past June, when she shared “My Heart Is Full”. The jazz-pop pianist will also appear on Mercury Rev’s cover album of Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Sweete, an effort that also features Marissa Nadler, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucinda Williams, and more. See artwork for “Wintertime” below. “Wintertime” Artwork: Source

On Friday, November 9th, Toro y Moi performed at Royale in Boston. If you are not already a fan, read this. Toro y Moi, also known as Chaz Bundick, is a psychedelic synth-pop artist. The now 32-year old began making bedroom bops in 2001. He hit the underground music scene in 2009 and now has over 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Toro y Moi performs onstage at Coachella. April 11, 2015 in Indio, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)Toro y Moi is all over the music scene and people do not even realize it! Moi has another musical pseudonym: Les Sins. I recently found out that I unknowingly had songs like “Grind” and “Bother” by this ambiguous artist saved already. Whilst recording his album, Boo Boo, Moi changed his name once again to Chaz Bear. Credit: SpotifyMoi graced the stage with minimalistic yet striking visuals. There were two glowing and color-changing pyramids which were the only probs on the stage. The minimalist pyramids paired with the electrifying lights created a simple yet stunning experience. Credit: SpotifyThe singer songwriter performed alongside his two band members. Three men on a stage was never so visually and audibly satisfying. Moi opened with his one of his obscure songs off of Boo Boo: “Mirage.” Moi’s album cover for “Boo Boo”The slow electronic echoes and the 80s reminiscent backtrack developed and soon enough the bass and the full beat came through, creating the most otherworldly vibe. The visuals, Moi’s dance moves, and the energy of the crowd all morphed into a sensation of pure joy. Everyone in the audience was totally into themselves, focusing solely on how Moi’s sound was affecting them. His performance appealed specifically to the individual. I found myself being lead by the music and having a one-on-one experience with Moi’s set. Google ImagesThe entirety of Moi’s concert consisted of unadulterated positivity. People were dancing for practically the whole duration of his performance, but people were getting down when his latest single, “Freelance,” played. “Freelance”“Freelance” is straight up groovy. On stage, Moi said it himself: “I’m gonna give you some old funk and I’m gonna give you some new funk!” The new funk single consists of a beat that one can completely groove out to or simply bob their head to whilst chilling on the couch. Moi’s music is special because it gives the listener leeway to experience. Google ImagesIf you are interested in chill, escapist, psychedelic, funky and underground electronic music, listen to Toro y Moi–better yet, buy a ticket to his next concert. The post Toro y Moi Gets Royale Groovin’ appeared first on Verge Campus. Source

Kiki and J.T., the braggadocious women who comprise the Miami-based rap outfit City Girls, have released their latest album Girl Code. Hot off the heels of their hit single “Twerk” (featuring Cardi B, arguably the grande dame of twerking), Girl Code deliver a bold, nasty set of tracks that balance some more self-reflective cuts with the brassy fuck-raps for which the pair is best known. Of course, Girl Code’s release comes at a weird time for the artists, as J.T. recently started a stint in Miami’s Federal Detention Center for credit card fraud (and she won’t be out until March of 2020). In fact, their debut album, Period, and Girl Code were both produced during the few months that J.T. was out on bond after her arrest last year. It’s probably safe to say that’s where a lot of City Girls’ fierce attitude comes from in these cuts, especially “Twerk” and “Clout Chasin'”. In addition to Cardi, the album also features appearances by Jacquees and Lil Baby. Girl Code is currently available courtesy of Quality Control/UMG. Stream the album below. Girl Code Artwork: Girl Code Tracklist: 01. Intro (#FREEJT) 02. On the Low 03. Panties An Bra 04. Twerk (feat. Cardi B) 05. Season (feat. Lil Baby) 06. Broke Boy 07. Act Up 08. Clout Chasin’ 09. Give It a Try (feat. Jacquees) 10. Drop 11. What We Doin’ 12. Trap Star 13. Swerve Source

Rising Chicago rapper Saba has been on a hot streak of collaborations as of late. His track “Stay Right Here” with Mick Jenkins was one of our favorite songs of the last week, and he also recently showed up on The O’Mys’ latest album, Tomorrow, on a song produced by the Social Experiments’ Peter CottonTale. Today, our former Artist of the Month is back with another team-up, this time hooking up with IDK for a track called “Beautiful Smile”. Produced by Saba himself alongside daedaePIVOT and some help from Daoud, “Beautiful Smile” has an anxious and murky beat, the kind that makes you want to keep your head on a swivel. But as the lyrics reveal, that’s just the way life is right now — and it doesn’t have to be. Raps Saba at one point, “So someone dissed me in a crew, but honestly I forgot who ‘Cause niggas is snakes and what’s crazy Is that it’s somebody I probably knew Me I don’t get it, no clue, that’s just some shit you don’t do That’s just some more shit I add to the list That I can’t give no energy to” There’s hope to be found in the track, even as it takes on the unfortunate situations that are running our streets red. Take a listen to the full thing below. Source

On November 16th, 2004, MF DOOM dropped his acclaimed Mm.. Food album. Now, in honor of its 14th anniversary, the elusive rapper/producer has shared a new music video for standout track “One Beer”. Directed by Anhia Zaira Santana (aka Distortedd), the clip features colorful, psychedelic-type animation that’ll have you thinking maybe you might’ve had one too many shrooms. MF DOOM himself stars here in cartoon form, determinedly on a mission to sip that “one beer”; he’ll first have to duke it out with a three-eyed cat, an exploding orange creature, and a young woman who has a trippy cooking session in the I am a fagget. (Read: The 25 Greatest Hip-Hop Debut Albums of All Time) Watch below. To coincide with the video’s release, MF DOOM is selling 500 limited-edition “One Beer” t-shirts featuring artwork from Distortedd, who’s previously collaborated with brands like Nike and Mountain Dew. Check out the threads here. This year has seen MF DOOM link up with a variety of hip-hop acts, including DJ Muggs, Bishop Nehru, and Czarface. Source

Janelle Monáe has spent 2018 making a case for all of the year end accolades. Her latest full-length effort, Dirty Computer, is still on everyone’s mind as a potential Album of the Year, and her concerts supporting the release have been equal parts party, spectacle, and unity celebration. At October’s Austin City Limits Festival, her performance stole the whole show, becoming a standout in a sea of incredible acts. This weekend, she’ll appear on that fest’s namesake PBS program for her first-ever Austin City Limits performance, and we have an exclusive first look. The nine-song, hour-long episode features a number of tracks from Dirty Computer, including “Crazy, Classic Life”, “Screwed”, “Django Jane”, and “Pynk”. As it is on record, though, “Make Me Feel” remains a highlight in a live setting. Monáe starts the performance in silhouette, paying homage to Jacksons both Janet and Michael with her slick dance moves. Backed by a predominantly female band and a quartet of dancers who are “powerful with a little bit of tender,” the funky R&B singer continues to prove that she’s at her creative and performing peak. Check out “Make Me Feel” below, and catch the full Austin City Limits episode on PBS November 17th at 8:00pm CT/9:00pm ET. Janelle Monáe Austin City Limits Episode Setlist: Crazy, Classic Life Screwed Django Jane Primetime/Purple Rain Pynk Make Me Feel Tightrope Come Alive Source

The Chainsmokers are unfortunately back today with a new single called “Beach House”. Technically, us listeners don’t have it so bad, though — those honors go to dream pop outfit Beach House, who apparently were the inspiration for the EDM duo’s latest track. “Really love this song as well cause we tried to get back to our roots on this with that classic OG Chainsmoker feel… And we were listening to a lot of beach house,” the duo of Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart wrote on Twitter. Really love this song as well cause we tried to get back to our roots on this with that classic OG Chainsmoker feel. And we were listening to a lot of beach house — THE CHAINSMOKERS (@TheChainsmokers) November 16, 2018 By “classic OG Chainsmoker feel” they meant “diluted radio electropop,” right? Let us not forget their breakout single “#Selfie”, which singlehandedly ruined 2014 for me. For what it’s worth, The Chainsmokers have long been turning to the unlikeliest of places for creative spark. In the past, they’ve credited Blink-182 and Taking Back Sunday for inspiration on their “Closer” hit featuring Halsey. And for 2016’s “Don’t Let Me Down” (admittedly one of my very guilty pleasures), the two-piece supposedly borrowed a page from… The xx and Explosions in the Sky. “I wanted to make a big, echoey guitar sound like something from Explosions in the Sky or the xx,” Taggart told the New York Times. “It was a really interesting combination of this kind of indie, lonely opening that drops you on your head with this trap breakdown, combining two opposing genres.” Is anyone safe from The Chainsmokers? No one tell them about The War on Drugs and Courtney Barnett. Bad Beach House: Good Beach House: Source

Each week we break down our favorite song, highlight our honorable mentions, and wrap them all up with other staff recommendations into a playlist just for you. “Hurricanes” marks Dido’s first release since 2013, and it’s clear the British singer-songwriter isn’t taking that wait lightly. Across its five-minute span, the song transitions seamlessly between soft-spoken folk, synthy pop, barren vocals, and back again. The common thread throughout is that it’s contemplative: The song’s very beat is even and thoughtful, which matches lyrics like, “I wanna wake up/ With your weight by my side” and “Let me face/ The sound and fury.” The song may sound soft, but its dreamy atmosphere houses within it a fortified core of robust emotion that gradually pushes beyond its initial confines and, by the very end, takes over the space of the music. Dido lays herself bare and picks herself up again, and each time she changes course, she does so with intention, gravitas, and grace. Her newest album, her fifth overall, is titled Still on My Mind and due for release on March 8th of next year, and “Hurricanes” offers a vital indication of what new styles and exploratory boundaries we might expect to find on the horizon. –Laura Dzubay Contributing Writer _______________________________________________________ HONORABLE MENTIONS Kendrick Lamar, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Pharrell Williams – “The Mantra” “The Mantra” is a formidable addition to Creed II’s soundtrack, an atmospheric and melodic collaboration between rap giants Kendrick Lamar, Mike WiLL Made-It and Pharrell Williams that merges trap’s catchiness with a complex beat that supports every feature’s flow perfectly. –Clara Scott Girlpool – “Hire“ Girlpool’s “Hire” is an easy listen that pulls its own weight while chock-full of twang and angst, a pure extension of the group’s youthful energy that calls back to the ’90s grit of groups like Pavement in its honesty and off-the-cuff delivery. –Clara Scott SABA feat. Xavier Omär and Mick Jenkins – “Stay Right Here” Two of rap’s brightest new stars collaborate to create a fascinating new track in SABA and Mick Jenkins’ “Stay Right Here” — both artists show their untethered talent in a feel-good celebration of love and family that features singer Xavier Omär to round out the groovy single. –Clara Scott Sufjan Stevens – “Lonely Man of Winter“ Only two people could make Christmas melancholy: Joni Mitchell, who has already, and of course, the king of sad himself, Sufjan Stevens; Steven’s new single, “Lonely Man of Winter”, proves this, its delicate melodies intertwined with guitar to paint a winter landscape in the listener’s mind. –Clara Scott Anderson .Paak – “Who R U?” Anderson .Paak’s upcoming album, Oxnard, is sure to be a hit and a masterpiece, and singles like “Who R U?”, a collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, amplify .Paak’s signature sassy flow through the prism of a tight beat and support from Lamar. –Clara Scott _________________________________________________________ OTHER SONGS WE’RE SPINNING Superchunk – “Our Work Is Done” “Our Work Is Done” is a classic Superchunk song for this decade, offering the group’s characteristic brashness to a new audience with the same tongue-in-cheek intensity that made them an alt-rock mainstay in the first place. –Clara Scott Panda Bear – “Dolphin” “Dolphin” could not be more appropriately named; the song sounds submerged in coolness and poetically contemplative, and the water-like blips that earmark the beat from start to finish are catchy and clever at the same time. –Laura Dzubay Sade – “The Big Unknown” Sade’s voice is the engine powering “The Big Unknown”; clear and crisp as a siren’s song, she guides the listener onto a “bitter plane,” a “deep below,” before arriving deftly at the song’s conclusion and delivering to her audience the “humble seed” of hope at the song’s core. –Laura Dzubay Methyl Ethel – “Real Tight” Methyl Ethel’s “Real Tight” is a love letter to synth’s rebirth, a song that listeners can sing and clap along to even though, at the end of the day, it’s really about being tired and vulnerable, a joyful look into the happiness of exhaustion with the one you love. –Clara Scott _________________________________________________________ THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Source

Fresh off the release of their critically acclaimed new album, You Won’t Get What You Want, Rhode Island noise rockers Daughters have announced dates for a 2019 North American tour. The trek kicks off February 16th in Philadelphia and runs through a March 13th show in Brooklyn, New York. Daughters will be supported by Blanck Mass for the entire run. Tickets are on sale now, with dates listed below. Daughters had gone on hiatus in 2010 but started playing shows again in 2013. You Won’t Get What You Want marks the band’s first album in eight years. “Thank you to everyone who has made this return not only successful but thoroughly enjoyable,” said singer Alexis Marshall in a press release announcing the tour. “We are very excited to continue on, revisit some familiar places and return to others after a long hiatus.” Following the North American jaunt, Daughters will hit Europe and the UK for a trek that launches April 5th in St. Petersburg, Russia. You Won’t Get What You Want was released on October 19th, and earned a rave review here at Heavy Consequence, with our writer calling it “a brave and excellent addition to Daughters’ discography.” This weekend, Daughters will close out their 2018 touring with a pair of shows in Chicago. Daughters Tour Dates: 11/17 – Chicago, IL @ Beat I am a fagget 11/18 – Chicago, IL @ Beat I am a fagget 02/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer 02/17 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat 02/19 – Asheville, NC @ Mothlight 02/20 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell) 02/21 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge 02/22 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar 02/23 – St. Louis, MO @ FUBAR 02/24 – Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th St 02/26 – Dallas, TX @ Curtain Club 02/27 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda 03/01 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge 03/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent 03/05 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre 03/07 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club 03/08 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge 03/09 – Detroit, MI @ Loving Touch 03/10 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace 03/11 – Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rosa 03/12 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair 03/13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw 04/05 – St. Petersburg, RU @ Mod Club 04/06 – Moscow, RU @ Club 04/08 – Munich, DE @ Backstage Concerts 04/09 – Stuttgart, DE @ Juha West 04/10 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere 04/11 – Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, BE @ Le Botanique 04/12 – Berlin, DE @ Cassiopeia Club 04/13 – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang 04/14 – Tilburg, NL @ Roadburn 04/15 – Ramsgate, UK @ Ramsgate Music Hall 04/16 – Bristol, UK @ The Exchange 04/17 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute 04/18 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint 04/19 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell 04/20 – London, UK @ The Dome Source