The lecherous persona the Weeknd's Abel Tesfaye wed in hell with noxious, churning samples couldn't be further removed from the committed, sugary-sweet R&B epics Justin Timberlake crafted on the double-sided 20/20 Experience. However, starting this Wednesday the Toronto-native will be joining Timberlake on his massive 20/20 Experience tour. Tesfaye will be playing opener in six cities before jetting over to Europe in the early Spring of 2014 to join Drake on his "Would You Like A Tour" run. Tickets for most of the shows have been snatched up, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the Weeknd's partnering with Drake on the anthemic "Live For" below.
Nicki Minaj responds to Kendrick Lamar's "Control"
"Kendrick, Jigga, and Nas, Eminem, Andre 3000, the rest of y'all". In the midst of his world-conquering "Control" verse, Kendrick Lamar seemed to have forgotten the "Monster" that is Nicki Minaj, discarding her into the unnamed "rest of y'all" category. Over the weekend, Minaj appeared on NYC's Power 105.1, where amidst a host of topics she discussed her noticeable absence from the list of hip-hop royalty.
"I'm probably in the top five mother f****rs he did mention, so go and
do your mother-f***in' research," Minaj asserted. "But I also feel like he's
maybe one of those respectful gentlemen that probably felt like, 'I
don't want to say a female's name." To stake a further claim for the throne, Minaj proclaimed her royal-status "I'm the queen of New York, I'm the king of New York. Let me tell you why. Platinum albums...number one in five mother-f***in countries," Minaj heralded. Go below for the amazing clip, and head here for Minaj's ferocious guest spot on Ciara's "I'm Out."
Yoko Ono debuts star-studded "Bad Dancer" video
If you thought it'd never be possible to merge the disparate worlds of the Roots, Deerhoof, Reggie Watts, "This American Life" host Ira Glass, and the Beastie Boys together you were completely sleeping on Yoko Ono's musical largesse.
Following her Letterman performance last month with psychedelic pranksters the Flaming Lips, Ono has released a video for the infectious electronic-bounce of "Bad Dancer" featuring the aforementioned stars and more. In it Ono creates a new painting, while two-stepping with a revolving door of celeb dancers. Highlights include ?uestlove's endearingly goofy turns, Mike D and Ad-Rock moving with the energy of their 80s selves, and Comedy Bang Bang's Reggie Watts appearing in a sequined cape to dance like the calculate madman CBB fans know him to be. Getting all of these people under one roof may have seemed like a Herculean task, but as Ono says in the song "never say never".
Check back in tomorrow for more of the newest in new(s).
Yoko Ono has never been one to shy away from spectacle and last-night the 80-year-old artist brought that showmanship to the Late Show with David Letterman. Performing "Cheshire Cat Cry" from the latest Plastic Ono band offering Take Me to the Land of Hell, Ono was aided by son Sean Lennon and merry-pranksters the Flaming Lips, who provided the abrasively grooving beat. Flips frontman Wayne Coyne mostly stuck to the sideline, manipulating a bullhorn while Ono bleated away "stop the violence". Letterman summed up the piercing act afterwards quipping, "It's fun when you leave the theater humming the music from the show, isn't it?"
Take Me to the Land of Hell is available now through Chimera Music.
Kendrick Lamar throws shots at Drake (kind of)
One of the countless rappers Kendrick Lamar took aim at in the world-conquering "Control" was Drake, who along with a whole host of hip-hop artists Lamar promised to "murder" and make irrelevant. During an interview with Elliot Wilson to promote Nothing Was The Same, the Canadian-artist seemed nonplussed about the whole situation, saying "Kendrick is giving people moments, but are you listening to it now, at this point in time? Okay... It was real cool for a couple weeks". Now in brief clip from an upcoming BET cypher, Lamar is "covertly" sending shade Drake's way, rapping "Yeah, and nothing’s been the same since they dropped 'Control'/ And
tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes," he raps. "Ha-ha
jokes on you, high-five, I’m bulletproof/ Your shit'll never penetrate/
Pin the tail on the donkey/ Boy you been a fake". This time out will Drake have "a reply for it"?
Diss tracks and beef have been a big part of hip-hop since the very beginning, and have lead to stone-cold classic tracks (see "Takeover"), but in this digital era the flames of a feud are easier than ever to fan. If this leads to future awe-inspiring verses from either individual, I'm all for it, but if not hyped up fights like this become a distraction to the artists and do a tremendous disservice to hip-hop as a whole.
Kevin Shields gets conspiratorial
Last time out the notoriously reclusive Kevin Shields (frontman of My Bloody Valentine) was bemoaning the band's stunning omission from the Mercury Awards decrying, "Our album's not a real album because it's independent. The
corporate-ness has got to such a point where we've essentially been told
that we don't exist. So, technically, that album doesn't exist. OK?
It's not allowed to exist according to the Mercury prize... God help
[whoever wins]... There are sinister forces at work."
Well now it seems Shields has found even more nefarious forces in the music industry, pulling the strings of an entire musical movement. In an interview with the Guardian, Shields claims the thrivent 90s Britpop was "massively pushed by the government." According to the Guardian, the MBV frontman had a less than thrilled reaction to the mention of the Cool Britannia movement, surmising "the 1990s wave of optimism and patriotism centered on the global successes of Britpop and bands like the Spice Girls".
Listen to MBV's excellent "she found now" from their 20-years in the making LP mbv below.
Check back in tomorrow for more of the newest in new(s).
In 2010 Wu-Tang masterming the RZA and Yoko Ono took to the stage in Los Angeles to play chess and do duets in what is easily one of the most unexpected collaborative efforts ever. Now that piece of "performance-art" will be permanently emblazoned on a 10'' single commemorating the event. The record will feature live recordings of the lurching fertilization cycle saga "Seed of Joy/Life Is A Struggle" backed by Yoko Ono's Plastic Band's "Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Baby Carriage All Over The City". Reportedly this is round one in a series of collaborative releases from Ono, so I can only imagine the artists we've yet to hear team-up with Yoko.
"Seed of Joy/Life Is A Struggle"
Coldplay contributes to Catching Fire
Catching Fire is bound to see one of the biggest releases of 2013, so it's only appropriate that one of the biggest bands in music (whatever that designation means circa 2013 is up for debate) Coldplay is contributing to the mammoth undertaking. "Atlas" is Chris Martin and company's first new music since 2011's kaleidoscopic "concept-album" Mylo Xyloto. The song begins grounded by Martin's restrained piano and muted vocals before breaking free and ascending for the heavens in typical Coldplay fashion. In other words, it'll sound great during a cinematic experience.
Catching Fire hits theaters November 22, so look for the soundtrack to hit shelves around the same time.
Arcade Fire...The Plot Thickens
Arcade Fire continues to borrow further down the rabbit hole as the October 29 crawls closer. Wednesday, the blog was reporting the band was definitely doing something at 9pm on September 9 and now it appears their plan is to release a new single entitled "Reflektor" accompanied by a video directed by Anton Corbijn. But that's not all. Arcade Fire Tube is indicating plans to release a "Reflektor" 12'' with the above artwork (a possible callback to the Stones Some Girls) in select record stores throughout the U.S. on September 9. Pictures of a tracklist on the back of the release have also been circulating, and are yet to be confirmed.
And if all that weren't enough to satiate your appetite, the Canadian septet is believed to have played a secret show at a small salsa club in Montreal on Wednesday. No video/pictures of the set have circulated, though Montreal blog The Main is reporting the band debuted a bevy of new tempo shifting songs that: "Imagine the Talking Heads’ "Once in a Lifetime", but if David Bowie had written it while on vacation." Again much of this is still conjecture at this point, but come Monday a part of this ever-growing mystery will be solved.
Reflektor trailer
Jay Z and Kanye West hit the road
In support of their respective new albums, Jay Z (it doesn't get any easier typing that without the hyphen) and Kanye West will be trekking across North American for much of the rest of 2013. Kanye's maiden Yeezusvoyage sets sail on October 19 with Kendrick Lamar while Hov' embarks on the Magna Carter World Tour beginning November 30. Tickets for Jay's shows go on sale September 12, just one day before little brother Kanye's. Check out the tour dates for each artist below, as well as the phenomenal "Holy Grail" video and a taste of what Kanye's latest live show could like in a performance from this year's NY Governor's Ball.
Jay Z tour dates:
11-30 St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center 12-1 Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena 12-2 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center 12-6 Anaheim, CA - Honda Center 12-7 San Diego, CA - Valley View Casino Center 12-9 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center 12-10 Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center 12-11 San Jose, CA - SAP Center at San Jose 12-13 Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Events Center 12-18 Oklahoma City, OK - Chesapeake Energy Arena 12-19 Houston, TX - Toyota Center 12-20 San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center 12-21 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center 12-27 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena 12-28 Birmingham, AL - BJCC Arena
1-2 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - BB&T Center
1-4 Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
1-5 Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
1-8 Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
1-9 Chicago, IL - United Center
1-10 Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
1-12 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
1-13 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
1-16 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
1-17 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
1-18 Boston, MA - TD Garden
1-19 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
1-21 Pittsburgh, PA - CONSOL Energy Center
1-22 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
1-24 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
1-27 Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
1-29 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
1-30 Buffalo, NY - First Niagara Center
1-31 State College, PA - Bryce Jordan Center
Holy Grail ft. Justin Timberlake
Kanye West tour dates:
10-19 Seattle, WA - KeyArena # 10-20 Vancouver, British Columbia - Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena # 10-22 San Jose, CA - SAP Center # 10-23 Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena # 10-25 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena 10-26 Los Angeles, CA - STAPLES Center # 11-1 Salt Lake City, UT - EnergySolutions Arena # 11-3 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center # 11-5 Minneapolis, MN - Target Center # 11-7 Chicago, IL - United Center # 11-10 Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills # 11-12 Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre # 11-14 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre # 11-16 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center 11-17 Boston, MA - TD Garden # 11-19 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center 11-21 Washington, DC - Verizon Center # 11-23 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden 11-29 Miami, FL - AmericanAirlines Arena # 11-30 Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Times Forum 12-1 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena # 12-6 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center # 12-7 Houston, TX - Toyota Center #
Check back in Monday for more of the newest in new(s).
