What's New(s)?

Coldplay release new Avicii collabo single "A Sky Full of Stars"/Announce "scavenger hunt"

The two previous singles "Magic" and "Midnight" that Coldplay have shared from their upcoming 6th LP Ghost Stories have both been remarkably restrained. Instead of employing the traditional Coldplay swell, Chris Martin and company have stuck to hushed whispers and somber tones.

That changes with the quartet's third single "A Sky Full of Stars". Granted the swell found here is markedly different thanks to the feature from EDM-staple Avicii. Now Chris Martin's falsetto cries are emboldened by shrieking synthesizers and heart-thudding drums. But rather than stretch the "new direction" to thin, the band eases back into a light acoustic shuffle for the lovestruck verses. Even with heavyweight backing, Coldplay can't resist being tender.

In addition to the new track, Coldplay has announced an "international scavenger hunt" to promote the new LP. According to "The Guardian" the band has hidden the lyrics to all 9 Ghost Stories tracks in libraries around the world. The hunt began yesterday when their Twitter account pointed fans in Mexico City to an envelope Vasconcelos library. Each contains a lyric sheet penned by lead-singer Chris Martin and one specially selected envelope will have a "golden ticket" to the band's July 1 at Royal Albert Hall.

of Montreal releasing documentary The Past Is Grotesque Animal

Having had the fortune to see Elephant 6 members of Montreal at this year's installment of Middle of the Map Fest in Kansas City, I know how cinematic the band's psychedelic presence is. Now the upcoming documentary The Past Is A Grotesque Animal (named for the Hissing Fauna Are You The Destroyer? epic) will capture the Kevin Barnes group in all its blown-out, kaleidoscopic glory.

Directed by Jason Miller, the music doc  will focus both on the band and Kevin Barnes himself out on tour, with appearances by frequent collaborators like Janelle Monáe. The project, initially funded through a Kickstarter campaign, will be released through Oscilloscope Laboratories and also made available on iTunes. View the official trailer below, which features the aforementioned Monáe.

Hear unreleased Arcade Fire Reflektor cut "Get Right"

Arcade Fire found the connector on 2013's towering Reflektor and now fans have found an unreleased effort from the LP. Entitled "Get Right", the song initially appeared on a short advertisement before disappearing into the ether.  Now Exclaim is reporting fans of the Montreal-group have fished out a lo-fi, live recording of the Reflektor outtake. 

There's no word on where the faux 50s rave-up emanates from, but you can find the track here and view the group's recently released behind-the-scenes tour short below.

Check back tomorrow for more of the newest in new(s) and follow AllFreshSounds on Twitter for updates throughout the day.

What's New(s)?

Arcade Fire cover "Roll Over Beethoven"

Continuing the cover trend that's become a fixture of their Reflektor Tour, Arcade Fire dove into a rock classic on Sunday night in St. Louis when the sextet took on Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven". Berry was born in St. Louis and continues to perform at the city's Blueberry Hill each month, so the move doesn't come as an Earth-shaking revelation. In fact the previous night in Kansas City, Arcade Fire performed a rendition of Kansas' "Dust in the Wind". That rendition though was "rudely" interrupted by lead-singer Win Butler, who reminded the group: "that’s a Kansas song and we’re in f***in’ Missouri. You f***ed up," he said. "That’s gonna kill when we play Lawrence, though."

While the covers may come as no surprise, the band's escalation of their "deadmau5 beef" raises a few eyebrows. The "feud" began during Arcade Fire's set when Win Butler flippantly praised "All the bands still playing actual instruments," which led to deadmau5 proclaiming "Arcade Fire needs to settle down." As though that weren't enough, deadmau5 barbarously declared "If I wanna watch real artists perform, I'd pick the opera before wasting a f***ing minute of my life with Arcade Fire." In St. Louis, Arcade Fire struck back by flashing deadmau5's trademark mask on-screen during "Normal Person". And if that weren't enough former Missouri Congressman Todd Akin made an appearance, a person you generally won't want to be associated with circa 2014. 

Rather than dive into any "beef" further, just enjoy the clip of Arcade Fire's playing some good "rock and roll music."

 

The Roots release new track "Tomorrow"

 

An idea that's been floating around about The Roots' upcoming 11th LP And Then You Shoot Your Cousin is that it's a violent record. Not necessarily that it commits violent acts, but the world it inhabits is one of extreme violence. "When the People Cheer", the first sampling of the album, proved this with an unflinching portrayal of rapper Black Thought permanently stuck in the trap and knowing there's nowhere to go.

 

New single "Tomorrow" heads in an entirely different direction. Bolstered by a ringing piano, the Raheem DeVaughan feature is "thankful to be alive." In a soft-croon, DeVaughan stops to "smell the flowers" and appreciate the small things. "9-5 jobs" no longer sound like hellish nightmares, but welcome escapes. "It's free to be yourself," DeVaughan testifies. However "violent" And Then You Shoot Your Cousin ultimately is, "Tomorrow" will offer a brief moment of tranquility. 

 

And Then You Shoot Your Cousin is out May 13 through Def Jam and you can hear "Tomorrow" now on 1200 Squad.

 

 

 

 

Stream tUnE-yArDs' Nikki Nack now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

tUnE-yArDs' third studio-album, Nikki Nack, doesn't drop until May 6 in the U.S. but that doesn't mean you can't hear Merrill Garbus' latest effort now. Courtesy of The Guardian, Nikki Nack is currently streaming ahead of its release date and my initial impression of the LP is that its every bit as strong and infectious as Garbus' previous two albums.

tUnE-yArDs are currently touring the U.S. with the aforementioned Arcade Fire, but will also be logging stage-time with the National and Sylvan Esso before the summer is over. You can find the dates below along with the Pee-wee's Playhouse inspired video for the clamorous first-single "Water Fountain".

 

Tour Dates:
4/29 Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center (w. Arcade Fire)
5/1 Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena (w. Arcade Fire)
5/2 Atlanta, GA - Aarons Amphitheatre at Lakewood (w. Arcade Fire)
5/5 Los Angeles, CA - Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
5/7 Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade
5/12 London, England - Village Underground (w. Sylvan Esso)
5/14 Berlin, Germany - Berghain (w. Sylvan Esso)
5/15 Hamburg, Germany - Nochtspeicher (w. Sylvan Esso)
5/16 Brussels, Belgium - Les Nuits-Cirque Royal
5/18 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Bitterzoet (w. Sylvan Esso)
5/19 Paris, France - Cafe de La Danse (w. Sylvan Esso)
5/23 Bend, OR - Les Schwab Ampitheater (w. The National)
5/25 George, WA - Sasquatch Festival
5/26 Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Concert House (w. Sylvan Esso)
5/27 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge (w. Sylvan Esso)
5/30 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/1 Houston, TX - Free Press Summerfest
6/3 Phoenix, AZ - The Crescent Ballroom (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/5 Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/6 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/13 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/15 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/16 Boston, MA - Royale Boston (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/18 Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/19 Toronto, Ontario - NXNE, Massey Hall (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/21 Dover, DE - Firefly Festival
6/22 New York, NY - Webster Hall (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/23 New York, NY - Webster Hall (w. Sylvan Esso)
6/26 Brighton, England - Concorde 2
6/30 Manchester, England - Gorilla
7/1 Leeds, England - Cockpit
7/2 Bristol, England - Trinity
7/17 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
7/19 Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival
7/20 Louisville, KY - Forecastle Festival
9/3 London, England - Brixton Electric 

 

 

Check back tomorrow for more of the newest in new(s) and follow AllFreshSounds on Twitter for updates throughout the day.

I Found the Connector: Arcade Fire Live at Starlight Theatre

(Culture Shock)

One word that springs up whenever Arcade Fire is discussed is the word "communal". A word hinging on the idea that their heartfelt, headstrong music provides a place for those on a similar wavelength to get together and feel safe. Each rallying chorus or pointed line doesn't simply sound good; they throw a life-preserver out to those drowning. Even in Arcade Fire’s darkest hours, a strange hopefulness pervades. You can find inspiration in the mere fact that through such horror they're still able to stand on two feet. More than indie rock or chamber pop, what the Montreal-group trades in is: survival music. And that survivalist-mentality was on full display at Kansas City's Starlight Theatre last night.

With the stage bathed in purple lights, a brash clip of "Who's the F***ing DJ?" blared over the speakers; assuring the crowd the party they'd been promised was soon to follow. Scrawling electric guitars slowly contorted into opener "Here Comes the Night Time", which had been revamped with squiggly synthesizer movements. The track began the search for community; taking the party to the streets once heaven is found to be at max-capacity. Whatever dancing the opener offered, became a lurch for the paranoiac "Flashbulb Eyes". Before the song lead-singer Win Butler enjoined the crowd of nearly 8000 to "dance in the aisles," though few could dance to such a skin-crawling number.

Frantically strummed, Funeral's "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" sought a flicker of light in the crisp night air. Though with the bright glockenspiel of the album-cut obliterated, the task became impossible. Three songs in and any chance at community-building had shattered like glass. Thankfully penultimate Funeral track "Rebellion (Lies)" swiftly followed to provide catharsis for weary onlookers. As Régine Chassagne giddily bashed away on piano, the crowd willingly obliged every chant of "lies lies." Any condemnation of citizen-malaise fell away, leaving behind a muscular pop song for the masses.

From that point forward, no matter the subject matter Arcade Fire connected with the crowd. Spoon-fed by a mourning piano, "The Suburbs" left both Butler and the audience yearning to turn back to a time when things came easier. "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"' lithe disco-step and glowing neon lights had Régine Chassagne imagining a bright utopia buried under urban chaos. By the time the crystalline electronics came out for a final time, it was clear Chassagne found her paradise; a place where ribbon-dancing isn't met with even the slightest guffaw. 

While "Sprawl II"'s disco bubbled beneath the surface, "We Exist"  came strutting onto land. Spiked with guitars, "We Exist"'s relatability comes in its anxiety. Few things are as miserable as being forgotten, something the song struggles to prevent. While you can take attention-seeking too far, another person’s simple assurance is our lifeblood. It relaxes us. It bonds us when we feel like we're separate from everyone else.

Sometimes those connections can become strained. Leaping out of the gate like Usain Bolt, "Ready to Start" openly considered upsides to "being alone." Anchored by Jeremy Gara's in-the-pocket drum part, Win Butler summoned the strength to ask "can we still be friends?" a question most never pose when they hit a wall. Riding a magnificent glam-rock bassline, "Joan of Arc" heads toward disaster by promising "I'll follow you," but stops just short of stalking. "It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)" picked up the fraying thread and stretches it to its thinnest point. The line "I will sing your name until you're sick of me" delivered by Butler (Orpheus) to Chassagne (Eurydice), who was out in the concrete aisles, is at once knowing and foreboding. Imbued with a knowledge the end is nigh, Orpheus continues to insist "it's never over" as if repetition of the phrase can stave off the inevitable. In that way, he's no different than anyone who's struggled to find the words to change course.

The heartrending "Afterlife" acted as the epilogue to this great tragedy. All of the love once shared vanished and left Butler wondering "when love is gone, where does it go?" It's a question that's impossible not to ponder. There's no real magic in the world so every disappearing act can be explained. Love begins in the heart and mind, but where does it end? Butler posits the afterlife as an answer though he seems unsatisfied. Our idealized afterlife is too perfect of a place to let love die. However perfection can be a burden. Love is so blissful in this physical realm because it’s imperfect. It can wither away. Relationships can dissolve into screaming and shouting. Sure we agonize over it, but that agony can be overcome and turn into joy.

For the encore, which came after the confetti cannons of "Reflektor", the band finally conquered these universal trials. Arriving "all the way from the Internet", Arcade Fire’s "The Reflektors" persona came to play a seemingly off-the-cuff version of Kansas' "Dust in the Wind", a trick they've been pulling quite often on tour. Soon enough, a high-spirited Butler interrupted the mask-wearing imposters to inform them "that's a Kansas song and we're in f***ing Missouri," an admonishment that elicited an enthusiastic roar from the revitalized Starlight crowd. And after "Normal Person"'s faux rockabilly and Win Butler's affable "how to do you do's" to those in the first few rows, that enthusiasm crested on the wave of Funeral's tour-de-force "Wake Up". Other songs in their oeuvre have had greater chart success, but "Wake Up" has cemented itself as a de facto fan-favorite. Between Tim Kingsbury's Telecaster strum at the start and the sanguine violin near the end, there was room for the sold-out crowd to chant the mesmerizingly simplistic chorus. If the entire night could be seen in the frame of a party, "Wake Up" was the next morning. Instead of waking up with a headache, you wake up with hope. You want to venture back out into the world because it has so much to offer. Cutting back through the grass parking lot after the show, that's all I could think. Whatever happened from there didn't matter because I'd found my connection; I wasn’t alone.

Setlist: 

1. "Here Comes the Night Time"

2. "Flashbulb Eyes"

3. "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)"

4. "Rebellion (Lies)"

5. "Joan of Arc"

6. "Keep the Car Running

7. "Ocean of Noise"

8. "The Suburbs

9. "The Suburbs (Continued)"

10. "Ready to Start"

11. "No Cars Go"

12. "Haiti"

13. "We Exist"

14. "My Body Is A Cage"

15. "Afterlife"

16. "It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)" 

17. "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"

18. "Dust in the Wind"

19. "Normal Person" 

20. "Wake Up"

 

What's New(s)?

Arcade Fire cover Blondie's "Heart of Glass"

Arcade Fire have gotten into a terrific habit recently of covering artists that are from the cities their Reflektor tour is stopped over in that night. And though they continued the cover trend last night, the artist had nothing to do with the city they were in. 

Last night while in Houston, Win Butler and company dove into Blondie's stone-cold classic "Heart of Glass". Butler's wife Régine Chassagne handled the task of replicating Deborah Harry's wispy coo, while the rest of the band continued riding the disco/funk train they've been on since Reflektor dropped back in October. While Chassagne's voice doesn't possess the same sort of beguiling calm as Harry's, it's still impactful and well worth hearing.








Killer Mike & the Alchemist appear on The Boondocks Mixtape

Given the career he's had, Atlanta's Killer Mike might just be the "ballot in your box, the bullet in the gun," that Asheru raps about in The Boondocks theme-song, so it's only appropriate he'd appear on the upcoming soundtrack for the show's fourth season.

Released in tandem with the Alchemist, "The Boonies" rides a lurching beat sifted from the apocalyptic rubble Run the Jewels left behind. Mike is as agitated as ever on the track; reflecting on time lost to warrants and wayward family members with equal derision. And though the Alchemist finds breathing room for aquatic funk guitars, they sound like they're drowning right along with Mike. If there's an "inner-glow" to be found, you have to look hard.

The Boondocks fourth season arrives April 21 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block (without creator Aaron McGruder) and The Boondocks Mixtape, which also features:
Smoke DZA, Lil Herb, Chevy Woods, Roscoe Dash, and more drops April 16.








Jamie xx shares the video for "Sleep Sounds"

Jamie xx's sublime "Sleep Sound" relies on a tremendous amount of silence to create tension, but nothing could be as silent or hypnotically tense as the Sofia Mattioli-directed video that's been released for the track. In the clip, Mattoli incorporates a dozen members of the Manchester Deaf Centre who range from age five to 27 to dance along to the track. And though they are unable to hear the faint hearts or the "oohing" vocal samples, they still manage to find a workable harmony with the music. Proving that there's more than just sound to how we experience a song.

Follow AllFreshSounds on Twitter for updates throughout the day.

What's New(s)?

Arcade Fire announce tour

After all of the "microscopic" shows and salsa-club appearances, Arcade Fire are embarking on a full-blown arena tour, worthy of the spectacle that's surrounded their fourth album Reflektor. The Montreal-based band's tour will take them through much of North America from March to August of next year, not suprisingly wrapping up in their hometown in August. No word yet on whether or not frontman Win Butler will be performing with a mariachi band before the shows.

Check out the tour dates below (which all go on sale November 22nd) as well as the band's video for "Reflektor".

Tour Dates:

3/6 Louisville, KY - KFC! YUM Center
3/8 Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
3/10 Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
3/12 Pittsburgh, PA - Consol Energy Center
3/13 Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
3/14 Ottawa, Ontario - Canadian Tire Centre
3/16 Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
3/17 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
3/18 Bridgeport, CT - Webster Bank Arena
4/9 Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
4/10 Austin, TX - Austin360 Amphitheater
4/23 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
4/26 Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
4/27 St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
4/29 Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
5/1 Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
5/2 Atlanta, GA - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
7/30 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
8/8 Seattle, WA - Gorge Amphitheatre
8/11 Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place
8/12 Calgary, Alberta - Scotiabank Saddledome
8/14 Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre
8/17 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
8/19 Boston, MA - Comcast Center
8/22 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
8/23 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
8/26 Chicago, IL - United Center
8/30 Montreal, Quebec - Parc Jean-Drapeau

"Reflektor"

Unreleased J Dilla tracks coming soon

 

On November 29, clothing label Akomplice will be releasing a new line in partnership with Joey Bada$$ and the J Dilla Foundation. Accompanying an "angelic graphic" of the now-deceased cloud-rap forerunner J Dilla, there will be a 7" vinyl pressing featuring unreleased efforts from both of the performers. The Dilla offering "Two Lips" was originally released with the treasure-trove Lost Scrolls collection, and the Joey Bada$$$ B-side will see the boom-bap revivalist tackling the same beat. According to a press-release, all proceeds will be going to youth in music programs.

Check out the video for Bada$$'s "95 Til' Infinity" below, alongside a fan-made video of the all-time Dilla classic "Last Donut of the Night" from the final studio-album released before his death in 2006.

"95 Til Infinity"

"Last Donut of the Night"

A$AP Rocky drops video for "Phoenix"

Following the airy, fashion-focused video for "Fashion Killa", A$AP Rocky has dropped a similarly low-key clip to accompany Long.Live.A$AP cut "Phoenix". Shot by director Francesco Carrozzini, the stark video sees Michael K. Williams (Omar of The Wire and Chalky White of Boardwalk Empire) and model Joan Smalls as a feuding couple who gradually turn to violence. "Lord Flacko" mostly sticks to the sidelines of this moody drama, knowing precisely when to "take cover".

In Michael K. Williams news, the Brooklyn-born actor is still slated to portray to portray the late Ol Dirty Bastard in an upcoming biopic entitled Dirty White Boy. To see Williams rapping live as the fellow "Zoo" native, head here.

Check back in tomorrow for more of the newest in new(s), and visit the AllFreshSounds Twitter account for additional news updates.