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Aaron Dessner on Big Red Machine, The National’s Future, and Working with Taylor Swift
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS On this week’s Kyle Meredith With, Aaron Dessner calls in to discuss How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last, the sophomore record from his Big Red Machine project with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. The prolific producer/songwriter takes us through the process of bringing in more friends for this album, including Sharon Van Etten and Taylor Swift, and how the set came to focus on themes of mental health, depression, and family dynamics. That was particularly true on “Hutch,” a song written for the late Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchinson, a close friend of Dessner’s. Advertisement Related Video On working wit...
Pearl Jam Celebrate Ten, No Code Anniversaries with Remixed Digital Albums
August 27th is an important day for Pearl Jam fanatics, and the date has particular significance this year. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the band’s iconic debut, Ten, as well as the 25th anniversary of their smash fourth LP, No Code. To celebrate, Pearl Jam is unveiling newly remixed digital exclusive editions of both records, plus they’re streaming their legendary 2014 “No Code Show” for free. The new digital mixes come courtesy of producer/sound engineer Josh Evans, who produced PJ’s most recent full-length, last year’s Gigaton. As he did with that album, Evans has given Ten and No Code an immersive makeover using Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio, adding even more detail and nuance to the classic tracks. As Evans explained in a press release, “These two a...
Halsey Unveils New Album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power: Stream
Halsey has released her fourth album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, via Capitol Records. Stream it below. Executive produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the album leans into the pop star’s love for alt rock, and unlike past albums, Halsey eschewed the typical roll-out by choosing not to release a single song ahead of the body of work’s unveiling. While the tracklist is devoid of collabs or credited guests, Halsey did enlist the likes of Dave Grohl, Lindsey Buckingham, TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, Meat Beat Manifesto’s Jack Dangers to add their instrumental expertise to various tracks. Advertisement Related Video “This album is a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth,” Halsey shared on Instagram when she announced the album back in June. “It was v...
Indigo De Souza Releases New Album Any Shape You Take: Stream
North Carolina artist Indigo De Souza has just released her new indie pop album Any Shape You Take. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. Any Shape You Take is a lyrical exploration of change and the dramatic role it plays in the human experience. A musician since childhood, De Souza co-produced the album with Brad Cook, who’s also worked with Bon Iver and Waxahatchee in the past. It was recorded at Betty’s, the Chapel Hill studio of fellow North Carolinians Sylvan Esso. Since announcing the record would come out on Saddle Creek, De Souza has shared a handful of songs from Any Shape You Take these past few months. Lead single “Kill Me” saw her revisiting a 2018 video she filmed of herself discussing what it’s like to live with mental illness. Meanwhile, “Hold U” is a tender take on f...
Sleigh Bells Share New Song “Justine Go Genesis”: Stream
Sleigh Bells have shared the frenzied and lively “Justine Go Genesis,” the latest single off their upcoming album, Texis, due out September 10th. Watch the music video below. Driven by a muscular guitar riff and fast-paced drums, “Justine Go Genesis” features a powerhouse performance by Sleigh Bells singer Alexis Krauss. “I’m a cavity comedy girl/ The best night of your life,” she pronounces. “I really wanna blow your mind/ But I haven’t got the time.” The noise pop duo started working on the song back in 2018, when producer/guitarist Derek Miller first sent Krauss an early demo. She wrote the catchy melody within a few hours of receiving the track, resulting in a sound mixing elements of Metallica, Spice Girls, and ‘90s drum and bass. Advertisement Related Video Directed by Alex Ross Perr...
The Fiery Furnaces Announce First Tour Dates in a Decade
The Fiery Furnaces are hitting the road. Today, the reunited indie rock duo announced they’re heading out on a three-date mini tour across the US this fall, which mark their first shows together in a decade. Following their previously-announced appearance next month at the Pitchfork Music Festival, the band will kick off the trio of dates on November 13th at Brooklyn Steel in New York City, followed by shows in Chicago on the 15th and Los Angeles on the 17th. For all three dates, Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger be joined by special guest Fred Armisen. “We’re very excited to be playing again, to get a chance to do new things with old stuff, or old things with new people,” the band said in a statement. “And we’re very happy to have Fred opening the shows. We’ll be six on stage, joined by Bri...
Marissa Nadler Announces New Album The Path of the Clouds, Shares “Bessie, Did You Make It?”: Stream
Marissa Nadler is gearing up to release her ninth studio album. The Path of the Clouds, the forthcoming LP from the Boston singer-songwriter, arrives October 29th via Sacred Bones and Bella Union. As a preview of what’s to come, Nadler has shared the album’s opening track, “Bessie, Did You Make It?,” along with the song’s pensive music video. Nadler wrote the bulk of The Path of the Clouds in quarantine, during which she found an odd solace in the documentary series Unsolved Mysteries. The show’s frequent topics of cold cases and paranormal wonders pushed Nadler to go for a similarly eerie approach with The Path of the Clouds, which sees her grow in her musical exploration. Here, reality and the metaphysical feel less distinct from each other, driven by simultaneous anxiety and curiosity a...
Explosions in the Sky Announce New Album Big Bend, Share “Climbing Bears”: Stream
Explosions in the Sky ascended to indie rock stardom in the 2000s thanks to a beloved piece of Texas pop culture, Friday Night Lights; now, the Austin-based band are even further cementing themselves into Lone Star State canon with their latest project. Explosions in the Sky are readying the release of Big Bend (An Original Soundtrack for Public Television), a standalone album that builds off their score for the recent PBS documentary, Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas. Along with their two-decade career of studio albums, Explosions in the Sky have also been around the block when it comes to composing film soundtracks. Back in 2019, they were approached to create the score for Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas, an hour-long film that landed on PBS in early 2021. The documentary captu...
R.E.M. Announce New Adventures in Hi-Fi 25th Anniversary Reissue, Share “Leave (Alternate Version)”: Stream
R.E.M. have announced a 25th anniversary reissue of their 1996 album, New Adventures in Hi-Fi, due out October 29th via Craft Recordings. As a preview, the legendary Athens, Georgia rockers have shared an alternate version of “Leave,” which you can stream below. The deluxe CD edition includes three discs featuring newly remastered audio, 13 B-sides and rarities, and a Blu-ray containing an unreleased film that was originally projected on buildings to promote the album’s release. The Blu-ray also features five HD-restored music videos from the New Adventures in Hi-Fi era. It’s all packaged in a 52-page hardcover book with new liner notes from journalist Mark Blackwell, archival photographs, and commentary from all four original band members, Patti Smith, Thom Yorke, and producer Scott Litt....
The Killers Perform “Mr. Brightside” Backstage at We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert: Watch
The massive We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert was shut down early due to severe weather caused by Hurricane Henri. But before the event was officially canceled, several artists stuck around backstage, holding out hope that they’d be able to perform once the weather cleared. In an especially surreal scene, The Killers staged an intimate performance of “Mr. Brightside” in their dressing room backstage — which was aired live on CNN, courtesy of CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King, who may or may not have been heavily intoxicated. CNN, which was the broadcast home of We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert, had Anderson Cooper anchor the rain delay. Several of the participating artists called in via cell phone to chat with Cooper, including Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, and Elvis Costello. But the ...
Jeff Ament’s Art Helped Define Pearl Jam
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Radio Public | Pocket Casts | RSS While Season 16 of the Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus focuses on the unparalleled musical legacy Ten, it’s important to note of Pearl Jam has been defined as much by their visuals as their sound. On Episode 2, we explore how bassist Jeff Ament not only contributed to Pearl Jam’s sonics, but their imagery as well. Advertisement Related Video In fact, Ament may be the owner of the most recognizable handwriting in rock. Starting with the album art for Temple of the Dog, his designs and penmanship became a part of the optical brand for not just Pearl Jam, but for other Seattle music-based projects like the 1992 Cameron ...
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Announce B-Sides & Rarities Part II, Share Unreleased Song “Vortex”: Stream
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have announced a new rarities and B-sides compilation collecting material from the second half of their storied career. B-Sides & Rarities Part II is set for release on double vinyl, double CD, deluxe double CD, and all digital platforms starting October 22nd. As its title implies, its the second such release from the band, following 2005’s B-Sides & Rarities Part I. Part II includes 27 rare or unreleased tracks from 2006-2020, including first recordings of “Skeleton Tree,” “Girl In Amber,” and “Bright Horses.” Also present is a previously unreleased song called “Vortex,” which was originally recorded in 2006 by Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey, and Jim Sclavunos. “As the band were never able to define the song as either Grinderman or Bad Seeds, it ...
