Indie Rock
Phil Elverum Announces The First Microphones Album in 17 Years, Microphones in 2020
Phil Elverum has reactivated The Microphones for the project’s first album in 17 years, Microphones in 2020. The effort — comprising a single, 40-minute-long song — is due out August 7th via the musician’s own P.W. Elverum & Sun. The Microphones’ last release was 2003’s Mount Eerie, a name which Elverum began performing under not long after. In a press release, Elverum said that regardless of the name, his work has always been about “exploring autobiographically in sound and words with occasional loose participation from friends.” Last year, he delivered a rare performance as The Microphones for “no big reason.” However, the attention and interest garnered by that show at the small “What the Heck?” event in Anacortes, Washington inspired him to “step back into ...
Bully Announce New Album Sugaregg, Share Chumbawamba-Inspired “Where to Start”: Stream
Last month, Bully released quarantine-style covers of Nirvana and Orville Peck, as well as teased that a forthcoming album was on the way. Today, the CoSigned rock outfit has formally announced their new record: Sugaregg is due out August 21st through Sub Pop. The new LP is Bully’s third overall and follow-up to Losing from 2017. It was mixed with studio veteran John Congleton (St. Vincent, Cloud Nothings) and represents a shift in approach for leader Alicia Bognanno. “There was a change that needed to happen and it happened on this record,” she told Rolling Stone. “Derailing my ego and insecurities allowed me to give these songs the attention they deserved.” Compared to its predecessor, Sugaregg features “more songs about erratic, dysfunctional love in an upbeat way, like, ‘I’m going down...
Built to Spill Reveal New Daniel Johnston Tribute Album: Stream
Daniel Johnston (photo by Amy Price) and Built to Spill (photo by David Brendan Hall) Built to Spill have released their new covers album dedicated to Daniel Johnston. Stream Built to Spill Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston in full below via Bandcamp. Out via Ernest Jenning Record Co., their tribute to the lo-fi songwriting legend spans 11 tracks. All the recordings — which include takes on “Tell Me Now”, “Life in Vain”, and “Impossible Love” — were taken from rehearsal sessions Built to Spill held in 2017 while serving as the backing band on Johnston’s final tour. “It was pretty special for us,” Built to Spill frontman Doug Martsch told Rolling Stone. “Basically we wanted to get good documentation of what our rehearsals were like. It was a lot heavier than what I thought it would be.” Ac...
Shamir Basks in Independence on New Song “On My Own”: Stream
Earlier this year, Shamir dropped a mini-album called Cataclysm. Now, he’s back with a poppy new song called “On My Own”. The track is the lead single from an upcoming album that will supposedly be his most accessible since his 2015 debut, Ratchet. After emerging as a glitzy disco and dance-pop artist on XL Recordings, Shamir became disillusioned with mainstream stardom and retreated to making lo-fi, insular indie rock for many years. “On My Own” isn’t a return to the glossy club music of Ratchet, but it is the most outwardly catchy and upbeat song he’s released in a long time. Over peppy drums, a sprightly bassline, and guitar riffs that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Cherry Glazerr LP, the Philly-based songwriter sings defiantly about regaining independence after a breakup. Conven...
Car Seat Headrest on Alternate Personas and Class Divide
Kyle Meredith With… Car Seat Headrest Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Car Seat Headrest mastermind Will Toledo calls in to Kyle Meredith to talk about Making A Door Less Open. Together, they discuss the need to find a style and sound, working with existing samples to create something new, and customizing the vinyl, CD, and streaming editions to be their own unique listening experience. Toledo also discusses the invention of an alternate persona named Trait, how theatrics in rock music has become a lost art form, and the ways new single “Hollywood” speaks to class divide and being an outsider. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a...
Hinds Give a Track by Track Breakdown of New Album The Prettiest Curse: Stream
With Track by Track, we give artists the chance to take their fans through their latest album one song at a time. Today, Hinds reveal how they cast The Prettiest Curse. After a delay precipitated by the ongoing pandemic, Hinds have today released their new album, The Prettiest Curse. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. While the band’s sophomore album, I Don’t Run, and its predecessor, 2016’s Leave Me Alone, were steeped in lo-fi indie, the Madrid quartet take a turn towards a cleaner garage pop sound with their third full-length. Producer Jennifer Decilveo (The Wombats, Bat for Lashes, Joseph) helped Hinds find balance between their raw live energy and crisp melodies for the tightest LP from the band yet. In a note posted to Twitter on Thursday (June 4th), Hinds ac...
New Music Friday: 4 Albums to Stream
Sonic Boom (photo by Ian Witchell), Hinds (photo by Andrea Savall), and Muzz’s Paul Banks (photo by Ben Kaye) Every Friday, Consequence of Sound rounds up some of the week’s noteworthy new album releases into one nifty streaming post. Today, June 5th, brings fresh records from folks like Sonic Boom, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Paul Banks’ indie supergroup Muzz, and Hinds. Sonic Boom – All Things Being Equal <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1023694" data-attachment-id="1023694" data-permalink="https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/04/stream-sonic-boom-the-way-that-you-live-song-video/sonic-boom-the-way-you-live-new-song-stream/" data-orig-file="https://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/sonic-boom-the-way-you-live-new-so...
Mark Duplass on How Playing Music Informed His Filmmaking
Kyle Meredith With… Mark Duplass Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Filmmaker Mark Duplass speaks with Kyle Meredith about Volcano, I’m Still Excited!!, the band he fronted in the early 2000’s whose debut EP has been re-released on Polyvinyl Records. Duplass takes us back through the history of the group, which found him switching to keyboards after spending the ’90s as “an overly earnest singer-songwriter.” He also discusses his influences, his classical music upbringing, and ultimately his decision to leave it all behind to make movies. Even so, Duplass shares how he applies what he learned during those years to film projects that he’s worked on over the past couple decades. Kyle M...
Switchfoot Cover Frank Ocean, Vampire Weekend, Harry Styles, and More on New EP
In addition to writing new music, artists have been spending plenty of their quarantine time covering songs they hold dear. We’ve seen James Blake take on Joni Mitchell, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo put his spin on Nirvana, and Incubus’ Brandon Boyd take a crack at Beach House. Switchfoot, the alt-rock outfit best known for that one 2004 Christian chart-topper, are also following suit with a new covers EP, though it features some very unexpected selections. Simply titled Covers, the upcoming effort sees Switchfoot branching out beyond their religious rock to reimagine originals by Frank Ocean (“Swim Good”), Vampire Weekend (“Harmony Hall”), and Harry Styles (“Lights Up”). There are also renditions of “Lucky Man” by The Verve and “Sick Boy” by The Chainsmokers. In a statement about the EP’s v...
beabadoobee and Jay Som Join No Rome on New Single “Hurry Home”: Stream
Two years ago, No Rome scored a hit with “Narcissist”, a single featuring The 1975. The London-based songwriter and producer is now releasing another guest-heavy track in “Hurry Home”, which boasts assists from fellow Filipino artists beabadoobee and Jay Som. On the new collaboration, the three young talents take turns airing out their frustrations over a relationship that’s barely hanging on by a thread. “You’ve been running around my mind for a couple of weeks/ Guess that’s why it’s hard for me to fall asleep,” beabadoobee opens, while Jay Som’s later verse sees her finding “it hard to know that/ I can’t replace you yet.” An aching No Rome handles the chorus, determinedly singing, “I want to see you but it’s gonna hurt/ We got some problems but we’ll make it work.” Musically, “Hurry Home...
Crowdfunding Campaign Launched to Save Boston Venue Great Scott
Last month, Boston music venue Great Scott announced it was closing due to disagreements with the landlord. Because it’s a local institution, the public reaction was huge, with people working on multiple petitions and fundraising efforts to benefit the staff. Now, a community investment campaign has been launched by Great Scott’s booking agent, Carl Lavin, to save the beloved venue. Earlier this week, Lavin announced he’s partnering with Mainvest — an investment crowdfunding platform focused on helping local businesses — to raise money to re-open Great Scott for good, reports Vanyaland. Frank Strenk, the venue’s longtime owner, came to an agreement with Lavin to transfer the venue’s intellectual property, its liquor license, and the ability to negotiate a lease with Oak Hill Properties — t...
Ben Gibbard Shares New Single “Proxima B”, Covers Minor Threats” Filler”: Stream
Ben Gibbard may be having one of the busiest lockdowns in music. In addition to covering everyone from Radiohead to Phoebe Bridgers to The Beatles during his weekly livestreams, the Death Cab for Cutie frontman has released the charity single “Life in Quarantine”, performed the song on Colbert, and taken part in a number of charity concerts. Today, he’s back with another new track, “Proxima B”. The mid-tempo strummer was originally debuted live when Gibbard performed at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum’s virtual concert Space Songs: Through the Distance. He later played it during his from-home livestream. While both those renditions were acoustic, the studio version of “Proxima B” features complete instrumentation, contemplative synth sounds blowing gently beneath opt...
