Indie Rock
Over 700 Independent Musicians Sign Open Letter Asking Congress for COVID-19 Relief
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, over 700 musicians have signed an open letter asking the US Congress to increase relief measures for artists. A wide range of acts have signed the petition so far, including Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto, Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo, Deafheaven, Julia Holter, Charly Bliss, and Jeff Rosenstock. The newly formed Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) penned the letter as a way to ask their government representatives — especially Speaker Pelosi, Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and leaders of the Congressional Arts Caucus — to consider more helpful COVID-19 relief measures for artists. To make contacting representatives easier, the union has created a special phone number to connect callers to the aforementioned offices, the prompts of which ar...
Justin Vernon Side-Project GAYNGS Return with New Song “Appeayl 2 U”: Stream
Right around the same time Justin Vernon began working on some Kanye West classics, the Bon Iver songwriter was also making ’80s soft rock as part of Midwestern supergroup GAYNGS. The band, which was also led by Poliça member Ryan Olson, put out just one album in 2010 before going on an extended hiatus. Now, Vernon, Olson & co. have returned with a comeback single called “Appeayl 2 U”. According to song credits listed on Bandcamp, the new song features Vernon on synths and guitar, while Olson provided production throughout. There are a few other returning GAYNGS members, such as keyboardist Jake Luck of Leisure Birds and Michael Lewis, saxophonist for Andrew Bird. Also appearing are Velvet Negroni, Naeem Juwan (aka Spank Rock), Minneapolis poet and songwriter Dua Saleh, and R&B art...
New Music Friday: 5 Albums to Stream
New Music Friday with Jason Isbell (photo by Ben Kaye), Perfume Genius, and Kamasi Washington (photo by Russell Hamilton) Every Friday, Consequence of Sound rounds up some of the week’s noteworthy new album releases into one nifty streaming post. Today, May 15th, brings fresh jams from folks like Jason Isbell, Joe Wong, and Kamasi Washington, as well as Perfume Genius, Moses Sumney, and Alma. Also be sure to check out new albums from Charli XCX, Polo G, and Future, and new live records from David Bowie and Prince. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Reunions <img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1029993" data-attachment-id="1029993" data-permalink="https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/04/jason-isbell-moves-album-release-date-indie-record-stores/jason-isbell-reu...
The Killers Dedicate “Caution” Performance on Fallon to Frontline Workers: Watch
The Killers may not be able to hit the road due to the pandemic, but they’ve certainly been making the rounds on the TV circuit. In support of forthcoming album Imploding the Mirage, Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and CBS This Morning. On Wednesday, the pair continued their streak by performing an at-home edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Broadcasting from a remote location, Flowers and Vannucci rolled out early single “Caution”. Though it was only just the two of them at the helms, their homemade, stripped-back rendition still captured the spark of The Killers’ songwriting prowess. Prior to the performance, Vannucci dedicated the song to workers “who are putting themselves out on the frontlines helping e...
St. Vincent Performs “New York” Acoustic at BAM Virtual Gala: Watch
St. Vincent The annual Brooklyn Academy of Music’s annual gala went virtual on Wednesday as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While it wasn’t the usual red-carpeted banquet affair, the stars still came out to celebrate and raise money for the BAM community. The evening saw a number of special guest performers, but they saved the best for last. To conclude the fundraiser, St. Vincent hopped on video chat to play an acoustic version of her 2017 single “New York” with dark, moody visuals. The BAM Virtual Gala was a tribute to this year’s honorees: actress Cate Blanchett, writer Zadie Smith, and philanthropist Jeanne Donovan Fisher. After presenting special at-home versions of the previously scheduled choir, dance, and art performances, the hour-long event closed with Annie Clark’s in...
KennyHoopla Releases New Single “plastic door//”: Stream
Genre-bending artist KennyHoopla is back with a new single called “plastic door//” via Mogul Vision/Arista Records. He’s also shared homemade music video to go along with it. “plastic door//” is the second track we’ve heard from KennyHoopla’s upcoming EP, how will i rest in peace if I’m buried by a highway?//, which officially drops this Friday, May 15th. It follows “the world is flat and this is the edge//”. For such a short release, the EP is chalk-full of bangers, from indie pop swooners to disco-ready dances. There’s plenty to absorb, and thankfully you can get exclusive insight into KennyHoopla’s inspirations when he takes over the Consequence of Sound Instagram this Sunday. Musically, “plastic door//” sees KennyHoopla digging into yet another sub-genre. This time, he blends mell...
The 1975 Pay Tribute to Their Friends on New Song “Guys”: Stream
The 1975 are now just weeks away from the release of their new album, Notes on a Conditional Form. In anticipation, they’re sharing yet another single in “Guys”, and it’s dedicated to some very special people. While last month’s “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” saw Matt Healy indulge in salacious conversations with a significant other, today’s offering is focused entirely on the British band’s close buddies. Editors’ Picks “It came quite easy, that song,” Healy told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, “but I think I just wanted to write a love letter to friendship, as opposed to every love song being about our romantic relationships. I think that our friendships are obviously our most formative relationships.” He added, “So shout out to the homies.” Stream the smooth cut below, and then head h...
The Beths Second-Guess the Future on New Single “I’m Not Getting Excited”: Stream
This summer, The Beths will return with a sophomore album called Jump Rope Gazers. After previewing the release with last month’s “Dying to Believe”, the New Zealand indie pop outfit is unboxing a new single in “I’m Not Getting Excited”. While musically a jumpy, driving number, its subject matter is about denying oneself the freedom to enjoy excitement and success — all because of constant second-guessing. In a statement, lead singer Elizabeth Stokes explained this case of imposter syndrome, “People always ask ‘are you excited!?’ and it’s a fair question, because exciting things do happen to us sometimes. Support slots, overseas tours, music releases. Stuff we’ve dreamed about for years. So the correct answer is always ‘yes.’ But the truth is that deep down there’s a tiny Liz saying, ‘don’...
Hundreds of Hard-to-Find Peel Sessions Cataloged on YouTube
John Peel’s BBC 1 radio show was iconic at the time it aired. In hindsight, it’s only grown all the more legendary. The legendary broadcaster recorded over 4,000 sessions with over 2,000 artists, which is, objectively speaking, a lot. To help make sorting through the Peel Sessions archive easier, angel-in-disguise and blogger Dave Strickson has uploaded and alphabetized hundreds of available recordings from the show to stream online (via BrooklynVegan). Most of the original studio sessions from Peel’s radio show were released as Peel Session EPs by his label, Strange Fruit Records, but many of those are unavailable to stream online. Thankfully, listeners occasionally upload those almost-lost-to-time recordings to YouTube. That’s where Strickson comes in. To help make the process of di...
Ben Gibbard Performs All-Beatles Covers Livestream: Watch
Ben Gibbard continued his weekly livestream series on Thursday with an all-Beatles cover special edition. Like we’ve been doing all week, the Death Cab for Cutie frontman was celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatle’s final album, Let It Be. Even so, he didn’t actually play any Let It Be tracks, instead opening with “I’m so Tired” off The White Album and “For No One” from Revolver. He later played “Here, There & Everywhere” and “I’m Only Sleeping” off the latter LP, and delivered the former’s “I Will” on piano. He also played the Rubber Soul cut “You Won’t See Me” on the keys before returning to acoustic guitar for that record’s “I’m Looking Through You” and “In My Life”. A Hard Day’s Night also made an appearance with “I’m Happy to Dance with You”. In the middle of the set,...
Hayley Williams’ Petals for Armor Discovers the Strength in Vulnerability: Review
The Lowdown: Hayley Williams once said on the writing of Paramore’s Brand New Eyes album, “Some of it hurt, some of it was like, ‘Am I being too honest even with myself?’’’ Honesty has long been a trend with Williams’ approach to music-making; she’s been the principal songwriter for Paramore since 2005, and her scathing, dynamic vocals have granted her ever-evolving lyrics the perfect expression of painful, angry, at times heartbroken truth. On Petals for Armor, she dives inward at a new level, using dark pop melodies to not only vocalize her innermost thoughts, but also battle them, untangle them, and reckon with them in a way that feels personal to her own experience. She sings on the blistering “Watch Me While I Bloom”, “You only got one side of me/ Here’s something new/ I’m alive in sp...
Kandle Drops Two New Songs “How Can You Hurt Me” and “Little Bad Things”: Stream
British Columbia-born singer-songwriter Kandle Osborne has the voice, creativity, and lyrical insight to lift your mood, no matter how low you’re feeling. She’s been getting well-deserved hype under her moniker Kandle, and today you can see why with two brand new songs — “How Can You Hurt Me” and “Little Bad Things” — that she just shared. Kandle has spent her quarantined days during the coronavirus pandemic recording songs for Untitled, her fourth album. Both of these new tracks come from the upcoming full-length and, considering the situation in which she produced them, sound pretty dang impressive. In a press release, Kandle explained that “How Can You Hurt Me” came about as a way to reckon with how a breakup impacts her, particularly in regards to keeping track of who she is. “The prem...
