Indie
Sylvan Esso Announce Fall 2021 US Tour Dates
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-05-11T16:47:50+00:00“>May 11, 2021 | 12:47pm ET Sylvan Esso are returning to the road in support of last year’s Free Love. The synthpop duo has announced a string of 2021 US tour dates for this fall. After Sylvan Esso performs at Bonnaroo’s Saturday night Superjam with the 10-piece band which played on their December With Love EP, the “Shaking Out the Numb” tour will launch on September 6th at the Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon, and continue through mid-November. Additional cities on the docket include Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, Boston, and a pair of shows at New York’s Terminal 5 to close out the trek. The group also has a slot lined up for Firefly Music Festival in Septemb...
Glass Animals Announce 2021-22 Dates for “Dreamland Tour” of North America
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-05-04T19:11:32+00:00“>May 4, 2021 | 3:11pm ET Glass Animals have announced the massive “Dreamland Tour” in support of their 2020 album Dreamland. The British outfit will be make 41 stops on this North American odyssey. Like most of the tour announcements we’ve seen this year, “Dreamland” begins at the tail end of August, to better give vaccines time to do their work. The dates include previously-announced stops at Red Rocks, as well as the festivals Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, and Life Is Beautiful. The group has shows through October of this year, before pausing and picking back up again in March of 2022. Tickets go on sale Thursday, May 6th, at 10 am local time through...
Wild Pink Cover Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, and Carly Rae Jepsen on New EP 6 Cover Songs: Stream
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-16T17:10:39+00:00“>April 16, 2021 | 1:10pm ET Brooklyn trio Wild Pink have released a covers EP fittingly titled 6 Cover Songs. Stream it below via Bandcamp. The project finds the John Ross-led group taking on songs like Taylor Swift’s “We’re Never Ever Getting Back Together”, Bruce Springsteen’s “When You’re Alone”, and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Favourite Colour”, as well as Coldplay’s “Reign of Love”. Wild Pink also share their acoustic guitar and piano take on the iconic Jeopardy theme. In a statement, Ross explained how he choose the songs to cover. “‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ is by far my favorite Taylor Swift song though ‘Favorite Colour’ is just one of a few perso...
Uwade Shares Stunning New Song “The Man Who Sees Tomorrow”: Stream
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-16T17:47:02+00:00“>April 16, 2021 | 1:47pm ET Nigerian-American folk singer Uwade has released a stunning new song, “The Man Who Sees Tomorrow”, alongside a cover of Edo singer Sir Victor Uwaifo’s “Lodarore”. Stream both tracks below. “The Man Who Sees Tomorrow” is a stirring ode dedicated to her late father, Dr. James I. Akhere, and features heartbreaking lyrics delivered in Uwade’s warm, rich tone. “If time is all we have,” she sings. “I promise not to waste it/ And everything you are/ I know I can’t replace/ But I’ll see you on the other side.” “When I lost my father in August of 2020 I was devastated. Grief was like lead in my blood,” Uwade recalled in a statement. “It made e...
Arcade Fire Release 45-Minute Instrumental Track “Memories of the Age of Anxiety”
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-15T02:36:45+00:00“>April 14, 2021 | 10:36pm ET Arcade Fire have released a 45-minute instrumental track called “Memories of the Age of Anxiety”. The catch? You can only hear it on the meditation app Headspace. The song is technically a partnership between the Canadian indie-rock legends and the mindfulness company, whose popular app features all sorts of sounds for relaxation and/or concentration. In a post on the band’s Instagram page that reads like ad copy, the band describe the composition as “meditative vibes to help you focus and feel inspired.” From the short audio clip they attached with the message, it does sound like an apt description. Similar to their lauded Her ...
Becca Mancari Unveils New EP Juniata: Stream
Indie folk songwriter Becca Mancari has unveiled her new EP Juniata, out via Captured Tracks. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. The project, which she announced last month, is her first collection of new material since her 2020 sophomore LP, The Greatest Part, which earned her Artist of the Month honors and placement on our best albums of 2020 list. That record was produced by Paramore’s Zac Farro, and it saw the Nashville-based singer-songwriter strike a fine balance between dusty indie-folk and brisk indie rock. This new offering slows things down quite a bit. The only brand new track on here is its lead single “Annie”, while the other three are acoustic renditions of The Greatest Part cuts “First Time”, “Bad Feeling”, and “Stay with Me”. The project is a great opport...
Charles Caldas, Ex-Merlin CEO, Talks Exceleration Music
Prior to leaving at the end of 2019, Caldas had struck licensing deals with Spotify, YouTube, Deezer, SoundCloud, Pandora, Facebook, Tencent and more. Merlin is a multiple winner of the A2IM Libera Awards’ Independent Champion honor, Caldas is a recipient of the Indie Champion honor at the AIM Independent Music Awards. Post-Merlin, Caldas stayed true to his independent roots by joining the newly-formed Exceleration Music, spearheaded by former Concord Music Group CEO Glen Barros with a calling to “invest in the future of independent labels and artists.” Unveiled earlier in the year, its mission statement touts a values-led approach to investment and acquisition, and a mindset of preserving and building on the legacies of labels and the artists the venture works with, with an eye to a...
Michael Gudinski’s State Memorial Set For Rod Laver Arena
The 15,000-capacity first opened its doors for a concert back in 1988, when AC/DC rocked the house. In the years since, Gudinski’s Mushroom Group and Frontier Touring have brought some of the world’s biggest artists to Melbourne & Olympic Parks, including Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, and Ed Sheeran. Gudinski passed away last Monday (March 1), at the age of 68. As news spread, Rod Laver Arena and the neighboring AAMI Park were lit up as a mark of respect. Last Wednesday, Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the music man would be remembered “somewhere iconic that we can come together and celebrate his life.” He continued, “It will be a celebration of his life; the details will be finalized in coming days. It’s got to be COVID-safe of co...
Julien Baker Gives Stirring Performance of “Hardline” on Seth Meyers: Watch
Julien Baker supported the release of her brilliant new solo album Little Oblivions with an appearance on Monday’s edition of Late Night with Seth Meyers. Accompanied by a full band, Baker delivered a stirring performance of the album’s opening track, “Hardline”. Catch the replay below. Little Oblivions, Baker’s third solo album to date, was released last Friday. In her review of the album for Consequence, Natalia Barr called Little Oblivions a remarkable and devastatingly honest listen that finds Baker searching for answers that refuse to come easily. Also revisit Baker’s recent appearance on Going There with Dr. Mike, where she spoke candidly about her history with depression and OCD. [embedded content] Related You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Onlin...
Phoebe Bridgers Guitar Smashes Her Way Into SNL Lore With Epic Two Song Performance: Watch
Phoebe Bridgers proved to be one of the few bright spots of 2020, as the talented Los Angeles-based songwriter managed to become a full-blown superstar while hunkered down in quarantine. She released one of the year’s best albums with Punisher. She then proceeded to deliver memorable covers of Radiohead, John Prine, and Goo Goo Dolls; launched her very own record label; made a music video with Phoebe Waller-Bridge; and recorded and released another collection of music with Copycat Killer EP. All the while, she masterfully navigated the limitations of performing remotely, setting a standard that few have been able to match (see: her bathtub performance on Kimmel, her karaoke rendition of “Kyoto” on Colbert, and her NPR Tiny Desk set, to name just a few). For her efforts, Bridgers was honore...
Rostam Shares New Solo Song “These Kids We Knew”: Stream
Last month, Rostam set Amanda Gorman’s now-famous Inauguration poem to music using piano arrangements. The former Vampire Weekend member is back today, this time with a dazzling original song of his own dubbed “These Kids We Knew”. Stream it below. This new offering revolves around a musical pulse meant to reflect the innocence of youth and the impermanence of stability. According to a press release, Rostam wrote “These Kids We Knew” in a “fever-dream state” in March of last year — during which he was recovering from COVID-19 — while reflecting on the push and pull of societal responsibility. “I was thinking of three generations while I was writing this song,” he explained. “There’s a generation of adults who don’t see global warming as their problem because they think they won’t...
The Staves on Being Influenced by The War on Drugs
Kyle Meredith With… The Staves Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS The Staves return with Good Woman, a record that finds the trio of sisters at their most honest amidst volatile times. Both Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor join Kyle Meredith to discuss whether or not they wanted to continue as an outfit, having songwriting in their lives, working with producer John Congleton, experimenting with their sound, and taking inspiration from The War on Drugs. Bonus: We’ve also included a 2017 interview with Jessica. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Meredith digs deep i...
