julien baker
Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, Julien Baker Announce Co-Headlining Tour
Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, and Julien Baker just detailed their upcoming The Wild Hearts Tour, embarking together throughout North America. The co-headlining stint takes off in July for a 20-date run until August. “I’m so thrilled to be traveling and playing music alongside Spencer., Julien Baker and Sharon Van Etten,” Olsen said. “It’s truly a dream, something to hold and share collaboratively as we get out from under the last few years.” Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. local time Friday, January 14. Each artist will play with their own respective band, and artist Spencer. is scheduled to support on all dates. The tour consists of mostly outdoor venues, besides the stops on July 23 at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and on August 12 at Massey Hall in Toronto. The Wild H...
The 30 Best Songs of 2021
A pair of rappers pulling off the best Tom Tom Club sample since Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” (G Perico & Rucci), an iconic New Wave band trafficking in tongue-in-cheek nostalgia (Duran Duran), a blackgaze act embracing their love of vocal harmony (Deafheaven), and psych-rockers using the shopping mall as a metaphor for capitalist greed (My Morning Jacket) — SPIN‘s 30 Best Songs of 2021 offer something for everyone. For our latest year-end track recap, we kept our overall sorting process the same as 2020: For a cut to be eligible, it needed to be one of two things: 1) a stand-alone single released in 2021 or 2) part of an album issued in 2021. 30. Beatrice Deer – “The Storm” The sound is so simple that, at first, it feels almost formless: a primal drum groove, shards of metallic elect...
The 30 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)
Best Album lists tend to earn all the internet hype — it always feels like a somewhat serious, academic endeavor, adding to the pantheon of OK Computers and To Pimp a Butterflys. But Best Songs lists are weirder, messier, even more challenging on a nuts and bolts level. (When was this song released? When was the album released? Does it need to be singles only?) While LP lists tend to follow the critical consensus, songs lists are harder to predict. And that makes them fun to explore. Below, we gathered our 30 favorite tracks of 2021 so far. (In this case, we decided songs from any 2021 albums were on the table.) And as you’ll notice, we swerved all over the map — from Bieber to Black Country, New Road. Let’s meet back here in six months and see how things shake out. Bachelor – “Anything At...
Foo Fighters, Tame Impala, Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator Highlight Bonnaroo Lineup
As the country grapples with what the re-start of the live music industry will look like, Bonnaroo 2021 has shared a lineup that includes the Foo Fighters, Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Tame Impala, Tyler, the Creator, Lana Del Rey and more will take place down on The Farm in Manchester, Tennessee from Sept. 2 through Sept. 5. Strict COVID protocols will be in place, in accordance with local health and safety regulations, according to the festival’s website. The “safety of its fans, artists, and staff [are] a top priority,” according to the Bonnaroo press materials. “Organizers as always will be in regular communication with local health and public safety officials and will continue to abide by relevant recommendations.” The fest promises that “Bonnaroovians will receive regular updates with...
Julien Baker Embraces the Darkness on Little Oblivions
When Julien Baker toured in support of 2017’s delicately devastating Turn Out The Lights, her audiences stood suspended in time. No cheers or sing-alongs, just several hundred bodies frozen in arrest, observing the solo songwriter as she wailed tunes of broken love, tattered faith and crumbling mental health. While much of Baker’s new LP, Little Oblivions, hits similarly soul-ravaging notes, its accompanying stage show — whenever it comes — will be forced to liven up, emboldened by the ripe drum samples and swirling synth that drive the Memphis artist’s new sound. Hell, people may even dance! The robust arrangements, plucking from modern rock and Americana, do well to mask what is easily Baker’s most candid, heartrending lyricism yet — an unflinching gaze into the mirror, with ...
Julien Baker Releases New Single, ‘Hardline’
For those eagerly awaiting the release of next month’s Little Oblivions from Julien Baker, the new single “Hardline” gives a taste of what’s to come. The 25-year-old songwriter’s latest features the kind of folksy and catchy catharsis fans have come to expect from her, alongside a stop-motion music video that looks to be a solid use of some quarantine free time. With the album due out Feb. 26 (Matador Records), “Hardline” builds on the foundation put down by October’s first single, “Faith Healer.” As Little Oblivions’ first track, it also seems to appropriately set the mood for what people should expect from one of the generation’s best emotional indie rock songstresses. Check out the video for “Hardline” below. [embedded content] Baker also appeared on Seattle’s KEXP for a ...
Hayley Williams Performs Petals for Armor Songs for Tiny Desk (Home) Set
Hayley Williams released her first solo album, Petals for Armor, back in May. A lot has obviously happened since then for the Paramore singer, including the postponement of her first solo tour, which would have seen her head to Europe and then the States. Instead of playing live shows, Williams performed at home over the summer, and recently, at a Ruth Bader Ginsburg tribute show. Today, Williams appeared as the latest artist to perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, joined by a team of ace musicians including Julien Baker, Becca Mancari, bassist Joey Howard, and drummer Aaron Steele. From the album, Williams played “Pure Love,” “Taken,” and “Dead Horse.” The performance was a first, Williams admitting she had “never done this without Paramore.” Watch the set below. [emb...
Dashboard Confessional, Julien Baker and More Cover Holiday Classics for Spotify Playlist
Dashboard Confessional, Julien Baker and VÉRITÉ are some of the artists who have contributed tunes for this year’s set of new holiday singles for Spotify’s ever-growing playlist. Going into its third year, Spotify Singles: Holiday Collection sees Dashboard Confessional taking on Elvis Presley’s infamous “Blue Christmas.” “I’ve always loved Christmas songs and I’ve always loved Elvis,” Dashboard Confessional said in a statement. “What better choice could I have made for our Spotify Single than ‘Blue Christmas’. We delved into some seriously dreamy territory for our take on this classic Christmas song.” Meanwhile, Baker put her twist on “A Dreamer’s Holiday” — a ’40s track that was recorded by both Perry Como and Buddy C...
Julien Baker Announces Little Oblivions, Shares ‘Faith Healer’
Julien Baker has just shared a glimpse of what will be coming from her upcoming third album, Little Oblivions. Directed by Daniel Henry, the video for “Faith Healer” shows empty rooms filled with things, an ongoing brawl between two people and individuals who are left alone to their own devices. And while all of that splashes across your screen, Baker appears singing. [embedded content] She explains the meaning betwen the song below: “Put most simply, I think that ‘Faith Healer’ is a song about vices, both the obvious and the more insidious ways that they show up in the human experience. I started writing this song 2 years ago and it began as a very literal examination of addiction. For awhile, I only had the first verse, which is just a really candid confrontation of the cognitive dissona...
Jim James, Colin Meloy, Valerie June and More Cover Burt Bacharach in Newport Folk Fest Livestream Finale
With live shows currently on the shelf indefinitely, the only way to experience the collaborative nature of a festival is (sadly) through a livestream. One of the best of the year so far was what the Newport Folk Festival put together. The Rhode Island-based event put together some great collaborations, including a befitting finale. My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, the Decemberists’ Colin Meloy, Julien Baker, Lucius, Grace Potter, Warren Haynes, Zola, Valerie June and many, many more covered Burt Bacharach’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” As you’d expect, all of the artists recorded their parts while at home in quarantine. What the World Needs Now is Love from Newport Folk Festival on Vimeo. The tender version of the song was a reminder of what this y...
