New Song Releases
Danny Elfman Shares Creepy New Solo Song “Sorry”: Stream
Halloween may be long past, but Danny Elfman has creepy treat for us. The beloved composer has returned with a new solo song called “Sorry” and an accompanying video. The expectedly eerie offering is only the second solo song Elfman has shared in the last 36 years (!), following last fall’s “Happy”. Like that tune, “Sorry” is being released via the indie labels ANTI-/ Epitaph Records, which feels like an interesting home for the guy who made the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. In a statement, Elfman said “Sorry” is “the first song I’ve written for myself in a long time,” and detailed its “alien” beginnings, “It began as an obsessive choral-chant instrumental work, which at the time I called ‘alien orchestral chamber punk’ and evolved slowly into a song. I was surprised by the a...
Blanck Mass Announces New Album In Ferneaux, Shares “Starstuff”: Stream
Blanck Mass is the solo electronic music project of Benjamin John Power, co-founder of drone outfit Fuck Buttons. Today, the British artist has announced a new album dubbed In Ferneaux, due for release next month via Sacred Bones. The follow-up to 2019’s Animated Violence Mild was written and recorded during quarantine, and is very much a product of its time. Blanck Mass created the album using a decade’s worth of field recordings from his various travels — purposely bringing memories and relationships back to life during a period of great separation and isolation. These recordings inform both halves of In Ferneaux, with each section representing a so-called “long-form journey” in the UK musician’s life. “The journeys are haunted with the vestiges of voices, places, and sensations,” descri...
Sky Ferreira Shares Unreleased Cover of David Bowie’s “All The Madmen”: Stream
She still hasn’t offered any updates on her new album, but Sky Ferreira has given us something. On Friday, the 28-year-old pop artist took to Instagram to share a previously unreleased cover of David Bowie‘s “All The Madmen”. As Ferreira indicated in the caption with an all-caps “HBD”, her rendition of the tune from his 1970 album The Man Who Sold the World was in honor of Bowie’s 74th birthday. Ferreira also wrote informed fans that the cover is not new. She labeled it a “lost tape recording/demo” version of the song, and included a parenthetical, “(I just found this btw)”, to underscore that it’s a rarity she recently dug out of the archives. Nevertheless, a new song of any kind from Ferreira doesn’t happen often. After breaking out with her 2013 debut Night Time, My Time, we’v...
The Hold Steady Reveal New Single “Heavy Covenant”: Stream
Next month marks the arrival of a new album from veteran indie rockers The Hold Steady. Their eighth overall, Open Door Policy is being previewed today with a song called “Heavy Covenant”. The follow-up to lead single “Family Farm”, this new cut carefully folds in layers of bright synths, rich horns, and driving percussion in such a way that holds your anticipation. And then there’s frontman Craig Finn’s fascinating tale of travel — one that’s simultaneously dark and funny. In a statement, Finn said the track is about “travel, technology, and human connection. The song came out of two different music pieces that THS piano/keyboardist Franz Nicolay brought in, and with the help of producer Josh Kaufman, we combined them.” “It came together quickly, and when our friends Stuart and Jorda...
Zayn Announces New Album Nobody Is Listening, Shares Single “Vibez”: Stream
The Zayn train has been pretty quiet since the release of single “Better” back in September — but that changes today. The pop-R&B artist has announced the release of a new album Nobody is Listening, set for release in just one week’s time on January 15th. He’s also loose a new song titled “Vibez”. It feels like forever since anybody sincerely, coolly used the letter “z” in place of “s” in words, but you can probably get away with it if you’re Zayn. Which he does. Over pulsing, sensual production the former One Direction star aches about wanting to do the deed with a special someone. “Don’t keep me waiting/ I’ve been waiting all night to get closer/ And you already know I got it for ya,” Zayn sings on the chorus. “You know the vibes/ Know the vibes, put it on ya/ If it movin’ too f...
Viagra Boys Release New Album Welfare Jazz: Stream
Swedish post-punk group Viagra Boys have just released Welfare Jazz, their new sophomore album. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. Viagra Boys made a name for themselves by putting a satirical spin on punk with their 2018 debut Street Worms, and they continue to do so here on Welfare Jazz. The record includes standout singles like “Ain’t Nice”, in which singer Sebestions Murphy comes to terms with setting the wrong goals for himself, as well as the synth-based track “Creatures” that offers a nuanced look at crude miscreants. Elsewhere, the 13-song effort boasts a surprisingly faithful cover of the John Prine classic “In Spite of Ourselves”, featuring Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers. In the studio, Viagra Boys recorded the new album with a handful of notable producers, such as ...
Kings of Leon Return with New Songs “The Bandit” and “100,000 People”: Stream
The wait is finally over for Kings of Leon fans: a new album is on the way. It’s called When You See Yourself and is due out in March. In anticipation of their first full-length in five years, the alt-rockers are sharing two new songs, “The Bandit” and “100,000 People”. In the lead-up to today’s unveiling, the Nashville-bred group sent out 10 one-of-a-kind shirts to superfans, each representing a different song on the new album. “Only you, and no-one else, will ever have this collective piece,” read an accompanying note, as American Songwriter points out. “Printed inside of it are the full lyrics to a new song you may hear in a couple of days, a couple of weeks, or maybe even a month or so.” An 11th shirt, featuring “The Bandit” lyrics, will be available for purchase on Kings of Leon’...
PJ Harvey Announces Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea Vinyl Reissue, Shares “This Mess We’re In” Demo: Stream
PJ Harvey has announced a vinyl reissue of her 2000 album Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea. The latest installment in her ongoing archival campaign is due out next month via UMe/Island. The alt-rock icon’s fifth album was originally released just over 20 years ago in October 2000, and the following year it racked up two Grammy nominations for Best Rock Album and Best Female Rock Performance. The 12-song affair was both a commercial and critical success for Harvey, who was then eight years into her solo career, and it remains an essential part of her discography to this day. In 2020, Harvey reissued 1992’s Dry, 1993’s Rid of Me, 1995’s To Bring You My Love, and 1996’s Dance Hall at Louise Point. She’s also marked a re-release for 1998’s Is This Desire? for the...
Robert Pollard Forms New Band Cub Scout Bowling Pins, Shares Debut Single “Heaven Beats Iowa”: Stream
With frontman Robert Pollard leading the way, Guided by Voices released a total of three (!) albums last year, including December’s Styles We Paid For. Pollard is looking to carry that non-stop momentum into 2021 with the announcement of a new side-project, as Rolling Stone reports. Dubbed Cub Scout Bowling Pins, the group is prepping to drop its first-ever EP, Heaven Beats Iowa, on January 22nd through Guided by Voices Inc. The forthcoming collection consists of six songs, including a title track that serves as the lead single. While not much is known about the other personnel behind Cub Scout Bowling Pins, it’s clear Pollard is in control. The 63-year-old handles vocals throughout “Heaven Beats Iowa”, a tune that heartily channels ’60s-era pop-rock. Go retro with Pollard down b...
Waltzer Announce Debut Album Time Traveler, Share “Lantern”: Stream
Chicago garage rockers Waltzer have announced their debut album Time Traveler. It hits stores later this month, and the band is heralding its arrival with the new song “Lantern”. Waltzer are led by Sophie Sputnik, a former musical theater kid and onetime leader of Florida punk duo Killmama. She had tried to record under her solo moniker but struggled, saying in a statement that, “It had no authenticity. It sounded like a people-pleasing record or something.” With Waltzer, Sputnik has written an album around her idea of “future tripping” — the feeling of daydreaming about an idealized future before the disappointing present comes crashing in. “I called it Time Traveler because it’s about traveling through your thoughts while staying in one place,” she said. Waltzer’s latest single, “La...
Westside Gunn Reveals New Song “The Hurt Business” featuring Smoke DZA and Wale: Stream
The Griselda Records universe continues to grow, and with this expansion comes the collective’s first-ever feature film, Conflicted. Directed by AK Reed with a script from Deuce King, the upcoming “urban tale” depicts longtime label artist Benny the Butcher as a Buffalo gangster trying to get his life back on track after spending time behind bars. As to be expected, the movie comes with a soundtrack by a bunch of gold-tiered Griselda talent, including Westside Gunn, who appears on a new cut titled “The Hurt Business”. Today’s offering features additional contributions from Smoke DZA and Wale, but the spotlight shines firmly on Westside and the gritty story he weaves. Painting a graphic scene of the vicious streets of Buffalo, he raps over an old-school production, “Blow his brains out...
Alice Glass Teases Debut Album with New Song “SUFFER AND SWALLOW”: Stream
Since her tumultuous departure from Crystal Castles back in 2014, Alice Glass has steadily worked to carve out a solo career for herself. She put out her first-ever EP two years later, followed by a handful of singles, a collaboration with Adult Swim, and even a spot on The Turning soundtrack alongside folks like Courtney Love and Mitski. Today, Glass begins a new chapter in her post-Crystal Castles era with the announcement of her debut solo album. According to a statement, the as-yet-untitled full-length is expected to arrive later this year. In lieu of other specifics, Glass has let loose lead single “SUFFER AND SWALLOW”. The track is said to examine “the dichotomy of pain and beauty,” and it does so by alternating between harsh, blistering beats and fluid, almost angelic, vocals. Think...
