New Song Releases
slowthai Teams with ASAP Rocky on New Song “MAZZA”: Strea
slowthai is kicking off the new year with a fresh track called “MAZZA” that features none other than ASAP Rocky. The collaborative single is the latest offering from the UK rapper’s upcoming sophomore album TYRON. TYRON is divided up into two contrasting sections, one that’s aggressive and swaggering and another characterized by more introspective reflections. Today’s cut is off the former half and aptly comes out swinging. Indomitable, rumbling bass, co-produced by slowthai and SAMO, sets the stage for the two MCs to throw it down fiercely and fearlessly. “Ayy, make the place look like a murder scene/ Ayy, when I make moves I’m a money fiend,” slowthai boasts on the chorus. I mean, who would dare stand in his way? Listen to “MAZZA” below. Editors’ Picks TYRON arrives Febr...
Steve Earle Shares New Justin Townes Earle Covers Album J.T.: Stream
Back in August, the world mourned the death of Americana songwriter Justin Townes Earle. Now, father and country legend Steve Earle has paid tribute to his late son with a new covers album called J.T., and it’s streaming below via Bandcamp. J.T. comes today (January 4th), on what would have been Justin’s 39th birthday. It consists of 11 covers, all pulled from throughout Justin’s discography. There are favorites such as “Harlem River Blues” (2010) “Champagne Corolla” (2017), and “The Saint of Lost Causes”, taken from Justin’s 2019 album of the same name, which proved to be his last. Other songs that appear on J.T. include “I Don’t Care”, “Turn Out My Lights”, and “Last Words”. In a statement, father Steve said the “record is called J.T. because Justin was never called anything else u...
Madlib and Four Tet Unveil New Song “Hopprock”: Stream
Give Madlib his flowers now. The legendary producer broke through in 2004 with Madvillainy, a seminal collaboration with MF DOOM that provided a blueprint for a generation of witty, irreverent rap music. DOOM recently died, but Madlib continues to author some of the most vital hip-hop of the day. He recently announced the album Sound Ancestors, created in collaboration with Four Tet, and today he’s back with the new song “Hopprock”. “Hopprock” was released only under Madlib’s name, though the credits list Kieran Hebden, aka Four Tet, as both writer and composer. The instrumental track opens with a natural soundscape that includes meditative sounds of water and wooden percussion. But after one of Madlib’s trademark grimy samples stutters through an answering machine message (...
Open Mike Eagle Pays Tribute to MF DOOM with New Freestyle: Stream
Open Mike Eagle has shared a new freestyle called “For DOOM”. It’s a tribute to the late MF DOOM, the legendary masked rapper whose death was made public last week. Stream it below. “For DOOM” is a heartfelt mix of nostalgia and earnest praise. Over a beat by Illingsworth, the Anime artist spends two minutes rapping about the impact of DOOM’s music, the moment he heard the news of his passing, and the ways in which he raised the lyrical bar for hip-hop. OME also credits DOOM for the lifelong impact his visual aesthetics will have. “Fool you about to sell more masks than Dr. Fauci,” he raps. “I’m copping one off Etsy to rock it proudly.” At one point in the freestyle, the Chicago-bred MC brings up how he idolized MF DOOM in both childhood and adulthood. That lifelong respect event...
Jeff Rosenstock Shares New Song “Illegal Fireworks And Hiding Bottles In The Sand”: Stream
With mere hours to go until New Years Eve, Jeff Rosenstock dropped not one, but two (!) brand new songs to bid farewell to 2020. They’re called “Illegal Fireworks And Hiding Bottles In The Sand” and “Caring”, and you can stream them below via Bandcamp. Technically “Caring” hit the web first on December 30th. The acoustic duet sees him teaming up with his old bandmate and longtime friend Laura Stevenson for a sweet ballad about writer’s block, longing, and trying to get your creative muscles going again. “Illegal Fireworks And Hiding Bottles In The Sand” followed suit on New Year’s Eve. Over fuzzy, warm, reverb-drenched shoegaze, Rosenstock sings about the comfort of falling asleep to the thought of a loved one. It’s a completely different sound than the previous song, but it’s sweet noneth...
Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos Drops Over 30 Demos of Unreleased Songs, Alternate Takes, Remixes: Stream
Some people think Michael Angelakos isn’t real — that he’s actually just your parents dressed in a loose necktie and curly brown wig. But somebody matching the description of the Passion Pit frontman has quietly dropped dozens of gifts on his SoundCloud page, with copious demos of unreleased songs and alternate favorites suddenly appearing under the digital tree. Passion Pit have been taking things easy since the release of Tremendous Sea of Love in 2017. But a SoundCloud deluge began 10 days ago and has continued with fits and starts through today, December 27th. As of this writing, the haul totals 39 tracks spanning Christmas standards, electronic jams, live performances, and “redux” remixes from P.P.’s catalogue. In a comment, Angelakos wrote that the space was for “previewing unre...
Kelsey Lu and Yves Tumor Share New Collaborative Song: Stream
Kelsey Lu and Yves Tumor have teamed up for a new song called “let all the poisons that lurk in the mud seep out”. It’s a murky experimental track that also features contributions from Kelly Moran and Moses Boyd. Lu’s 2019 album Blood and Tumor’s 2020 opus Heaven to a Tortured Mind are quite different in many ways, but they share a low-lit ambiance and a sense of cathedral-like beauty. On this collaborative single, both of their steamy falsettos sound part of the same whole, blending and swirling around one another over woozy piano lines. Eventually, some congas and electronic production enter the fray, and the track concludes with a tastefully busy arrangement. Take a listen to the full tune below. In a statement, Lu described the intense emotions the song is...
Lil Durk Drops New Album The Voice: Stream
Lil Durk has released a new album called The Voice. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. This 16-track effort marks Lil Durk’s second full-length of 2020, coming just a few months after Just Cause Y’all Waited 2. As indicated by the cover artwork, The Voice is dedicated to fellow Chicago rapper King Von, who was fatally shot outside of an Atlanta nightclub in November. King Von also appears posthumously on a track called “Still Trappin’”. Additionally, in the video for “Backdoor”, Durk can be seen wearing King Von’s O’Block chain. The Voice also features previous singles like “Stay Down” (featuring Young Thug and 6LACK) and the title track. Outside of his new album, Lil Durk has spent the last 12 months collaborating with Drake on “Laugh Now Cry Later...
Playboi Carti Releases New Album Whole Lotta Red: Stream
Merry Christmas! Playboi Carti has just released Whole Lotta Red, his long-awaited sophomore album. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. The arrival of Whole Lotta Red today couldn’t be more of a worthwhile gift. The Atlanta rapper has been working on the follow-up to his 2018 smash hit Die Lit for over two years now. Carti revealed the album’s title back in August 2018, hinted at various details throughout 2019, and announced the release date earlier this week on Monday. And now, on Christmas day, it’s finally here. As previously hinted at, Whole Lotta Red includes Carti’s chart-topping, unconventional single “@ MEH”, which he released back in April of this year. Other notable tracks include “Go2DaMoon” featuring Kanye West, “M3tamorphosis” featuring Kid Cudi, and “Teen X” featurin...
Eddie Vedder Announces Matter of Time EP, Due Out on Christmas
Eddie Vedder released the two-song single “Matter of Time” b/w “Say Hi” back in November. Now, the Pearl Jam frontman has expanded the bundle into what’s essentially a brand new EP, featuring a quartet of acoustic at-home performances, all of which were recorded throughout 2020. Highlighting the collection is a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. classic “Growin’ Up”. Also present is Vedder’s rendition of “Future Days” recorded for the 2020 Game Awards. (The Lightning Bolt cut soundtracks a particularly powerful moment in The Last of Us Part II.) Rounding out the tracklist are solo versions of “Porch” and “Just Breathe”, both captured for an online Amazon corporate event back in October. Vedder debuted “Matter of Time” and “Say Hi” during the Ventur...
Jenny Lewis and Bill Murray Share Cover of Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later”: Watch
Well, here’s the strangest gift to ever pop out of an advent calendar. Jenny Lewis and Bill Murray have shared a live-from-home cover of Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later”. Seemingly delivered to capture the quarantine vibes of Christmas 2020, Lewis and Murray’s rendition of the Lil Durk-featuring track is downtempo dirge. The former sings as she plucks a heavy bass line, while the On the Rocks actor shuffles out a sloppy drum phrase. “It’s almost christmas!” Lewis wrote in the Instagram post sharing the video. “laugh now cry later.” Check out the duo’s Drake cover below. The Xmas treat is something of a reunion for the pair, who last got in the holiday spirit together for 2015’s A Very Murray Christmas special. Editors’ Picks Lewis also recently reunited with The Postal Service for a fun...
Four Tet to Release Two New Albums Parallel and 871 on Christmas Eve
For many, Christmas Eve is traditionally the night you get to open just one present early. Four Tet is bucking custom by surprise releasing two new albums, Parallel and 871, this very night. The English electronic musician aka Kieran Hebden announced the musical gift with an Instagram post in which he also revealed the efforts’ artwork. Check that out below. Parallel and 871 respectively mark the second and third full-lengths from Four Tet this year following Sixteen Oceans in March. He also surprise released the ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ EP under his Indecipherable Wingdings moniker back in May, and has a collaborative album with Madlib dubbed Sound Ancestors coming next month. You can hear the lead single from that latter project, “Road of the Lonely Ones”, now. Editors’ Picks Earl...
