New Song Releases
BTS’ Jimin, V Gift ARMY with New Songs “Christmas Love” and “Snow Flower”: Stream
You better not pout, ARMY members, because BTS’ Jimin and V have gifted fans a pair of new Christmas songs, “Christmas Love” and “Snow Flower”. Jimin’s “Christmas Love” is a snappy pop number that shines as crisply as a blanket of fresh snow. The “love” of the track title isn’t about a specific person, however, and more about the feeling this time of year brings to many. Roughly translated from Korean, Jimin sings, “Christmas I love you/ Oh, you’re the one forever/ I wish it was today.” As he explained in a post on the official BTS blog (again, translated from Korean), Jimin wrote the song to reconnect with his childhood memories of the holidays: “As we grew, feeling responsibility for what we have, that responsibility made us, who were innocent, mature and I think that enables us to hide ...
Slaughter Beach, Dog Surprise Releases New Album At the Moonbase: Stream
Merry Christmas Eve! Slaughter Beach, Dog, the side-project of Modern Baseball’s Jake Ewald, has surprise released a new album. It’s called At the Moonbase and it’s available to stream below via Apple Music and Spotify. This is Ewald’s fourth full-length under the Slaughter Beach, Dog moniker. Technically it follows his 2019 album Safe and Also No Fear, but musically this new record is more akin to his 2016 debut Welcome and 2017’s Motorcycle.JPG. Written and recorded alone at home and at The Metal Shop, Ewald’s recording studio in East Kensington, At the Moonbase is an exercise in solitary production and solo songwriting, no doubt in part due to the coronavirus pandemic. Across its 11-song tracklist, Ewald dips into slacker rock, expanded arrangements, and melancholic piano. It’...
Darkside Reunite for New Album Spiral, Share “Liberty Bell”: Stream
After six long years, the wait is finally over: Darkside have returned. The electronic music duo of Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington has announced a new album, Spiral, due out Spring 2021 via Matador Records, as well as shared a lead single called “Liberty Bell”. Formed nearly a decade ago, Darkside found critical acclaim thanks to their 2013 full-length debut, Psychic. Their time in the spotlight was very short-lived, however, as Jaar and Harrington announced their “indefinite hiatus” less than a year later. According to a statement, Spiral was completed in December 2019. It was then mastered by Heba Kadry (Beach House, Slowdive) and mixed by Rashad Becker. Today’s release of “Liberty Bell” provides a first look at what to expect from the forthcoming sophomore album. And it appears to be ...
Lil Durk Pays Tribute to King Von with New Single “Backdoor”: Stream
Lil Durk has released a new song called “Backdoor” dedicated to fellow Chicago rapper and King Von who was fatally shot outside of a nightclub in November. The third single from upcoming album The Voice, it sees Lil Durk protecting himself from his enemies and staying vigilant so as not to end up like his fallen friend. “Before you leave that door, you gotta pick that glock up,” he says, later adding, “I’m riding around with choppers.” In the track’s corresponding video from JerryPHD, Lil Durk sports King Von’s own signature O’Block chain around his neck. As Complex points out, he also shared a text exchange on Instagram confirming his choice of jewelry. Watch the “Backdoor” video below. Lil Durk previously shared The Voice single “Stay Down” featuring Young Thug and 6LACK. This ...
Burial Unleashes New 12-Minute Song “Chemz”: Stream
Just weeks after collaborating with music titans Thom Yorke and Four Tet, enigmatic producer Burial has returned with a solo song all his own. And it’s got a whopping 12-minute (!) runtime. Titled “Chemz”, the sprawling cut is a nonstop rave of the UK garage variety. And like a DJ set condensed into a bite-sized bit, it has its distinct movements: there’s the hyperactive start; the melodic wave that builds to a classic breakbeat; and the all-in dramatic end, where Burial cranks things up to techno-raging levels. A press statement on Bandcamp succinctly describes “Chemz” as “hooky, rushy and loved up – both an unhinged premonition of unleashed post-pandemic joy and a demonic flashback to past ecstasies in a hardcore style perfected in the UK.” For those who’ve tuned into the producer’s work...
Mac DeMarco Shares Mellow Cover of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”: Stream
Christmas is just four days away, which means Mac DeMarco is back to fulfill his annual tradition of covering holiday songs. This year, the Canadian jizz jazzer has shared his take on Judy Garland’s classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, which you can stream below. The original version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is a wistful, tender track about holding on to hope despite being stuck in a tragic place. It always hits home, but this year it feels especially relevant during the pandemic. In DeMarco’s hands, though, the song takes a more laid-back approach, stretching Garland’s original words into a hazy, mellow rumination over a stringy trip-hop-like trance. DeMarco shared his cover alongside a lo-fi music video. In the clip, the Here Comes the Cowboy singer c...
Lil Wayne Drops Off No Ceilings 3 Deluxe Edition: Stream
Hip-hop fans have received an early Christmas present courtesy of good ol’ St. Nick Lil Wayne. Less than a month after dropping his No Ceilings 3 mixtape, the rapper has unboxed a deluxe edition “B Side” version featuring 14 new songs. Stream it below via YouTube or DatPiff. As with its predecessor, this effort is “hosted” by DJ Khaled and comes with multiple star-studded collaborations. Big Sean appears on the opening track “Tyler Herro”, named after the Miami Heat’s impressive young guard. Meanwhile, Rich the Kid pops in on “Throat Baby”, and 2 Chainz lends a few verses to “Hit Different”. Euro and Lil Twist also appear on the effort. If each track sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because they all incorporate, sample, or remix other songs in some way. “Tyler Herro”, for insta...
G Herbo Responds to Fraud Charges on New Song “Statement”: Stream
Earlier this month, G Herbo was arrested and charged with $1.5 million in fraud and accused of stealing identities to pay for chartered flights, a vacation in Jamaica, and designer puppies. Having entered a “not guilty” plea in a Massachusetts court, the Chicago MC is now making his case in the court of public opinion on the new song “Statement”. Herbo begins the verse by exploring the familiar landscapes of his hit song “PTSD”. “Same spot they shot my brother, next day I’m chillin at,” he raps. But after a tour through the mean streets of Chicago, he turns his attention to his recent arrest. “But anyway, said enough of that let’s talk about this paper/ Let’s talk about them jets, yeah let’s talk about Jamaica/ Ask about me I ain’t never been a fraud (ever)/ I went hard from the start (sta...
Bob Dylan to Release Archival 1970 Set Featuring Nine Songs with George Harrison
On the heels of selling his entire songwriting catalog, Bob Dylan has announced a special new archival set is on the way. It’s called 1970 and it features 74 previously unreleased tracks, demos, and outtakes, including nine songs that feature George Harrison. It’s due out on February 26th, 2021 via Columbia/Legacy. As the title suggests, 1970 focuses on the music Dylan released during that era. The three-disc set boasts outtakes from the sessions that birthed both Self Portrait and New Morning, the two albums he released that year, as well as alternate versions of select songs, such as “Alligator Man”, and instrumentals. Of course, the most alluring part of this special release is Dylan’s collaborations with the late Beatles guitarist. On May 1st, 1970, the two holed up in a studio to...
Eric Clapton and Van Morrison Share Awful Anti-Lockdown Song “Stand and Deliver”: Stream
Van Morrison has officially fallen down the black hole of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, and Eric Clapton is willfully joining him for the ride. This afternoon, the two veteran musicians teamed up to release a new anti-lockdown song called “Stand and Deliver”. Spoiler alert: it’s truly awful. “Stand and Deliver” is an original song written by Morrison and sung by Clapton. The mild blues rock track is all about how the government is preventing people from living their daily lives, and how it’s up to those people to stand up for their rights before they become brainwashed. “I just wanna do my job/ Playing the blues for my friends/ Magna Carta, Bill of Rights/ The Constitution, what’s it worth?” sings Clapton. “Do you wanna be a free man/ Or do you wanna be a slave?” There’s a generic gui...
Dean & Britta and Sonic Boom Cover John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”: Stream
Earlier this week, Alanis Morissette festively covered the timeless John Lennon single “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Now, Dean & Britta, the musical duo comprised of Galaxie 500’s Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips, have put their own spin on the holiday classic in collaboration with English producer Sonic Boom. Additionally, Sonic Boom has released his own song dedicated to the season. Jingling bells rattle throughout the warm and faithful rendition of “Happy Xmas”. But there’s also an echoing effect draped over the entire cover, giving it an almost trippy wall-of-sound sensation. According to a statement, Sonic Boom, a.k.a. Pete Kemper of Spacemen 3, came up with the idea for this version and mixed it himself at New Atlantis Studios in Portugal. As for Sonic Boo...
Toro y Moi Remixes HAIM’s “3AM”: Stream
Earlier this month, Toro y Moi remixed Caroline Polachek’s “Hit Me Where It Hurts” with help from Deftones frontman Chino Moreno. The chillwave artist also known as Chaz Bundick has returned today with another reworking — this time for the three sisters of HAIM. Toro y Moi reimagined HAIM’s “3AM”, which appears on their Grammy-nominated album Women in Music Pt. III. While the original version saw the HAIM siblings play around with space and sparseness, this new remix is all about the layers and textures. Toro y Moi folds in echoes of electric guitar and fills voids with heavier bass. The whole thing reverberates with the kind of energy associated with a 6 a.m. wake-up call rather than a low-key, middle-of-the-night hang. Hear it for yourself below. Editors’ Picks Women in Music Pt. I...
