On her much praised new album, 50 Words for Snow, singer/songwriter Kate Bush includes a 13-and-a-half-minute song about having a romantic relationship with a snowman (just go with it). To provide some visual aid to an already unusual concept, Bush recently posted a video including a portion of the song. The claymamtion clip, entitled, "Mistraldespair" depicts a woman woken in the middle of the night as her icy lawn decoration climbs into bed with her. As strange as it is, the music actually makes the whole scene quite sad, as the poor snowman begins to melt as soon he starts to make his move. Check it out, above.
Drake's October's Very Own Blog posted the official, Mikael Colombu-directed video for The Weeknd's "The Knowing." The sci-fi clip is for a erotic tune off Weeknd's debut mixtape, House of Balloons. Prepare for time travel, an intergalactic battle of the sexes, and uh... crotch lasers.
Gruff Rhys: "Slashed Wrists This Christmas" MP3 Stream
Those of you who can't stand the thought of listening to sappy Christmas tunes again this year may have an alternative. Gruff Rhys (the Super Furry Animals frontman and solo artist) will release an EP, titled Atheist Xmas, just in time for the holidays.
Signed copies of the three-song EP will be available on 12-inch vinyl or sans autograph as a digital download, here. Check out the track list over here and stream "Slashed Wrists This Christmas," below:
Brooklyn indie-folk songstress Sharon Van Etten will follow up her sophomore album, Epic, with Trampon February 7 through Jagjaguwar. The full-length was recorded in a period of 14 months in the garage studio of The National's Aaron Dessner. Contributions on the album include Matt Barrick (The Walkmen), Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), Zach Condon (Beirut), Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak), Julianna Barwick, and Dessner himself.
Download the LP's first preview track, "Serpents." The foreboding and acerbic rocker features both Dessners, Barrick, Bartlett, and Wasner. See 2012 tour dates over here. (via P4k)
Today we’ve got the premiere of Letting Up Despite Great Faults video, “Sophia in Gold”—a cut from the band’s Paper Crush EP. In the clever video, lensed by director Douglas Burgdorff, a little girl fights with the monsters under her bed. Hardcore! Check out the video and upcoming show information below.
Shows:
Dec 9 - Los Angeles - Bootleg Theater
Mar 13-18 – Austin TX - SXSW
Robin Pecknold
“These Days (Jackson Browne Cover)” [ft. Alela Diane] Video
Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold joined the evening’s opener, Portland folktress Alela Diane, for a beautiful cover of Jackson Browne’s classic, “These Days.” The performance occured two nights ago at Milan, Italy’s Teatro Smeraldo. Dig those harmonies! Watch the live clip, above. (via Stereogum/@RPecknold) Check out FF's tour dates over here.
Leonard Cohen: "Show Me the Place" MP3 Stream
Legendary singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen has announced the first informational tidbits about his forthcoming new album, Old Ideas. While the ten track record will see official release on Jan. 31 via Columbia, (that's the cover image there, which Cohen himself designed) fans can get a taste of what the 77-year-old artist has in store with the track "Show Me the Place," which you can listen to, below:
Glammy psych-pop band of Montreal posted a new track, dubbed “Wintered Debts,” on their website this morning. The seven-minute cut starts as a haunting piano piece, but soon flowers into a psychedelic and funky slice of countrypolitan music. Oh, and Kevin Barnes sort of screams quite a bit. This is the first preview of the band's upcoming eleventh LP, Paralytic Stalks. Download the tune, above. The new album drops early next year via Polyvinyl.
