As previously reported, Vapours, the third release from Nick Diamonds’ indie pop project Islands, is due September 22nd from Anti-. Pitchfork had the first listen of the stripped down synthpop LP, with the funky “No You Don’t.” Think of it as diet version of Arm’s Way. (via Pitchfork)
The Polyphonic Spree
“Blurry (demo)” MP3
Jul 20, 2009
The Polyphonic Spree posted a very rough acoustic demo for their upcoming longplayer, which will be released on the collective’s Good Records imprint. This is basically just lead Spree Tim DeLaughter and his acoustic guitar. Even in its current bare form, “Blurry” is a folk-y meditation that may attact people already sold either way on the group. Of course, for the album verison DeLaughter could slather horn blasts and lavish choral arrangements over the whole thing. In other Polyphonic news, Tim Delaughter received a 2009 Emmy nomination for his theme song for Showtime’s United States of Tara.
The Flaming Lips
“Silver Trembling Hands” (New Song) MP3
Jul 20, 2009
The hazy, tribal jam “Silver Trembling Hands” was the first new song The Flaming Lipsplayed last night during their headlining set at the 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival. The second song played was the spacey, Can-esque, “Convinced of the Hex.” Both tracks and a third, entitled “The Impulse,” are on offer at The Flaming Lips’ website. Embryonic is out September 29th.
Julian Plenti
“Games For Days” MP3
Jul 20, 2009
Matador Records’ Matablog posted the second track from the Julian Plenti side project of Interpol frontman Paul Banks. The Julian Plenti…Is Skyscraper track is entitled “Game For Days” and has sort of a Big Black vibe going on. It also could pass for an Interpol song (see: “Fun That We Have”). Mr. “Plenti” Banks will be performing on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Friday, August 7th and will be making his first concert appearance in many years this September.
British stadium rock trio Muse released “United States of Eurasia” in six parts, via their fan community. Looks like the Radiohead comparisons will switch to Queen ones if this pseudo-Middle Eastern/anti-war tirade is any indication. The Resistance is out September 15 on Warner Bros. Muse will celebrate their fifth album by performing two days earlier, at the 2009 MTV Music Awards (Sept. 13). Also, the group is supporting U2, including two fall concerts at New York’s Giants Stadium. The rest of the tour dates can be found at the band’s Myspace
The Resistance tracklisting:
01 - Uprising 02 - Resistance 03 - Undisclosed Desires 04 - United States Of Eurasia (+Collateral Damage) 05 - Guiding Light 06 - Unnatural Selection 07 - MK Ultra 08 - I Belong To You (+Mon Coeur S’Ouvre A Ta Voix) 09 - Exogenesis: Symphony Part I (Overture) 10 - Exogenesis: Symphony Part II (Cross Pollination) 11 - Exogenesis Part III (Redemption)
Muse’s upcoming U.S. tour dates with U2:
9-24 New York, NY - Giants Stadium 9-25 New York, NY - Giants Stadium 9-29 Washington, DC - FedEx Field 10-01 Charlottesville, VA - Scott Stadium 10-03 Raleigh, NC - Carter-Finley Stadium 10-06 Atlanta, GA - Georgia Dome 10-09 Tampa, FL - Raymond James Stadium 10-12 Dallas, TX - New Cowboys Stadium 10-14 Houston, TX - Reliant Stadium
Animal Collective
“What Would I Want Sky (live)” MP3
Jul 20, 2009
Animal Collective have officially cleared samples from The Grateful Dead‘s “Unbroken Chain.” It’s the first time a band have legally sampled the seminal jammers. The sample appears on the as-yet-unreleased Collective track “What Would I Want Sky.” The news about the hazy song hit the newstream via Twitter, with Leg Up! Management posting: “Animal Collective confirmed to get first officially licensed Grateful Dead sample! Phil Lesh loved the track…”. In an interview with A.V. Club, Avey Tare hinted that “What Would I Want Sky” will appear as part of the eventual Brother Sport EP. There are a gajillion bootlegs of the live staple but here’s one of the clearest examples. (Via Gorilla Vs. Bear.)
The Dead Weather
“Treat Me Like Your Mother” (Live on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”) Video
“Get ready to have your pants blown off,” warns Jimmy Fallon before Jack White’s other, other side project/supergroup starts ripping into their second single “Treat Me Like Your Mother.” (First was “Hang Your From the Heavens.”) Jack White yelps from behind the drumkit, while Kills leader Alison Mosshart trades off the lead mic. All things being said, The Dead Weather‘s racket doesn’t make one pine for The White Stripes as much as The Raconteurs did. Horehound came out last week on Jack White’s Third Man Records. The Dead Weather are featured in our current issue and are on a U.S. tour with Screaming Females.
Dork disco adventurers Passion Pit join the love-as-pseudo-science crowd (think Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science” and “Love Potion #9”) with the new video for Manners single, “To Kingdom Come.” The master of falsetto, Michael Angelakos, dons old timey scientist garb with the rest of the band and watch the world pull a 2012 (via meteorites). Or is it destruction by heartbreak? The Cambridge, Massachusetts group is pretty much hitting the road for the rest of ‘09.
