Rokia Traoré Gets NPR First Listen, Reveals New Video, Debuts at Radio 200 and Lands at #2 New World
Rokia Traoré‘s Né So was honored this month with an NPR First Listen. The album can still be streaming from NPR.org, which calls it “a sonically beautiful project” while saying “it’s easy to get lost in the lilting rhythms and Traoré’s smoky voice.” Yet, writes NPR, the record is not one to listen to while just […]
New Music from The So So Glos – Kamikaze Sampler – Digital Servicing Only
On Kamikaze, The So So Glos’ follow-up to 2013’s critically-acclaimed Blowout, the darks are darker, the lights are lighter, the loud is louder, and the quiet is quieter. Recorded with John Reis (Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes) and mixed by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, Cursive), the LP finds the band narrowing its focus, kicking […]
PopMatters Reviews the Donkeys and Northern Transmissions Premieres “Hurt Somebody”
PopMatters has published a nice review of the Donkeys‘ Midnight Palms, writing that the band’s inclusion of lead guitarist Steve Selvidge (the Hold Steady) makes for a positive development of the band’s sound. Though the review laments the record’s short runtime, overall it says “it sounds like a band taking stock, returning to their strengths, and pushing […]
LA Times Recommends Star Wars Headspace; Flying Lotus Talks to Apple Music
The LA Times says that Star Wars Headspace is “essential,” calling it “a bleep and bloop party.” Executive produced by Rick Rubin, the album features Star Wars-themed beats by the likes of Flying Lotus, Shlohmo, Kaskade, and Baauer. According to the Times, “each of the 15 tracks is distinctive,” and “the force is strong with […]
Star Wars Headspace Goes For Adds
Star Wars Headspace is a new Rick Rubin-helmed compilation that isn’t merely a tribute to the seven-volume space epic. The collection is composed from the essence of Star Wars, as each of its producers were given free reign to re-appropriate the sound effects and dialogue of the canonical film franchise. In addition to Rubin, who contributes a […]
Naked Giants Go For Adds
Naked Giants, a three-piece garage rock wildebeest from Seattle, combine bluesy guitar solos, pounding backbeats, and juicy basslines to form a psychedelic whirlwind of fuzz. The band has taken Seattle by storm, playing to rowdy crowds at college house parties and all-ages venues on their way to finding airplay at KEXP and winning second place in […]
The Pines Earn Plaudits From Blurt and Mother Church Pew
“It would be hard to imagine an album more haunting and beguiling” than The Pines’ fifth album, Above the Prairie, writes Blurt Online in a new review. Blurt praises the album’s dreaminess and “celestial feel,” giving the record four out of five stars. Special attention is paid to “Time Dreams,” the album’s final track that […]
Zaac Pick is Reviewed in Grayowl Point, Interviewed by Vies Mag
Grayowl Point approves of Constellations, Zaac Pick‘s first LP as well as his first collection of recordings featuring a full band. According to the site, “Constellations is a carefully paced record, one that steps with confidence and grace through modern folk territories and timbres coloured with modern lyrical and compositional flourishes.” The review goes on to […]
The Cave Singers Release “That’s Why” Video, Continue Tour
Brooklyn Vegan has the premiere of The Cave Singers’ “That’s Why” video, a dark Sam Graydon-directed clip that finds the band marching to the see with a cadre of creepy people in animal masks. The grooving, bass-driven track is a standout on the band’s new LP Banshee, and its video is as visually engaging as the song […]
Also At Radio
Rokia Traoré – Né So (Nonesuch) The Donkeys – Midnight Palms (Easy Sound Recording Company) Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express – Junun (Nonesuch) St. Germain – St. Germain (Nonesuch) Marco With Love – Promised Land EP (Outright Rock)
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Digital Servicing Only
An esteemed composer, John Williams has spent 60 years writing, playing, and conducting music for use in iconic and recognizable movies that have helped define multiple generations. His impressive career includes highlights like The Valley of the Dolls; Jaws; the Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park franchises; and an original, calypso-based opening used in […]
Also At Radio
The Cave Singers – Banshee (self-released) Rokia Traoré – Né So (Nonesuch) The Donkeys – Midnight Palms (Easy Sound Recording Company) Zaac Pick – Constellations (Small Space Music) The Pines – Above the Prairie (Red House Records)
New Music from Naked Giants – Easy Eating EP!
Naked Giants, a three-piece garage rock wildebeest from Seattle, combine ripping guitar solos, pounding backbeats, and juicy basslines to form a psychedelic whirlwind of fuzz. The band has taken Seattle by storm, playing to rowdy crowds at college house parties and all-ages venues on their way to finding airplay at KEXP and winning second place in […]
Rokia Traoré Speaks to NPR Weekend Edition, Releases “Né So” Video
The beginning of a recent NPR Weekend Edition feature on Rokia Traoré begins with sounds from Mali’s civil war, an ongoing terror that has had a significant impact on the Malian singer’s new album Né So. In the engaging audio feature, recorded at the BBC‘s studio in Berlin, veteran reporter Linda Wertheimer asks Traoré not only […]
Also at Radio
Zaac Pick – Constellations (Small Space Music) The Donkeys – Midnight Palms (Easy Sound Recording Company) The Cave Singers – Banshee (self-released) The Pines – Above the Prairie (Red House Records)
The Donkeys Release Clean Version of Midnight Palms – Digital Servicing Only
With Midnight Palms, The Donkeys present a fine, half-sized document of their singular sound. At once accessible, adventurous, nostalgic, and progressive, the five-song mini-album oozes with the sticky, syrupy energy of a band fresh off the road and in rare form. Tracked largely live-in-the-studio with veteran producer Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Fruit Bats, Devendra Banhart), Midnight Palms […]
Star Wars Headspace feat. New Music from Flying Lotus, Shlohmo, Röyksopp, Rick Rubin, Kaskade and more – Digital Servicing Only
Star Wars Headspace is a new Rick Rubin-helmed compilation that isn’t merely a tribute to the seven-volume space epic. The collection is composed from the essence of Star Wars, as each of its producers were given free reign to re-appropriate the sound effects and dialogue of the canonical film franchise. In addition to Rubin, who contributes a […]
The Pines Perform on The Current, Reach New CMJ Peak
The Pines performed at KCMP The Current yesterday, bringing their lush and haunting songs to the studios of the Minnesotan institution that has been an instrumental supporter of the band. “After a decade of making music together,” writes Current host Andrea Swensson, “the Pines have mastered the art of ambiance and atmosphere; [new LP] Above the Prairie […]
The Cave Singers Are Reviewed by AllMusic and Interviewed by the San Diego Reader
Calling it “a smart and impressive piece of work that speaks to the mind and the soul with similar clarity,” AllMusic Guide has given The Cave Singers‘ new Banshee album a four-out-of-five star review that praises the group for “stretching their boundaries on all sides, adding a greater electric force to the performances while deepening […]
Also At Radio
Rokia Traoré – Né So (Nonesuch) The Donkeys – Midnight Palms (Easy Sound Recording Company) Zaac Pick – Constellations (Small Space Music) Naked Giants – ”Easy Eating” [digital single] (self-released)
