Thursday Music News

02/21/2013

Jacob Webb

Unlike the two-year trickle of press quotes and leaks that preceded their last album, The Strokes have taken a rather quiet approach to publicity behind their forthcoming fifth album, Comedown Machine (out 3/26 through RCA). However, after some coaxing from BBC Radio 1 personality Zane Lowe, bassist Nikolai Fraiture spoke, albeit vaguely and briefly, with the station about the current state of the NYC quintet. Some choices bits: all five members - including Julian Casablancas - recorded the album at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, there are no plans for touring (although Fraiture would personally like to), and that the band's "atmosphere" has been better lately than in the past few years. For contrast, the tense sessions for 2011's Angles were split into two camps - Casablancas in one, everyone else in the other - and the band supported the album with a small amount of headline dates and a slew of festival performances. Listen to the interview over at the Strokes fansite She's Fixing Her Hair.

After announcing that he's "10,11" songs into his sophomore album earlier this week, more news on Frank Ocean's follow-up to Channel ORANGE has trickled out via the unlikely source of Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan. According to Gahan, Frank was in the same studio as the English trio while they were recording their forthcoming album Delta Machine, and asked to meet them. One thing led to another, and later that day, Ocean was working on a song with songwriter/guitarist Martin Gore and The Knife producer Christoffer Berg. Sure, Gore and Ocean are unlikely bedfellows, but John Mayer of all people was a prominent player on Channel ORANGE, so it's not such a stretch to imagine the New Orleans singer to be working with another songwriter who specializes in sweeping, minor-key anthems.

Nick Cave answered fan questions via Twitter on Tuesday night, and it was everything a Nick Cave fan would want to be and more. Some highlights: Grinderman is reuniting for Coachella because "every other shitty band is doing it", his favorite song in his songbook is "Jack The Ripper", the creative process was both easier and harder after the departure of longtime foil Mick Harvey, and, uh, he hates Twitter. Read some of Nick's insights over at SPIN.

In less-unexpected collaboration news, Twitter BFFs Aimee Mann and Ted Leo have formed a band featuring both Twitter-happy artists called... #BOTH. There's no news on any music yet, but they've got four shows lined up in California next month, and they've promised that they'll be playing "songs they have written together as well as performing some of their own original material." Fingers crossed that Ted rocks the wig from this Aimee video.

If you missed Yo La Tengo when they played the final Easy Street Records (RIP) in-store session in January, you're in luck, because the trio are coming back to Seattle in May. They'll be playing a series of shows this spring in support of their latest album, Fade, including that aforementioned stop at the Showbox at the Market on May 17th. They'll also be going on tour with Belle and Sebastian later this summer, who, unfortunately, do not have any West Coast plans at the moment. Find out more at Pitchfork.

When the precocious UK dance duos Disclosure and AlunaGeorge broke last year, it seemed like it was only a matter of time until they hooked up for a track. That song, "White Noise", came out earlier this year, but the video, in which a security guard dances in abandoned buildings (Finding love in a hopeless place? Sounds familiar...), dropped today. You can watch the goofy clip, in which neither artist appears, below.

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