Monday Music News

04/22/2013

Katherine Humphreys

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds also participated in Record Store day this weekend - they've released a previously unheard song, "Animal X," from the studio session for Push The Sky Away. Somethings screeching in the background, while Nick Cave's signature almost spoken vocals grate over the top. [Pitchfork]

Earlier today the prolific folk guitarist and singer Richie Havens passed away. Havens was known for opening Woodstock '69, as well as for the massive amount of music he created during his over 45 years of touring and recording. In addition Havens was known for living the folk life he sang about - he was awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award. His representatives have issued this statement:
"RICHIE HAVENS was gifted with one of the most recognizable voices in popular music. His fiery, poignant, soulful singing style has remained unique and ageless since his historic appearance at Woodstock in 1969. For four decades, Havens used his music to convey passionate messages of brotherhood and personal freedom. Billboard Magazine writes, “This acoustic soul giant truly seems to be getting more inspiring and graceful with age.” From Woodstock to The Isle of Wight to Glastonbury to the Fillmore Auditorium to Royal Albert Hall to Carnegie Hall, Richie played the most legendary music festivals that ever were, and most of the world’s greatest concert venues. But even when performing in a Greenwich Village coffeehouse or a small club or regional theater, he was eternally grateful that people in any number turned up each time to hear him sing. More than anything, he feels incredibly blessed to have met so many of you along the way. "
[JamBase]

Another loss to the music community: Storm Thurgson, the designer who created most of Pink Floyd's legendary album covers, passed away as well. “It always seemed funny in a way to represent music by choosing to taking a picture of four chaps,” he said in an interview - and none of his images were this at all. From drawings to photos, his album artwork has become iconic to all generations - just as lasting as the music it represents. [NYT]

The Vampire Weekend/Buscemi saga continues with another hilarious installment - this one takes place outside Melody Lanes bowling alley in Brooklyn, and features Bill de Blasio, mayoral candidate for NYC. According to this video the whole city of NY should be excited about the new album - Modern Vampires of the City - and for the show this Sunday April 28th. [Pitchfork]

Deerhunter's marketing for their album Monomania might have been somewhat out of the mainstream, but that hasn't lessened any of the excitement about it - and now we can hear the whole messy buzzy jangling album. Among the first very clear lyrics is "Everything is the same as it was, but now there's nothing left to change," but the album definitely is not the same as their previous work. [NPR]

Following Thee Oh Sees release of Floating Coffin on their own label Castle Face last week, the current rulers of San Francisco psyche rock n roll have a video for "Toe Cutter - Thumb Buster." Despite their psych sound, anyone who's seen them live know what a sweaty, dirty, mosh inducing band they are - and the video reflects their oddly punk/violent tendencies by showing a mass killer who almost gets caught dragging the bodies away. [Stereogum]

Baby voiced experimental duo CocoRosie released a wonderous new video for "After the Afterlife" from their upcoming album Tales of a Grass Widow. The afterlife is apparently filled with monsters and adventures of sorts, dancing in the woods, walking underwater, jumping from cliffs (a memory perhaps?). Filmed in Hawaii, the video is as beautiful and whimsically haunting as the song. [Stereogum]

Speed dating might be terrifying - but sometimes unexpected things happen. Dance parties and new love are what The Shout Out Louds have in mind in their video for "Illusions." Swedish indie pop hasn't taken a bad situation and made it this good in ages. [Stereogum]

LA's glam rock kimono wearing duo IO Echo have an amazing new interactive video for "Ministry of Love," which we featured as our song of the day recently. Made by the same groundbreaking group who created Arcade Fire's interactive video for "We Used To Wait" - the video was born out of the concept of Orwellian surveillance. Check it out over at Noisey.

Portland's pretty much only "future soul" producer and singer Natasha Kmeto has a single from her upcoming LP Crisis - "Take Out" starts out sensual and minimal, a mixture that makes the track perfectly full and satisfying by the time the beats begin to pile up. [Impose]

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