Wednesday Music News

03/30/2016

Janice Headley

Since R.E.M.'s 2011 break-up, we haven't seen much of frontman Michael Stipe. But, last night on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he returned to the spotlight for a haunting performance of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World." He'll likely reprise his cover, or perhaps do a different one, for the Music of David Bowie tribute shows happening March 31st and April 1st at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall, respectively. Both shows are already sold out, but you can stream the Radio City Music Hall concert online for a donation to one of their fantastic non-profit charity partners. [Spin]

And over on another television network, UK quartet Savages were turning out another powerful performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Watch their live rendition of "Adore" below, from their sophomore album Adore Life out now on Matador. (And don't forget: you can keep up with all these musical late night TV highlights with KEXP's TV Eye column.) [Under the Radar]

Post-punk pioneers Wire return next month with their 15th studio album, Nocturnal Koreans. We previously shared the title track on the KEXP Blog, and today we've got the single "Internal Exile" to share, a mid-tempo number that calls to mind mid-career Tobin Sprout-era Guided By Voices. Listen below. Nocturnal Koreans is out April 29th via the band’s own Pink Flag label. [Stereogum]

L.A.-based DJ/producer Nosaj Thing also returns next month with the EP NO REALITY, out April 8th via Innovative Leisure. Today, he shares the single "N R 2." Via a press release, he elaborates, "This record is for my friends and everyone that has been supporting me over the years. Since I finished three albums that were more about my personal life, it was time to make something to give back. Most of these songs are new and were written within the last two months. I wrote one of the songs all on my iPad and arranged and mixed 3 of the songs the morning it was due to mastering -- lots of quick changes and decisions were made. I'm not trying to over think these days and just find balance." [Pitchfork]

Related News & Reviews

Daily Roundups

Need to chill? Moby's got you covered with this four hour mix titled Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep. He explains, "it's really quiet: no drums, no vocals, just very slow calm pretty chords and sounds and things for sleeping and yoga and etc." Hey, if it works for a busy dude like Moby...! Download i…

Daily Roundups

Tuesday Music News

case/lang/veirs -- the super-group of Neko Case, k.d. lang, and Laura Veirs -- share a track from their forthcoming self-titled debut. Stream the single "Best Kept Secret" below, which premiered on Lena Dunham's website Lenny Letter. case told Dunham, "It was done in one or two takes, and it went …