Friday Music News

09/08/2017

Jasmine Albertson

Charlotte Gainsbourg has announced that she will release her first album in seven years in November. Called Rest, Gainsbourg has released the album's title track as well as a teaser for its accompanying music video, which she directed herself. In a statement, Gainsbourg says that Lars Von Trier, her director in Nymphomaniac, Melancholia, and Antichrist, encouraged her to direct the video herself: "At first I asked him if he would direct this video for me. He answered, 'No… you should do it.' He then said, knowing very well what I needed, 'I will tell you exactly what you must do.' He dictated quite precisely 'the rules' for me to follow. I was nodding through the telephone while writing down the master’s principles. And that was it—the first push I longed for." Rest follows up 2010's Beck-produced IRM and is out November 17 via Because Music. [ Noisey ]

Last night, on the eve of the release of their new album, The National stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to play "Day I Die" off of Sleep Well Beast. With a gang of percussionists playing behind them, the punchy song sounded extra grandiose. The follow-up to 2013's Trouble Will Find Me was produced by the band's Aaron Dessner, with additional co-production by his brother Bryce Dessner and frontman Matt Berninger. STG is bringing The National for a two night-stint at the Paramount on Tuesday, November 28 and Wednesday, November 29. Keep up with all the best live TV performances with our column TV Eye. [ Under the Radar ]

Gainsville's Hundred Waters entered the world as an enveloping, electronic-ballad focused band but with their last EP, Currency, they showed a change towards pop dance anthems. The latest single off their forthcoming album Communicating shows their mastery of their new sound. "Wave To Anchor" is a complexly produced dance number with plenty of ambient atmosphere and emotion. It follows singles "Blanket Me" and Fingers." Communicating with be released September 14 via OWSLA. Hundred Waters will be in Seattle on Friday, December 8 to play the Crocodile. [ Stereogum ]

TDE's SZA released her long-awaited debut album Ctrl earlier this year to rave reviews across the board. Today she's unveiled a new track called "Quicksand," released for the soundtrack for HBO's second season of Insecure. The soundtrack also features music from Miguel, Jorja Smith, Dreezy, Bryson Tiller, Jazmine Sullivan, and NAO. The Insecure season two soundtrack is out now via RCA. Don't miss SZA when she plays the Neptune on Sunday, September 17. [ Pitchfork ]

Beach Slang leader James Alex recently announced that he would be releasing an EP of reworked Beach Slang songs under the name Quiet Slang next month. Quiet Slang has now contributed an original song to Amazon's Amazon Acoustics playlists called "Hot Tramps," which Alex claims is a semi-tribute to Bowie. "I wrote this song on the same day David Bowie died...I felt like making something was the best way to punch through it, to figure it out. I suppose, some of it’s about Bowie. Most of it’s about a girl. All of it’s about patching up the cracks. So, that’s the deal, you know? A few chords, some clumsy words and a title you swiped from a hero—it doesn’t fix it all, but it numbs the sting. Maybe that’s enough." Quiet Slang's We Were Babies & We Were Dirtbags is out October 20 on Polyvinyl. The Amazon Acoustics playlist is available now, with contributions from Hamilton Leithauser, Jason Isbell, Surfer Blood, Deer Tick, Hey Marseilles, and more. Beach Slang is playing the Crocodile on Saturday, November 11 with Dave Haus & The Mermaid and Hannah Racecar. [ SPIN ]

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