By eMusic Editorial Staff, eMusic ContributorDaft Punk, Random Access Memories: Heard of these guys? [See our complete coverage here.] Barry Walters says: Daft Punk get far closer to replicating decidedly non-punk forms of the '70s and early '80s — disco, progressive… more »
On the less obvious side of today's new release drop — and yet, no less essential — is the latest release to roll out from the Mello Music camp. Inspired by Apollo Brown's desire to deliver a "heavy blue collar album that paints a real picture of life out there," Ugly Heroes is rounded out by rhyme-spitters from Detroit (Red Pill) and Chicago (Verbal Kent). Together, they pair unflinching tales of abject poverty with the label's signature blend of soul-stirring beats.
Sample one of the standout tracks from the group's self-titled debut down below... more »
The Clash have announced two retrospective releases that are set to hit shops on September 10th. According to a Guardian interview with bassist Paul Simonon, "The concept of the whole thing is: best box set ever. Remastering's a really amazing thing. That was the musical point of it all, because there's so much there that you wouldn't have heard before. It was like discovering stuff, because the advances in mastering are so immense since the last time [the Clash catalog] was remastered in the '90s."
Included in the Sound System set are remastered versions of the band's first five albums, three discs of singles, rarities and demos, a DVD featuring previously unseen footage, a new edition of the band's Armagideon Time fanzine, and packaging that's modeled after a Thatcher-era boom box. If that's a bit too over-the-top for you, the group will also be pressing a 33-track, two-CD compilation of their most popular material called The Clash Hits Back. Check out trailers related to both releases down below, along with the complete best-of breakdown... more »
The title of Pure X's second LP — Crawling Up the Stairs — isn't something that should be taken lightly. It's literally what one of the band's three singers/songwriters (Nate Grace) went through over the past year, as he dealt with a debilitating leg injury that demanded surgery he couldn't afford. Moments of hope peak through all the pain, however, as the trio faces their respective fates head on and washes it all down with waves of psych-steeped soul.
Or as Grace puts it in the record's cloud-clearing closer, "All of the Future (All of the Past)," "I can see the light/ Just got to stay alive"... more »
After several conflicting reports, The Doors have released an official statement on the death of keyboardist Ray Manzarek. According to the band's Facebook page, Manzarek passed away at 12:31 p.m. PST in a German hospital after a long battle with bile duct cancer. He was 74, and is survived by his wife Dorothy and his brothers Rick and James.
Read the rest of the group's thoughts below, along with a classic live version of "Light My Fire." eMusic's Barry Walters also interviewed Manzarek a few years ago here... more »
By Dave Sumner, eMusic Contributor Today's video is from Gregory Porter, performing live in a vintage NYC subway car at the New York Transit Museum. Accompanied only by pianist Chip Crawford, Porter sings the tune "Be Good (Lion's Song)"… more »
As pointed out by Pitchfork, Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee has teamed up with her sister Allison (see also: Swearin') for a cover of Grimes' breakout single "Oblivion."
"I read that the lyrics are about assault and feeling unsafe on the street alone," Katie said in an interview with the site, "and I thought that was a really great topic that I felt politically aligned with. I’ve written about this before, too, and so has Allison. It’s something a feminist punk band would write about, and the juxtaposition of that with electronic pop was really cool to me."
Presented as Rookie's 'theme song' for the month of May, it's available to stream below... more »
Recent Sub Pop signee/serious country fan Daughn Gibson has shared another song from his upcoming album, Me Moan. A dizzying duet between Gibson's bar-crawling croon and a skittish vocal sample, "You Don't Fade" is available to stream and download below... more »
In case you were out of the country or avoiding social media channels over the weekend, here's what happened on Friday night: Kanye West 'premiered' the first single from his new album by projecting it onto a building in Brooklyn. All and all, "New Slaves" was shown in 66 locations around the world, leading right into West's appearance on Saturday Night Live's season finale, where he performed the song and a Marilyn Manson-sampling "Black Skinhead" against a stark, menacing backdrop.
Check out official Hulu clips of both songs below, along with the rumored cover art of the album that's reportedly being called Yeezy... more »
A few weeks ago, I sat down with Laura Stevenson to talk about her brash, Crazy Horse-inspired new record Wheel. We talked about a lot of things: her strained relationship with her mom, her battles with depression as an adolescent and her teenage love of ska. But one stray comment has generated more chatter than anything else in the entire, several-thousand word interview: the fact that Stevenson suspects the footage of the moon landing was… more »