I was mightily impressed by Maintenant Jamais, last year’s album from francophone Montreal psych band Population II. They’re following it up this April with a new EP, Gimmicks. Lead single “Magouilleux” sits in the middle of the five-song tracklist, and it makes for a sprawling centerfold. Powered by bleary keyboards and propulsive bass, the track […]
UK Burger Bar’s Fake Toto Plaque Angers Local Historical Society
Toto members David Paich and Jeff Porcaro wrote “Africa,” the band’s immortal 1982 chart-topper, because Paich had just seen a late-night TV documentary about poverty in Africa and because he was excited to try out the horn sounds that he could make on a new polyphonic keyboard that he’d just bought. Paich and Porcaro had […]
Grace Ives Announces New Album Girlfriend: Hear “Stupid Bitches”
Grace Ives back! It’s been too long. Ives, then a Brooklyn-based DIY pop artist, released a very cool debut album called Janky Star in 2022, and then she went quiet for a few years. Last November, Ives released three excellent songs — “Avalanche,” “Dance With Me,” and “My Mans” — that she recorded with producers […]
Dave Grohl Breaks His Silence On Firing Josh Freese From Foo Fighters
In 2023, Foo Fighters brought in rock veteran Josh Freese as their new drummer, replacing the late Taylor Hawkins. Two years later, the band fired Freese and hired Ilan Rubin away from the mid-tour Nine Inch Nails. NIN simply responded by bringing in Freese, who’d previously been in the band for a stint, thus completing […]
Teddy Riley Backtracks After R. Kelly Comments
Teddy Riley, the extremely influential R&B musician/producer and Blackstreet/Guy singer, is looking back on his heyday. The Songwriters Hall Of Fame member recently published the memoir Remember The Times, co-written with author Jake Brown, which reflects on the beginning of new jack swing. The book was actually written over a decade ago, but now it’s […]
Guided By Voices’ Doug Gillard Announces New Solo Album Parallel Stride: Hear “Face Of Smiles”
Because putting out a million albums with Guided By Voices isn’t enough, the band’s guitarist Doug Gillard is announcing a new solo record. Parallel Stride arrives in April, and we’re getting a taste with the lead single “Face Of Smiles.” About the song, Gillard says, “Disparate imagery converges to tell the story of someone experiencing […]
Rostam Revisits Original Version Of Vampire Weekend’s “Campus”
Last November, Rostam teased a new era. His new album American Stories, the follow-up to 2021’s Changephobia, is coming out sometime this year. But before he’s moving forward, he’s looking back. Today the former Vampire Weekend member officially shared the original version of “Campus,” from VW’s 2008 self-titled debut album. (We posted about it back […]
Charli XCX Responds To Backlash Over Russia-Linked The Moment Party
Right now, two different Charli XCX-related movies are playing in multiplexes. Last week, she released her album Wuthering Heights, the soundtrack for the film of the same title. She’s also got her Brat mockumentary The Moment, which is in the midst of a big European rollout. While promoting The Moment in Berlin, Charli pissed off […]
Bedelia – “Tightrope” & “Valley Sadness”
Marisa Shirar is the lead singer for the heavy shoegaze band Fleshwater, and those guys are doing great for themselves right now. Last year, Fleshwater released their sophomore album 2000: In Search Of The Endless Sky, and I saw them headline an extremely sick show with Chat Pile and Balmora. Since then, my daughter has […]
Joe Pernice – “Deep Into The Dawn” (Feat. Aimee Mann)
A few months ago, the Pernice Brothers frontman Joe Pernice shared his cover of Aimee Mann’s Magnolia soundtrack classic “Save Me.” Now, Pernice has a new Aimee Mann duet of his own. This spring Pernice will release his new solo album Sunny, I Was Wrong. Pernice recorded the LP with a backing band that includes […]