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Since leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2009, John Frusciante’s musical output has skewed heavily towards abstract electronica and acid house, compositions he once described on his website as being made with “no particular audience in mind.” Recent projects like 2016’s Foregrow EP and his series of Trickfinger releases demonstrate just how far Frusciante has ventured from the heavily melodic guitar playing that he initially built his name on. His last album of dedicated guitar music was the now decade-old solo LP The Empyrean, and although we’ve gotten a few one-offs in the intervening years – “Wayne”, some of the 2013 EP Outsides – it’s still a rare pleasure to hear a new recording of Frusciante’s immaculately dextrous fretwork. This week brought the release of Indonesian songwriter Dewa Budjana’s latest full-length Mahandini, and John Frusciante makes appearances on two of the album’s seven tracks. Frusciante takes lead on vocals and plays guitar on both “Crowded” and “Zone”, impressing onto each his deep, immersive vocals and skyward licks. You can listen to both songs below. Speaking of rare Frusciante occurrences, he was also recently seen hanging out with his ex-bandmate Flea at a boxing match in Los Angeles, where the two were photographed together for the first time in 11 years. Source

Zedd recently sat down with GQ to discuss and break down some of his biggest hits, track-by-track. With the massive success of “The Middle” this year, it’s awesome to get an insider perspective, straight from the source. In order to fully appreciate Zedd’s craft, you must first understand where he came from. His writing and recording process began at an early age, when he was about 5 years old. “When I was growing up we didn’t really have much, so when we got a keyboard, that is what we had,” he shares in the video below. “My parents would work all day, and my brother and I would just sit and write music and record music.” He opens with “Clarity” — a song he says helped to “shape” his career. It’s difficult to fathom, but the masterful producer says before “Clarity,” it was hard to find vocalists who wanted to work with him. At that point, DJs were thought of as just that and being a producer didn’t come hand in hand. Soon enough, the collabs came rushing in, including “Beauty And A Beat” with Justin Bieber, “Break Free” with Ariana Grande, and “Stay” with Alessia Cara. He also talks “Spectrum,” his “Lost In Japan” remix for Shawn Mendes and what it was like working with Kesha on “True Colors.” It’s just one hit after another for Zedd! Zedd Breaks Down His Most Iconic Tracks Photo via Rukes.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Zedd Breaks Down His Biggest Hits From “Clarity” to “The Middle” Source

Primus bassist Les Claypool and Sean Lennon have reconvened their The Claypool Lennon Delirium project for a new album, South of Reality, slated for a February 22nd via ATO. Following the lead single “Blood and Rockets”, the band is now back with another listen to the effort, “Easily Charmed by Fools”. The freaky romp takes aim at the foolishness running rampant in our modern world. From Tinder swipers to right-wing gun nuts, Claypool and Lennon spare no targets. “They’re easily charmed by fools/ They go to the right so they can pick their pistols/ Desperate measures lead to desperate situations,” they sing in unison over the quirky composition. Take a listen below. In addition to the track, the psychedelic duo have revealed a new string of North American tour dates to support the release. The band previously revealed a run of West Coast New Year’s Eve dates, and the new itinerary will pick up in April. The 13-date trek kicks off April 10th in Toronto and will hit Boston, Brooklyn, Asheville, Nashville, St. Louis, and Chicago on its way to wrapping up April 27th in Detroit. Find their full schedule below. Pre-sale opens tomorrow, December 12th. You can also get them here. The Claypool Lennon Experience 2018-2019 Tour Dates: 12/28 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park 12/29 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory 12/31 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore 04/10 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall 04/12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Fillmore 04/13 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall 04/14 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues 04/16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel 04/17 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 04/19 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel 04/20 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works 04/21 – Atlanta, GA @ SweetWater 420 Music Festival 04/23 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall 04/25 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater 04/26 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall 04/27 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre Source

Zayn is just days away from the release of Icarus Falls, his long-awaited new solo album. The follow-up to 2016’s Mind Of Mine spans a more than generous 27 songs, including today’s offering, “There You Are”. While the former One Direction member tapped into the paranoid side of his personality on preceding single “Rainberry”, here a “broken” and “sick” Zayn finds some much needed comfort in a partner. “Can’t see when I’m falling, losing myself / But then I hear you calling,” he sings, before being flooded with absolute relief on the anthemic chorus. Take a listen below via the lyric video. Icarus Falls arrives this Friday, December 14th. Other previous offerings include “Too Much”, “Entertainer”, and “No Candle No Light” featuring Nicki Minaj. He also recently confirmed that Taylor Swift sometimes travels by suitcase. Source

Jason Momoa, the hulking star of the new superhero film Aquaman, says he built the title character off of songs by Tool and Metallica. The actor is a longtime metalhead who revealed to Metal Hammer that he often turns to heavy music for inspiration while preparing for a role. Momoa, who has also starred in Game of Thrones and the 2011 film Conan The Barbarian, told the magazine, “Aquaman’s pretty metal. I know no-one thinks that, but Aquaman’s metal. I kind of build my characters off of metal songs. Conan was really heavy Pantera, I’d say Aquaman was probably mostly built out of Tool and [Metallica’s debut album] Kill ‘Em All — [Tool’s song] ‘Ticks and Leeches’, if I want to get specific. There’s a lot of [Black] Sabbath in there, too.” Writer’s note: I saw Momoa at Metallica’s show at the Palladium in Los Angeles in February 2017 and he was in the pit headbanging along with all the other fans, so he’s the real deal. Momoa served as host of Saturday Night Live this past weekend. Read Consequence of Sound‘s rundown of the episode here. Aquaman hits theaters on December 21st. Check out both the trailer and Tool’s “Ticks and Leeches” below. Source

The season finale of The Martin Garrix Show is here — and it’s an epic ending to yet another thrilling run of behind-the-scenes episodes. This installment of Martin Garrix’s show follows him through his RAI performance during Amsterdam Dance Event this year, which the last few episodes have focused on. Garrix fans from all over the world lined up early to see the #1 DJ perform live in October for the third year in a row. There was obviously a lot of prep and rehearsals that went into this massive show — long days and even longer nights. However, the one thing Martin revealed he surprisingly didn’t do before his RAI performance was analyze his tracks in Rekordbox. He had a guy for that. From the lighting and visual effects, down to the pyro and CO2, and of course, the music all made for quite the show. Watch and be amazed at the total package Martin Garrix and his team brought to the stage, as The Martin Garrix Show’s third season comes to a close. The Martin Garrix Show – Season 3 Finale Photo via Tomorrowland This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: The Martin Garrix Show Wraps Up Season 3 With Massive ADE Performance Source

Last month, Vince Staples released one of 2018’s best albums in FM!. Now, the Long Beach rapper has announced plans to bring the album out on the road for a 2019 North American tour. The “Smile, You’re on Camera Tour” launches February 1st in Tucson before continuing on to Albuquerque, Austin, Atlanta, Orlando, Philadelphia, and New York. Staples will also play shows in Montreal, Toronto, Cleveland, Denver, Vancouver, and Los Angeles before wrapping up on April 3rd in Pomona. Staples will be joined by opening acts Buddy and JPEGMAFIA. Find Staples’ full tour itinerary below. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 14th. You can also get them here. Staples recently performed at the guest-heavy Mac Miller tribute concert in LA. He also contributed to the new soundtrack for Creed II. Vince Staples 2019 Tour Dates: 02/01 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto $ 02/02 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren $ 02/04 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater $ 02/06 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues $ 02/08 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s $ 02/09 – San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theater $ 02/10 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues $ 02/12 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle $ 02/13 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor $ 02/14 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution $ 02/15 – Orlando, FL @ Plaza Live $ 02/18 – Norfolk, VA @ The Norva $ 02/19 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore $ 02/21 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom $ 02/22 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club $ 02/25 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues $ 02/26 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall # 02/28 – Montreal, QC @ Mtelus # 03/01 – Ithaca, NY @ State Theatre # 03/02 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall # 03/03 – London, ON @ London Music Hall # 03/05 – Toronto, ON @ Rebel # 03/06 – Cleveland, OH @ Acora Theater # 03/08 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s # 03/09 – Grand Rapids, MI @ 20 Monroe # 03/10 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak # 03/12 – Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theatre # 03/15 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave # 03/16 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre # 03/18 – Denver, CO @ The Ogden # 03/22 – Vancouver, BC @ Harbour Convention Center # 03/23 – Portland, OR @ Roseland # 03/25 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo # 03/29 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater # 03/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo # 04/02 – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park # 04/03 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater # $ = w/ Buddy # = w/ JPEGMAFIA SAVE YOUR CHILD SUPPORT ITS TOUR TIME pic.twitter.com/KUzWL85Cf7 — Vince Staples (@vincestaples) December 11, 2018 Revisit FM! track “FUN!”: Source

Last week, we released our Top 50 Albums of 2018 list. That’s the biggie for most of our readers and others in the industry — our final, defining commentary as a publication on the year in music. By the time our top songs list rolls out a week later, some view it as an afterthought and have already turned to the new year. I understand that. I’ve always been an albums guy by nature — the type who got annoyed when a friend played Side-B first or skipped choice deep cuts to get to a hit single faster. Despite some of the bloating bullshit that goes on (and you know who you are), an album, to me, still ranks as a sacred thing — from the sequencing right down to the cover art and liner notes. [See Also: Top 50 Albums of 2018] But as I get older, the song has started to win me over more and more. While albums do, indeed, soundtrack our lives, songs capture and punctuate our most intimate moments. When reading through a list like this one, I try to think of songs as moments: a moment of celebration, of hope, of dread, of despair, of fun, of escape, of understanding, of empowerment, of self-acceptance, of love in its infinite forms… It goes on, and I’m forever amazed by the sheer generosity that goes into artists sharing these moments with others — whether that moment has blossomed into a protest song, a club banger, a song of personal devastation, or a song that helps us see ourselves and others for who we really are. It’s amazing what can be done with a couple minutes, an idea, and some air. That being said, below are the songs — and moments — from 2018 that we find as compelling and rewarding as any album. –Matt Melis Editorial Director __________________________________________________________ Source

Phoenix-based rock band the Meat Puppets have been kickin’ around off and on since 1980. They’ve released a whopping fifteen studio albums (their latest being 2013’s Rat Farm) and were recently inducted into the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame. The band’s roster has changed quite a bit since its inception, but for the first time since 1995’s No Joke!, the original Meat Puppets lineup is back with a new record. The original Meat Puppets roster — songwriter/frontman Curt Kirkwood, his bassist brother Cris, and drummer Derrick Bostrom — have reunited for Dusty Notes, due out March 8th via Megaforce. Joining them will be keyboardist Ron Stabinsky, who joined the band last year, and Curt’s son Elmo, who’s been playing with them since 2011. For Bostrom, who left the band in 1996, returning to the Meat Puppets is a dream come true. “The band has been a really, really deep font of creativity,” Derrick said in a press release. “These guys are uncompromising. I consider the Meat Puppets to be a national treasure.” A press release promises the album is “a unique new vision of what the Meat Puppets can be.” Our first glimpse of that concept comes with the first single, “Warranty”. The track is a jaunty, rollicking ballad that hearkens back to the band’s ’90s sound. Take a listen below. Dusty Notes is currently available pre-order. The band plans to tour the US in 2019 to promote the album, though dates are forthcoming. The tracklist is also yet to be revealed, but you can peep the album artwork below. Dusty Notes Artwork: Source

Back in September, actor Aidan Alexander (.270, Red Wing) made his music debut with his first single, “I Don’t Love You”. Now, the Los Angeles hunk evolves those feelings on his latest track, “Melancholia”, which is in no way an homage to Lars von Trier. Instead, it’s a stormy slice of R&B that brings justice to its titular theme, oozing with the kind of comfortable dread that comes from loving your own sadness, as The Smashing Pumpkins’ Bill Corgan once sang years and years ago. “The song is about growing up and knowing that everyone around you is changing and not knowing where you fit in that,” Alexanders says. “It’s about the little things that age you, like going back to someplace you went as a child and it seems way smaller than it did back then. It’s about your aunt’s kids growing up in front of you and your dog getting old and boney. “Saying goodbye to the protection of being a child is a hard thing to grasp,” he continues. “Even before turning 18, I’ve always felt a little bit on the outside of things. It’s a melancholy feeling to feel alone around people. The line ‘will i always feel you, melancholia?’ is me identifying that all too familiar feeling. “It’s about knowing you are going to miss the oak-lined streets and the clean air and being carried to bed,” he adds. “It’s about knowing that the smell of cookies baking and the feeling of your favorite show airing will be replaced with something new. And not knowing what that is.” Stream the track below. Currently, Alexander is putting the finishing touches on his debut EP, which he plans to release sometime next year. In the meantime, you can see him on go90’s coming-of-age series, Play by Play. Source

Tegan and Sara are prepping to release their first-ever memoir. Titled simply High School, it’s expected to hit shelves in Fall 2019. High School will trace the origins of the Calgary-born sister duo, from their days spent raving in the ’90s to their current status as both pop music and LGBTQ icons. The 384-page book’s chapters alternate between Tegan and Sara, each sister offering a unique window into their lives, especially early on as they grappled with their identity and sexuality, their parents’ divorce, academic pressures, and an unknown future. (Read: 10 Pop Albums For People Who Hate Pop Music) “How did you start your band? When did you know that you were gay? What were you like before Tegan and Sara? We have spent twenty years answering those complicated questions with simple answers,” Tegan and Sara remarked in a press statement. “Writing High School gives us the opportunity to tell the intricate stories that shaped our relationship as sisters, musicians, and queer girls.” Since forming the band in the late ’90s, Tegan and Sara have released eight studio albums, including 2016’s Love You to Death. Last year, they celebrated the 10th anniversary of their debut with a special covers record featuring contributions from Ryan Adams, CHVRCHES, and Paramore’s Hayley Williams. High School is up for pre-order here. High School, a memoir by Tegan and Sara, to be published fall 2019. A transcendent story of first loves and first songs, it tangles itself up in the parallel and discordant memories of two sisters growing up down the hall from one another. pic.twitter.com/Z2FGsMC6jn — Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) December 11, 2018 According to a statement, Tegan and Sara will head into the studio next year to record their new album. Revisit Love You to Death single “Boyfriend”: Source

Following rumors at the beginning of this week, New York nightclub Output has officially revealed that it will be permanently closing as of January 1, 2019. The closure comes as a shock to many as events were listed as ongoing for next year. Though, as Output describes in their statement this morning, the writing has been on the wall “for some time.” It lists “rapidly shifting social trends, unfavorable market conditions and weakening financial outlooks” among the reasons for the closure, as well as “multiple existential challenges.” Output opened its doors in 2013 with a mission to bring house and techno to New York City with no fuss. The club was famous for its no phone-photography aesthetic and realistic underground vibes. With its closure, underground genres will likely have a harder time finding appropriate venues to play in the city. Compounded with the closure of Webster Hall in 2017, this New York City’s venue options continue to dwindle. Read Output’s official statement below. H/T edm.com This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: New York Nightclub Output Closing Its Doors Source

Flight of the Conchords made their return to HBO back in October with their hour-long special Flight of the Conchords: Live in London. Recorded at the Eventim Apollo, the show saw Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement playing some classics as well as debuting new material. Today, the comedy duo has shared one of those fresh numbers, “Father and Son”, as a standalone live track. “Father and Son” is the sweet tale of a boy and his pops spending a joyful day together. Still, the dad is worried his little boy misses his dear sweet mum — which is a bit of problem, since his mom is actually alive and well. “she just hooked up with another guy,” McKenzie reminds papa Clement. “His name’s Trevor, now they live together/ That’s where you picked me up on Friday night.” Although, the elder family member isn’t the one in a bit of denial, as the son may be a bit too old to be seeking some lap advice from his father. Take a listen below. McKenzie and Clement previously performed “Father and Son” during a Colbert appearance in September. Source

The yearly compilation from Quality Goods Records is to land this Friday, and it features a whole host of wicked material from the label’s associated artists. With each previous album proving a huge success, we’re sure QGRC-004 will be no exception. To celebrate this imminent release, we have the premiere of Yojas’ ‘Apathetic’ today, which will be available to download for 24 hours only. With its deliciously wonky bassline and eclectic sampling, we thoroughly recommend you snap this one up. Pick up yours here. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Your EDM Premiere: Yojas – Apathetic [24h Free Download] Source

Queen is taking over. On Monday, Universal Music Group announced that the band’s seminal hit, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, officially became not only the most-streamed classic rock song of all time, but the most-streamed song of the 20th century. The original song and official video, the latter of which is considered the first promotional music video to ever be aired, has surpassed a collective 1.6 billion streams globally across all major streaming services. “So the River of Rock Music has metamorphosed into streams,” exclaimed founding member Brian May. “Very happy that our music is still flowing to the max!” The popularity of the track is no doubt influenced by Bryan Singer’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which recently became the most successful biopic of all time as it nears 600 mil worldwide, easily surpassing 2015’s Straight Outta Compton. Naturally, the surviving members of Queen are capitalizing on this cultural reawakening, taking the band on tour with Adam Lambert, who does an admirable (and unenviable) job filling in for the late and iconic Freddie Mercury. Revisit the song’s video below: Source

Back in 2005, Eddie Vedder released The Molo Sessions, an album recorded with The Walmer High School Choir of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. All proceeds from the LP went to help fund local schools in South Africa. Now, more than a decade later, the Pearl Jam frontman has reunited with the choir, and even staged a surprise performance at their high school. As Alternative Nation points out, Vedder performed The Beatles classic “Here Comes the Sun” during a ceremony at Walmer High School last week. The Seattle rocker also took a tour of the school and helped plant a tree outside. “Reunited. #walmerhighschool #portelizabeth #molosession…more photos to come….Incredible day!!!” Vedder’s wife, Jill, wrote on Instagram. An Instagram account associated with the choir also posted photos, writing, “After 14 years a beautiful reunion between Eddie Vedder and the Molo Choir. Thank you so much to Eddie and his family for taking the time to make this amazing day possible.” Watch Vedder’s Beatles cover below. During the same ceremony, a youth choir took the stage to dedicate a performance of “Ndiyimbokodo” (“I’m a Rock”) to Vedder. Watch that below, followed by more photos from Vedder’s visit to Walmer High School. The original Molo Sessions Artwork: While in South Africa, Vedder also performed at Global Citizen: Mandela 100. Revisit his set here. Source

Cool tour alert: Baroness and Deafheaven will hit the road together for a co-headlining 2019 North American trek that kicks off in early March. Making the bill even more appealing is that Zeal & Ardor will provide support on all dates. The tour kicks off March 8th at the White Oak Music Hall in Houston, Texas, and runs through an April 12th gig at New York City’s Terminal 5, with tickets going on sale this Friday, December 14th. In addition, both Baroness and Deafheaven will play the Decibel Metal & Beer Fest on April 14th in Philadelphia. You can get tickets here. Deafheaven’s Ordinary Corrupt Human Love and Zeal & Ardor’s Stranger Fruit both made our list of the Top 25 Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2018, while Baroness are hard at work on their fifth studio album. Moreover, Deafheaven were just nominated for a Grammy in the Best Metal Performance category for their track “Honeycomb”. The band put on a stellar show when we caught them at Brooklyn Steel over the summer. Check out our review and photo gallery from that gig here. Baroness, Deafheaven and Zeal & Ardor 2019 Tour Dates: 03/08 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall 03/09 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s 03/10 – Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall 03/12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren 03/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern 03/14 – Anaheim, CA @ The House of Blues 03/16 – Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre 03/18 – Portland, OR @ Roseland 03/19 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox 03/20 – Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theatre 03/22 – Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall 03/23 – Calgary, AB @ The Palace Theatre 03/24 – Spokane, WA @ The Knitting Factory 03/26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex 03/27 – Denver, CO @ The Ogden Theater 03/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre 03/30 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee 03/31 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theater 04/02 – Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall 04/03 – Montreal, QC @ The Corona Theater 04/05 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom 04/06 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium 04/07 – Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall 04/09 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre 04/10 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore 04/12 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5 04/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore / Decibel Metal & Beer Fest * * No Zeal & Ardor Source

Cass McCombs is set to return on February 8th with a new album called Tip of the Sphere. The follow-up to 2016’s Mangy Love was first previewed with the track “Sleeping Volcanoes”, and now the psychedelic folk artist is back with another advanced single, “Estrella”. A tribute to the late Latino singer Juan Gabriel, “Estrella” (which is Spanish for “star”) is a dreamy and pensive memorial. McCombs’ unforced vocals seem almost eulogistic, filled with reverence instead of sorrow. “I was roused and aroused/ Only you can rouse me in that way,” he sings. “Like music, language was blown out/ Like pulling down the sea/ Like plunging into the stars.” Take a listen below. Pre-orders for Tip of the Sphere are going on now. In March, McCombs will kick off a US tour in support of the record. For a preview of what those gigs might feel like, check out his recently filmed La Blogotheque Take Away Show performance of “Estrella” below. Source

File this under bizarre crimes: Longtime Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O’Brien was arrested for burglary and assault at the same time his Northdale, Florida, house caught fire with explosive ammunition in it on Monday night (December 10th). According to NBC affiliate WFLA, firefighters struggled to put out the fire at O’Brien’s house, as ammunition was exploding inside the dwelling, eventually getting the fire under control. While his house was burning, police officers received a call about a burglary at a nearby home. A police report states that O’Brien allegedly entered the house without the family’s permission and pushed down a woman inside the home. Police eventually found the guitarist hiding behind a fence near his own home, where he was taken down by officers and arrested. WFLA reports that the metal musician has officially been charged with “burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.” Just yesterday, Cannibal Corpse were announced as a support act on the next North American leg of Slayer’s farewell tour. Cannibal Corpse are also slated to co-headline the 2019 Decibel Magazine Tour with Morbid Angel. It is unknown at this time how the arrest will affect O’Brien’s status with the band. Source

Producer and multi-instrumentalist Dave Harrington is set to embark upon another cacophonous sonic journey with his project Dave Harrington Group. Today, Harrington has announced his second album, Pure Imagination, No Country, along with the record’s first single. Following up the group’s 2016 debut Become Alive, Pure Imagination, No Country looks to continue Harrington’s freeform sensibilities. According to a press release, the album “showcases the most focused distillation of Harrington’s collaborative musical framework,” which Harrington notes as “being inspired by Miles Davis’s innovative ‘electric years.'” If “Well” is any indicator of the album’s direction, that description is pretty accurate – an amouse-bouche of Harrington’s desire to emulate his acid jazz influences with flurries of frenetic drum fills and droning psychedelic guitar. As the release notes, “Well” is “a 2-minute glimpse into the album’s spirit of improvisation and composition through psych rock, jazz and electronic music — all at once, in equal measure.” Pure Imagination, No Country will be released on February 1st, 2019 courtesy of Yeggs Records, and is available for preorder on Bandcamp. Lose yourself in “Well” via Spotify below. Harrington will celebrate the release with a five-night residency at Threes in Brooklyn (Jan. 30th – Feb. 3rd), following by a one-off at Zebulon in Los Angeles on February 21st. Pure Imagination, No Country Artwork: Pure Imagination, No Country Tracklist: 01. Well 02. Dreamfield 03. Belgrade Fever 04. Then I Woke Up 05. Slides Redux 06. Neoarctic Organs 07. Patch One 08. No Country 09. Pure Imagination Source

Following a long-awaited reunion, American Football gave us their first album in nearly two decades, 2016’s self-titled LP. Now, the emo rock veterans are prepping a new record for the new year, and it’s called American Football (LP3). While the eight-track effort features production from past collaborator Jason Cupp, and was recorded in the same spot as its predecessor (Omaha’s Arc Studios), it sees the band taking a markedly different approach than previous releases. “We put a lot of time and a lot of energy into it,” the group’s Mike Kinsella notes in a press statement. “We were all thoughtful about what we wanted to put out there. Last time, it was figuring out how to use all of our different arms. This time, we were like – Ok we have these arms, let’s use them.” One of ways American Football “stretch” themselves on (LP3) is by incorporating more shoegaze elements into their arrangements. They do so with the help of none of other than Rachel Goswell of Slowdive, who appears on a song titled “I Can’t Feel You”. The band also brought in additional guests in Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams (“Uncomfortably Numb”) and Elizabeth Powell of Land of Talk (“Every Wave to Ever Rise”). Lyrically, Kinsella says his style has also undergone some evolution on (LP3). “The goal is to be conversational, maybe to state something giant and heavy, but in a very plain way,” he explains. “But, definitely in this record, I keep things a little more vague.” The forthcoming effort drops March 22nd through Polyvinyl. In anticipation, its lead single, “Silhouettes”, has been revealed. Take a listen to the expansive cut, which clocks in at over seven minutes, below. American Football (LP3) Artwork: American Football (LP3) Tracklist: 01. Silhouettes 02. Every Wave To Ever Rise (feat. Elizabeth Powell) 03. Uncomfortably Numb (feat. Hayley Williams) 04. Heir Apparent 05. Doom In Full Bloom 06. I Can’t Feel You (feat. Rachel Goswell) 07. Mine To Miss 08. Life Support Source

Sri Lankan/British rapper M.I.A. has long fused her incendiary, confrontational music with a sense of political activism, subjects she goes into great detail about with her new documentary MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A.. After enjoying a short theatrical release in September, the film is now available on demand for your viewing pleasure. Directed by Steve Loveridge and featuring music by Dhani Harrison and Paul Hicks, MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. chronicles the life and career of the pop star, including a childhood spent surviving civil war in Sri Lanka, emigrating to England, and finding her voice as a musical artist. All the while, her political activism is stymied by calls for censorship, the press and public labeling her a terrorist, and her own personal struggles. MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. is now out on iTunes, Google Play and VOD. The iTunes Extras package includes bonus content, including behind the scenes footage of M.I.A.’s “Borders” music video and previously unseen footage from her first-ever live performance. Watch the trailer below. Earlier this year, M.I.A. appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah to discuss the documentary. “I think you can say conflict is, like, the subject matter there,” she said of the film at the time. “People say it’s chaos but it’s not. It’s conflict and contradictions.” She also recently announced her effective retirement from music due to censorship in an interview with House of Strombo. (Her last record was 2015’s AIM.) Regardless of whether she’s able to produce another record again, at least we have this doc to outline her perspective on her life and works, as well as the Tamil plight she has worked so hard to make visible to the West. Source

After taking a one-year hiatus in 2018, Chicago Open Air will return in 2019 as a two-day festival headlined by System of a Down and Tool. The event will take place May 18th-19th at SeatGeek Stadium (formerly Toyota Park) in Bridgeview, Illinois. Unlike promoter Danny Wimmer Presents’ other recently announced May festivals — Sonic Temple, Welcome to Rockville, and Epicenter — which include dozens of acts each, Chicago Open Air will feature a much more streamlined lineup, with seven bands playing each day. Day 1 (May 18th) is headlined by System of a Down and also boasts sets by Ghost, Meshuggah, Beartooth, Code Orange, Knocked Loose, and Vein. The Day 2 (May 19th) bill is topped by Tool, with The Prodigy, Gojira, In This Moment, Fever 333, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Alien Weaponry also on board. Tickets for two-day general admission field start at $249.50, with two-day general admission bowl (stadium seating) admission starting at $179.50. Single day tickets will be available for $99.50 for bowl and $149.50 for field. Visit ChicagoOpenAir.com for all ticket and VIP packages, which go on sale Friday (December 14th) at noon CT. Keep in mind that Chicago Open Air and Columbus, Ohio’s Sonic Temple fest take place the same weekend, although the latter is a three-day event that has a Friday lineup, as well. Source

Killswitch Engage played their final show of 2018 on Wednesday (December 6th), rocking New Jersey’s Starland Ballroom with support from Crowbar and Born of Osiris. The Sayreville, New Jersey, show served as a makeup gig for one of the concerts Killswitch Engage had to postpone in the spring when frontman Jesse Leach had to undergo vocal surgery. It appears the medical procedure worked well, as Leach’s voice sounded in fine form. The metalcore pioneers played a 17-song set that included their cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver” to conclude the main set, and ended with a fitting encore of The End of Heartache track “A Bid Farewell”, which wasn’t on the band’s setlist that was posted onstage. Perhaps it was an extra song to close out the year, or a reward to the sold-out crowd for their undying devotion. As previously reported, Killswitch Engage have signed a new record deal with Metal Blade, with plans to release a new album in 2019. The band will embark on a European tour in January, and have already been announced to play the festivals Welcome to Rockville in Jacksonville, Florida; Epicenter in Rockingham, North Carolina; and Sonic Temple in Columbus Ohio, both in May. See our photos of the New Jersey gig, as well as Killswitch Engage’s setlist, below. Photo Gallery: Killswitch Engage, Born of Osiris and Crowbar at the Starland Ballroom in New Jersey: All photos by Melinda Oswandel (@melindaoswandel) Killswitch Engage Setlist: The End of Heartache Strength of the Mind Beyond the Flames My Curse Daylight Dies Fixation on the Darkness Alone I Stand Hate by Design You Don’t Bleed for Me Always In the Unblind My Last Serenade Rose of Sharyn This is Absolution In Due Time Holy Diver(Dio cover) Encore: A Bid Farewell Source

For the first time in nearly a decade, Imogen Heap has announced a string of North American concerts. The eight-date run is set for the spring of 2019, with stops scheduled in Miami, New York, Chicago, Toronto, Seattle, and Austin. Perhaps as reparations for the lack of live appearances behind her 2014 album, Sparks, Heap will pull double duty for the shows. In addition to her own set, she’ll appear alongside composer/producer Guy Sigsworth for performances as Frou Frou, the duo’s electronic project that’s been dormant since 2003. The dates come as part of the “Mycelia World Tour”, which just wrapped up a run of European dates. The tour is a celebration of the release of Mycelia’s “Creative Passport”, a new platform that serves as a “digital container to hold verified profile information, IDs, acknowledgements, works, business partners and payment mechanisms, to help get music makers and their works, linked and open (data) for business.” Founded by Heap, Mycelia is a nonprofit dedicated to funding research and development for technological and commercial practice encouraging fairer payments for musicians, marketplace enrichment, and more. Of the project, Heap stated, “Through Mycelia and its ‘Creative Passport’, as music makers we now have no excuse but to put our best foot forward and become open for business, decentralizing the ecosystem so that it will ultimately benefit everyone.” Beyond the live performances, each date on the run will feature a selection of additional activities, including coding and musician workshops for the whole family, and a Q&A with Heap about the future of technology in music. Check out the full tour routing below. You can grab tickets here. Imogen Heap 2019 Tour Dates: 04/28 – Miami, FL @ Fillmore Miami Beach 05/03 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre 05/08 – New York, NY @ The Town Hall 05/14 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre 05/17 – Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre 05/24 – Boston, MA @ Emerson Colonial Theatre 06/01 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater 06/05 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre 06/08 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic Heap’s latest release came earlier this year in the form of the soundtrack for the Broadway show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Source