February 2012
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WatchAlabama Shakes: “Heavy Chevy”
Now with a television debut and Third Man live single adding space dust to their meteoric rise, Alabama Shakes are hitting the road to do what they do best: stir up and settle down souls in person. A dozen stateside tour dates were added to the spring jaunt today while the Shakes have also shared Boys & Girls bonus cut “Heavy Chevy,” a...
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WatchThe Tallest Man Debuts “Little Brother”
After a few months spent at home amid Sweden’s Northern Lights-featuring winter, working on the follow-up to 2010’s The Wild Hunt LP and Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird EP, another Tallest Man on Earth record looks to be imminent. And as a first — or possibly second — taste of what’s to come, Kristian...
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WatchThe Rosebuds Cover Talking Heads
The daunting task of covering Talking Heads is a good rite of passage for any indie band, in which a respectable take can serve to solidify cred in the technical chops department by way of paying homage to one of the genre’s most common influences. Previously, MGMT and Kyp Malone both turned in impressive renditions while folks like Will Oldham, St. Vincent,...
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WatchVideo: Band of Horses Big Sur Mini-Doc
It’s been all quiet on the Band of Horses front this year so far, as members Tyler Ramsey and Ryan Monroe have recent solo projects kicking around and promotion behind 2010’s Infinite Arms seems to have slowed down. Perhaps a new record is in the works, but in the meantime, any fan will want to check out this behind-the-scenes look at the...
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WatchVideo: Bonnie “Prince” Billy Black Cab Session
Will Oldham, Cairo Gang’s Emmett Kelly, Angel Olsen, and Ben Boye packed into a London taxi for the 100th episode of Black Cab Sessions, taking on a pair of somewhat diametrically opposed tunes: children’s song “My Nurse Smells Like Coconuts” and a more world-weary cut off their new album, Wolfroy Goes To Town....
January 2012
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Jack White Solo Album, Blunderbuss, Announced
Jack White unveiled big news about his long-awaited debut solo LP this morning: Blunderbuss arrives on April 24th via Third Man Records/Columbia, preceded by lead single “Love Interruption,” available for pre-order now and to stream below.
As the announcement notes, guest performers include the likes of Seasick Steve, Chris Thile, and Ruby Amanfu, among others. Meanwhile, Jack...
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WatchKristian Matsson Covers Thin Lizzy, Previews Soundtrack
The Tallest Man On Earth has been branching out from his solo-acoustic roots of late, contributing songs with partner Amanda Bergman to a film , debuting new material with a live backing band, and — tonight — leading a group through Thin Lizzy’s late-’70s rock anthem “Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught...
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Built to Spill, J Mascis Record Electronic...
On Doug Martsch and Brett Nelson’s inaugural release as the Electronic Anthology Project, the Built to Spill duo took on music by their own band, re-recording popular BTS tunes in an ’80s electro-pop style. The result was both an oddly appealing experiment and entertaining way to deconstruct the guitar-driven work for which they’re better known. Now EAP is back with perhaps the...
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WatchStream: First Aid Kit, ‘The Lion’s Roar’
From the title track to their Rosanne Cash-approved homage to Johnny, June Carter, Gram, and Emmylou, previews of the Söderberg sisters’ sophomore LP promised a big step forward for the Swedish duo. Now we get to hear the Mike Mogis-produced set in full, complete with guest vocals from Conor Oberst on the triumphant closing track...
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WatchThe Kills: “The Last Goodbye” Video
Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince commemorate their decade as the Kills with this new official video for Blood Pressures single “The Last Goodbye,” directed by actress Samantha Morton.
Watch the black-and-white clip above, as the pair reflect from the view of a photo booth lens.
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WatchJustin Townes Earle: “Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now”
The title track to JTE’s fourth album, Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now, arrived today, replete with a raw, live-recorded feel befitting of such a surrendered morning after cut. Looking forward to hearing more of the set’s “Memphis-soul direction” soon,...
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WatchThe Shins: “Simple Song”
Our first taste of Port of Morrow, James Mercer’s first record as the Shins since 2007’s Wincing the Night Away, is here in the form of “Simple Song.”
Hear Mercer lead his brand new lineup through the catchy cut above.
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Jack White, Tom Jones Collaborate + Third Man...
A Jack White Q&A from this month’s MOJO hit the White Swirl recently, in which the Third Man Records founder revealed some intriguing 2012 releases for the Nashville label. Most surprisingly, perhaps, is confirmation for the rumor that White has recorded a new Blue Series single with knighted Welsh crooner Tom Jones: a cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Evil (Is Going On)”...
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WatchVideo: Sharon Van Etten on Fallon
Making her television debut, Sharon Van Etten brought the first single off next month’s Tramp LP to Late Night tonight with a little help from the record’s producer, Aaron Dessner of the National, on guitar.
Check out Doug Keith, SVE, and crew unleashing our first live taste of “Serpents” above.
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WatchRyan Adams - “Round and Round” (Ratt Cover)
At this point, an official album of ’80s metal songs interpreted as heartfelt acoustic cuts by Ryan Adams doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Following up last year’s Iron Maiden cover — not to mention versions of a few alt-rock favorites from the era by Bob Mould and Galaxie 500 — Adams capped off his big 2011 return...
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December 2011
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Captain Beefheart's 'Bat Chain Puller' Gets...
In honor of what would have been Don Van Vliet’s 71st birthday on January 15th, the Frank Zappa estate have unlocked a 36-year-old recording from their vaults: Bat Chain Puller, Captain Beefheart’s 1976 LP that was prevented from being officially released due to a legal dispute between Zappa, the album’s producer, and manager Herb Cohen. Though the late avant-garde rock legend...
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Justin Townes Earle: 'Nothing’s Gonna Change the...
Bloodshot Records announced the March 27 release of Justin Townes Earle’s fourth LP today, describing the 10-track set, Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now, as having a “1960s-era Muscle Shoals sound accompanied by lots of brass.” Recorded live in a converted church with no overdubs over the course of just 4 days, Earle said that his next effort is...
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WatchThe Kills: “Silent Night”
“The moon makes me want to eat you alive,” sings Alison Mosshart in the Kills’ rewrite of this old Christmas tune. Hear their haunting acoustic take on “Silent Night,” which arrived today as the final installment of BBC 6’s MPFree Festive Giveaway, above.
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Magnetic Fields Announce 'Love at the Bottom of...
“The Magnetic Fields are returning to their signature mix of synth and acoustic sounds,” the band said today, announcing the release of their first LP featuring new songs for Merge Records since 1999’s 69 Love Songs. On March 6, Stephin Merritt and co. will follow up the final set in their “synth-free trilogy” — last year’s Realism — with Love at...
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24B’s Favorite Cover Songs of 2011 →
It was tough to whittle down the list, but finally a roundup of streams/video with brief thoughts on my favorite covers of the year is here.
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WatchAndrew Bird: “Tables and Chairs” (Live)
Earlier this week, Andrew Bird announced the March 2012 release of his next album, Break It Yourself, along with a spring U.S. tour and an interesting way to pick up a copy of the LP: Tickets to shows purchased on Bird’s website will include a digital copy of the forthcoming record delivered at midnight on release day, as well as two live...
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WatchVideo: Ryan Adams, Live on Letterman
Ryan Adams performed at the Ed Sullivan Theater last night for a live webcast of a full 70-minute set, complete with banter and solo acoustic takes on tunes spanning his days in Whiskeytown to the new record. In fact, he even brought out a post-Ashes & Fire cover song that’s been added to recent setlists following last month’s Bob Mould...