Playlist

Take a look at June's 26 song playlist that features ambient, electro, 90's Britpop, punk, one-hit wonders and fun jams for the month.

Editors Documentary Trailer

Editors will be releasing a documentary about the making of their new album, The Weight of Your Love, take a look at the film's trailer above!

Empire of the Sun on Kimmel!

Watch Empire of the Sun perform "Alive" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Mixtape of Yeezus Samples To Download

Even though there are hardly any official album credits to Kanye West's latest, Yeezus, Gianni Lee and Mike Bud shared the samples that do appear on the album as a free mixtape to download. Take a look!

01 Intro (Prod By Gianni Lee)
02 Holy Name of Mary Choral Family: "He'll Give Us What We Really Need ("On Sight")
03 Marilyn Manson: "The Beautiful People" ("Black Skinhead")
04 Capleton: "Forward Inna Dem Clothes" ("I Am A God")
05 Omega, Omega: "Gyöngyhajú lány" ("New Slaves")
06 Rahul Dev Burman, Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey: "Are Zindagi Hai Khel" ("I Am A God")
07 Kenny Lattimore: "Lately" ("I'm In It")
08 Nina Simone: "Strange Fruit" ("Blood On The Leaves")
09 TNGHT: "R U Ready" ("Blood On The Leaves")
10 Snoop Dogg: "Down 4 My N's: "("Blood On The Leaves")
11 Lords Of The Underground: "Chief Rocka" ("Guilt Trip")
12 Pusha T ft Popcann Travis Scott: "Blocka" ("Guilt Trip")
13 Beenie Man: "Memories" ("Send It Up")
14 Wee: "Aeroplane (Reprise)" ("Bound 2")
16 Ponderosa Twins Plus One: "Bound" ("Bound 2")
17 Brenda Lee: "Sweet Nothin" ("Bound 2")

Anamanaguchi on Fallon

 Watch Anamanaguchi perform "Endless Fantasty" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon!

Quick Spins

Sigur Ros – Kveikur

The Icelandic giants return doing a total 180 from last years rather disappointing and very ambient, Valtari. Kveikur hears Sigur Ros experimenting with metal, industrial, hard rock and create one of their finest albums of their illustrious career. This harder and much more aggressive seventh album from Sigur Ros is something that will appeal to fans and those that are still questioning the musical capability of this magnificent band.

FINAL GRADE: A

Action Bronson – SAAB Stories

Queens’ best new rapper emerges with a new EP produced entirely by Harry Fraud. While SAAB Stories is three songs shy of being a full album, Bronson brings his A-game to give fans a taste of what is ahead. SAAB Stories also hears Bronson getting surprisingly serious, not as many food or sex references on this but an introspective look as to were his life is these days and where he wants it to go.

FINAL GRADE: A-

The 1975 – IV EP

Buzz band The 1975 pretty much package their best songs from their previous three EP’s and add a couple new tracks to appeal to new fans. However, while these songs are perfect pop / rock combo’s (and that is what we are grading on), it would have been better to just hold off on this EP and make fans wait for September’s full length.

FINAL GRADE: A-

Beady Eye – BE

Linking up with David Sitek of TV on the Radio, Beady Eye bring out the very best of their psychedelic vibe and sound and do it right. Shedding whatever shell the former members of Oasis had with their former band, Liam and Co., come into their own and find the creative force that still has them going.

FINAL GRADE: A-

Frankie and the Heartstrings – The Days Run Away

The Britrock band returns with album number two and keep the same momentum and garage rock fun that their 2011 debut, Hunger, had.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Zomby – With Love

A very ambitious double album from one of Britain’s premier and enigmatic DJ’s and producers. With Love is a tour-de-force of experimental beats, sounds, styles and while at points exhausting because of how much is packaged together, it is still a full delight and creative project to experience. If broken up into two separate albums or as one compilation, this would have been one of the years best albums.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Surfer Blood – Pythons

It is summertime and it is the perfect season for Surfer Blood to give us new music. Pythons hears the Florida band mature and become much more sincere with their lyrics, music and most of all themselves. While it is still a solid summer album, it is a bit dramatic than their debut, Astro Coast.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Baths – Obsidian

For his third album, Will Wisenfeld aka Baths, finds clever ways to make his electronic music and glitch sound become much more evolved and intricate than just beats made in the studio. In many ways it seems like there is a story in the sounds he is crafting without having to sing a single note, which he does, but it is the music that truly makes Obsidian a worthwhile listen.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Erich Collins Carey – Could’ve Gone Either Way

The self financed debut album from New York singer / songwriter, Erich Collins Carey hears him baring his soul in sound and it is the simplicity of his sound that enhances his lyrics more. Much like Clark Kent, Carey is not what he appears to be, an attorney by day, at night he transforms himself into a musician. He takes his Irish roots and uses it to his advantage to become a clever storyteller, songwriter, and guitar player. The title of his record could possibly signify where this project could go, however, it seems to have gone in his favor and the promise of a new songwriter has been given to us.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Parlour Flames

Former Oasis guitarist, Bonehead, forms a new band nearly 20 years after his departure from the legendary band. Parlour Flames is as British as it gets, this is a record that an fan of Britrock will love and enjoy.

FINAL GRADE: B

Black Sabbath – 13

The metal legends return with their first album in 18 years and their first album with Ozzy Osbourne in 35 years. After a series of session and false starts that date back to 2001, Sabbath launched again without original drummer Bill Ward, and linked up with producer Rick Rubin and drummer Brad Wilk (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave) to craft certainly their best album in ages but also their heaviest. Rubin had the band listen to their 1^st album nearly before every session and cranked out a classic sounding Sabbath record. However, with most of the songs clocking in over six minutes and with redundant riffs, it drops 13 into a chore to go through, but still manages to show that at their age and after all the mileage and issues, they can still chomp harder than anyone around.

FINAL GRADE: B

Spacehog – As It Is On Earth

The first band we ever interviewed on this site finally release their new album and first in 12 years. As It Is On Earth hears the New York via England glam rockers bring together psychedelica and garage to craft an impressive return.

FINAL GRADE: B

David Byrne & St. Vincent – Brass Tactics EP

The companion to the unlikely duo’s team-up debut, Love This Giant, the legendary David Byrne and Anne Clark aka St. Vincent gave away Brass Tactics as an EP to thank fans and showcase they have more down the pipeline together.

FINAL GRADE: B-

Kanye West – Yeezus

The much-anticipated new album from one of music’s greatest originators is finally here, and was Yeezus worth all of the hype? Of course not. With no radio singles, a clever marketing campaign, a bombastic SNL performance and interesting Governors Ball set, plus a new baby on the way, Kanye West plastered himself all over the media in recent months. Yet, anything West does is not do quietly, it has to be done in this grand fashion or else his whole career would not be as fun as it has. But, it all seems to be a distraction, it seems it has fed his beast of an ego even more that he is now become the motherfucking monster he rapped about on his last solo album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Yeezus is nothing but an ode to West himself. It is nothing more than a self-fulfilling prophecy of the Gospel according to Kanye. With industrial beats and Marilyn Manson samples, he tries to cross genres and blur hip-hop’s line as an isolated genre, yet, falls flat on trying to keep up with himself. The delivery of lyrics is forced and rushed, as is the production. It is now know that in the 25^th hour of this albums creation, Rick Rubin was called into salvage Kanye from himself and giving hip-hop another Detox incident. If Rubin was signed on from the start, Yeezus could have lived up to its own potential and Kanye could have given the world a sixth album of sheer intelligence and forward thinking hip-hop. Yet, this just sounds like a man screaming to be fed more attention over Nine Inch Nails / KMFDM-esque beats. Kanye, word to the wise, if we wanted NIN sampled with hip-hop, we just would have listened to that “In Da Club” / “Closer” mash-up.

FINAL GRADE: C

College – Heritage

After the massive success of their song, “A Real Hero” from the Drive soundtrack, College releases a full length that will fall on deaf ears. Heritage is an uninspired and at points rather lazy release from a group that showed so much promise especially in the age when electronic bands seem to be a dime-a-dozen, Heritage shows off that thus far College is a one-hit wonder.

FINAL GRADE: C-

French Montana – Excuse My French

French Montana has become one of hip-hops signature go-to voices over the last five years. Some of Montana’s classic hooks and lines have been nothing but gifts to songs from artists like Rick Ross, Action Bronson, Nicki Minaj and many more. Yet, on his own  he falls short. Excuse My French is a cliché hip-hop record about money, cars, women, drugs and what his is worth. His starring role cannot be held on its own and seems he is a stronger supporting cast member than lead.

FINAL GRADE: D 

VINTAGE CLIP! Depeche Mode at Rose Bowl

 Tuesday will mark the 25th anniversary of Depeche Mode's legendary Rose Bowl concert that featured support from Wire, OMD, and Thomas Dolby. The concert was filmed and released as Depeche Mode 101 and is one of the bands most treasured gigs, documentaries and live performances. To celebrate the occasion, the band posted this rare never-before-seen 18-minute clip of the announcement, event and more. Take a look!

Quick News

On Wednesday, June 19, Andrew W.K. will perform his next trick by trying to break the drumming world record by drumming for 24 straight hours in New York's Times Square. We wish him luck!

Because of the Samsung giveaway, Jay-Z's new album will go instantly platinum as soon as it is physically released on July 4. The phone company purchased a million units of the record to give away to fans and users of the phone for free.

While Black Sabbath enjoy the success of their new album, 13, Ozzy Osbourne has says there may be more Sabbath music down the pipeline. Osbourne has said, ""We're still reveling in coming back with this. There probably will be another album, but I don't want to promise anything to anyone. It took us long enough to do this, and we can't wait another 43 years to have another Number One. If it comes to pass we don't make another record, then I can rest easily knowing we finished things properly with 13." [source NME.com]

Speaking to Billboard, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age has admitted that he wants to make an immediate follow-up to their latest fantastic album, ...Like Clockwork. He said, "I think we should make a record right away – but I think we'll know when that is. The future is always out there, isn't it? As soon as everyone looks to the left, we'll show up from the right hand side. I mean, that's what we're supposed to do, right? Isn't that the minimum obligation of a band, to try to enthral and surprise and with as much mystery as possible, appear to its fans. We're supposed to walk first; we're not supposed to take a CNN poll."

Following his former friend and bandmate, Peter Hook,  Bernard Sumner is set to write his autobiography and tell his side of the Joy Division / New Order saga. His book will be release in fall 2014.

Jay-Z New Album Trailer

Durring the NBA Finals on Sunday, a surprising commercial ran promoting Jay-Z's new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, which will arrive on July 4. Yet, if you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, you get the album a few days early. Take a look at the albums full trailer above featuring Jay at work with Rick Rubin, Timbaland, Pharrell, and Swizz Beats.

EXCLUSIVE! The Staves INTV!

On this Father's Day weekend, we picked a band that is making their music a family affair. England's The Staves are a trio of sisters that have taken their own spin on traditional folk rock. After releasing their debut album, Dead & Born & Grown last year, they have been touring the US and Europe to critical acclaim as they have opened for Bon Iver, Ben Howard and even sang back-up to Tom Jones. These sisters are on their way up and that is something both of their parents can be proud of, especially on this Father's Day. We spoke to singer Emily Staveley-Taylor about the bands rise, working with her sisters, and their influences. Take a look at our interview below:

What it is like being in a band with your sisters, does sibling rivalry ever impact the bands momentum or music?

Yes, frequently – but the key is to deal with it quickly and move on!

The name of the group is a shortened version of your last name, is Stave a nickname people gave your family?

Yes. Everyone would say "going over the stave's house for a cup of tea".

Growing up, did you play music together? Was it a musical household?

There was always music on at home. We never performed as a family as such, but we were surrounded by music from a young age. Mum and Dad sang a lot.

Who are some of your influences?

Beatles, Crosby Stills and Nash, Feist, Fionn Regan, and Ricky Gervais.

Even before having your debut out, you released a number of EP’s, and had the opportunity to open for Bon Iver, Mt. Desolation, Civil Wars, and Ben Howard. Playing in front of someone else’s audience, what does that do for you as a performer?

Playing in front of listening audiences, no matter whose it is or what size the crowd, is always a beautiful thing.

What was it like to finally record your debut?

Loads of fun. We are very excited to be able to share it with people.

What is it like to finally have the debut out?

Great. We made our own EP years ago and it funded us on a tour. Since then we've had another three EPs to sell on the road, so to finally have a full length album feels wonderful.

What does the title of the record, “Dead & Born & Grown,” signify?

Hard to explain, but it's the title of the first song we ever wrote together.  Seemed fitting that it became the title of the album. 

One of the most interesting things about this band is that you appeared on a Tom Jones album. How did that come about, how did Mr. Jones find out about you?

I would hope it's not one of the most interesting things about us (!), however we got a call from someone who needed cheap labour so we turned up and, of course, it was an honour to sing with such an incredible performer!

Hailing from England, how much has your country influenced your work?

We are very proud of where we come from. It's difficult to say to what extent England has shaped our music. We always try to sing in our own accents.

Coming to the U.S., is there a certain pressure you are putting on yourselves to make it here or is it just icing on the cake?

No pressure! We've never set out to conquer anywhere. It's a huge adventure to explore the States and play music out here. We absolutely love it.

Where do The Staves go from here?

Onwards and upwards! But first we're going home to do our washing.