Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Quick News

While the world waits for Janet Jackson to release a new record, the singer and icon is now breaking boundaries again as the first female African-American to own and run a record label. Jackson will launch her label Rhythm Nation. In a statement on her website, it said, "With Rhythm Nation Janet Jackson becomes arguably the first female African-American recording artist to form her own record label. At Rhythm Nation Janet plans to offer a home to both new and established recording artists. The partnership with BMG makes Janet Jackson the biggest worldwide superstar yet to quit the traditional record label system for a so-called artist services deal, designed to put artists in the driving seat. Unlike a traditional record deal, under an artist services deal the artist retains ownership of their recordings and full oversight of all costs and revenues."

Speaking to NME, Brandon Flowers is claiming that his latest solo album, The Desired Effect, may be his last. He said, "Being onstage without [The Killers] is different, but I try to look for the similarities rather than dwell on the differences because I need that comfort, I guess."

Also speaking to NME is Florence Welch and discussed how her latest record, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, was almost about the L.A. witchcraft scene. She said, "When I first went to work with Markus [Dravs, producer], I did have some songs that were like... slightly more 'Ceremonials'-esque," she said. "We got really into obsessing about the LA witchcraft scene, and I was imagining this concept album about a witch trial in Hollywood, and someone falls in love. It was kind of tied up with things in my own life, but it was an escapism." Welch then went on to credit Dravs for helping her make the record "more personal."

Next month, Portishead's Geoff Barrow's side project Beak> will release a split with, um, themselves. That's right, the trio will release a split with Beak> and <Keab. Take a look at the tracklisting below:
BEAK>:
01 The Meader
02 The Broken Window
<KAEB:
01 When We Fall
02 There’s No One [ft. Jonwayne]

Next month, Led Zeppelin will finish their massive year-long reissues campaign with the remastered and repackaged releases of their final three studio albums - Presence, In Through the Out Door, and Coda. 

The 1975 have been cranking out a mysterious album campaign lately and while we wait on new info on the next record, the band released the cover to the album on Instagram. Take a  look: