There’s never a dull moment for The Flaming Lips. Whether they’re filming NSFW videos with Amanda Palmer, beating Jay-Z’s record for most live concerts played in 24 hours, releasing music inside of gummy skulls, or rolling around in giant plastic balls at their live shows, Wayne Coyne and company are always on the lookout for their next thrill. So of course, the announcement of the April 2 release of their album The Terror wasn’t complete without an additional surprise out of left field; this Super Bowl Sunday, they will be performing a new song, “Sun Blows Up Today,” in a Hyundai commercial during the big game. The 60-second spot, an advertisement for the Hyundai Santa Fe, will feature the band hanging out on a suburban rooftop playing the new tune, which will be available for 100,000 free downloads from the Hyundai website and as a bonus track on the digital album.

According to Coyne, the “great, very strange, beautiful, emotional record” was written between sessions for the band’s previous 2012 release The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends. You can find the official track list for The Terror, as well as a still from the upcoming commercial, below the jump.

Continue reading ‘Flaming Lips Reveal New Album, Upcoming Super Bowl Spot’

Coachella has released the official line up for the 2013 festival. Among the headliners are Blur, The Stone Roses, Phoenix, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. But that’s just the beginning of a very long (and very awesome) list of bands slated to play this year’s event.

Other noteable acts include The Postal Service, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lou Reed, Passion Pit, Of Monsters and Men, Alt-J, Dropkick Murphys, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Social Distortion, and the Lumineers. Check out the full lineup after the jump, and be sure to get your tickets beginning Jan. 29 at 10am PST.  Continue reading ‘Coachella 2013 Announces Lineup: Phoenix, The Postal Service, Red Hot Chili Peppers Headlining’

There’s nothing better than the feeling of crawling into bed after a long night out. The way your body sinks into the mattress, and your pillow feels like a cloud of comfort beyond the capability of man to devise. So next time you fall into bed with heavy eyelids, keep this playlist in mind. Comprised of soft tunes to lull you into dreamland, it won’t be long before you’re catching some well deserved Z’s.

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The Dear Hunter mainman Casey Crescenzo has announced the April 2 release of a new album, Migrant. The announcement was accompanied by the debut of an album trailer, which you can view here. The Dear Hunter is known for defying the traditional norms of album releases, notably having released his first three albums as a three act narrative of sorts, which was followed by a nine-EP concept collection called The Color Spectrum.

Crescenzo says he tried a new approach this time around: “When I started writing this record, I made sure to limit myself to an instrument and my voice…” As you’ll glean from the trailer, the songs clearly grew into something much greater.

We had the opportunity to hear what Casey sounds like with just voice and guitar when he stopped into our studio to perform for our exclusive Songs of the Revolution series. View those performances after the jump:

Continue reading ‘New Album Trailer, Exclusive Performance From The Dear Hunter’

Rise Records has recently announced the newest addition to its roster. The newly formed Bleach Blonde is set to release their full-length album later in the year with engineering and production assistance from Kris Crummett (Drop Dead Gorgeous and Dance Gavin Dance). The band is composed of a few members of Drop Dead Gorgeous, and other musicians from the SoCal area. Be on the lookout for a “mainstream sound with an underground twist.”

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Since 1998, Matt Pond has been releasing perfectly crafted indie rock albums under the moniker Matt Pond PA, but with his most recent release The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hand, Pond has dropped the “PA,” indicating a definite shift in tone. We caught up with Pond to chat about the songwriting for the new record, what he loves about being on the road, and the allure of a career in academia – were he not to be in a relentlessly touring rock band.

OS: The loss of the “PA” from your name signals some type of change in mentality or style. How would you compare your upcoming album to [2010's] The Dark Leaves?

Matt Pond: I finish every album with some kind of staggering realization. It’s not the objective, but it always happens. As we worked on the album, each member slipped away. So that by the end, it was just me and Chris Hansen. Incidentally, Chris is my best friend and the best musician I’ve ever played with. And that’s not hyperbole. I guess The Dark Leaves was about acceptance and The Lives is about defiance. Because of this, I couldn’t hold onto the “PA” anymore. I don’t know if I was fired or promoted, but I definitely feel different. Continue reading ‘Exclusive Q and A: Matt Pond Talks Palm Reading, “PA,” Professors’

The Rock on the Range festival has just announced the lineup for its seventh year in Columbus, Ohio, and it’s a stunner. ’90s heroes Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Smashing Pumpkins will be headlining along with Korn, reunited with their former guitarist Head. And that’s just to name a few. Check out the full lineup here. Pre-sale tickets will be available from January 30 at 10 a.m. EST for $89.50, and general tickets go on sale February 1 at 10 a.m. The festival takes place May 17-19 at the Columbus Crew Stadium.

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No need for a Little Red Corvette that travels through time in order to appreciate this bit of news! Prince, the one and only artist to ever referred to publicly as “the artist formerly known as” before returning to his original stage name, has returned to the rock world with the release of his new single, “Screwdriver.” The song is the first new material to be released from the “Purple Rain” hitmaker since 2010′s 20Ten, and it blasts through the speakers with the as much energy as any of the aging star’s earlier work. You can stream the single below.

Prince has yet to announce any plans for an album or tour, but it seems very likely such plans could be revealed in his upcoming Billboard cover story. We’ll keep an eye out for updates and let you know as soon as something changes. Until then, comment below and let us know what you think of Prince’s latest.

Rise Records has recently announced that they will be sponsoring a tour which will feature Like Moths To Flames, Crown The Empire, The Color Morale, Palisades, and My Ticket Home. The tour will start April 19 and will finish May 4. Click here to find out the tour dates and locations.

Having just released her excellent new album Venice, Los Angeles’ Lyn Saga is looking at a golden 2013. Through sheer force of her musical confidence, Saga reclaims the term ‘power pop’ from the would-be dismissive music critics of the world. It’s feel good music; galloping songs with a crunch that somehow soothes. Saga, a classically trained guitarist, filters the catchiest hooks of the alternative pop era through personal lyrics into a unique but not unfamiliar experience. We’re thrilled to name her our Pro Artist of the Week. Listen to the title track from Venice below (and note the Weezer nod at the very end):