The National have released a stream of their new single, “Demons.”

Serving as the first single to surface from May’s Trouble Will Find Me, “Demons” keeps things melancholy will with an echo-filled song about the weight of dealing with one’s own demons. The premiere occurred via YouTube and was accompanied by a black and white video detailing the creation of the album art. You can hear the song and view the footage at the end of this post.

Trouble Will Find Me is one of the most anticipated indie releases of 2013, and those who simply cannot wait for release day are more than welcome to pre-order the album starting today. Click here to purchase your copy. Continue reading ‘The National Stream “Demons”’

• Jack White raps. Kind of.
• This is unapologetic.
• Of course The National is pissed about this.
• Screw you, Sandy!
• Apple wants a piece, too.
• Ne-Yo + Goo Goo Dolls + Herbie Hancock.

Indie rock band Local Natives will be releasing their sophomore album, Hummingbird, on January 29th, 2013. The new full-length is co-produced by Aaron Dessner of The National, which is sure to garner more attention from indie fans across the globe. While the release is still months away, you can hear one of the new songs, “Breakers,” here. Fans of The National will be able to recognize the influence on the record, especially during the chorus, while the track still delivers Local Natives’ signature vocal harmonies and powerful percussion. According to TwentyFourBit.com, this album was recorded “in Montreal and at Dessner’s home studio in Brooklyn.” Here is the tracklist for the rest of Hummingbird:

1. “You & I”
2. “Heavy Feet”
3. “Ceilings”
4. “Black Spot”
5. “Breakers”
6. “Three Months”
7. “Black Balloons”
8. “Wooly Mammoth”
9. “Mt. Washington”
10. “Colombia”
11. “Bowery”

If you like Local Natives, then you might also like OurStage artist Warning Birds.

More Like This:

• Local Natives In New York: “It” Band Blows Up But Boys Escape Ego
• Harmony: Indie Rock Finds Its Voice(s)
• Songs Of The Revolution: The Spring Standards

• Young Stingy.
• Just don’t let the paparazzi close during those sessions, Gaga.
• We heard he recorded Harvest on the moon.
• Meanwhile, Will.i.am. is kind of heading into space.
• He’s Mr. November.
• Any cause that gets these guys back together is a worthy one.

We are all connected. Our generation’s need for information has bred a certain hyper awareness, an insatiable desire for instant information coupled with a distaste for gatekeepers. The mindset of today’s youth is something along the lines of, “Get out of my way, geezer. I’m doing 80 in the fast lane of the information superhighway.”

Do people still call it the information superhighway?

News of album announcements come by way of Google+ Hangouts. Twitter has replaced wire services as the means by which artists relay information to their fans and to the media. After all, who better to promote you than you? And Instagram functions in much the same way. The service has gone from hipster novelty to smart phone ubiquity. It has been adopted by celebrities, musicians, even Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei. But who should you be following on Instagram? Well fear not, dear reader! We know the best accounts to follow.

Continue reading ‘The Seven Best Musicians To Follow On Instagram’

Every day, somebody once told me, deserves its own soundtrack. So, according to Hollywood, does nearly every film. But unlike the old days when the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack became as popular as the movie, and films like Dirty Dancing and The Big Chill had soundtracks so successful that they spawned sequels, movie music rarely scales blockbuster heights anymore.

On the Billboard 200 album chart for the week ending January 21, Hollywood only had two albums in the Top 40—the soundtracks for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. So did Florence and the Machine!

Unless the music is linked to the TV series Glee, chart traction is no longer guaranteed, not even for songs from the biggest blockbusters. Bruno Mars scored one of the few big movie hits of recent years with his Twilight Saga track “It Will Rain” (No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100), which, astonishingly, was the first chart hit launched by the massively successful vampire franchise.

Nowadays, the studios and indie houses seem to use all of the best music in the movie trailers anyway. Better to hear a familiar pop song (say, Florence and the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over”) selling a Julia Roberts rom-com (say, Eat Pray Love) than to have to sit through the millionth comic-relief/release oldie sing-along just as the main characters are triumphing over plot-driven (and driving) conflict.

Maybe I just don’t see as many mainstream films as I used to back when Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton had their I-will-survive moment in The First Wives Club while singing “You Don’t Own Me,” but thankfully, the number of soundtrack sing-alongs have been waning in recent years.

Still, despite the dearth of hit soundtracks and Motown karaoke moments, music is alive and well in the movies. Here’s how it’s being best put to use these days.

1. To Wake Up Moviegoers: The Constellations‘ “Perfect Day” in Horrible Bosses. Not that anyone needed to be roused from slumber during what was a surprisingly smart and spry comedy, but for those who did doze off and missed the sight of Jennifer Aniston wearing next to nothing, this 2010 track (watch the video here) was the perfect wake-up bomb.

2. To Illuminate the Action”: Desire’s “Under Your Spell” in Drive. Just in case you didn’t get that Ryan Gosling was digging Carey Mulligan in Drive (and the film didn’t exactly, um, drive that point home before deciding that he would die for her), this song’s opening lyric—”I don’t eat/I don’t sleep/I do nothing but think of you“— told the entire love story in under twenty words. More than any film in my recent memory, Drive merges sound and vision so brilliantly that I don’t think the movie would have been nearly as effective without its perfectly placed music.

3. To Reflect the Action: Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde in Melancholia. Who better than the man who wrote an entire opera cycle, Gotterdammerung, devoted to the twilight of the Norse Gods, to provide the backing track for a movie about the end of the world? I’ve always imagined that something by the nineteenth-century German composer would be playing in the background, via some invisible loudspeaker in the sky, when the end of days rolled around.

4. To bring on the waterworks: The National’s “About Today” in Warrior. If you weren’t moved, at least nearly driven to tears, by the family drama or the opening strains of the National’s 2004 track, cued right after the brothers played by Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton re-bonded in the mixed-martial-arts ring, then check the space where your heart should be. There might be something missing.

5. To score an award—or at the very least, a Top 40 hit: Madonna’s “Masterpiece” in W.E. Its Top 40 prospects are grim, but the song Madonna wrote and sung for her second directorial effort is already a Golden Globe Best Original Song winner. Unfortunately, this is the end of its road to the Oscars. To be eligible for a Best Original Song Oscar nod, a tune must be composed specifically for the movie and appear in its body or be the first song that plays when the credits roll. “Masterpiece,” alas, was the second credits tune. By saving the best for last, Madonna killed her Oscar chances. Better luck next film song!

The Good

The National win best album at Q Awards

This week Q Magazine’s Q Awards took place, bringing together some of the biggest names in music. Winners included Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine for Best Female, Paolo Nutini for Best Male, and Mumford & Sons for Best New Act. The National beat the likes of Green Day, Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon and Muse for the highest honor of Best Album for High Violet. Check out the full list of winners here.

Katy Perry gets hitched

Katy Perry and Russell Brand got married in a lavish ceremony on a wildlife reserve in India this past weekend. Bo-ring!

The Bad

Bon Jovi neighbor pens apology letter

“Dear Bon Jovi,

I’m sorry for throwing empty beer cans on your lawn.”

So begins a grand apology by a 17-year-old neighbor of Jon Bon Jovi, posted to TheAwl.com. So what possessed a teenage boy to vandalize the lawn of New Jersey’s favorite son? Bad lyrics, apparently. Read the letter in its entirety here—it’s funny stuff.

T.I. changes album title

Now that T.I. is facing 11 months in jail for violating his probation, his album name, King Uncaged doesn’t make much sense. This week the rapper announced that the new title will be No Mercy. Still no word on a release date … for the album … not T.I.

The Ugly

Alice Cooper loses blood and other stuff on flight to UK

Don’t you just hate it when the airline loses your fake blood, skulls and plastic bats? Oh, that’s right, you’re not Alice Cooper. The ghoulish rocker was en route to a Halloween show in London when he discovered his luggage had been misplaced, and with it, all sorts of props for his show. Cooper was not happy, nor should he be. Oversized syringes and skeleton arms don’t grow on trees.

Taylor Momsen flashes audience at New York show

Is there anyone, ANYONE, more desperate to be seen as a bad girl than Taylor Momsen? The dead hooker makeup, the underage smoking, the torn fishnets, the apathetic gaze, the pointless trash talking—it’s like a 17-year-old pretending to be Courtney Love for Halloween. The Pretty Reckless singer borrowed another move from the bad girl playbook this week when she flashed a crowd during a performance, revealing taped nipples a la Wendy O. Williams. Yawn. Julia Roberts’ performance in Pretty Woman was more shocking. Sorry Miss Momsen, you’re not bad, just unoriginal.

Miscellany

• Amy Winehouse releases clothing line
• Adam Lambert to do acoustic album
• First five Prince dates announced
• Flaming Lips to perform on Yo Gabba Gabba
• Bieb biopic Never Say Never trailer released
• Will.i.am and Nicky Minaj release “Check It Out” video
• Taylor Swift kicks off album release with intimate show for fans
• Kanye West’s Runaway debuts worldwide
• Snooki lip syncs “Whip My Hair”
• Slits singer dies
• Devo cancel remaining 2010 tour dates

Just a short drive down Route 17 from Washington, DC, you’ll find the next stop on our Scene & Heard road trip: Richmond, VA. As the capital of “Old Dominion,” Richmond is a solid musical destination.  Though the area’s genres are quite diverse, folk, country and certain types of heavy rock music seem to dominate.

Richmond itself, as well as neighboring Virginia Beach, were notable starting points for many big-name urban artists such as D’Angelo and Pharrell. In rock and pop, Richmond has produced eclectic bands spanning from Carbon Leaf to Lamb of God. Richmond Blues/Country heavyweights include Tim Barry and River City Gang. The area’s culture makes it a hot bed for festivals and entertainment, with hundreds of DC tourists taking the trip down to explore some of the musical offerings. Most notably, Richmond has hosted the National Folk Festival (NFF) in previous years including acts like Chuck Brown, the Skatalites and The Holmes Brothers. Additionally, Richmond has a strong radio presence with pop/rock stations Q94 (94.5 FM) and Lite 98 (98.1 FM).

OurStage band Gills and Wings are no strangers to playing in the Richmond area. This Hush Sound-esque band combines their strong songwriting style with bouncy piano chords and guitar riff harmonies like those of Queen.  To pinpoint a genre with these guys wouldn’t really do them justice. Take a listen for yourself:

“Seeing the reaction of [a Richmond] audience has altered our perspective of what kind of boundaries and freedom a band could have.” They went on to mention that scene is very eclectic, containing genres like Latin, jazz (as heard at Balliceaux), hip hop (as heard at Cafe Diem), grass roots, funk and rock. The underlying theme of our interview with the guys was simply that there are a large number of venues, and what genre will be heard really depends on what night you go there. “For music goers, The National, Canal Club and The Camel…are just a few venues off the top of [our] head that feature excellent music. Check the lineup on a given night…to see if it’s worth your while.”

No doubt about it, the Internet provides hours upon hours of mind-numbing entertainment. And while I’ve personally never been one of those people who becomes absorbed in watching coordinated dance moves or dads getting hit in the junk by baseballs on YouTube, I have found an online obsession that is both stimulating and inspiring. La Blogotheque is a French blog/Web site that it pretty difficult to do any decent research on since Google isn’t much for translating. But music in universal and all you need to know is the URL to enjoy this somewhat spontaneous cataclysm of creativity.

Founder Chryde aspired to mix up the music-sharing world and enlisted Vincent Moon, an independent film maker from Paris who wanted to film music in a different way. Moon is best known for R.E.M.’s Supernatural Superserious Music Video, as well as his work with other mainstream artists such as Tom Jones. Moon went on to film musicians in Paris, and The Take Away Show was born in 2006. The Take Away Show, as I’m sure you’re probably wondering, is a unique single take recording of an artist or band performing two or three tracks in an improvisational setting.

To break it down, think The Kooks traveling through the streets of Paris while young fans collect in their wake performing “Oh La La” like modern pied pipers. Or Mumford & Sons singing “Awake My Soul” to a French woman hanging out her courtyard window as they translate the chorus to her native language. Footage is left raw, few edits are made and the camera shakes with Moon’s hand as he travels from face to face, reaching odd angles of the street or trees.

The organic footage, which views as something between a live performance and a finished music video, somehow retains a lovely and haunting sound. For their Take Away Show, Phoenix hijacks a tourist bus and then plays under a bridge at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower  The band brings forward a sort of raw charisma that is lost in their smoothed over and diluted sounding records.

Earlier I referred to The Take Away Shows as being “somewhat” spontaneous because in Chryde’s explanations of each show, he goes into detail about the stressful planning that actually goes into creating something so deliciously impromptu. While he writes each bio in French, its easy to see his creative skills expand past just film making. Take this excerpt from 2007′s Take Away Show with Arcade Fire.

“During those weeks, I had been in continual contact with Vincent Morisset, who runs the Neon Bible site. Win and Régine had been responsible for coordinating our Take Away Show. We had discussed dates and places, imagining the Madeleine at night, the knoll at the Île de la Cité, an old café, a roundabout behind the Olympia…We checked the weather every day and despaired about the cold front that was passing through Paris. We had surveyed the entire inhumane neighborhood from top to bottom, trying to anticipate the crowd, the willpower of the group, the cold and the fatigue. Then, suddenly, we had a plan. Win asked if there was a freight elevator. We found it, Win smiled, and The Take Away Show was no longer in our hands.

We knew that The Take Away Show with Arcade Fire wouldn’t be like the others. The project was made for them because they’re of a different kind, a different essence. We had spent the afternoon with them when suddenly we realized, in a flash: “yes, this group is different.”

We had been playing the role of “outsider” the entire day, like a foreign body that latches onto the daily grind of these magnificent musicians. We had to adapt, through astonishment and wonder, as the band took up their instruments and started to play. But Arcade Fire didn’t take us as outsiders. It all seemed to unfold naturally: we entered into their logic as they awaited us and eventually swallowed us up. It was now Win Butler’s Take Away Show, and we followed.”

In honor of Arcade Fire’s 3rd release The Suburbs last week, below you can watch their very own Take Away Show, in which they perform a thrilling rendition of “Neon Bible” in a freight elevator. Be sure to check out La Blogotheque’s Web site which houses over 100 different Take Away Shows from artists like Bon Iver, Black Lips, Yeasayer, The National, Sufjan Stevens, Xiu Xiu, Andrew Bird, The Shins, Caribou and more.

While it may have seen like a no-brainer to fans, Kings of Leon appearance as a main stage headliner at this year’s Bonnaroo fest was a long time coming. Back in 2004, the little known band from Tennessee performed at the fest for the first time, returning again in 2007 to perform on the Which Stage.

The Kings have come a long way, and have no qualms acknowledging all those who’ve helped them along they way. During their Friday night performance they brought out their producer and songwriting partner, Angelo Petraglia, to help debut some new material. The band mentioned how they retired the song “Holy Roller Novocaine”after playing it at their initial Bonnaroo performance because they felt they had completely nailed it.

In addition to the new material, the Kings played all their usual hits as well as a spooky and resounding cover of the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind”. Fuse TV will be broadcasting the entire set on June 17, 2010 at 7 pm EST.

Directly following Kings of Leon on Friday was The Flaming Lips who performed Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon at the Which Stage. Their first set, comprised of The Lips originals, was energetic and visually stunning, and ended with an inspiring if not clichéd “Do You Realize?” The Pink Floyd covers however, while dazzling, fell short. Apparently the slowly thinning crowd agreed as they, presumably, headed over to watch The Black Keys perform material off their new album Brothers.

Michael Franti

Throughout the festival, the Which Stage was a happening place. The National and Michael Franti and Spearhead both performed to huge crowds, with Matt Berninger of The National launching himself into said crowd multiple times, on Friday. Michael Franti, described by another festival goer as the “happiest man on Earth,” lived up to this description with light-hearted rock/reggae/hip-hop sounds.

And Friday didn’t just set the stage for hot performances. The weather was also HOT. With the mercury topping out at 95 degrees, the blazing Tennessee sun and humidity made for sweltering festival conditions. Water bottles and afternoon siestas became necessary means for survival throughout the weekend, which proved to only get more intense—both temperature and music wise.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the rest of the Bonnaroo weekend, including photos of Mumford and Sons, Zac Brown Band and more.