The Weeknd has teamed with PAX to release a customized vaporizer. It's got an engraved "XO" on it, and when you turn it on, it plays "The Hills". It's coming out to coincide with the launch of his tour, and it's called The Madness Fall Tour Limited Edition PAX.
It retails for $324.99. PAX is an official sponsor of the tour and have announced that they'll have a presence at each show. Find some additional packaging shots and the video for "The Hills" below.
Photo via Instagram
Lil Wayne's home in Miami Beach was raided by police reportedly on judge's orders to seize assets, Billboard reports.
TMZ report that the raid was due to a civil case where a private jet company claimed that Wayne neglected to pay them $2 million and an additional $200,000 in legal fees. The court order reportedly allowed police to break laws in order to gain access to the mansion. Local 10 reported seeing artwork removed from the house.
Photo via RiFF RAFF's Instagram
In addition to rapping, RiFF RAFF has earned a reputation for a list of side hobbies that includes making country music, appearing on "One Life To Live", and fighting with James Franco. Now, he can add "poet" to his list of professions.
In his Instagram, he has announced the release of a book titled NEON ViBES, which he describes as a "hologram book of neon poems." There's no word yet on a publishing date, but RiFF RAFF says the book will be available for pre-sale next Friday (November 13). As you can see from the image below, NEON ViBES features a holographic, shape-shifting cover.
In addition to the new book, RiFF RAFF has been working on new music, including the follow-up to last year's album NEON iCON. In the same Instagram post, he said that he plans to drop a mini album called TRENCH COAT TOWERS this week, with another album, PEACH PANTHER, on the horizon as well.
Watch RiFF RAFF's episode of Pitchfork.tv's "Over/Under":
Photo by Atiba Jefferson
Earlier today, reports emerged that Bad Brains guitarist Dr. Know, aka Gary Miller, was hospitalized for unknown reasons. This afternoon, the band shared a statement to its Facebook, asking for "thoughts and prayers."
The Bad Brains family ask that you please keep Gary (Dr. Know) Miller in your thoughts and prayers The family respectfully ask that their privacy be honored during this time and very much appreciate all the great energy that is being sent their way.
Positive vibes and PMA!
Miller is a founding member of Bad Brains. In May, the band recorded a new EP in front of an audience in Woodstock, NY.
Chance the Rapper is currently in the middle of his Family Matters Tour. Last night, he performed the first of two concerts in Atlanta. During the show, he brought out some special guests: Migos and K Camp.
Migos' Quavo came out with Chance to do his part on the Surf track "Familiar", then brought out Takeoff to do Migos' "Pipe It Up". K Camp, meanwhile, did his song "Comfortable". Check out footage of their performances below; in the top video, Quavo shows up at the 2:45 mark (with "Pipe It Up" starting at the 4:33 mark), while K Camp comes onstage around the 5:00 mark.
Read Diamond Sharp's Pitch piece about Chance the Rapper's headlining performance at Pitchfork Music Festival 2015.
Watch Migos perform "Handsome and Wealthy" at Pitchfork's SXSW party:
Last week, Weezer released a new track called "Thank God For Girls". Today, they've followed it up with "Do You Wanna Get High?". The track debuted on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show. Listen above.
Speaking with Zane Lowe, Rivers Cuomo stated that there's no album in the works for now. The band's currently without a label (but are open to dinner dates with A&R representatives, they joked). Their last album, Everything Will Be Alright in the End, came out last year on Republic.
Read our 5-10-15-20 interview with Rivers Cuomo.
Photo by Alex de Mora
Fuck Buttons' Benjamin John Power has revisited his solo project Blanck Mass for a new EP, The Great Confuso. The EP, which is available now digitally via Sacred Bones, opens with an eighteen-minute title track split into three parts that features Genesis Breyer P-Orridge of Psychic TV/ Throbbing Gristle fame. It also includes remixes of cuts from the last Blanck Mass release (May's Dumb Flesh LP) from P-Orridge, Dalhous, and Konx-Om-Pax. Listen to the first part of "The Great Confuso" above, and check out the tracklisting below.
Power will tour North America next March, after touring Europe this fall. Find a full itinerary below.
As previously reported, Power's Fuck Buttons partner, Andrew Hung, has a new EP on the way as well: Rave Cave 2 arrives November 13.
Read our interview with Fuck Buttons.
The Great Confuso EP:
01 The Great Confuso [Pt. I, II & III]
02 Dead Format (Dalhous Remix)
03 No Lite (Genesis Breyer P-Orridge DREAMACHINE Remix)
04 Detritus (Konx-Om-Pax Remix)
Blanck Mass:
11-06 Barcelona, Spain - MIRA Festival
11-07 London, England - Islington Assembly Hall *
11-10 Poitiers, France - Le Confort Moderne
11-12 Lorient, France - Les Indisciplinées
11-14 Lyon, France - Le Transbordeur
11-20 Utrecht, Netherlands - Le Guess Who?
11-21 Hebden Bridge, England - Trades Club
11-22 Norwich, England - Norwich Arts Centre
11-25 London, England - Notwist Fest
11-27-29 Prestatyn, Wales - ATP 2.0 Nightmare Before Christmas 2015
11-29 Brighton, England - Mutations
12-09 Aberdeen, Scotland - The Lemon Tree
12-10 Dundee, Scotland - Beat Generator Live
12-11 Glasgow, Scotland - Stereo
03-04 Toronto, Ontario - The Drake
03-05 Montreal, Quebec - Bar Le Ritz
03-06 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
03-07 Brooklyn, NY - Baby's All Right
03-08 Washington, DC - DC9
03-10 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
03-15 Austin, TX - SXSW
03-16 Austin, TX - SXSW
03-18 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
03-19 Los Angeles, CA - Residence
* with Zola Jesus
Watch Blanck Mass' "Dead Format" video:
Photo by Tom Spray
Pitchfork and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago have partnered for "In Sight Out", an ongoing conversation series about new perspectives in music, art, and culture. We're happy to announce the next two events, which will feature artists in conversation with Pitchfork Senior Editor Jessica Hopper.
Neko Case will sit down to discuss her career with Hopper on December 9. A box set collecting her complete discography—Truckdriver, Gladiator, Mule—is out November 13.
Run the Jewels will talk to Hopper on January 16. El-P and Killer Mike will discuss their music and friendship. Their album Run the Jewels 2 was released last year; this year, they gave it a cat-centric remix album called Meow the Jewels.
Tickets for both events are on sale November 17.
Previous talks featured Carrie Brownstein and Jeff Tweedy. Listen to Mark Richardson's conversation with Tweedy.
Watch Run the Jewels and Neko Case's episodes of Pitchfork.tv's "Over/Under":
Last month, Big Boi and Phantogram released their self-titled debut as Big Grams. Today, they've shared a video for its track "Fell in the Sun". In the clip, the duo perform in a virtual space amidst lasers and kaleidoscopic effects. Watch it below, via WeTransfer.
Read our interview with Big Grams.
Watch Big Boi on Pitchfork.tv's "Selector":
Damon Albarn photo by Linda Brownlee
Back in September, Damon Albarn said he'd worked with Adele on her new album, 25. He called her "very insecure" and characterized the work as "middle of the road," noting that he didn't think his contributions would make the final cut. In a new Rolling Stone cover story, Adele addressed working with Albarn.
"It ended up being one of those 'don't meet your idol' moments," she said. "And the saddest thing was that I was such a big Blur fan growing up. But it was sad, and I regret hanging out with him."
"None of it was right," she told Rolling Stone. "None of it suited my record. He said I was insecure, when I'm the least-insecure person I know. I was asking his opinion about my fears, about coming back with a child involved—because he has a child—and then he calls me insecure?"
Adele worked with Sia on the album. Though none of their collaborations made the final tracklist, Sia eventually used one of the songs, "Alive", for her own album. "I actually love the dynamic of us both being in there and just fucking being bossy," Adele said of working with Sia. "And it's all these male producers, and they're all fucking shitting themselves 'cause we're in there."
Adele also had a little to say about wanting new music from Frank Ocean. "I'm just fucking waiting for Frank fucking Ocean to come out with his album," she said. "It's taking so fucking long. That sounds so stupid, coming from me, doesn't it?"
Read the whole thing here.
Here's the video for "Hello":
Photo by Erez Avissar
Back in 2011, graphic designer Tom Kan alleged that Kanye West and Hype Williams had plagiarized his Enter the Void credits sequence in their video for "All of the Lights". Now, Gaspar Noé, the film's director, has joined the conversation. Speaking to the Daily Beast, Noé agreed that Kanye's video copied his title sequence, and criticized director Hype Williams for "adding his name into the credits over and over again." See both clips below.
"I was more shocked by the fact that that guy who copied all the typography of my titles put his name in it—Hype Williams—when you never usually see a director’s name in a music video," Noé said. "He was putting his name on it over and over! It was so weird that he was not only copying it, but adding his name into the credits over and over again."
He concluded: "The truth is that when you put something out there, if you put any idea out there that’s kind of flashy, you have many, many people that are going to be copying it. This happens whether you do movies, paintings, or music."
Enter the Void opening credits:
"All of the Lights" (the section in question begins a minute in):
Yesterday, Sia revealed the cover art and release date for her new album, This Is Acting. Today, she's shared "Bird Set Free", the album's second single following "Alive". Listen to it below, via Stereogum.
This Is Acting contains songs written for Adele, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and other artists. It'll be released on January 29.
Last night, EL VY—the collaborative project of the National's Matt Berninger and Menomena/Ramona Falls' Brent Knopf—opened their tour at Portland, OR's Doug Fir Lounge. During the show, they covered Fine Young Cannibals track "She Drives Me Crazy", as Stereogum points out. Watch fan footage of the cover below.
EL VY's album Return to the Moon is out now.
Watch the National on Pitchfork.tv's "Over/Under":
Photo by Peter Hinson
Doseone, TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, and Faith No More's Mike Patton recently announced that their long-gestating supergroup Nevermen would soon release an album. (They also shared the above track, "Tough Town".) Now, they've offered more details about that LP. The self-titled record is out January 29 via Patton's label Ipecac and Lex. Check out the artwork (designed by Keith Tyson) below.
The self-produced album's sessions reportedly began in 2008. Adebimpe and Doseone sent their in-person, collaborative demos to Patton. In an interview, Doseone said the trio's mantra was "don’t rush the fuckin’ music," hence the seven-year delay.
Photo by Erez Avissar
Back in 2011, graphic designer Tom Kan alleged that Kanye West and Hype Williams had plagiarized his Enter the Void credits sequence in their video for "All of the Lights". Now, Gaspar Noé, the film's director, has joined the conversation. Speaking to the Daily Beast, Noé agreed that Kanye's video copied his title sequence, and criticized director Hype Williams for "adding his name into the credits over and over again." See both clips below.
"I was more shocked by the fact that that guy who copied all the typography of my titles put his name in it—Hype Williams—when you never usually see a director’s name in a music video," Noé said. "He was putting his name on it over and over! It was so weird that he was not only copying it, but adding his name into the credits over and over again."
He concluded: "The truth is that when you put something out there, if you put any idea out there that’s kind of flashy, you have many, many people that are going to be copying it. This happens whether you do movies, paintings, or music."
Enter the Void opening credits:
"All of the Lights" (the section in question begins a minute in):
In this, the Year of the Hotline, Neon Indian's Alan Palomo has shared his very own hotline commercial. Here's how it apparently works: You leave a voicemail with your number, and then you'll get a call back from either Palomo or someone named Allan DeBarge. They're billed as "the perfect boyfriends." It's pretty absurd—watch it below.
Read "You Used to Call Me on My: Hotlines in Pop Music".
Watch Neon Indian perform "Hex Girlfriend" on Pitchfork.tv's "+1":
Sleigh Bells photo by Petra Colins
Sleigh Bells have accused Demi Lovato of sampling two of their songs without permission, as Jezebel points out. "Demi Lovato flattered you guys sampled Infinity Guitars & Riot Rhythm for "Stars" but we were not contacted," the band's Derek Miller wrote on Twitter. "Gotta clear those." (A quick sampling of Sleigh Bells' mentions confirms that some of Lovato's fans are not enthused about the comparison.)
"Stars" appears on Lovato's new album, Confident. Both "Infinity Guitars" and "Riot Rhythm" are from Sleigh Bells' first album, Treats. Listen to all three songs below.
We've reached out to Lovato's representatives for comment.
Watch Sleigh Bells' video for "End of The Line" on Pitchfork.tv:
The filmmakers behind Amy, the Amy Winehouse documentary from earlier this year, are working on an Oasis documentary, as Screen Daily points out (via NME). Amy director Asif Kapadia will be the executive producer and Amy producer James Gay Rees will produce the as-yet-untitled film, with Mat Whitecross directing. According to Screen Daily, they've been given "unprecedented" access to the band's archives.
Film company Independent will officially announce the project during industry event American Film Market, which takes place November 4-11.
Independent's managing director, Andrew Orr, told Screen Daily: "Oasis are without doubt one of the classic British rock bands, selling 70 million albums worldwide and defining the sound of a whole era. At its heart are Liam and Noel Gallagher, two of the finest rock ‘n’ roll stars this country has ever produced. Mat’s sensibility and style are going to provide the perfect complement to this tale of the rise of one of the great rock ’n’ roll bands."
Read our reviews of the Definitely Maybe and (What's the Story) Morning Glory? reissues.
Would you like to own the green cardigan that Kurt Cobain wore on Nirvana's episode of "MTV Unplugged"? How about a lock of his hair (left over from a doll Courtney Love had made for their daughter, Frances Bean), or a record plaque celebrating Nevermind's platinum status or In Utero's gold status?
You're in luck: As Rolling Stone reports, Julien's Live has put 350 pieces of rock-and-roll memorabilia up for auction, ranging from the mundane to the bizarre, including items from Cobain, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Prince, and more.
Cobain’s famous cardigan—a medium-sized Manhattan brand garment made of acrylic, mohair, and lycra “was obtained from a close friend” of the Cobains, according to the listing. The starting bid is at $20,000, with an overall value estimated between $40,000 and $60,000.
The lock of Cobain’s hair is a much cheaper option, with the starting bid set at $4,000 (it’s expected to net as much as $10,000). Courtney Love gave the hair to doll maker/artist/writer/musician Dame Darcy to make a doll for Frances Bean; Darcy retained the locks after the toy’s completion.
If you're into locks of hair, one of John Lennon's is up for auction, too.
There are a lot of Michael Jackson items, including a dental mold used to create his fangs in the “Thriller” video and a few creepy life-size figures taken from Neverland Ranch.
Among the Elvis items, you can find a Valium pill bottle, a prescription for muscle relaxants, and his life insurance policy.
And hey, who wouldn't want Jerry Lee Lewis' driver's license, Madonna's shoe molds, Steven Tyler's insurance card, or Whitney Houston's credit card application?
Check out all of the listings here.
A collection of recently-unearthed Kurt Cobain tracks, Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings, is due out November 13.
Read our review of Montage of Heck from Sundance, and read our feature "Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, and the Gendering of Martyrdom".
Photo by Mary Ellen Matthews
Sia's new album, This Is Acting, has finally gotten a release date: January 29. She's also revealed the album's cover through a newly launched Instagram. Check it out here, and scroll down to see the art.
As the artist explained in an interview, the album is comprised entirely of songs intended for other artists. “It’s more like play-acting," she said. "It’s fun.”
Lead single "Alive" was co-written with Adele and Tobias Jesso Jr. and was intended for Adele's album, but discarded. Revisit that below.
In an interview with Beats 1's Zane Lowe, Sia said This Is Acting contains songs written for Beyoncé and Rihanna, amongst others. She also said she's working with FKA twigs, and that she has a song on Adele's 25.
