President Obama’s White House Vinyl Setup: Check It Out

President Obama loves music. He’s got a list of favorite rappers, and can’t help but dance or sing when he hears a song he likes, whether that’s “Purple Rain,” “Thriller,” or “Hotline Bling.” He even makes specific playlists for working out and for summertime. So it makes sense that the Commander-in-Chief has a solid vinyl setup. The Obamas are the subject of a new profile with Architectural Digest, showcasing their White House décor. Included in a slideshow of their home is a photo featuring their turntable, sound system,and some vinyl records.

The record player appears to be a Denon DP-300F, the speakers look like Kanto YU5, and the subwoofer could be Audioengine’s S8, according to the Vinyl Factory. While he has some nice gear, some audiophiles on Reddit don’t think he’s got everything in quite the right place. See the vinyl setup below, and the rest of the photos of the Obamas’ White House design, including a piano, here.

Read our features “The Presidential Suite: A Look Back at Obama’s Musical Milestones” and “How to Buy the Best Turntable and Stereo System for Your Record Collection.”

Check out President Obama’s turntable setup in the White House: https://t.co/1ovZgZ3rlT http://pic.twitter.com/XakLwQMX5v

— FACT (@FACTmag) November 2, 2016

Watch President Obama facilitate a freestyle with Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda:

via Matthew Strauss

A Tribe Called Quest Album Features André 3000, Kendrick, Jack White, More

Q-Tip recently posted a Facebook note, announcing a new Tribe Called Quest album would be out November 11. Now, in a new interview with The New York Times, Q-Tip and Jarobi White have revealed the title, as well as a slew of high-profile guests. The record is called We Got It From Here, Thank You for Your Service, and it features André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, Elton John, and Busta Rhymes; Q-Tip had previously said Consequence is on the album, too. All four of Tribe’s members, including the late Phife Dawg, appear on We Got It From Here, which is out via Epic Records. All of the recording sessions took place at Q-Tip’s studio in his New Jersey home.

In the story, Q-Tip explained that he learned Jack White was a Tribe fan when he asked to perform “Excursions” at a show. “It’s one of those scenarios where we’re so excited to finally get to work together that it was exploding in a whole different direction,” he said. According to Q-Tip, White did not bring any of his own gear to record: “He just took a guitar off the wall and plugged it in and just got his wizard on.” Read the full feature here.

Back in April, Chris Rock had posted a photo on Instagram with Jarobi White, Jack White, André 3000, Dave Chappelle, and D-Nice. He had said they were working on André’s album. See the photo below.

Revisit “Why A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg Was Sports Fans’ Favorite Rapper” and “A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg: 10 Lyrics That Prove His Prowess” on the Pitch.

Me , Dave , D-nice , jack white and jarobi hard at work on the new Andre 3000 album.

A photo posted by Chris Rock (@chrisrock) onApr 7, 2016 at 5:00pm PDT

Revisit a Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” music video:

via Matthew Strauss

Watch Bill Murray and Eddie Vedder Sing the Band’s “The Weight” at Cubs Party

Bill Murray and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder are both very big fans of the Chicago Cubs. They each sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at Wrigley Field during the World Series (at Games 3 and 5, respectively). Now, a new video shows them at the same World Series afterparty, singing the Band’s “The Weight.” Vedder leads the charge in a room full of people, and Murray does his best from the front of the crowd. Watch their cover below.

The Cubs’ World Series appearance (their first since 1945) has brought the sports fan out of a lot of musicians. The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle–a fan since childhood–reflected on his song “Cubs in Five” in a new essay. Chance the Rapper–a White Sox fan–endorsed a Cubs-supporting mashup of his “No Problem.” And Billy Corgan is a Cubs fan, but not too happy about all the celebrities showing up all of a sudden for the team he loves. “Other Cubs celebrities tend to show up when the playoffs are around. I don’t necessarily see them in June,” he said.

The deciding Game 7 of the World Series is on tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern on Fox.

Listen to the Band’s “The Weight”:

via Matthew Strauss

Japandroids Detail New Album, Share New Track “Near to the Wild Heart of Life”: Listen

Yesterday, Japandroids announced their 2017 return with Near to the Wild Heart of Life, the long-awaited follow-up to their 2012 sophomore album Celebration Rock. Today, the band have detailed the record, which is out January 27 via Anti-. They’ve also shared its first single, “Near to the Wild Heart of Life.” The track will be released as a 7” single with a cover of Talking Heads’ “Love  → Building on Fire” on the B-side. Below, listen to Near to the Wild Heart of Life’s title track, and see the cover artwork and full tracklist.

In our new interview with the band, Japandroids discuss the making of the album, their new direction, and more. Regarding the writing process for the record, singer/guitarist Brian King says:

In some ways, we’re approaching this like it’s our very first record. We’re removing all the self-imposed rules that led to the songs and the sound of our whole career up until now. When you do that, you can try anything.

He also discusses the album’s influences, citing Townes Van Zandt and Tom Waits as touchstones. He continues:

With this album, the idea of what intensity means is evolving. It doesn’t necessarily mean screaming or jumping around or flailing about or being really loud or playing really fast.

Near to the Wild Heart of Life:

01 Near to the Wild Heart of Life
02 North East South West
03 True Love and a Free Life of Free Will
04 I’m Sorry (For Not Finding You Sooner)
05 Arc of Bar
06 Midnight to Morning
07 No Known Drink or Drug
08 In a Body Like a Grave

Watch Japandroids perform “Fire’s Highway” at Pitchfork Music Festival 2012:

via Sam Sodomsky

Foxygen Announce New Album Hang, Dance in Their “Follow the Leader” Video: Watch

Foxygen have announced their new album. Sam France and Jonathan Rado’s follow-up to 2014’s ...And Star Power is called Hang, and it’s out January 20 via Jagjaguwar. The band have also shared the music video for a new song from the album called “Follow the Leader.” The video, directed by Cameron Dutra (who also directed their “San Francisco” video), is full of choreographed sequences filmed with a team of backup dancers in a park. Watch it below. Foxygen have also announced a series of tour dates in support of Hang; check those out below, as well.

As both “America” and “Follow the Leader” have hinted, every song on the album features a symphony orchestra. Trey Pollard arranged and conducted the group of over 40 musicians, and Matthew E. White contributed additional arrangements. The album also features appearances from the Flaming Lips’ Steven Drozd and the Lemon Twigs. France and Rado wrote and produced all of Hang themselves.

The album is available as part of a Jagjaguwar bundle, which comes packed with a flexi-disc featuring demo versions of “Follow the Leader” and “On Lankershim.” The first 50 pre-orders also come with an autographed piece of sheet music from the recording sessions.

Read Pitchfork’s 2014 interview with Foxygen.

Hang:

01 Follow the Leader
02 Avalon
03 Mrs. Adams
04 America
05 On Lankershim
06 Upon a Hill
07 Trauma
08 Rise Up

Foxygen:

11-09 London, England - Oslo
12-01 Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade
03-21 Richmond, VA - The National
03-22 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
03-24 New York, NY - Terminal 5
03-25 Boston, MA - The Paradise
03-26 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
03-28 Toronto, Ontario - Opera House
03-30 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
03-31 Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
04-01 Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
04-02 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
04-04 Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
04-05 Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room
04-07 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
04-08 Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda
04-09 Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
04-11 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
04-13 Dallas, TX - Trees
04-14 Austin, TX - The Mohawk
04-15 Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
04-17 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
04-18 Atlanta, GA - Terminal West
04-19 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
04-20 Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle

Watch Foxygen’s full set at Pitchfork Music Festival Paris 2014:

via Evan Minsker

Todd Terje Remixes Ola Kvernberg’s “The Mechanical Fair”: Listen

Todd Terje has remixed Ola Kvernberg’s “The Mechanical Fair,” the title track from the Norwegian composer, violinist, and jazz musician’s 2014 album. The record is set for a double-vinyl reissue next week, via Terje’s Olsen label, whose latest release is a line of custom underwear. Check out the 10-minute remix below.

Read Pitchfork’s Guest List interview with Terje.

Watch Todd Terje & the Olsens perform “Alfonso Muskedunder” at Pitchfork Music Festival:

via Jazz Monroe

Watch Joan Baez Cover Anohni’s “Another World”

On her ongoing North American tour, Joan Baez has been covering Anohni. Below, watch a video of Baez in Port Chester, NY, performing “Another World,” which she says is “as beautiful and deep as it is dark.” She goes on, “My response to it is not knowing whether to weep or just float with it. But it’s pretty real.” “Another World” was originally released in 2008, as Antony and the Johnsons. See both versions below; the song starts at 31:20 in the Baez footage. 

Read our interview, “ANOHNI Finds Hope in Hopelessness.”

via Jazz Monroe

Johnny Marr Says Morrissey’s Politics a “Drawback” to Potential Smiths Reunion

Last month, Morrissey doubled down on his opposition to Britain’s membership in the European Union, describing the Brexit result as “magnificent.” Now, Marr has responded in an interview with Sky News, as NME points out. After saying a Smiths reunion “doesn’t feel like it’s necessary at all,” Marr agreed the pair have little in common “ideologically,” given Moz’s apparent support for far-right politician Nigel Farage. “If he is pro-Farage, that would be a slight drawback, as anyone can imagine,” Marr said. Watch the interview below. 

Earlier this year, Marr, whose autobiography is out tomorrow, compared the pro-Brexit campaign to Nazi propaganda.

via Jazz Monroe

Watch Tegan and Sara Perform “Stop Desire” on “Colbert”

Tegan and Sara were the musical guests on last night’s episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” They performed their single “Stop Desire” from Love You to Death. Watch the performance below. Earlier this year, they contributed the song “Fade Out” to the soundtrack of the film The Intervention. 

Watch Tegan and Sara’s episode of “Over/Under”:

via Sam Sodomsky

Lil Wayne Distances Himself From Black Lives Matter: “My Life Matter”

Tonight’s episode of ABC’s “Nightline” features a sit-down interview with Lil Wayne. When asked by Linsey Davis about his feelings on the Black Lives Matter movement in the below clip, Wayne began by saying he didn’t like giving incidents of police violence a catch-all name: “That just sounds weird, I don’t know, that you put a name on it. It’s not a name, it’s not ‘whatever, whatever,’ it’s somebody got shot by a policeman for a fucked up reason.”

Then, he seemed to disagree with the notion that people need to be told that Black Lives Matter. “I am a young black rich motherfucker,” he said. “If that don’t let you know that America understand black motherfuckers matter these days, I don’t know what it is.” He then pointed to the camera and said, “That man white; he filmin’ me. I’m a nigga.” He then threw his arms up in frustration and said, “I don’t know what you mean, man, don’t come at me with that dumb ass shit, ma’am. My life matter.” Then, he looked into the camera, smiled, said, “Especially to my bitches,” and winked.

When the journalist asked if he felt connected to Black Lives Matter, he responded: “I don’t feel connected to a damn thing that ain’t got nothin’ to do with me. If you do, you crazy as shit. Not the camera, you. Feeling connected to something that ain’t got nothin’ to do with you? If it ain’t got nothin’ to do with me, I ain’t connected to it.”

The interview echoes recent sentiments from Wayne where he said “there’s no such thing as racism.” When asked about Black Lives Matter in that interview, he replied, “That whole wave just went right by me, way too fast to even give an opinion, so I was just like, ‘Oh, OK, that’s what’s happening.’” 

Read “Black Lives Matter’s DeRay Mckesson on the Power of Protest Music” and “The Sounds of Black Lives Matter.”

Lil Wayne says he doesn't feel connected to Black Lives Matter movement. Watch tonight on Nightline at 12:35am ET. http://pic.twitter.com/28eBGfpSja

— Nightline (@Nightline) November 2, 2016

via Evan Minsker

Gucci Mane and Young Thug Share New Song “I Told You”: Listen

On the heels of two new albums—July’s Everybody Looking and last month’s Woptober—and an EP with Zaytoven, GucTiggy, Gucci Mane recently announced plans to release another project called The Return of East Atlanta Santa. Now, he’s shared a new song with Young Thug. It’s called “I Told You,” and it’s produced by Mike Will Made It. Stream it below. The Return of East Atlanta Santa follows East Atlanta Santa and East Atlanta Santa 2: The Night Guwop Stole Xmas. 

Read Pitchfork’s list of the 50 Best Rap Mixtapes of the Millennium, which features two Gucci Mane mixtapes: Writing on the Wall and The Burrprint: The Movie 3-D.

Watch Gucci’s “Money Machine” video featuring Rick Ross:

via Sheldon Pearce

Aziz Ansari, David Lynch, OK Go Honored by Smithsonian

The Smithsonian has announced this year’s winners of their American Ingenuity Awards for innovation in art, science, and culture, AP reports. They include comedian Aziz Ansari,  as well as David Lynch for his work bringing transcendental meditation techniques to inner-city schools. Rock band and novelty-video-institution OK Go are also being recognized for this year’s “Upside Down & Inside Out” video, which was shot in zero gravity. Other winners include LeeAnne Writers, a professor who helped spread awareness of the water crisis in Flint, and Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com. The ceremony takes place on December 8.

Read Pitchfork’s interviews with Aziz Ansari and David Lynch.

Watch Chrysta Bell and David Lynch’s video for “Night Ride” on Pitchfork.tv:

via Sam Sodomsky

The Orb Share New Lunar Orbit Documentary Trailer: Watch

Last month, the Orb—the long-running electronic music group now featuring Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann—released an album called Chill, Out World! Now, they’re releasing a new documentary called Lunar Orbit that tells the stories behind their sound. The documentary is directed by Patrick Buchanan and features interviews with Paterson and Fehlmann.

Lunar Orbit also follows the duo as they record last year’s Moonbuilding 2703 AD in Berlin. Watch a trailer below. It premieres at the Doc 'n Roll Film Festival on November 11 in London. Find out more information about the documentary here.

Read Pitchfork’s list of the 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time, which includes The Orb’s Orbus Terrarum.

via Sheldon Pearce

David Bowie Emojis Included in New iPhone Update

The latest iOS update for iPhone will feature “male and female singer” emoji’s based on the cover of David Bowie’s 1973 album, Aladdin Sane, The Sun reports. It is a part of a profession selection that includes firefighters, painters, doctors, scientists, pilots, and more. Take a look at the male and female singer emojis below via Emojipedia. iOS 10.2 also includes updated versions of previously released transportation and food emojis.

The new Aladdin Sane emojis are homages to the late icon, who passed away earlier this year. In January, he released his final album, Blackstar, which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.

Read “Anthems for the Moon: David Bowie’s Sci-Fi Explorations” and “How to Mourn an Icon: Rob Sheffield on the Brilliant David Bowie Book He Wrote in a Month” on the Pitch. 

Here's a look at new emojis coming to next iPhone update.

Includes shrug, facepalm, new jobs, updated burrito, new taco, gorilla, more... http://pic.twitter.com/8tcXvI3e9T

— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 1, 2016

Revisit David Bowie’s “The Jean Genie” video:

via Sheldon Pearce

Real Estate’s Martin Courtney Shares New Animated “Asleep” Video: Watch

Last year, Real Estate’s Martin Courtney released the solo album Many Moons. He has now shared a video for that album’s “Asleep.” The clip was animated by Evan Cohen and follows a shapeshifting giant as he wanders the Earth, plays guitar, and transforms into various creatures. Watch it below.

Watch Martin Courtney’s performance of “Airport Bar” at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival:

via Sam Sodomsky

Watch Helado Negro’s New “It’s My Brown Skin” Video

Last month, Helado Negro released a new album called Private Energy. The latest release from the project is a new video for the single “It’s My Brown Skin.” Watch it below via Okayplayer. Directed by Martin Allais, the video features Roberto Lange walking through the city and various animated images. Helado Negro is currently on tour; find the full itinerary below, too.

Read “Helado Negro Is Young, Latin and Proud” on the Pitch.

Helado Negro:

11-01 Allston, MA - Wonder Bar*
11-02 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom* New York, NY
11-03 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s*
11-04 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar*
11-05 Durham, NC - Duke Coffeehouse
11-06 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade @ Purgatory Stage
11-07 Richmond, VA - Strange Matter

* with Buscabulla

via Sheldon Pearce

Kool A.D. Shares New Album Have a Nice Dream, “Visualize” Video Feat. Toro Y Moi: Watch

Kool A.D., formerly of Das Racist, has shared a new album Have a Nice Dream. The release features guest appearances from Francis and the Lights and Toro y Moi, as well as production from Keyboard Kid and Gordon Voidwell. You can stream it and check out the cover art below. Have a Nice Dream follows up the 100-track mixtape Peyote Karaoke, released in September. Kool A.D. has also shared a psychedelic video for his Toro y Moi-featuring track “Visualize.” Watch it below.

Watch Kool A.D.’s “Prove It” video on Pitchfork.tv:

via Sam Sodomsky

Watch Francis and the Lights’ New Video for “See Her Out”

Francis and the Lights have shared the music video for the song “See Her Out.” Directed by Jake Schreier (who also did the video for “Friends,” starring Bon Iver and Kanye West), the new video shows Francis Starlite walking through the streets of New York before culminating in acrobatics on a crosswalk. Check it out below. “See Her Out” was co-produced by Starlite, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and BJ Burton. It appears on Francis and the Lights’ most recent album Farewell, Starlite! 

via Noah Yoo

Ennio Morricone Sues to Regain Film Score Rights

Ennio Morricone has filed a lawsuit against Bixio Music Group to regain the copyrights to three of his film scores, the Hollywood Reporter reports. The scores for Cosi Come Sei (Stay As You Are), Il Giocattolo (A Dangerous Toy) and Un Sacco Bello (Fun Is Beautiful) expired in 2012 under the Copyright Act of 1976, which allows for authors to cancel a copyright grant 35 years after a work’s initial publication. Morricone alleges in his suit that termination notices were served in 2012, but Bixio has not given up their claim to the copyright. The company claims that Morricone created the scores as “works for hire,” but reps for Morricone state that was never agreed upon in writing.

Earlier this year, Morricone announced his signing to Decca, and released a new album, Morricone 60. The album will gather new recordings of Morricone’s best-known works, including scores from films like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and The Hateful Eight. 

via Noah Yoo

Billy Corgan Thinks a Lot of Celebrity Cubs Fans Are Posers

Billy Corgan is a Chicagoan through and through—the Smashing Pumpkins formed in Chicago in 1988, and Corgan still lives there—so it makes sense that he is excited for the Chicago Cubs being in the World Series this year. (The Cubs have not won a World Series in over 100 years.) But Corgan has sharp words for celebrities coming out of the woodwork to claim Cubs fandom; in a recent interview with the Chicago Tribune, Corgan says he thinks a lot of them are bandwagon fans. “I don’t talk to other Cubs celebrities,” he said. “In fact, I’m anti-Cubs celebrity. Although I know a few Cubs celebrities, other Cubs celebrities tend to show up when the playoffs are around. I don’t necessarily see them in June. I might be a little biased being a Chicagoan year-round.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Corgan is more hopeful, especially about the Cubs’ chances in the World Series. “It’s a bit surreal,” he said. “Having come to this ballpark for over 40 years you reach a point where you start to think, ‘Is this ever going to happen?’”

via Noah Yoo